Tales from the Rushmore Kid

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 2" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

LESSON ONE: BE CURIOUS
(Or: What's So Wrong About Eavesdropping?)

Cats are endlessly curious, sniffing about, exploring every nook and cranny that presents itself. My cat Miguel loved to reconnoiter the basement of our old house in Seattle and forever had cobwebs in his whiskers. Patches, lacking a basement in our Southern California condo, discovered the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, which she opened with her dainty little paws before disappearing inside. (The liquour cabinet seemed to be her favorite.)

May Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

Here are some of my favorite reads from this past month:

Novels:
ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE, by Benjamin Alire Saenz, won a 2013 Printz Honor. After reading a discussion on depictions of race in book covers, I saw that this book about two Mexican American teens has no images of the characters on its cover. (Apparently, when the main characters aren't white, covers tend not to show them.) Yes, absolutely, it's insulting but it can also be a welcome relief--I dislike many of the covers that have photos of teens on them, white or otherwise, and wish books with white protagonists would do away with the photos, as well. Anyway, this is an amazing book--a beautifully written, well constructed look at finding friendship and true love.

DARK TRIUMPH, by Robin LaFevers, is the second book in the His Fair Assassins trilogy. This time around we hang on the words of Sybella, one of Death's fierce assassins, as she survives life in the castle of her evil father, and attempts to escort wounded soldier Beast back into the service of the Duchess. Intricate and intense, romantic fantasy doesn't get much better than this.

REQUIEM, by Lauren Oliver, is a satisfying conclusion to the dystopian Delirium Trilogy. First person present POV alternates between "invalid" resistance fighter Lena, and her "cured" best friend Hana, who has remained behind in Portland's loveless society. Non-stop action and romantic entanglements make this book hard to put down. (You'll want to read Delirium and Pandemonium first.)

Editor Steve Meltzer

I am one lucky author.  When my former editor left Dutton in 2006 I was assigned the wonderful Steve Meltzer.  Over the years Steve has become one of my good buddies as well as my outstanding editor.  Generous to a fault, he always takes my calls, was game to be interviewed for my blog tour and endures my requests for a Writing Tip of the Day every time I see him. Today's Tip is about submitting.

"Everything I Know About Writing I Learned From My Cats: 1" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the writing files of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

“Books. Cats. Life is good.”

I can’t bear to part with the faded old book bag that bears that quote. Doesn’t it say it all? My family didn’t have much when I was growing up; nine of us lived in a two-bedroom, one-bath house. But we had each other, we had books, and we had cats. I didn't even think about asking for more.

I’ve never gone book-less, but I’ve been cat-less. In fact, I'm cat-less now. College dorm life, apartments with no-pet policies, and housemates who didn’t like cats or had cat allergies all conspired against me. (Fortunately, I do have friends with cats!)

For ten years of my adult life, though, I shared a home with a partner who was both a book lover and a cat lover. In those ten years, our library reached over a thousand books, and we adopted two remarkable (at least to me!) rescue cats. Each of them lived with us for about five years.

Genetta Adair - Writing Tip of the Day

The best thing about the SCBWI is the people in the organization.  I have been lucky enough to be part of the Midsouth listserve for years, even though I live in Southern California. The Southern Belles and Gents welcomed me on board and have been lovingly supported throughout my publishing journey.  At the Winter conference I ran into one of my favorite Southern Belles, Genetta Adair.  Former RA for her region, Genetta is kind, generous and a talented writer.  I asked her to give us a Writing Tip of the Day.

Happy Mother's Day - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the social media files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

When holidays roll around, I usually share a poem that relates to it. Sunday is Mother's Day. Before I started looking for a piece for today's blog post, I read something written by my colleague and Facebook friend, children's author and illustrator Nina Laden, and it moved me so much that I decided I wanted to share it instead of a poem. I hope it moves you as it did me.

Nina lives in the great Pacific Northwest, which I am soon to call my permanent home. She is the author/illustrator of 15 picture books, including such great titles as The Night I Followed the Dog, Private I. Guana, When Pigasso Met Mootisse, Peek-A-Who?, Roberto the Insect Architect, An Ant's Day Off, and her most recent, Button Nose.

Nina's mother died when Nina was only 24. One of the things she left her daughter was a library of books, complete with handwritten notes. Recently Nina came across a letter her mom had written her and stuffed in a book of Walt Whitman's poetry. It's a wonderful love letter from a mom to her daughter, and Nina has kindly given me permission to share it. I hope you'll visit Nina's blog and read the entire post. It's lovely! And it's no wonder that Nina is a writer and artist.

