Greetings;
If asked to write about either the best part of yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day or the worst part, what comes to mind? Was the experience one of seconds, minutes, or the whole day, and did it involve other people or just you and your feelings? Every experience, if set into words, tells us something about ourselves. How one reacts to joy or pain, fun or anger, or thoughts about loved ones, who were here last year and are no longer living, says much about the person. Life overflows with emotion, but some people never get beyond their own mind set (the ID stage of development.) to understand what is really happening around them. So much is missed, but in such situations, a writer is blessed with an added tool of remembrance. The gift of being able to set emotions into words is immense, because in the writing of a situation, inner emotions are “let out.” Writing about a joyful experience gives one the chance to relive it over the years and smile again. Writing about sad situations, presents a tangible reminder of being a survivor of sadness. Memory may fade, but the written word remains intact. How lucky to be a writer. Be thankful and be well. Linda

Greetings;
I love working with, listening to, and critiquing original stories written and illustrated by fellow members in our Cape Cod Children’s Writers group. New writers can learn so much about the writing craft by working within such a group. Previous blogs on this site have portrayed only a small sample of their creativity as fictional characters “come alive” with “showing” words.
A fledgling writer, much like a young bird, only learns to fly by practicing its craft. It takes time and patience to set aside emotional obstacles, like “fear of failure” or “making a fool of myself,” in order to sail into unknown waters with strangers at the helm, but how else to learn? Every published author was once a new writer, and understands the fear and nervousness of reading one’s story to an audience for the first time. Books can “tell” how to write, but other writers can “show.”
Over the years, I’ve observed myriad new writers progress in their skills by associating with other writers. Who else will understand you would rather write—even if not being paid—because of the great satisfaction derived from a completed manuscript, or that sometimes, no matter time or place, you must write.
Working alone is also a necessity in order to create without distractions. One new writer said to me, “I feel selfish doing this just for me, when I should be out with my children and/or my husband.” Guilt keeps many a great writer from becoming an author. I asked if she understood why she had said, “should” rather than “could” in her statement. When we understand why we speak or act in certain ways, it’s then possible to blend the “should” and the “could.”
I’m constantly repeating, “There are ninety-six fifteen minutes in a day, so make at least one or two of them yours.” It’s not selfishness; it’s good planning. Your natural creativity could be used to optimize time spent with family and time spent writing. Just as you set aside time to make a family meal, set aside a similar time each day or evening to write. It can be done.
When my four children were young, it was a normal pattern for me to write at my desk while they were busy with homework or watching a children’s TV show. It took planning, but they didn’t feel left out because they were busy too. It must have worked because each grown child still calls, emails, and takes me to lunch. What fun. They were each delighted and proud when my small piece went national in The Reader’s Digest, but it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t set a pattern years ago to practice writing.
If you’re feeling selfish about taking time to write, do something about it. Plan today to arrange your life with some of YOU in it. Be well. Linda

Greetings;
Last Sunday, I was invited to sell my books from 1-4 at a fund-raiser for the SPCA. (Never say no to a book signing.) My friend, Janice, a children’s author, works with the group. They hired a VFW hall in Brockton, and Janice invited a few crafters and a new, self-published author to participate hoping to attract more people. She drew up and distributed flyers detailing the event and its participants. A book signing without needing to market oneself or the event is an author’s delight. Smart move on my friend’s part, too, for family and friends of each artist attended and supported the fund-raiser. I was invited to speak to the group, and to individuals wanting to learn how to begin the writing process. Basics included setting aside at least fifteen minutes a day to write in some quiet spot, and a “showing over telling” example of, “Sarah went downstairs.” No emotions revealed. When exchanging showing words for “went” like “raced, limped, stormed, or tumbled,” the listeners gained a better perspective of the character’s actions and emotions. A fun day all around. I sold fifteen books.
On Tuesday, a golfing friend asked if I would “look at” her niece’s piece on Super Bowl XXXVI. (Our Pat’s won it!) The young woman has just returned from a second tour in Afghanistan, and is working on the paper for college credits. Could anyone say “no” to help a person, who has given up part of her young life to protect our country and people? God forbid! What an honor to be of any assistance to such a brave person.
Throughout the piece, she listed reference sources within the body of her work. Good reporting, but those notations kept taking the reader away from the story. Never want to lose the readers’ concentration. They might decide to do something else.
Memories of long-ago college classes re-surfaced as I attempted to remember how to number and set sources at the bottom of each page to keep the story moving. My brain’s computer finally spit out an answer. When the source is repeated within the same page, the source is listed only once, and is numbered in sequence from the beginning of the work. When the same source is repeated on a page, it’s numbered, again in sequence, with four letters following; the glitch being, I couldn’t remember if it was IBID or IBIT. They won’t be found in a dictionary because they’re not words. OK. Time to bring my head into the twenty-first century. I googled “IBID literature” and found it. It’s IBID. The bibliography on the last page lists dates, publishers, and addresses for each source. God bless the “Google People,” and especially our young war heroes.
Until next week, please say a prayer for our service men and women. Be well. Linda

