*blog post coming* (I know it's late, but better late than never--and besides, I'm waaaay behind!)

*blog post coming soon*

Great news!

As announced today in the online edition of Publishers Weekly, Bloomsbury Children's Books has agreed to change the cover of Justine Larbalestier’s Liar.

You can read about it here.

Just wanted to give a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my oldest daughter, "Sparkly," on celebrating her 10th birthday today! Wow, time really flies.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, "Sparkly"!! Love ya!

Hi folks,

By now, most everyone in the writing blogosphere (or more specifically, the children's writing blogosphere) has read/heard about the flack over the cover of Justine Larbalestier's newest title, LIAR. I haven't read her book yet, but I'm gonna throw in my 2 cents anyway. Also, there is a wide barrage of comments at Editorial Anonymous, the blog where I first read about this.

Apparently, the protagonist of the story is a black female who wears her hair in a short natural (sort of like a low-cut afro, I'm assuming, but correct me if I'm wrong) style. Okay. I get that. But that is not what's portrayed on the cover. So what I want to know is: how can the publisher be so misleading to such an impressionable audience as to which this book is marketed? I, for one, am baffled. I mean, I know most authors don't have much say as to what's portrayed on the cover. But did the Bloomsbury marketing department, like, not read any of the book, or what? Hmmmm . . .

Thankfully, the author has spoken out on this terrible occurrence. Here are her thoughts. And I applaud her for her fantastically brave post.

One more thing. Now, I don't mean to go on and on about this, but when Justine said in her post, "Every year at every publishing house, intentionally and unintentionally, there are white-washed covers," I found that kind of scary. And then I thought, well, if it can happen to her, it could happen to any one of us children's writers, but maybe--okay, probably--to me moreso as an African American writer. I mean, I have an idea for a contemporary YA novel with a multicultural cast of characters and I'm wondering now how that cover would be portrayed if the protagonist were a person of color. Then, as I read more of what Justine heard from editors & sales reps, I wondered if I should even bother querying agents or even continue writing. But . . . I quickly dismissed those thoughts, because, you know what? I like a challenge (for what it's worth, I went to both a very competitive high school & college, so I guess it's ingrained in me now). But even more than that . . . I LOVE to write! So come what may . . . I'm still in the game!


Okay . . . I hope I haven't been too outspoken here . . .

Well, I finally made some progress on a picture book that I've been working on, like, forever this week. I got it down to 500 words! Which, of course, is also the word count limit for the 3rd Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Contest. Yeah, I went ahead and took the plunge and entered the contest. Today. The last day to enter. Yeah, I procrastinated till the end. I really have to stop that. But folks, there's still time if you, too, want to go ahead and take a chance. The deadline is 11:59 p. m. (Central Time).

And to all who have already entered: GOOD LUCK!

:)

Before I do Thursday's Tidbits, I going to take a moment to pay my own respects to Michael Jackson. I'm late blogging about his death due to a death in my own family that same week.

First, I just want to say that the memorial on Tuesday was such a stunningly beautiful and heartfelt tribute. Especially touching were Brooke Shields' tearful remembrances of her & Michael as teenage friends, the songs by Stevie Wonder & Usher, and the many memories of Michael by Berry Gordy, Magic Johnson, and Smokey Robinson. And of course, the most touching remembrance of all, will always be daughter Paris Jackson's poignant farewell to her father. That was truly heartbreaking.

Going back down memory lane, I can recall watching reruns of The Jackson Five's cartoon show (forgot what it was called) on Saturday mornings in the mid-70s. I think that's really where I first heard "ABC" and "The Love You Save." By the time I was about ten (1978), I really knew who they were. By this time, The Jacksons' (having already left Motown by this time) big hits were "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" and "Blame it on the Boogie." Anyone remember those? They were rockin'! Another fave of mine around this time period was Heartbreak Hotel (I still LOVE that song to this day). Then came OFF THE WALL. Wow. What a great debut for him as a solo artist! My faves: Rock with You, Off the Wall, Working Day and Night, & Don't Stop Til You Get Enough. When I turned 15, the THRILLER album had just hit big and I had huge posters of Michael, as Tee Brown said in one of her posts, "wallpapered" to my bedroom walls. What can I say about THRILLER? An album where practically every single on it was a hit and got frequent airplay? For me, it's the best album ever made. Michael was at his musical best here.