The False Prince--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

May's Book Pick is the fabulous mid-grade fantasy, THE FALSE PRINCE, by Jennifer A. Nielsen. I have been looking forward to my May and June picks for some time now--they are two of my favorite recently published fantasies, which are also two of my favorite books from 2012. (Stay tuned for Leigh Bardugo's SHADOW AND BONE for June.)

The False Prince begins when nobleman Bevin Connor scours the Carthyan countryside to round up orphans who resemble the late Prince Jaron, known to have drowned at sea four years previously. The King, Queen, and remaining Prince have just been killed, and a successor must be chosen quickly. Four boys are chosen to compete for the role of impersonating Prince Jaron, who will mysteriously return from the dead to lead his country in this time of crisis.

Sage is one of these orphans, a street smart, thoroughly clever boy, who is well aware that if he loses, he will probably die. But Sage struggles to retain his integrity in the midst of the deceit, and he has quite a few tricks up his own sleeve, to the dismay of Connor and the other potential princes.

Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity - Art and Museums

Recently, when I saw my editor in New York, I took the opportunity to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the show "Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity" ( through May 27 - then moving to the Chicago Institute of the Arts).  What a fabulous show this was. Not only were there seven rooms filled with impressionist paintings from the Orsay in Paris, the Met and the Chicago Art Institute, the fashions from the paintings were also on display. One could see the fashions of the day and read about why the woman and men in the paintings were wearing the particular outfit. Also on display was the actual dress in this painting by Albert  Bartholomé.  It is a painting of his wife, who died four years later. Albert saved the fabulous dress and it was on display next to the painting at the Met show. 

Jo S. Kittinger - Writing Tip of the Day

An SCBWI RA and talented author, Jo S. Kittinger has written one of my favorite books, Rosa's Bus, the story of what happened to the bus that Rosa Parks rode on when she refused to give up her seat, creating an unforgettable moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Jo generously gives us the Writing Tip of the Day.

The Language of Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It’s the last weekend of National Poetry Month for 2013. I’ve enjoyed talking about poetry and sharing poems here and on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/barbarajeanhicks) throughout the month of April. Poetry has a language all its own, and even if the writer in you doesn't consider you a poet, understanding and employing this special language can make any piece of prose you write sing like a poem.

Like many other forms of literature, poetry makes use of imagery, metaphor, symbol, allusion, connotation and tone to communicate an idea and produce a desired effect. It is the music of language, however, that some writers feel sets a piece of writing apart from its literary counterparts as the thing we call “a poem.” Edgar Allan Poe described poetry as “music combined with a pleasurable idea,” for instance. Laurence Perrine’s classic text on poetry, Sound and Sense, posits that the poet uses verbal music to enhance meaning and communicate an idea more fully. 

But musical language is not just for poetry. If you have a story draft completed, particularly if you write picture books, check it against the list below. Does your manuscript utilize any of these musical devices? Can you find ways to tweak your language to include more verbal music?

April Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

I've been busy reading this past month, and have some titles I would love to share:

Novels:
One that I just can't stop thinking about is MAGGOT MOON, by Sally Gardner. Set in the bleakest of worlds (think England in the 1950s if the Germans had won WWII), the Motherland has complete control over everything. Standish Treadwell's parents have disappeared, and he lives with his grandfather in a rat-infested pit of a neighborhood. Considered stupid because he can't read or write, Standish is actually an extremely creative thinker. By combining his wits and his bravery, Standish makes a difference. This book is unique, beautifully written, and quick to read.

Ruta Sepetys's second book, OUT OF THE EASY, is very different from her Newbery Honor book, Shades of Grey. It's a complex and interesting story about seventeen year old Josie Moraine, the daughter of a prostitute in 1950s New Orleans. Josie works hard. She excels in school, cleans the brothel, and works at a bookstore. But Josie aspires to a better life--she wants to go to Smith college up in Massachusetts. Nothing is easy, though: Josie's life is a tangled web of loyalty, betrayal, love and murder.

Heather Tomlinson - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known Heather Tomlinson for many years.  She is one of my good buds who worked hard, honed her craft and now is the published author of three fantasy novels.  Heather left California, but I ran into her at the Winter conference and she gave me a tried and true Writing Tip of the Day that I feel we all need to hear again and again.

Why I Love Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

It's still National Poetry Month and I'm still thinking about poetry!

