MARCH 31, 2012 WRITER RETREAT

By Joan Walsh

Jan

31

Children’s Book Writers’ Critique Workshop

Our team will work intensively on the craft of writing with new and more experienced writers, who have a goal to become published.

Saturday,  March 31, 2012           9:00 – 3:00 PM

 Location:                 The Riverview School, 551 East Sandwich, Ma 02357

Cost:                              $65.00 per person (limited to 8 writers)

Instructions:          Email an attachment of one picture book, or 10 pages of your chapter book, middle grade (MG), or young adult (YA) novel. All manuscripts should be in Times New Roman font, size 12 and double-spaced.

Bring writing materials. Continental breakfast provided.

Contact:             Joan Walsh:  irishseaside2@aol.com.

RSVP by March 15, 2012

Schedule

9:00-9:30                    Welcome and Introduction of CCCW

9:30-Noon                  Round Table Critique

12:00-1:00                  Lunch

1:00-2:15                    Round Table Critique

2:15-2:45                   Individual Revision

2:45-3:00                    Closing by CCCW and your attendee critique.

CAPE COD MEMORY MAKERS

By Joan Walsh

Jan

27

ANNE BARBER and I will publish our interactive memory journal for children entitled:

Cape Cod Memory Makers

Explore the Town of Falmouth

 I’m happily accepting orders @ $16.00. I’m not looking for money now—just orders of intention. The introduction page for this interactive journal is below:

 

CAPE COD MEMORY MAKERS

Explore the Town of Falmouth

By Joan Walsh

Illustrations by Anne Barber

            Welcome to Cape Cod. I’m Josh, and my twin sister is Amy.

            We love Cape Cod, and we love making books.

            In fourth grade, Amy and I learned that Cape Cod is a peninsula—a body of land surrounded by water on three sides. The Cape’s two islands are Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket—bodies of land surrounded by water on all sides.

            “Let’s start a travel club for kids,” said Amy.

            “Cool. How about naming it Cape Cod Memory Makers?”

            “Great idea,” said Amy. “We’ll take turns sharing one journal for each town we visit.”

            “Amy, let’s flip a coin to see who shares first. I’m heads and you’re tails.” Flip.

            Amy flipped and I won.

            “I’ll share my journal of the Town of Falmouth in book one.”

            Follow three easy steps to become a Memory Maker:

            First, ask your family to take you to places we’ve visited.

            Second, take photographs, draw pictures, and make a scrapbook on the blank journal pages.

            Third, write about your adventures.

            Then you become an official Memory Maker like Amy and me. Have fun.

Memory Maker,

Josh

Joan Walsh

 

 

 

           

 

Robert Burns Day

By Melinda

Jan

26

A day late, but…yesterday was Robert Burns Day! One of my favorite poets, I enjoy his style, his humor and the fact that, like me, he doesn’t always have a perfect rhyme. One of my all time favorites by him is this poem (listed as a song) and taken from  http://www.robertburns.org/works/

A Man’s A Man For A’ That


1795
Type: Song
Tune: For a’ that.

Is there for honest Poverty
That hings his head, an’ a’ that;
The coward slave-we pass him by,
We dare be poor for a’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that.
Our toils obscure an’ a’ that,
The rank is but the guinea’s stamp,
The Man’s the gowd for a’ that.

What though on hamely fare we dine,
Wear hoddin grey, an’ a that;
Gie fools their silks, and knaves their wine;
A Man’s a Man for a’ that:
For a’ that, and a’ that,
Their tinsel show, an’ a’ that;
The honest man, tho’ e’er sae poor,
Is king o’ men for a’ that.

Ye see yon birkie, ca’d a lord,
Wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that;
Tho’ hundreds worship at his word,
He’s but a coof for a’ that:
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
His ribband, star, an’ a’ that:
The man o’ independent mind
He looks an’ laughs at a’ that.

A prince can mak a belted knight,
A marquis, duke, an’ a’ that;
But an honest man’s abon his might,
Gude faith, he maunna fa’ that!
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
Their dignities an’ a’ that;
The pith o’ sense, an’ pride o’ worth,
Are higher rank than a’ that.

Then let us pray that come it may,
(As come it will for a’ that,)
That Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth,
Shall bear the gree, an’ a’ that.
For a’ that, an’ a’ that,
It’s coming yet for a’ that,
That Man to Man, the world o’er,
Shall brothers be for a’ that.

If you can read it in a scottish accent your one up on me, but probably it comes across even better!

 

Query Sample

By Linda Williams

Jan

22

Question: Would you as an editor consider the story?

Date: February, 2012

From:

To:

Re: WADDLE: 700-words

Dear :
When young Waddle’s family is whisked away in Farmer’s truck, the frantic duck is left behind. He leaves his farm and pads off alone into the dangerous forest to search for them. Along the way, he discovers helpers sometimes come in unique forms. Squirrel and Owl guide him along the path, but there are crossroads ahead where Waddle must go north and then east. When all seems lost, North Star and Morning Sun guide him safely to his family and new home.