In later years, there were only a few singles I liked from albums that came out after THRILLER. And some of the things he did and said, I didn't totally agree with. But who am I or anyone else to judge? No matter what anyone says about Michael, he was a true musical genius, with talent that could only be a gift from God. So let God be the judge. As Marlon stated at the memorial, "Maybe now they will leave alone."

Rest in peace, Michael.

Hi all,

As some of you know I had a death in my family; my father-in-law passed away last week on Father's Day. Needless to say, my husband took it VERY HARD. So we had to go out of town to Connecticut (we're in NJ) for a few days. But now that things have settled down somewhat, it's getting better. My husband has come to terms with his dad's death & realizes that his dad is finally out of his pain (he had congestive heart failure) & at rest.

And so I'm back to blogging; I hope to post a few things later today or tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your condolences & prayers.

Thought I'd catch the tail end of W-I-P Wednesday with this short passage from my work-in-progress, TRAIN WATCH:

Scene Setup: Grandpa Lum has just brought Cleo (the 11-year-old main character) and Otis' mother, Sarah, home from the train station. Cleo learns her mother and grandfather were fussing during the whole ride back.

Okay, *taking a deep breath*, here it is:


"Cleo, baby," Mama cried, as they hugged.

"Mmm." Cleo sighed, inhaling the floral scent of her mama’s perfume, her arms wrapped tightly around her mama’s waist. "Mama, you smell so good."

"Thanks, honey." Shrugged off her fur-collared coat, then set her shiny black handbag down on one end of the sofa. "The lady who lives next door to me is a representative for this beauty company called Avon. She showed me a little booklet filled with all kinds of perfumes, powders, and lipsticks, then let me try a sample of this fragrance. Isn’t it heavenly?"

"It sure is, Mama. What did Grandpa say?"

"Oh, what didn’t he say? First, he said I smelled like I’d taken a bath in a pot of simmerin’ flowers. Then I said, ‘Well, Daddy, I got a gentleman friend who likes it very much.’ Then he said, ‘if you spendin’ your time with a fella, I ’spect you won’t have much time for your children. So’s they might as well stay with me and your ma.’"

"Oh, Mama, no."

"Oh, yes, he did. So I lit into him like a match to wood."

Taking one look at her mama’s face, Cleo knew she and Grandpa Lum must have been arguing something terrible during the ride back from Winston-Salem. Her mama was piping-hot mad but, boy oh boy, did she look dignified! She wore a silk-like emerald green suit that enhanced her caramel complexion to a T, topped off with a matching hat tilted to the side, Greta Garbo style. And with those satiny-smooth white gloves, black high-heeled patent-leather pumps, and newly-pressed pageboy bob hair-do, she looked like she was going to a church revival! Cleo beamed, proud that her mama was doing good in New York, despite what Grandpa Lum said about her leaving the South.

Hi Everyone!
I know, I know, where have I been? Well, I was going to post a few days ago, then my oldest daughter came down with a bad head cold, and then yesterday (probably because they share a room) my youngest daughter came down with a cold an a fever. So, since about Thursday on, I’ve been doing the Dr. Mom thing.

Although I have been roaming the blogosphere (it’s so addictive!), I have really missed the act of blogging itself. Oh, and also, for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been on a special project at work that really demands mucho concentration, and when I get home I think about blogging, but my hands just don’t reach the keyboard (I’m on a computer at work all day, everyday, btw). This is why I guess I unconsciously saved blogging till the weekend.

So without further ado, here are some things I found that might interest you:

1) Aspiring author Casey L. McCormick shines the spotlight on Agent Jennifer Rofe of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Also, check out her current line-up of agents for the next few weeks. Thanks, Casey, for all your research! I know doing all this research must take an enormous amount of time from your writing. Just wanted to let you know it’s greatly appreciated!

