It’s All In The Eyes

By Linda Bartosik

May

3

“And that is why, when it’s time to make a change in my life, I just BEGIN.

Even if I’m starting in the wrong place. On the wrong project.

I simply BEGIN.

ACTION is magical. Somehow, action leads to clarity. Begin somewhere and just pay attention to the results you get. Then, refine your actions to accommodate what you have learned.

This is the most profoundly simple strategy I discovered about reinventing your life.

Begin.

Then, notice. Adjust.

And, begin anew.”

~ Jennifer Boykin – Breakthrough

Nearing the end of finishing my drawings for my illustrating project, as I look back to January, these were perhaps the most motivating words I’ve ever heard in regard to starting something new. There is a certain kind of fear I associate with starting something I’ve never done before. It’s the fear that keeps me from beginning.

This kind of fear has a process all it’s own. I wake up and immediately think about the new thing. Then I sit and think about it for a long time. I begin to stir up some confidence, so I gather the tools and materials I’ll need. The tools and materials all laid out, ready to go, snaps me back to the place of fear. I sit and think some more. I picture myself (in the illustrating case) putting the pencil to the paper. The fear rushes in again and I back away and think about it some more. Them I drop it completely and go do other things.

Gradually I begin thinking about it again. I imagine the finished product. I plan it. But that “snap” that I need to actually begin hasn’t hit yet. Thank goodness I found Jennifer Boykin’s Breakthrough . I never imagined it was that simple. Just begin.

Oh it’s simple, but it’s not easy. I had to adopt the mindset that if it wasn’t good, I could just tear it up and start again. No one had to see it. No one but me would know it wasn’t good. But then I get to thinking what if it will never be good? What if I can’t do it? Nonsense. I can do anything I put my mind to.

So I begin. And it isn’t bad. But it isn’t good either. I do tear it up and start again. Gradually I learn not to keep tearing it up. I find that if I push on through I gain an understanding of the medium and what I can do to fix things I don’t like. I learn the boundaries of the medium. I learn how the color works. I learn how the paper receives the color. And before I know it, I have a completed piece of artwork. I think it’s good, but what if it really isn’t?

Now I have to show it to people. And I HAVE to because I have to know if it’s honestly good. So I show it to people I trust and my critique group. It’s well received and I feel relieved.

I do the next two pages and then I show it to my biggest critic who I know will never lie to me, my teacher daughter. And what does she say? Mom, it’s the eyes of the characters. They need to be symmetrical and big. Look at any picture book. What’s the first thing you connect with? The eyes.

Wow. I never knew. So I worked on the eyes. In fact, I developed a whole new system for doing eyes. I leave them until last and cut them out of white paper and try them on the character. This gives me tremendous freedom in experimenting with the feeling the character is going to convey. I can make as many sets of eyes as I like until it’s just right, and if I trace them, they’ll all be the same size. The difference it made in my work was amazing. I finally felt it. It was good. Good enough to send to the author.

Who knew it was all in the eyes? Not me. Smart girl that daughter of mine. Smart as she is, I still would’ve not known this if I didn’t “just begin”.

Are you faced with something new? Just begin.

And so, as another day goes by, “just begin” is my mantra of the month, and…I have written.
The name of the book is The Trouble With Ralph. Here he is stealing the sheets. Does he look guilty? It’s all in the eyes.

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Gaining Perspective

By Linda Bartosik

Apr

16

This morning I got up and set to work going out to do what I needed to do today along with all the other Bostonians all around me. A friend of mine wrote a blog entitled Finding Perspective that I read just before leaving the house. Not being up here in the city or being connected to anyone involved, she was having a hard time putting a lens on this tragic event. I so understood her. Even though I felt a connection because I was here and my daughter was walking home on the streets of Boston during the event, trying to find perspective on why an eight year old boy had to die hugging his father as he crossed the finish line lies beyond a boundary we cannot fathom.

When it came time for me to leave the house I had a perspective through which I was going to view my day. It turned out that I also had a connection to the eight year old that died. He and his family are friends of someone in my bible study group and I received an email requesting prayer. So I prayed. But now what? Now I go to work. Today I had the pleasure of spending the better part of my day with eight and nine year olds that are very much alive. Alive, and full of questions and comments over this horrific act. My job today was to give my time and attention to them.

Today was day two of my Young Authors Workshop here in Boston. The children bounced into the room already to dig in. They had a great time yesterday and had unfinished stories, poems, and illustrations in their Work In Progress folders that they were anxious to get to. When they entered the room I had some instrumental music playing and told them that meant a quiet time to spend with their Writers Notebook. Yesterday we learned about four things we could put in our notebooks. One was “fierce wonderings”, meaning things we see and hear that just won’t leave our brains. Things that we think about over and over in our mind. Four out of the six children wrote about the sad event, describing what had happened. It was a gentle way of letting them quiet their nagging minds. There, it was dealt with. Time to move on.

We proceeded with the topics for today and pretty soon they were busy and engaged in writing “Nutsy News Stories”, quietly putting aside the tragic one. It was a fun project. First they had to cut 25 words out of a newspaper. Then they had to arrange the words into a goofy headline such as “Arlington Volleyballs Lost Their Butter” and proceed to write the news stories to go with the headline. Needless to say we were giggling from the get-go. The day ended on a high note with everyone smiling and feeling extremely accomplished.

My mission? Also accomplished. In the wake of the devastation, I jumped into the morning commute alongside the Bostonians and validated their persistence and strength in the face of such a thing. The tragedy caused me to view the job I had to do today just a little more importantly and with a bit more focus than yesterday.

And so, as another day goes by, I’ll leave you wondering about butter and volleyballs, the children were taken care of, I feel extreme peace tonight, and… I have written (and maybe found some perspective).
Fully engaged!

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Four Simple Words – Who Knew?

By Linda Bartosik

Apr

11

If you click on the “I Practice” icon in the upper left of my blog page, (link for those reading on the Cape Cod Children’s Writers page)

Another Day Goes By

you will be amazed at the wonderful writing education you could get at this site. I get them emailed to me everyday and I am constantly amazed at the simple, yet so important, things I have learned to improve my writing. If you took 15 minutes and did each daily exercise it would be like being in a perpetual writing course.