In April, I attended the spring SCBWI conference, where an editor critiqued my manuscript, WADDLE. She suggested a few changes and expressed a desire to see it again. In May, I sent the newly revised manuscript to her publishing house with a notation at the bottom of the envelope, “Requested by …” with her name. In by-gone days, a writer could expect feedback within three months or less. No more. The process is now four to six months with the reasoning, cutbacks have resulted in staff cutbacks, etc.
OK. I mailed my precious manuscript, and as taught in myriad classes, literally and figuratively, “let it go,” with a few constructive thoughts like, no sense in agonizing, and let the publishing world do its job. I noted in my folder of recently sent pieces, the name, WADDLE, date sent, to whom, and the address and phone number with a notation, “Check in November if no word.”
Slow-forward six months; no reply. Time to check what’s happening. Note; Do not send a manuscript, which calls for someone to sign to make sure it arrives, It costs extra and there aren’t enough people working in that capacity anymore to make it happen. The first thing I did was call the publishing company to see if my editor was still working there. (Editors no longer remain in place for years as once expected.) Yes, she is. Next step, after explaining the reason for my call, was to ask, “What would you do if it were you?” Now I had her undivided attention for a moment. (Off-subject, but a good thing to know when seeing a doctor. After explanations are given by some medical Messiah, ask the same question. He or she will have to pause for a moment and actually thing about YOU, the patient.)
Back to writing. The receptionist replied, “Send a short note to that editor explaining when the manuscript was sent, and that I had received no comment after waiting six months.” She furthered, “Put her name at the bottom of the note stating, ‘requested material for …’.” Sound familiar? Done. Once again, “let it go.” Has this situation happened before? Oh yes, and the most important lesson I can teach a new writer is, “Never, ever send your original manuscript. Make a copy to send to publishers. There is a chance you will never see it again.” If all that information sounds frustrating, it is, but being prepared is the answer. You’ve done the “easy” part of being a writer. You wrote the story! The waiting on publishers and their editors, not so easy, but after all the hassle, your own book in your own hand is so exciting. I wish such excitement for you.
Until next week, set aside discouragement and move forward today, because you can.
Be well. Linda

Greetings;
New writers, who enjoy writing rhyming poems for young children, sometimes lose plot believability in the rhyming process. It’s so important to understand even fiction writing needs SOME base of fact. Accomplished authors of books like GREEN EGGS AND HAM, are able to make the unbelievable believable because of how it is presented. Such books need to be read and re-read to learn how successful writers have accomplished the feat of blending fact and rhyme. Children read or listen to a poem with two simple reactions; it was good or not, without comprehending the work entailed in making the right words rhyme and the plot unique.
I’ve critiqued many new writers’ poems, where the story idea was unique–most important to catch an editor’s eye—but to complete a rhyme, words or actions were used out of sync with the person or talking animal’s persona. One plot included a cranky old man, whom children loved. What? If such a statement is made, it can’t be left hanging without some clarification to make the idea believable. The thought, itself, will pull readers away from the plot to wonder why a child would or could like a cranky person. When a child decides a plot isn’t real, (“…that’s a stupid story.”) they simply close the book. No writer wants his or her story to be termed “stupid.” Word will spread among parents, and the book won’t sell.
It’s easy to become “lost” in our own world of creativity. Yes, writing provides a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when one has successfully transferred thoughts to paper, but be honest; are we writing for our own benefit or to please the reader? If you, as one elderly woman noted, “…writing for my own enjoyment.” go for it. Any activity, which makes life more fun, and isn’t hurting someone else, is great. But, (and that’s a big “but.”) if writing to sell, there are rules to follow, and those rules are learned by attending writing workshops. The Cape Cod Children’s Writers are conducting such a workshop on Saturday from 9-3. It’s an amazing day of sharing and learning with other writers. Please consider attending in the near future. Enrollment can be initiated by contacting Joan Walsh at www.capecodchildrenswriters.com
Until next time, be well and share your joys; everyone has enough sorrow. Linda