2) Literary agent Rachelle Gardner wants to know if you have any advice for literary agents. If you do, she says feel free to leave your questions/comments for literary agents in her comment section. So far she’s got over 60 very interesting comments!

3) Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic senior editor Cheryl Klein offers her definition/theory of YA literature. Check it out here! I check Cheryl’s blog periodically because she provides awesome in-depth analyses of topics such as voice and plot, as well as thought-provoking discussions of the various titles she’s recently edited.

4) If you’re interested in historical fiction, Melinda Meister at The Paper Wait chats about the challenge of getting readers to identify with the problems of characters at that specific time in history. As we can see, setting matters very, very much in historical fiction. Personally, I think I struggle more with this than anything in writing historical fiction, i.e. recreating the world as it was "back then" and enveloping the reader in such authenticity that he/she will be able to envision his/her self in the story.

5) Over at Cynsations, Cynthia Leitich Smith posted this fantastic interview with literary agent assistant Tracy Marchini of the esteemed Curtis Brown Ltd. Thanks Cynthia (and Tracy)!

6) Former ICL (Institute of Children’s Literature) instructor Kristi Holl of the Writers First Aid blog has this timely (well, at least for me!) post on the five stages of procrastination. I confess I’m guilty of number 5. Okay, maybe a few more, but I’m not telling. I’ll just say I’m workin’ on ’em. Seriously, I am! J And I’m getting that book she recommends, too!

7) Lastly, but not least, Pen To Page blogger Tee Brown shares this wonderfully inspiring quote from an excerpt from A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson. Thanks, Tee, I’m keeping this nearby as I revise my work-in-progress! Also, CONGRATS AGAIN on your feature in AuthorsNow!

Happy Reading . . . and Writing!
Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

Yes, folks, today is my birthday. Another year older, wiser, smarter (I hope). At this time last year, I had no idea about how to create a blog. I knew I wanted one, but I hadn't yet figured out just what I wanted on it. Now my new goal is to have an agent by this time next year. I know it may take longer, but I'm going to at least start sending queries. Yes, this birthday is really sort of a wake-up call because I see that time stops for no one. When I was in my 20s, I knew that one day I wanted to write & publish a book. I thought, well, I'll have it done by age 30 or by 40, for sure. Well, life got in the way (got married, had 2 kids, work full-time). And 40 has come and gone. And so . . . I'm 41 today (still can't believe it 'cause I remember 21 like it was yesterday!). And the years seem like they're speeding up . . . although I hope (pray) that I have many more years to come (longevity seems to run in my family--my grandma is 92 & her mother passed away three years ago at 106). But given my propensity to procrastination (is that a tongue-twister or what!) I just feel like I better get MOVIN' if I want to realize my publication goals. Anyone else feel like that? Like time is flying by on your journey to publication? You don't have to say your age, of course. :)

Hi folks,

I'm not calling today "Fabulous Friday" because of my previous post. I know you'll understand. But today is (or was) STILL a good day because, well, it's the start of the Memorial Day weekend. And the sun did shine beautifully today. Well, at least here in the NYC/NJ area it did.
So without further ado, here's my news for today:

1) First, I want to offer my CONGRATULATIONS again to one of my newest writer friends, Tess Hilmo, on getting . . . AN AGENT!! WHOO HOO!!! See this post to see how she surprised her readers with the news. Also, if you have time, check out her book trailer. It's wonderfully captivating. I just know this book will be snapped up by an editor/publisher soon!

2) Attention all children's writers:
Registration for the 2009 Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference is now OPEN.
Having attended the conference last year, I can honestly say that my work-in-progress has really improved. And I have to give credit to the editorial assistant I was assigned to for that improvement. The suggestions/ideas she offered were dead-on, and really made me think more about where I wanted to go with my storyline. I was so excited I started writing out scenes right after my one-on-one session! My mentor was Shauna Fay, an editorial assistant (she may be an asst. editor now) from G.P. Putnam's Books for Young Readers. Folks, she is sharp! And, she's very much interested in historical fiction. Yay!