Today’s was so good I had to highlight it for all my writing buddies. There are four words – so very simple ones, that sneak into your prose, and, without you realizing it, just sabotage the quality of your writing. Did you see them? I just used all four in the preceding sentence and I bet you can’t pick them out. That’s how subtle they are. As I keep writing, they keep popping up. Oh, what’s a writer to do with these sneaks? The link below shows you how remove them and strengthen your writing.

If you want to know what the four words are, follow this link and begin performing major surgery on your best pieces. Once you know what the four words are, come back and see how many I’ve used in this post. Aghhh! Lol! (FYI – I didn’t put them in on purpose – I just wrote it! – Sneaky!)

Four Words That Are Killing Your Prose

And so, as another day goes by, how many things sneak into our days and sabotage us, needing to be cut out, and…I have written.

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What’s YOUR Story?

By Linda Bartosik

Mar

30

Today the Cape Cod Children’s Writers held one of our writing retreats where new writers bring their tender, new-born work to be critiqued. I love working with writers who sit in the same seat I sat in two years ago – scared, holding the very first thing I’ve ever written. I remember being so nervous to share my work that I read it so fast they kept stopping me and telling me to slow down. After I finished reading I remember how I sat in extreme angst waiting for the critique to start. What if it’s awful? What if they hate it? What if they tell me I can’t write and I can’t embark on this new career?

Back then those feelings were so real. In the last two years, working with new writers from the other side of the table, I firmly believe that ALL of us could be a writer. Yes, I mean you, too. Everyone has a story. It’s just a matter of desire to share that story. Some people are very private and they wouldn’t ever want to share their story. That doesn’t mean they can’t. That doesn’t mean they aren’t a writer. It just means they choose not to be one. I believe the potential to share our lives through a story exists in every human being, young or old. Everyone has something worth sharing. Every heart has battle scars and victory flags waving and that’s where the best stories lie.

So when new writers bring their new-born babies to our table, I treat them with the utmost respect. I am honest – as I always was as a teacher with my young students – because not being so would be a disservice to them as growing writers. I try to deliver my honesty in a way that will encourage and inspire the new writer to raise their baby, growing it into a mature piece of writing to be shared with children.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them today. I am continually amazed at the creative content they bring to the table. If you are a new writer, bring your work to a Cape Cod Children’s Writers Retreat. We will guide you and help you grow your story.

And so, as another day goes by, share your story – it may change a life, and …I have written.
Visit us at:
Cape Cod Children’s Writers

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From An Illustrators Perspective

By Linda Bartosik

Mar

2

When new things appear on my radar that require me to put in more spiritual work to deal with, I tend to focus on one aspect of the situation until the focus becomes my focus and I lose perspective entirely. My picture book illustrating project has taught me much about dealing with the things life throws our way by stepping back and regaining that perspective.

I’m done with the book cover and almost done with the first page. I’m using oil pastels and am having a wonderful time pushing color around a page with my fingers and various other objects I find around the house, such as Q-Tips and nail files. The backgrounds are particularly challenging. My face will be so close to the paper as I work the colors together to blend and put shadows and spears of light where they belong, that I sometimes think it’s not quite right. I’m focusing on each little spec and stroke and think to myself, this isn’t how I wanted it to look. In my mind I picture a beautifully blended background of color, but up close it isn’t measuring up. Then my shoulders ache and I back way and I sit up straight. I look at the picture and am in awe of how it comes together. I tack it up on a bulletin board in my kitchen and spend a lot of time looking at it from across the room and thinking, yes, I like it. It is right. How different it looks in it’s magnificent entirety. I spend more time looking at it while I do other things around the house. I notice things that need to be touched up, added or changed. I would not see these little tweaks or the magnificence of the whole picture if my nose was 5 inches from the page and too focused on one aspect of the color.

This project has taught me to step back. Not react. Get a full perspective and spend time waking around it from afar. If being an illustrator has taught me anything, it’s taught me about being in control of myself, as well as the crayon, and not to start scribbling furiously when sunflares cross my radar. (Yes, the sunflares were over by 3 pm yesterday, but they, too, left their mark.) Instead of grabbing my phone and hurling into action, I stand back and stay quiet and look at things from afar. I see the tweaks, but I recognize the beauty of the scene in its entirety.

And so, as another day goes by, it’s hard. Hard to remain quiet and still. It is where true courage to get the job done sometimes lies, and….I have written.

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Write Like An Athelete

By Linda Bartosik

Jan

26

While cleaning out the magazine holder I came across a crinkled copy of Writer Magazine from 2010. It was folded to page 12, indicating I must have been reading something of interest when I set it down two years ago. I questioned the importance of the article since I never returned to it. Curiosity got the best of me and I sat there on the floor, in the middle of all the stacks of magazines and read the article. Ah..ha. Now I know why it was not important enough to return to back then – two years ago I was barely a writer and this article wouldn’t have meant too much to me. But now……

…after growing as writer over the past two years I have developed writing routines. I know myself as a writer. I know what makes me want to write. I know what time of day is best for me to write. My writing life just developed out of a soft rhythm to my days. I didn’t force myself to sit down and write. I didn’t schedule any time to write each day. I just lived and let it happen, so now I have my own personal writing process. That’s the reason an article about writers learning to develop the mental toughness needed for their craft from athletes couldn’t mean much to a person who hadn’t actually written anything but the first ten posts to this blog.

Now these four tips athletes use to get in their game and stay there mean a lot to me.

First, athletes develop a routine. They do a series of rituals like exercising, eating or drinking something special – just to let their body know they are about to enter competition mode. I now see that I do this. I watch the news. Eat lunch. Nap for a few minutes. Have a cup of afternoon coffee, and soon my fingers are flying and my mind is racing and I couldn’t stop it if I tried. That’s how this blog gets written everyday.