Education: The Institute of Children’s Literature: “Writing for Children and Teenagers. 1991
Annual Writers’ Retreats: Cape Cod Writers’ Conferences, MA- 2005-present.
Florida Writers’ Association: 2009-present.
Children’s Authors’ Team and Cape Cod Children’s Writers-2008-present.
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.2009-present. Retreat April, 2011, MA.

Work Experience: Taught creative writing course on-board NCL’s Norwegian Majesty, between Boston and Bermuda-2007. Third children’s book: WERFUL AND THE CAPTAIN, published by The Bermudian Publishing Company, selling in America and Bermuda.
Free-lance writing for children and adults; most recent- 2011-The Reader’s Digest.
Teaching: Workshops for new writers; giving author visits; editing other writers.
Participation in book-signings and literature festivals.1996-present.
Contest Winners: State of Maine Writers Conference: Adult Poetry: 1987-“Serenity” 1988-“The Way of Love”; Children’s Poetry: 1989- The Beginning of Tall”; 1990-”Nap Time” and “I Wish”
Children’s Prose: 1989-“Toothy Takes a Chance”
The Scribblers Club of Brockton, MA: Children’s Prose: 1987-“The Raven and the Bumblebee”
1990-“A Paw Beneath My Door”. 1991-“Toothy’s Wonderful Discovery”
Boston Globe-1991 Appeared in: “Brockton Writers Club Withstands Test of Time.”
Florida Writers Association: Mount Dora-2008 “Whispers in the Wind.”

Thank you for your consideration.
Cordially,

Until next time, be well and keep writing something. Linda

Family Literacy Night

By Melinda

Jan

19

I am very excited about participating in Family Literacy Night at  George R. Austin Intermediate School on Howland Road in Lakeville on January 31. I will be there with both my books (Tyler and the Spider and Grandma, Tell me If You Can) to talk with the children about my inspiration for the books and offering crafts for creative little hands and minds. I look forward to meeting and mingling with other local authors at the event. Here are some of the handouts I’ll have available as well as books for sale.

 

 

And for those who would like to do the “spider” craft at home or at school, here are the instructions for you to make your own Skyler Spider.

IT’S RIGHT TO KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

By Joan Walsh

Jan

14

The main types of rights that are negotiated when selling to the small markets are:

All rights— the right to own your work. If you sign away all rights to a publisher, you can never use the same work again in its current form. The new owner owns all rights and is free to reprint your material and sell it elsewhere without paying any additional money to you.

First serial rights–These are the rights most commonly granted in a publishing contract. These rights grant the publisher of a serial publication the exclusive right to print an article first. After the work is published once, rights revert back to the writer, who is then free to resell the work. More specific terms like FSNAR (first serial North American rights) limit to a specific area–if you sell FSNAR you can still sell to a UK publication. Terms like “worldwide” because it means, well, worldwide.

Exclusive rights– The right to publish your work without it appearing somewhere else at the same time. Often publishers request exclusive rights for a specified length of time. When the exclusivity period ends, the writer is free to publish the work elsewhere. The flipside of this is non-exclusive rights.

Electronic rights– If a publisher’s contract includes electronic rights, a writer should know how long the publisher has permission to keep the work published on the web. Recent years have sparked an explosion in the number of online magazines and literary blogs so electronic rights are commonly contracted. Determine if the editor wants first electronic rights or all electronic rights. You must keep in mind that “electronic rights” doesn’t just mean web publishing–it also means CD-ROMs, databases, etc.

Internet rights–Specific electronic rights to publish work on the Internet or via email (i.e. newsletter). Unlike electronic rights, Internet rights don’t give an editor the right to reproduce your work on a CD-ROM or other physical electronic device.

Reprint rights– This is the right to print a work a second time. Reprint rights imply that first rights have been sold. It’s also called second serial rights.

Joan

A New Beginning To Something

By Linda Williams

Jan

7

Greetings;
A happy new year for a writer stems from the successful completion of a manuscript, publishing something new, or working on the marketing of one’s recently published book. Is there an unfinished manuscript calling to you, pleading for not only a beginning and a middle, but also a concise ending where all facets of the story blend? If not, begin now, if only in your mind, to construct a new beginning to something.
Even when there are pressing issues within one’s life, which must be considered a priority, there are myriad pauses, whether it’s waiting in a car at a red light, standing in a grocery line, or walking a baby, when one’s mind is free to create something. Standing in a shower, relaxing in a tub, or folding clothes also provide opportunities to create a new scene, a new story—a new something.
Every person’s life is unique in its responsibilities or obstacles, so do what is feasible for your lifestyle. Work on moving that something, today, from the back burner of your creative stove to the front remembering it’s up to you how much heat you can generate right now. Keep in mind, however, food-for-thought, whether placed on high, medium, or low can produce a masterful product if stirred often enough. It’s a good time for new beginnings. Have a Happy New Year.
Be well. Linda

HAPPY NEW YEAR

By Joan Walsh

Jan

4

As 2012 begins, I realize the changes in the book publishing industry make the road less traveled a necessity, if one wishes to be published any time soon.

Let’s make it our business to hit the changes head on, and learn the ever present lesson that nothing stays the same. Read, learn, continue to dream, and remain true to your craft.

Joan

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