For official details, go here. The deadline for applications is JULY 8th! Good Luck!

3) Aspiring author Casey McCormick of Literary Rambles shines the Agent Spotlight this week on Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media Group, LLC. Very informative! Thanks, Casey! You've got me looking forward to this every week now.

4) Aspiring author Beth Revis over at writing it out interviews Cindy Pon, debut author of the much-heralded historical fantasy novel, Silver Phoenix. I don't usually read fantasy but I'd LOVE to read this! It sounds like an awesome story! And the cover is gorgeous, too.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend, everyone!
:)

Hi all,

I haven't really posted this week because my mind has been on the things going on at my company. I work for a reference publisher in New York and the layoff bug has seemingly gotten around to us now. One person from my department has been laid off so far. That leaves eight of us. And I don't think it's finished. Please, everyone, pray that no one else in my dept. is affected. We're really stretched to the limit as it is. And more people have been let go throughout the rest of the company. *Sigh* It's really depressing.

Greetings everyone!
Hope all was well with you this fine and fabulous Friday!

*Big sigh* Seems like I can only get around to posting on Tuesdays & Fridays. I really would like to post more, but my organizational skills for blogging are severely lacking, I think. Hmmm. Maybe I should write my posts out in advance? I'm really curious to know how everyone organizes their blogging time versus their writingtime/home life.

As usual, what I'm going to list here you may already know about. So without further ado, here are some things going on around the blogosphere:


1) 78th Annual Writer's Digest Contest deadline is today, BUT there is a LATE ENTRY deadline for all you procrastinators (like me). That deadline is JUNE 1st (must be postmarked by this date). Click here for more info.

FUN FACT: Did you know that Ruth Spiro's picture book, Lester Fizz: Bubble-Gum Artist (Dutton, 2008) was a winner in the 72nd Annual Writer's Digest Contest? Inspiring, isn't it?


2) Just found out over at Kimberly Willis Holt's blog, A Pen and a Nest that Ella Enchanted author Gail Carson Levine now has a blog. And she's welcoming visitors!

She says, ". . . I intend to post once a week, and I will probably blog mostly about writing, but I don't know that for sure. I'll see how it shapes up. If you are reading this, I would welcome a post to tell me what you're interested in reading from me."

Hmmm. What would all of us aspiring authors be interested in reading from a Newbery Honor award-winner? I say ANYTHING & EVERYTHING! Seriously, though, with all her success, I'll read whatever she chooses to write about. But since she asked, I'd specifically love to hear more about her writing process as well as her thoughts on voice, setting, plot, conflict, etc.

In her first post, she talks about how she creates descriptions for her characters. Simply amazing!

Go visit her folks! Oh yes, and if you blog, please spread the word!



3) Cynthia Leitich Smith over at Cynsations is holding a BOOK GIVEAWAY. Enter to win one of 20 copies of THE CHOSEN ONE by Carol Lynch Williams. See her blog for details. Cynthia posted this interview with Carol Lynch Williams a few days ago. I must say she's written a very interesting story!


4) For all those who just started blogging (like me!), Kathy Temean, Regional Advisor of NJSCBWI, offers these 10 tips for getting more people to comment on your blog posts. Think I'm gonna commit these to memory!
And speaking of blogging, I found this 2007 article from WOW! Women On Writing about optimizing your blog/website. I think much of it still holds true for today. I found it very informative. Hope you will too.


5) In regard to WOW! Women On Writing, here's another writing contest with a looming deadline of May 31st. I know it's close buthere you only have to write a max of 750 words. What kind of contest is it?
It's the Spring 2009 Flash Fiction Contest being given by WOW! Women On Writing. I may try it. They say they're open to all styles of writing, although the guest judge is Literary Agent Wendy Sherman who reps adult fiction and non-fiction. I still think it's worth a shot, though, because, well, you never know. The entry fee is $10 (not bad at all!) and there are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place monetary prizes as well as goodie bags for 7 Runners Up, and 15 Honorable Mentions. Now how do the kids today say it? SWEET!