Second, athletes stay in the present. Allowing past failures or future worries to enter the competition with them would hinder their game. When I’m writing I’m totally in the world of what’s going on on the keyboard. I’m not worrying about who my audience is or comparing my present work to past or future projects. It’s what’s in my mind at this moment that needs to come out, that counts.

Third, the article talked about golfers staying “inside the ropes”. When in a competition they are just a golfer. Their roles as parents, spouses, etc. do not enter inside that game. I get that. When I’m writing furiously I don’t notice the sun went down and the room has grown dark. I don’t check my phone or answer texts. I don’t notice I’m really hungry and I should stop and eat. I don’t wonder about what my husband and/or kids are doing at the moment. I’m not a wife and mother or teacher when I’m writing. I’m just a person that the universe grabbed for a period of time and is shooting information through. When it’s over, I’m spent, usually hungry and ready to be a wife and mom again.

Fourth, athletes set goals. Setting goals helps them stay focused. For me, a bulletin board in my kitchen holds pieces of my latest project. (Right now it’s covered with sketches of goats – the hero in a book I’m illustrating) This keeps me focused daily because it’s the first thing I see when I’m pouring my morning tea and right away I decide what I need to do for the day, and sometimes the week. Obviously finishing illustrating the book is the goal, but it’s what the article called “intermittent goals” that keep me on track daily.

The fifth and last tip is athletes know what they can control and what they can’t. They know they can only control their own actions. Same for writers. Writers cannot control people’s opinions or reactions to their work. For me, I conquer this by telling myself a reaction, any reaction, positive or negative, is good. Just the fact that someone read my work and reacted to it means I did my job. My work prompted people to talk and think. It’s silence that kills the piece in my eyes, so even if you hate what I write or have a strong opposite opinion, please, please shout it out.

Yes, two years ago this article wouldn’t have held my interest due to the fact I probably didn’t understand just what the writing kind of life consisted of. If you are just stepping out in 2013 in a new direction, don’t worry about all you don’t know. Step by step, month by month, year by year, it will grow itself and one day all make sense.

And so, as another day goes by, lunch was yummy (hubby’s homemade chicken salad), newspaper was informative, nap was needed, coffee was hot and delicious and …voila! ..I have written.

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Bikram Yoga Writing Class

By Linda Bartosik

Nov

30

Last night I had a wonderful time sharing my writing with my critique group. Their comments and ideas sent me home high on inspiration. I walked in the door and left the manuscript on the counter. I danced around it all night and this morning – kind of scared of it, but yet excited about it. I didn’t know what my next step would be, so I just left it alone.

This morning my Bikram class was flawless. Flawless because I wasn’t even there for it. As soon as I put my clasped fingers under my chin and bent my head backwards to start the first breathing exercise, instead of seeing the white ceiling above me, I saw the the first line of my story. I became immersed in the lives and worlds of my characters. My story was playing out like a movie in my mind. I did a lot of writing in that ninety minute class. Descriptions and character names came easily to me. I was thoroughly enjoying myself as I floated from pose to pose. My good friend Shirley was the teacher and she has a rhythmic style that just let my mind free itself while my body conformed to her instructions.

By the time we were almost finished with the floor series I re-entered the atmosphere of the class. I marveled at how freely my mind worked as my body methodically moved through the poses. The more I thought about it, this was not that unusual. A good percentage of these blogs were written in my head during my yoga classes. It’s become apparent to me that yoga class is my place to write. Ideas are born and created during that moving meditation. My time to put them on paper occurs between two and five in the afternoon. More than two years of consistent yoga practice has developed and honed my writing process. I sit here amazed – not only at that, but also at the fact that until today, I never realized it.

You know how, when you begin a new thing, you’re always worried you’re doing it wrong? Each writer’s process is so unique to their own personality, that it makes the process quite random. I decided two years ago when I started this blog that I wasn’t going to push it or box myself in with “that’s how it’s supposed to be done” rules. I was just going to let my individual writing process grow itself. As I walked that path, I would find things written about the writing process that validated the way I was naturally doing things.

When I unearthed my manuscript yesterday afternoon there was a copy of an article in the folder that someone had handed out in my old writing group so long ago. It was about how to revise from a critique. It said:

“You have a big question mark in your brain: What are you supposed to DO with this stuff?
Take a breath. Remind yourself of a few important things:
-You don’t need to revise until you’re ready.
-Baby steps are a good way to begin.
-A comment is only a starting point.
-THINKING is a part of revision.
-This is YOUR book.
-You ASKED for feedback. “*

The one that hit me today is:

“Thinking is part of the revision. Revision is not all about writing and rewriting. It’s more about thinking. Your critique partners have pointed out plenty of big, messy knots in your manuscript. If you try to untangle those problems by simply changing a few words on the page, you’re going to get frustrated and angry. Get away from the computer. Go THINK about your story.”*

That is exactly what I did in yoga class this morning. The type of work I did on my story could not have been done on the computer. It was very freeing and inspiring, and, after reading this article, was nice to find out what I did naturally is what I’m supposed to be doing. I’m learning all writing work is not done on paper. Cool.

And so, as another day goes by, it’s also cool that when I go to yoga it’s a two for one deal – I’m working on my writing as well as my body, I never realized how much I did in those ninety minutes, and ….I have written.

*”How To Revise From A Critique” by Becky Levine, Writer’s Digest, October 2010.

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Stop & Think

By Linda Bartosik

Nov

15

Last night, at our Cape Cod Writers Center Writers Night Out in Hyannis, my dear friend, Christine Merser, was our guest speaker. Christine, owner of Blue Shoe Strategies marketing and the blog at Freesia Lane.com, gave a wonderful presentation on how writers can effectively use social media to get their work in front of your eyes.

The first medium she spoke about was Facebook. One of her first slides cautioned us to stop and think. She went on to say that sometimes we need to “think out of the box” and gave us great examples of people who have done that and how it can relate to writers. I pushed the pause button back at “stop and think”. That small sentence stuck with me and pelted my brain as I drove home. It again entered my mind during yoga this morning. (In fact, I was so lost in thought about that little sentence, that I barely knew I took a yoga class today – I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, but that’s another blog.)

Anyway, “stop and think” is the most disregarded and taken for granted tiny sentence. It’s an old cliche and I feel it’s been relegated to the back of the closet, until my friend brought it out last night and held it under the light to be examined. When she said, “When deciding how to market your work, the first thing you have to do is stop and think. Why did you write your book? Who is going to be interested in reading your book?”, lights in my brain began a slow blink.

That’s where I got stuck thinking about that little sentence. How much easier life would be if we applied that to everything we do in our lives. For example:

If you are signing up for yoga:
Why do I want to do yoga?
How it is going to benefit me?
Exactly what do I hope to gain from yoga?

How much better to approach a new activity if we have some goal in mind, some “reason for doing”, other than my friend said I should. Stopping and thinking before plunging into the next new thing provides a sort of clarity that may help us get through any difficulties that are inevitably going to arise in any new endeavor. When we hit a roadblock, or come to a fork in the road, having that goal preset will help us to decide what to do, instead of just sliding our back down the wall and slumping to the floor, thinking why did I ever think I could do this?

In my writing journey, which began three years ago, I flipped and floundered and questioned over and over why I ever thought I could do this. When the whole first year went by, without me ever writing a single word, I know now that if I had my reasons and goals preset, working my way out of that would have been a lot easier. Once I stopped to decide just what is it that I want to write and why do I want to write it, the last two years on this journey unfolded a lot easier. Despite the bumps, roadblocks, and forks in the road, at least I knew what I was trying to do and why I was trying to do it.

I found my voice in writing picture books that will help young children deal with family and social concepts they encounter in their young lives. Books that will inspire them to figure things out, deal with people, and believe they can achieve whatever goals they set for themselves. With that clear vision in mind, and the desire to continue helping children through education, I faced the odds of getting published without fear. Though the odds of me winning the lottery are better than me getting published (and if we remember my blog about what God shared about me ever winning the lottery, well..you get the picture), I face those odds and continue to do what it is I know I must do, as clearly delineated in my goals.

And now, for those of you who have walked this writing journey with me through this blog, I am proud to announce that very early this morning I hit the send button and sent my first query letter to a publisher. And that, just pushing that send button, was my goal. All the way through the writing of the book, researching the publishers, educating myself in the writing of the query, getting my work critiqued, the endless rewriting, – in front of me was the picture of my finger pushing that send button. The hours, the disappointments, the hitting of walls, the “I can’t do this” moments, were all conquered much easier with that goal clearly in front of me. I must admit, many times it was the real reason for not quitting.

Notice I didn’t set a goal of getting published. That is a thing I have no control over, even though I did my homework and followed every guideline to the letter. My clear goal was something I could absolutely, positively do, as long I did my due diligence.

If you take anything away from this blog today, take that. Whether it be health, fitness, nutrition, career, education, relationships – whatever it is you’re embarking upon – set a clear goal that you can absolutely reach, by just pausing before beginning your journey to “stop and think”.

And so, as another day goes by, I think a box of pumpkin K cups is a just reward for pushing that send button (did I mention I was obsessed with DD pumpkin coffee and I’m panicking that it will soon be gone?), today marks a milestone in my fledgling writing career, and…… I have written.

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First Time Ever I …

By Linda Bartosik

Nov

6

. No, not saw your face. This is the first trip ever to NY or anywhere that I brought my writing project with me to work on. Driving down the Mass Pike that thought astounded me. What could that mean?
Now, you understand, that my writing is freelance and has no constraints or deadlines placed on it. There steps to follow such as spend a few years educating yourself, then, of course, you have to actually write the book. Next you have to belong to a good critique group and have your work evaluated by your peers. After months of this, you have to spend time researching publishing companies to find a good fit for your work. (And then about 30 more just like it). Finally you have to research and practice writing those query letters. It’s important to get those critiqued, too, if you’re new at this. None of this has any time constraints. How fast you do it depends on how much time you spend on it. How much time you spend on it depends about how serious you are about a writing career. There is no boss. There is no office. There are no set hours. The only thing that measures progress is your initiative.
For these reasons, I was surprised that I packed up my queries and manuscripts and carted them to NY with me today. I have to spend an extra day here due to a surprise routine doctor appointment tomorrow, and the first thing I thought of doing all day was working on my writing. You can see my fear. I fear I wasn’t as serious and invested in my work these past two years. The fact that I brought it on the road with me impulsively must be a shift in my priorities. Or, my productive day yesterday cleared so many obstacles and worries out of my way, that I am free to get down to real business and get the first book submitted.
One little unplanned action caused a major shift in attitude, intention, and confidence. I’m going to chalk it up to positive growth, kickstarted by the time change. I continue to feel changed for the better by the change, instead of plunging into the usual discombobulated state time changes bring.
How about you? Have you found yourself doing something that you hadn’t intended to do lately? What could it mean? A positive change? A new direction?
When you want to change, you make a decision.
And so, as another day goes by, it is now 4 o’clock when it’s supposed to be 5, I drove to NY to vote today, this is certainly a week of change, and…I have written.

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The Language of Flowers

By Linda Bartosik

Oct

2

On Sunday, my rainy book reading day, I read a young adult novel, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions, such as: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion and red roses for love. The heroine, Victoria Jones, used flowers as her only means of communicating her feelings, like grief, mistrust, and solitude. Victoria spent her childhood in the foster care system, and now at 18, is unable to get close to anyone.

This was a hard story to read, but at the same time one that clarifies the behaviors of people we all know that have gone down that road of either foster care or being brought up by dysfunctional parents. Many times we are quick to judge. Why is he or she so mean? Why can’t he or she accept love and kindness and give it in return? This story goes a long way to explain the place in which such a person exists and the enormous odds of them ever being able to cross that line. Diffenbaugh has a wonderful way with words and use phrases like this to help us understand what Victoria is up against:

“..the high pitched noise broke a fine line into my nut covered heart as cleanly as it would have split a delicate crystal glass.”