FUN FACT: Danette Haworth, a fellow blueboarder & author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck By Lightning (Walker, 2008), received an Honorable Mention in the Spring 2007 Contest.

6) Lastly, aspiring author Casey McCormick over at Literary Rambles put the spotlight on Jill Grinberg of the Jill Grinberg Literary Management, LLC. I really love these agent profiles. Thanks, Casey!

Well, that's it, so far. Have a great weekend everyone!

Today I'm posting my entry from a recent "Drop the Needle" exercise given by Miss Snark's First Victim. The point of this exercise was to show an instance of over-the-top emotion. I chose this passage from my current work-in-progress, TRAIN WATCH:

A very brief blurb to set up the scene: The primary character is Grandma Jenny who is in the midst of whipping Cleo, her granddaughter, with a switch for being insolent. Cleo, in an attempt to distract Grandma Jenny from whipping Hattie (who is Jenny's 12-year-old daughter as well as Cleo's aunt), had sucked her teeth at Grandma Jenny (a no-no in the 1940s). What brought all this on was when Hattie, in a fit of anger, struck Cleo's brother in the head with a rolling pin.

Okay, here it is:



Grandpa Lum grabbed Grandma Jenny as she started to swing out again at Cleo.

“Lum, let go now!” she ordered. “Get away from me!”

“Jenny, Cleo ain’t done nothin’ wrong here, ” he said, loosening his grip on her arm.

“Nothin’ wrong my foot!” Grandma Jenny snorted. “No child gonna suck their teeth at me.” She nodded toward Cleo. “And get away with it.”

“Now Jenny I heard Cleo trying to apologize. Why don’t you leave her be?”

“And why don’t you go on in the house, Lum?” Grandma Jenny said, her nostrils flaring.

He started to say something back but, catching Grandma Jenny’s piercing gaze, ambled on toward the house, mumbling about how it was useless to argue when she was in such a state.

“Cleo, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but you goin’ to hear this, too.” Grandma Jenny turned to face Hattie.

“Girl, you can’t be haulin’ off and hittin’ people just because they say somethin’ about you. Shoot. They talked about my savior, Jesus. And guess who came out on top anyway? She closed her eyes and shook her head as if trying to erase a bad memory. “Before I know it, you’ll be done hit some white person upside their head. And then whatcha gonna do? Huh? Them white folks don’t play around, Hattie. They’ll just as soon lynch a colored woman as well as they would a man.” She wiped her forehead. “I better not catch you raisin’ your hand to your nephew again.” Her eyes narrowed. “You hear?”



So, any thoughts/suggestions/criticisms? You can click on my entry (see above) to see what others had to say.

Anyone else doing Teaser Tuesday? Let me know and I'll drop on by. Thanks!

My youngest (she's 6), bless her heart, with the help of her sister (age 9), made "breakfast" for me this morning: a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal and a glass of Hawaiian Punch! Not IHOP, of course, but very nice and sweeeeet! And, of course, they made cards for me . . . which I loved!

And the husband is cooking dinner, which is always GREAT! Plus, since he's a chef, he cooks 10x better than me, anyway! Right now, he's making fried chicken, macaroni 'n cheese, string beans, and corn on the cob. Yum!

Enjoy your day everyone!

Hi kidz korner Miley Cyrus and Demi Lovato almost have the same music
i love both of their music .My two favorites ''The Climb''and ''Don't forget''
she soon will be going on a world tour.But i also like hip hop
but light rock and pop are my favorite . My sister loves Hannah Montana
more than Demi Lovato.But i don't agree.Demi Lovato is a rockin player
some people even say shes better than Hannah Montana.
Am i one of those people.Demi Lovato is going on tour
with somebody else i like David Archuleta.Miely Cyrus went on tour in
America and Europe.

Hi all!

I know, I know, where have I been? I feel so bad that I haven't posted all week. But I'm making up for it today!