The idea that moss has no roots and how Victoria uses it to communicate her plight spoke volumes. The mother-daughter connection plays a big part in Victoria’s story. Will Victoria ever be able to attach to another human being? Will she ever be able to function within a family? Will she ever be able to have a child and family of her own?

If you know someone who struggles with the very basic needs of love and attachment in their life, this book is a must read. The truths and understandings you come away with are enlightening. The book has “book extras” and is a great book club read for both the young adult and adult genres alike.

And so, as another day goes by, P.D. James states it so well: “What a child doesn’t receive, she can seldom later give”, a huge line for a parent, and…I have written.

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Beautiful Day, Beautiful Night

By Linda Bartosik

Sep

29

Today I had the most amazing day with 10 writing women. Five of us teachers, and five of us students. It didn’t matter who was who – the learning was amazing for all ten of us.

Today my Cape Cod Children’s Writers critique group held another writing retreat. Last year I was on the student side of the table having my book evaluated. This year I’m on the teaching side of the table helping other new writers get their legs under them. Imagine, me, who three years ago took 11 months to even write one word, helping others on their journey.

I loved today. I was back in in my element – teaching and helping others. It felt so comfortable. I was also immersed in my own learning mode. Learning from students as I taught them. Learning valuable lessons just like I used to learn from my five year olds.

Cape Cod Children’s Writers is an awesome group. I said that as a student of theirs, and now I reiterate it as a member. This group is friendly, welcoming, non-threatening, and extremely helpful to new writers who have not “shown” their work to anyone for help and guidance. If you are a children’s writer and want a great place to have your work evaluated and be given encouragement in your writing career, one of our retreats should definitely be on your agenda. We will be doing another one sometime in the spring, so keep writing all winter and watch this sight for info.

Tonight, as the love of my life cooks me dinner, I sit at the counter with my glass of wine and sing the praises of my day.

And so, as another day goes by, I am honored to be both a student, and now a teacher of this amazing group, and…I have written.

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“Those Times”

By Linda Bartosik

Sep

14

As a writer, there are many things about the written word that I struggle with. One of them is trying to find the right words to convey either the intimacy, the magnanimity, or the “majesticness” of those times when:

A sunset, is more than the colors,
A hug is more than an embrace,
Two pairs of eyes connecting is more than just a knowing look,
A few spoken or written words say more than a paragraph,
A full moon is more than just round and white,
A crashing wave is more than noise….

….you know, THOSE times.

Today, a writer in the Cape Cod Times, Lawrence Brown, a teacher of humanities at Cape Cod Academy, shares one of “those times”, but did it so eloquently that his words made me sigh and just say, “Yeah, I get that.” His piece appeared on the Ideas & Opinions page and is entitled:
“In praise of cheap thrills”.

He told the story of how he and his wife, at 10pm one night, took their tiny sailboat named Fearless for a moonlight sail in Hyannisport. These are his words about how the sail ended:

“The moon is higher in the sky when we pick up our mooring and put Fearless back to bed. Back on the beach, we stand close together for a minute, looking out at the moon and the illuminated seascape. There are moments when your soul steps out of your body for just a moment. Then it snaps back in and, you know that something once too large to explain and too small to notice has just happened. It lingers just at the edge of consciousness, almost an insight or a truth – something important – and then it’s gone.”

Doesn’t that say it all about “those times”? They were such beautiful words I couldn’t let them pass without sharing them with you so that now we all have a way of expressing that intimacy, magnanimity, and “majesticness” of….”those times”.

And so, as another day goes by, those “moments when your soul steps out of your body” are the small miracles of our lives, and ….I have written.

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Bonjour, Happiness

By Linda Bartosik

Aug

18

I am currently reading Jamie Cat Callan’s “Bonjour Happiness”. I have found this to be just the most delightful book I’ve read in a long time. Jamie helps us find happiness as seen through the eyes of French women. Here in America, according to our constitution, we pursue happiness, with the insinuation that we chase after it. French women LOOK for happiness, like it’s under the table and they are delighted and surprised when they find it.
Here is a passage that illustrates it “in a nutshell”.
“Find a a local cafe or coffee shop and make it your own. Observe your world and get into conversations with people. Learn to be a good listener. You are an important presence in your world. Whether you realize it or not, you are an inspiration and make a difference. Stand up straight. Dress well. Be kind. People are watching.”
It’s so simple to find happiness. It’s in front of us everyday. Tonight it’s in my backyard fire, sharing girl time with my daughter and her friend. It’s in the chips and wine. It’s in the cuteness of the dog my daughter’s friend brought. It’s in the shared conversation. It’s in staying in the moment. It’s in gratitude.
Jamie is so right. Happiness is in sharing with others. Happiness is in caring for yourself. Happiness is in food. Happiness is in caring for your home. In this book Jamie does a phenomenal job of showing how French women find happiness in the most unexpected, sometimes mundane, places.
The most wonderful thing about reading this book, is knowing the author. Jamie Cat Callan truly lives in the manner she describes in the book. She, herself, is a delightful person, filled with exuberance and a sacred respect for life. I truly recommend you get this book, read it, and then keep it close at hand for those off days when you feel sad, melancholy, or stuck in your own life.
And so, as another day goes by, I have a great appreciation for authors like Jamie that help us always move forward, and I have written.

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The Summer of the Gypsy Moths

By Linda Bartosik

Aug

15

Tomorrow, children’s author Sara Pennypacker, will be doing a signing at Titcomb’s Bookshop here in Sandwich, at 4pm. She will be introducing her latest middle grade novel, The Summer of the Gypsy Moths, so yesterday I downloaded and read the book. I absolutely loved it. Once again Pennypacker masters the art of weaving internal and external conflict and takes her characters on a journey of change and growth.

Pennypacker tells the story of two twelve year olds, Stella and Angel, and their amazing summer on Cape Cod. Family drama, a dead body, catering to cottage renters, and evading social services all combine to profoundly change these two young girls in the space of a few weeks.

Stella replays the movie in her mind about where her life is headed. Angel takes care of herself, doesn’t need anyone, and has definite plans for her life. I finished the book this morning and was left in a quiet state of awe. The end of every page kept me wanting to go to the next one and I couldn’t put the book down.

Sara Pennypacker gently weaves the lives of these two girls, with a woman who has passed away and the owner of the group of cottages and as a result of this clever story, both girls learn about fear, loss, breaking down emotional walls, and that the movies they make in their mind don’t always play out as they have written them.

And so, as another day goes by, tomorrow I get another chance to hear a great children’s author discuss her work, and…I have written.

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“Walk Two Moons”

By Linda Bartosik

Jul

31

I sit by my open back door, in the late afternoon with a slow steady rain making a hissing sound as it falls through the trees. I have just closed the cover of the first young adult novel I’ve read in many, many years. I sigh. I think “wow”. I didn’t have to be thirteen to identify, cry, and feel such pain right along with Salamanca Hiddle in “Walk Two Moons”. Sharon Creech weaves and crafts two stories that are really one in the most sensitive manner possible. For example:

“So you didn’t leave Gramps because of the cussing?”

“Salamanca, I don’t even remember why I did that. Sometimes you know in your heart you love someone, but you have to go away before your head can figure it out.”

This, by far, has been one of the most heart piercing mother/daughter, husband/wife stories I have ever read. Figuring out loss, fear, and letting go have never been portrayed within a story such as it is in this book, totally appropriate for the young adult audience, while at the same time so perfectly poignant for the adult reader.

Next week I’m taking a children’s writing course at the Cape Cod Writers Center writing conference and the assignment was to read “Walk Two Moons” by Sharon Creech. I bought it on Amazon for $1.99 and started it yesterday. I’m glad it rained all afternoon so I didn’t have to put it down. As a new writer, I can definitely learn from this author. I also know that I can definitely learn from Karen Day, our course instructor. For her to pick this book as an example she is going to refer to throughout the week tells me this class is going to be worth every penny.

Calling all adults – I highly recommend this book. If you are the parent of a middle grader it gives tremendous insight into the thirteen year old mind. It’s a story that transcends time, disregarding the age of technology that our children are now growing up in, and pointing out the thoughts and feelings that are common to human nature when someone we love leaves us or is taken away from us. For the adult that has lost a friend, parent or a spouse, the feelings are sensitively sorted out and placed in a framework of understanding. Many times I just had to put the book down and wiping away my tears, look up at the ceiling with such new clarity.

And so, as another day goes by, “don’t judge a man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins” rings just as true today as it did when Creech wrote it in 1994, and …I have written.

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Pushing The Button

By Linda Bartosik

Jul

8

As the sun sets on Cape Cod, another 4th of July vacation comes to a close. All but one daughter has left, we had one last great beach time today, one last barbecue, and now, while hubby returns the other daughter to Boston, the remaining one and I will end the holiday with a movie and ice-cream.

There is something I’ve learned about my “writing self” this week. With days full of people and activity, much like they were when I was working, my mind was kept busy and occupied and had very little time for wandering thoughts and meditation. My mind has been on vacation, too. This morning I was going to run a quick errand. My husband offered to drive me, but I declined. I just felt the need for a little drive by myself. I turned on the radio and Ryan Seacrest’s Top 40 was bantering away on the local station. I always keep an inspirational CD in the player for times when the radio music isn’t cutting it. I was listening to a pop song, with my finger on the CD button. Finally I pushed it. It was the right choice. The meditative music quickly took me to a place I craved. I began to realize just how much time I spend alone and how much it means when it comes to writing. Being on the go with family and friends for almost a week, thoughts were bottled up and writing moments were precious and few.

Years ago my husband became my biggest cheerleader for my writing. He used to tell me I’m going to write children’s books when I retire and that I need to come live here, in an artist’s community, to do that. I would laugh and never take him seriously. If I wanted to write, I could write just as well in rural upstate NY as I could here. It wasn’t until I pushed that button that I finally got it. Everything I learned in Julia Cameron’s, The Artist Way, made sense on that little jaunt to the store. Muddling through my weeks alone creates the time for thoughts to cross my mind, linger, fly away, or become a piece of writing.

I was pleased to find that I did have a rhythm to my days and a regular writing time had begun to find it’s place in it. It took six days of not having that time to to notice that I write naturally everyday and sorely miss it and become a little unbalanced if it’s gone too long. I also learned that by confidently saying, out loud, “I’m a writer” when people ask what I do, really does make it come to fruition.

“Becoming” a writer happened naturally, over time, without me forcing it or worrying about it. I always felt it would happen in its own good time. Now I’m adopting the same philosophy about publishing. It, too, will happen in the space and time it’s supposed to while I learn the ropes of the publishing world.

And so, as another day goes by, in writing, as in life, slow and steady wins the race, stating clearly who you are inspires the confidence needed to do the job, and…I have written.

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A Day For Kudos!

By Linda Bartosik

Jun

20

Today the online women’s magazine, Cape Women Online, featured an article on my author and friend, Joan Walsh, the founder of the Cape Cod Children’s Writer’s group that I belong to. A year ago she was working very hard to get her book, Cape Cod Memory Makers Explore the Town of Falmouth, published. I stand in awe of Joan for never giving up. She got her book written, illustrated, and now, published. A huge investment of time, money, and painstaking work. Now, one year later, it sits on the bookshelves of many area stores.

What if Joan didn’t pursue her dream? A year would have gone by anyway and she’d still be in the same spot, without a published book.

This morning when I went to yoga class my friend, Shirley, was there. I hugged her and stood in awe of her. I hadn’t seen her in nine weeks because she was in teacher training in LA. Shirley blogged her journey each week and I felt like I was there with her. She accomplished a Herculean task both physically and mentally. A year ago Shirley was tossing around the idea of attending teacher training. Now, one year later, she stands in front of me a certified Bikram yoga teacher.