First off, I've been working on revisions to the 1st three chapters of my work-in-progress, like adding descriptive elements to certain scenes, checking the pace & flow of the story, making sure all the familial relationships make sense, etc. I caught one glaring error in a passage that I've read dozens of times. I referred to someone as a cousin when it should have said nephew. An agent or editor reading that passage would have been totally confused!

As usual, I was also perusing the blogosphere this week. Here are some posts that you may or may not be aware of:

1) Today, over at Pub Rants, agent Kristin Nelson has an awesome (when isn't it ever?) post about when an agent gives up on you & your right to know the names of editors who saw your work so that your next agent will know who, or who not, to submit to.

2) Aspiring author Casey McCormick shines the Agent Spotlight on Regina Brooks of Serendipity Literary Agency.

3) Another aspiring author, Tess Hilmo, is giving away a copy of a new writing resource, 20 Master Plots and how to build them by Ronald B. Tobias. To enter the contest, you must leave a comment stating what you would like written on your headstone.

4) For all you historical fans, Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Award-winning novel Hattie Big Sky, interviews Barbara Kerley, author of the historical picture book biography, What to do about Alice? (Scholastic, 2008). Her book is based on the life of Alice Roosevelt, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt (26th President of the United States). Also check out the rest of Kirby's blog. It's really neat!

5) Let's see, what else?

Lori Degman, winner of the 1st annual Cheerios' Spoonfuls of Stories Contest (btw, the 3rd annual contest is accepting entries now!) tells an exciting story of how she got her agent after winning the contest in this April post. And the story of how she found out she'd won the contest is equally charming.

6) Danette Vigilante offers this post on the power of prayer during her writing journey & search for an agent.
If you want to see the inspiring story of how she got her 2-book deal (BEFORE getting her agent), please see this past interview with her by Danette Haworth (author of Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning, 2008). It's really awesome!

7) Beth Revis, over at writing it out, presents this delightful interview with Sarah Prineas, author of the middle-grade fantasy, The Magic Thief.

8) HarperCollins children's editor Molly O'Neil offers her opinion on The Great American (YA) Novel over on her new blog, Ten Block Walk.

9) Lastly, children's lit agent Elana Roth of the Caren Johnson Literary Agency now has her own blog. Check it out!


Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Wow!!!!!! I hope we get a sportsman. My cousin said he would be intrested and maybe you would be to. He could talk about Kobe Bryant or LeBron James or he could tell you about a game he saw. So tell us what you think, and how you feel about the idea.
Don't think we would forget about the boys.

----Sparkly

Ah, it's the end of the work week . . . what's not to love about that!

I was going through some files the other day and came across an article by Irene Goodman of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency entitled "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Authors." I thought I'd share some parts with you all.

1. Write on a schedule.
Ah, I think this was meant for me! She says, if I may quote, "Successful authors sit down and face that blank screen every day. You don’t actually have to do it every day, but you do have to do it on a firm schedule. . . . If you write only when the muse strikes or when you feel like it, you will have a very hard time finishing a book." Well, I know that is definitely true because I've tried doing that and it doesn't work.
She goes on to say "Just because it’s a calling doesn’t mean you should wait for inspiration. You must have the sense and the discipline to exercise your craft on a regular basis. This will accomplish a number of useful things. One, you will get a lot of work done. Two, you will oil your mental writing machinery very well. Even if you throw out everything you wrote the day before, you have still used those writing muscles."
So true, so true.

2. Don't quit.
Yes, this does sound simple. But it isn't to me, especially when you get that nagging voice of self-doubt, wondering if you can really compete with all the authors in your genre, both published and unpublished. I think not quitting requires a HUGE amount of self-confidence in yourself & in your work.
Goodman says that "truly accomplished authors know that all careers have their own hills and valleys. What may appear to be a valley to you might be someone else’s nirvana . . . Some very talented authors have been through some pretty tricky times. Some of them have even reinvented themselves with new names and new identities. Whatever happened, they figured out a way to go on. If you quit, you aren’t an author any longer, and that’s the end. There’s nothing wrong with that if that’s what you really want." Nooooo, that's not what I want. How 'bout you?
And she goes on to say "if you’re in this for the long haul, if you are truly committed to publishing books no matter what, then you will always rise and shine no matter what life brings."

3. Feedback is a gift.
She says "that means editorial letters, constructive comments, and even rank criticism."

I think she's talking to those authors who are published, but I think even us "pre-published" writers can learn from this point.

The point being that, and I quote, "it’s natural and human to become defensive about your own work. While your editor is talking, you are already forming the arguments and denials in your mind. This may be natural and it may be human, but it’s not smart. Learn to turn that mechanism off. Stop arguing in your head and just listen. If you don’t agree or you don’t understand, say so. Let her keep talking. She has a reason for thinking something isn’t working, and you need to find out why it isn’t working for her. . . . Don’t be afraid of getting your feelings hurt. Learn to separate your work from yourself. A manuscript is a product. It can be changed. It probably will be changed."

4. Know your audience, know thyself.
Again, I think she's talking to published authors here, but it's worth remembering.
She says "If you get fan letters, pay attention to them. If they praise the same things repeatedly, keep doing those things. Learn to plan your career around the things your readers like, and use those things while you grow, even if you are moving away from them. . . . Once you target your true, authentic voice, hold onto it. Don’t let anyone mess with it. Even if your books seem to change, the ultimate thing you are delivering to your readers won’t change."

5. Have a plan.
Gotta have a plan. She says "Successful careers are not an accident. . . . Without a plan, you are going to spin your wheels or just not grow fast enough. It is an ongoing process, one that begins on Day One, and continues through countless revisions and adjustments until you are no longer writing. . . . Careers that have been intelligently planned have consistency, overall growth, and a sense of order. They may not be perfect, but they have a sense of forward motion and organization that sets the stage for moving to the next level. Your agent is your career manager, or should be, and the two of you are partners in its creation."
Goodman further advises to "Take control of what you can and leave the rest to the people who work for and with you. Make sure they are the best, trust them, and then let it go."

6. Separate your work from your life.
She says that "Successful authors live well and they enjoy their good fortune. They know how to be good to themselves. . . . Your family, your faith, your friends, your outside interests, and your physical health are all a part of who you are. Give them all their due."

So basically, I guess what she's saying is that to be a well-rounded author, we should have a life outside of writing. I think that's good advice especially when you feel yourself getting too burnt-out. But I know some people will probably say writing IS their life. Because sometimes when things get crazy in your life, all you have to keep you from cracking up is YOUR WRITING.

7. When the bus stops, get on.
I think she's saying, basically, don't let fear or doubt prevent you from grabbing an opportunity when the time arises. She says, " It means taking a leap of faith. It means that you must be willing to shake up your own comfort zone and head into unknown territory."

For me, my comfort zone is revising and more revising. But I know I have to leave it soon and head out into the unknown world of querying and submitting the work, if I ever want to move forward in my writing career.

And lastly, Goodman reveals that the eighth habit is ATTITUDE. She says, "The attitude is that you have to want it, and you have to want it bad. There is too much competition to risk taking success for granted. . . . If you know deep down that you will do whatever it takes, then these habits will not be difficult for you to maintain."

Well! I think I'm re-charged now! How 'bout you? How bad do YOU want it?

If you want to read the article in it's entirety, please click here.

Agent Elizabeth Jote of Objective Entertainment is looking for, and I quote (because this is NOT listed on her Agent Query page), "MIDDLE GRADE (no one is writing this and everyone is asking me for it. Proposals are welcome.) . . . ."

She goes on to list other genres on the adult side. If you’re interested, she also wants contemporary romance with REAL women, suspense, and nonfiction proposals of all kinds (currently biographies, business, and women’s interest).

Now, I’m thinkin’, if she’s being asked for middle grade novels, maybe other agents are too! Hmmm.
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In other agent news, aspiring author Casey McCormick shines the spotlight on Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown, Ltd. From what I read, Ginger seems like the kind of agent every author would want to have in their corner. No wonder she has such a STELLAR list of clients!
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Christy Raedeke, over at Juvenescence, interviews 2010 debut YA author Steve Brezenoff. Steve tells a fascinating story of how he met his editor, Andrew Karre from Carolrhoda, and then his agent, Edward Necarsulmer IV at McIntosh & Otis.
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And over on the QueryTracker blog, Agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary, having recently judged the One-Sentence Pitch contest there, offers constructive advice on what to include in a one-sentence pitch. She says that out of the 585 entries, 25% of them weren't even pitches at all.