What if Shirley didn’t pursue her dream? The year would’ve gone by anyway, and she’d still be in the same spot, but not a certified teacher.

Today is June 20, 2012. Where do you want to be on June 20, 2013? Do you have a dream? Do you have a goal? Do you want to make a life change? Do you have a vision? Decide today to stop putting it off. Take the first step, no matter how small, toward it. Even if it’s only making a phone call, writing an inquiring email, searching the Internet, or even just writing down what you want to do and taping it up on the bathroom mirror.

You know the old saying – a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. I watched both of these women take their first step. They are both my heroes. Because of them, I took my first steps to writing and publishing my picture book and starting a small business to support that. By June 21, 2013, I want my book submitted to at least ten publishers and I’d like my business to be pulling in at least $4000 a month. The year IS going to go by anyway. It’s just a matter of where I want to be at the end of it.

Our journeys, theirs and mine, are not easy. There are obstacles along the way, but knowing that didn’t stop Joan and Shirley. They just put their boots on and started walking. Joan, Shirley, – thank you both for being such an inspiration to Cape women everywhere.

And so, as another day goes by, please check out Joan’s article in Cape Women Online (link below), think seriously about putting on those shoes and taking that first step along with me this year, and …I have written.

Cape Women Online

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Time In The Sandbox

By Linda Bartosik

Jun

5

Yesterday, an hour of what I have now deemed “my writing work time” was spent reading the author interviews in the Children’s Writers & Illustrators Market. This past week I have become obsessed with this book. I have read many “how to” books on everything from editing your own work to how to write a query letter to how to write a children’s picture book. While these books were especially helpful, there’s something special about the way the editor, Chuck Sambuchino, put the information every new writer wants to know, together in this book. If you are a new children’s writer or especially if you’re just thinking you might want to write for children (maybe because you always liked playing in the sandbox – and still do), I strongly suggest you start with this book. Expensive, at about $30, but priceless when it comes to the education it delivers in such a palpable way.

On this particular evening I was reading the author interviews. There’s no better place to gain writing knowledge than from the people who do it successfully for a living. The interviews are in depth, thoughtful, and so, so insightful. Many times I’ve attended author talks and signings where the author talks about their writing process. I often come away so inspired. The problem with the live talk is, it’s gone from my brain the next day. (Not the inspirational aura, but the exact facts that built that aura.) Reading the interviews in this book keeps these authors and their words in my house and in my hands. Like right now when I want to tell you something cool Ally Carter (Heist Society) said, I don’t have to wrack my forgetful brain. I can just turn to her interview and voila! – her inspirational words are right where I left them.

So, what did she say that sent me happily back to the sandbox and caused me to pick up my stylus and tap out this blog? She said:

“And, as you mentioned, there are more stakes overall – just more riding on me and the books – and on the days when the writing isn’t going well (which is most days, to tell you the truth), I long for the time when I was an unpublished writer – when it was me and a story and a pen and I could work at my own pace and for my own satisfaction. Really, that is a blessing, and I hate to see so many people wishing those days away like I did.”

Ally wishes she was back in the sandbox, where time and imagination were hers and hers alone. Through her success, she’s now a grown-up in the writing world, with grown-up responsibilities to her writing. She made me realize with this statement that I am having my time in the sandbox. She also made me stop and really love this season of my writing career. None of us, as new writers, knows how long our time to get to play with our pens and paints and wild and lovely characters in the sandbox will last.

Last night I was alone in my lovely cape cottage. My stories and pictures and characters were there with me. There is no pressure to finish them off and hurry to send them away. Thank you, Ally Carter, for inspiring me to enjoy this season of my writing career and for showing me it’s a special place, sort of like kindergarten, and that once you leave it, you can never go back to it again.

And so, as another day goes by, I appreciate and respect my time in the sandbox, and…I have written.

Field Trip!

By Linda Bartosik

Jun

1

I’m beginning to feel, for the first time, that writing is my “job” now. I have set hours and lists of things to do. It’s a wonderful feeling to finally have this direction. Today I spent my first hour finishing researching all the publishing houses in the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market book. Then, since it was a gorgeous cape afternoon, I decided to take myself on a field trip (artist date) and walk down to Titcomb’s Bookshop on 6A.

I spent my last two hours reading picture books and noting publishers. The exciting part was every book I found similar to mine, was published by one of three publishers, but the best thing was that due to my research, I actually remembered and recognized their names, where three days ago I wouldn’t have had a clue. I couldn’t wait to get back home and look them up and see if they were ones I had highlighted in the CWIM book.

On my walk back home I was reminded about something I read in that book:

“So you’ve written a book. And now you want an agent. If you’re new to publishing you probably assume that the next step is to send your finished, fabulous book out to agents, right? Wrong. Agents don’t want your finished, fabulous book. In fact, they probably don’t even want part of your finished, fabulous book – at least not yet. First they want your query.”
~Kara Gebhart Uhl

Today, after my field trip, I’m beginning to see why each author has to go through the process of researching the houses and figuring out how to write a good query letter. My own book is a product of my personality. My research and education on queries and publishing houses is going to reflect my book. My query letter, when I finally do write one, is going to be very personal to my work, as well as tailored to each publisher I choose to send it to. No one can do this for me. I have to go through the research process. No one can write my query letters. I am the one responsible for making a publisher feel I’m offering “a project that has a unique bent to it – be it subject matter, writing style, or illustrative technique” as stated by Chronicle Books in the CWIM. No one can do that for me.

I feel safe and secure in this journey because I have a wonderful support team in my colleagues on this site. They are all seasoned, published wonderful writers. (Please click on “Our Website” on the right, then go up to Meet Us on the toolbar and check out their bios.)
Though I know I have to be the one to do the work and put in the time, I also know they are there to ask for help when I hit the bumps in the road that I know for certain are there.

I always knew writing was a very personal process, but I never dreamed the “getting published” part was just as personal.

And so, as another day goes by, field trips are a fun part of this job, I love and appreciate my fellow writers on this site for showing me a writer’s journey is not a lonely one, and…I have written.