Folk, I printed out this post because the advice she offers and examples she gives of what is and isn't a pitch sentence is really on the money, if I may be so cliche. And as many of you already know, this type of pitch is perfect for conferences and writer's day events.

Kid Recipe

Here's a kid recipe from right out of the blue. It's called a sweet fruit tart
and it won't be tarty so don't go away from the computer yet.

First, get a biscuit or a Thomas English muffin.
2nd take fruits such as apple, peach and orange or put any other fruit together.
3rd, slice the biscuit in half.
4th, then put fruits in a microwave and heat it up but not for too long .
5th, look at it, dig in, and reply to me.

---Sparkly

Movie Review -- MONSTERS vs. ALIENS

Monsters vs. Aliens is a movie about 5 monsters: Insectasouras, Ginormica, Missing Link, Dr. Cockaroach, and B. O. B. They have to save everyone fom the Aliens. B.O.B. is the funniest.

---Misty

Well, it's almost midnight on Work-in-Progress Wednesday (soon to be Thursday!) and . . . I haven't written a thing! All this week! I feel soooooo bad. I'm really slacking here. I know this has got to stop in orde for me to move forward in my novel. I think I'm procrastinating because I know I have A LOT to revise. But I know the revisions would be for the betterment (is that a word?) of the story. Sigh.

But, actually, I did write some--if you count commenting on other people's blogs as real writing. I think I do because 1) sometimes you can learn a great deal just from someone else's comment and 2) it's good practice in learning how to write concisely. I'm hoping this makes sense.

Ah well, I'm going to try again tomorrow. Writing, that is. And not so much blog-hopping! Hope to report more progress next week!

So . . . how's your week going? Are you getting much writing done?

I'm not sure if anyone's reading this, but here's another excerpt from my MG work-in-progress:

From TRAIN WATCH:

Cleo raised her eyes to the ceiling. Thank you, Lord. Grandpa Lum hasn’t reached the house—yet.

“Whoo-weee! It’s . . . some . . . kinda . . . hot . . . out there!” Hattie huffed, as she pulled herself up and over the ladder. She wiped the steady drip of water off her dirt-streaked face with the back of her hand and down the sides of the faded, dust-covered overalls she wore. Catching her breath, she continued, “Papa says you better hurry on down. He don’t want anymore dilly-dallying from you.” She focused more clearly on Cleo. “You still in your school clothes?”

“Hattie,” Cleo begged, shimmying out her knee-length plaid skirt, “tell him I’m coming. Please?” She forced her clammy legs into the new pair of blue jeans her mama had sent last month. “ I just have to finish something first.”

“Papa don’t care ’bout none of that. You better get a move on or he’ll be up here with a switch—or a belt.” She looked over her shoulder, then back at Cleo. “He’s right behind me, you know.” Hattie’s anxious voice matched her worried face. She crooked her finger. “And I don’t want any part of it.”

“Humph. My papa never made me work in the field,” Cleo grumbled, looking out the half-way boarded window for her grandfather. “He wanted me to be a teacher, maybe even one for the high school.” She closed her eyes, remembering his dream for her. “He said my hands were for writing, not farming,” she muttered, turning from the window.

“I’m sorry ’bout your papa, Cleo, but, um, you know my papa don’t stand for no foolishness.” Hattie nodded vigorously as if confirming this fact more to herself than to Cleo. “Shoot. You’re lucky. None of us ever got any special treatment here, don’t care what they were tryin’ to be.” She stood glaring at Cleo with her chin stuck out and arms folded across her chest. “So you best get used to it. You been here long enough,” she added, her anger building.



Okay, so . . . any comments? criticisms? Don't worry, I've built up a tough skin!