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…’tis a writer’s life..

By Linda Bartosik

May

31

During the past two weeks I have had what I call sort of a cart-before-the-horse experience on my writer’s journey. I recently wrote something that my colleagues thought had some substance to it and suggested I drop everything else and make this project my number one priority. Normally I wouldn’t have too much anxiety over this, but my project, by it’s very nature, places a submission time limit on itself. It is another children’s picture book, complete with illustrations.

The writing and illustrating of the book was the easy part. When I write, I go to a space that inspires me and makes me feel alive. When I sit down to begin the illustrations, I easily slip into the world where the story is taking place. The whole process is very relaxing and enlightening because I’ve learned when I first began this journey, placing time limits and restrictions on creativity just created anxiety instead of stories. I started this journey two and a half years ago and it is only within this past year I’ve learned to slow down and let my own writing process grow and develop.

Progress wise, I never expected to create anything with any kind of urgency to submit for publication so soon. I pushed the “how to” of publishing aside and refused to even take time with how to write a query letter or find a publishing house perfect for my book. I did research self-publishing, thinking it fit my internal timeline a little better.

Now I have this book. It needs to be submitted ASAP. (This would be the cart.) I’m overwhelmed. The amount of time and research required to learn to write a good query letter – one that will get an editor’s attention amid the “slush pile”, and find a suitable “house”, is something one gains over years of doing this. (That would’ve been the horse.)

Hmmm….I needed a plan. A colleague got me kickstarted. She suggested I set aside a time everyday to work on this project, set a timer, and at the end of the time write down what I accomplished. She saved me. Her suggestion lent structure to my day and gave me a concrete way to begin. Then a few days ago, a book an editor friend promised to send me arrived at just the right moment. It was a copy of the 2012 Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market. In it were examples of query letters and a current directory of all the children’s publishing houses.

My plan continues to unfold. I set aside 2pm to 5pm everyday to work on this project. The time includes rewrites of the story, but most important it includes studying query letters and publishing houses. During the month of June I plan to gain a great deal of experience figuring out how to submit my book for publication. (Going to seriously try to get the cart and the horse in the right order.)

The best part of this plan? This book travels well to the beach and 2pm to 5pm just happens to be prime beach time. I just love when a plan comes together, don’t you?

And so, as another day goes by, book in beach bag, chair in hand, I saunter off to the beach to spend the afternoon with the publishers, …’tis the life of a writer…and…I have written.
*Another Day Goes By is my daily blog that can be found at:
Another Day Goes By

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Crayons N’ Paint N’ Such

By Linda Bartosik

May

29

 

 

I am pleased and honored to be the newest member of the Cape Cod Children’s Writers.

 

One of the best things about being a member of this group is this blogging section. One of the other members, Jeanne, posted a blog that struck a nerve about something I’ve always felt very strongly about. Please check it out below. Her blog was about picture books for adults, sparked by a question asked by a child. I think you will find it an interesting topic, and one you may have not thought about before.

 

 

As I read her words, images from things I used to contemplate when I was a kindergarten teacher, came to mind. In my 23 years of teaching five year olds, I spent a lot of time in other classrooms in the primary school. The one thing that used to bother me the most was the absence of easels, paint, clay, etc. in first grade classrooms. These children were only six years old and to see them reduced to academia at such an early age made me sad. Their teachers were wonderful. They were some of the brightest and most creative individuals I know, but they also were being crucified by the standards and regulations imposed on our NY schools today. In kindergarten I got “special dispensation” because kindergarten isn’t even required in NYS and you would expect paint, clay, and sand, to be present in a kindergarten classroom. First grade, however, is a different story. The stringent requirements for reading and math, and now science and social studies that must be covered before the end of the first grade year leave precious little time for a six year old to be six during the school day. That always broke my heart.

 

 

As a writer, I spend a lot of time talking to and listening to people and I have come to think that this is also true for most adults. The people I meet have the most interesting stories and amazing talents. When I say to them, “That is an amazing story – you should write that down.” I hear more often than not, “Oh I’m not a writer.” or “I’m not creative enough to write.”

 

 

How sad that makes me feel. Over my 58 years of living I have come to believe that every man, woman, and child is an artist. Everyone has a story. Everyone has something from their creative side to make with their hands, or create with a brush or write with their words or sing with their voice or act on a stage. One thing I learned on my journey these past three years in the arts is that being a writer doesn’t mean you published a book. Being an artist doesn’t mean you have work displayed in an art show. Being a musician doesn’t mean you made a hit record.

 

 

Being an artist is something that lives inside of everyone. It’s a side of us that most people don’t think about, or if they do, they put themselves down with the “I can’t possibly show anyone that” or “tell anyone that” or even be able to write it or create it for their own eyes only.

 

 

It’s interesting that Dr.Phil runs a side bar asking people to write to him under the title of “Dr. Phil, Make Me A Star In My Own Life.” That right there leads me to believe there’s a real need out there for people to be given permission to explore and bring out their creative sides and tell their stories. To be honest, I have to give a bit of credit to Facebook and social media, because these tools have also given people a stage to be on and in some ways many people have begun to see that they can share writing, art, and photos and just maybe they should take that part of themselves a little bit more seriously.

 

 

My artist dates with myself have gone a long way to leading me back to that six year old that so enjoyed the sandbox and the messiness of the paint. So, if you have a story, or even the inkling of even thinking you might have a story, or you took a picture with your iPhone and you think it’s kind of cool – give it chance – put the pen to the paper or click a few more pics outside of the kids and the family gathering. You just might be surprised when the six year old pops out – and the freedom you find in it. Even if you never show anyone or tell anyone – YOU are already a star in your own life and you really don’t need Dr. Phil to tell you so.

 

 

As my writing guru Julia Cameron says:

 

May 25 – The Artist’s Way Everyday

 

“Writing is like breathing. I believe that. I believe we all come into life as writers. We are born with a gift for language and it comes to us within months as we begin to name our world. We all have a sense of ownership, a sense of satisfaction as we name objects we find. Words give us power.”
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