I grew up in a family that loved music and poetry. My dad went to school in an era when poetry was memorized, and I remember him quoting poems when I was a child that he had learned as a child. One favorite memory from my childhood is the image of my father knocking on my door to wake me in the morning, poking his head in the doorway and quoting Omar Khayyam:

AWAKE! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight…

Priscilla Burris - Illustration Tip of the Day

One of the most talented, generous, and wonderful members of the SCBWI board is Priscilla Burris. Illustrator of over ninety books, Priscilla has coordinated the illustrator area of the SCBWI for years. With a joyous heart, Priscilla gives her Illustrator Tip of the Day.

A Poem for Spring - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the bookshelves of
children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I gave myself the gift of three new books of poetry: 100 Selected Poems by e.e. cummings, 100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda, translated by Stephen Tapscott, and Classical Chinese Poetry: An Anthology, translated and edited by David Hinton. A wonderful, eclectic mix!

Spring has come to the little corner of the world where I'm living, and I'm loving it. Days are getting longer, the flowering cherries and the rhododendrons are in bloom, the spring showers are a bit warmer than the winter rains and the world is "puddle-wonderful"! So for those of you enjoying Spring in your corner of the world--and those of you who haven't yet seen Spring!--here's one of my favorite spring poems from e.e. cummings.

Wonder--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

My Book Pick for April is WONDER, by R. J. Palacio. This heartfelt and moving novel got quite a bit of contender buzz for the 2013 Newbery Award.

August Pullman is a very sympathetic hero, earnest, hard-working, and sweet. Because of his severe facial deformities, he has been sheltered all of his life, home schooled by his mom, and petted by an extremely loving and supportive family. But now that Auggie is ten, his mother wants him to attend a "real" school with other kids. The transition is not an easy one, to say the least. But while persevering through the many, many tough situations that arise with his new peers (and their parents), Auggie somehow manages to find the good in his life, the wonder, and to keep an optimistic spirit.

Chris Eboch - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known Chris Eboch through the SCBWI for many years. She is kind, funny and one of those blessed RA's. A prolific writer, she recently wrote a book on plotting. I asked her to give us the Writing Tip of the Day.

Book-Spine Poetry - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the teaching files
of children's author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

April is National Poetry Month. To celebrate, I've been posting poems on my Facebook page--so far some haiku from the Japanese masters of the form (one of my favorites) and a couple of book-spine poems.

Never heard of a book-spine poem? Poetry lesson of the day: Book-spine poems are just one example of a poetic form called a "cento"--a poem made up entirely of lines from other people's works, arranged to form a new work. I think of it as "word collage."

Here are two examples, compiled from books on my own shelves. If you're inspired, compile a book-spine poem of your own, snap a picture, and hop on over to Facebook to post the image on my Wall. (Teachers--this is a great activity for kids, encouraging them to make connections between lines of prose to form their own poem.)

Tracy Barrett - Writing Tip of the Day

Prolific author, brainiac and all around great gal, Tracy Barrett has come up with an interesting way to write. I guarantee you haven't heard this one before.

A Poem for Easter - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the shelves of children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I love Easter. It's all about resurrection, rebirth, new life--concepts that inspire and excite me as a person and a writer. And George Herbert, the 17th century Welsh-born Anglican priest and metaphysical poet, is one of my favorite wordsmiths, well remembered from my days as an English Literature major in college. So what better combination on this Good Friday than an Easter poem written by George Herbert?

I've posted "Easter Wings" twice below, as images. It's a shape poem, a poem in which the form as well as the content have meaning. The first image is a scan of the poem as it appeared when it was first published in 1633 in a collection called The Temple: Sacred poems and private ejaculations. The second is more easily readable although it doesn't have quite the same visual effect.

Blessings to all in this season that celebrates life!

March Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

Here are some terrific books I have been reading recently:

Novels:

SCARLET is the second of four projected books in the Lunar Chronicles, by Marissa Meyer. The first, Cinder, was the fabulously told story of a cyborg Cinderella. As a follow-up, Scarlett does not disappoint. This time around, the story is based on Little Red Riding Hood, and comes complete with a French teenager, her missing grandmother, and Wolf, who is a very strong person with pointy teeth. The action is non-stop, and intertwines nicely with the plot begun in Cinder. The third installment will be based on Rapunzel. These are really fun books. The audio for Cinder was good, too.

NAVIGATING EARLY, by Newbery medalist Clare Vanderpool, is an inspiring coming-of-age odyssey through the backwoods of Maine. When Jack Baker's mother dies, Jack finds himself uprooted from his home in Kansas. Taken to boarding school in Maine, he becomes an outsider, "with nowhere to call home, at a school with no baseball, unable to row a boat straight." Then Jack meets Early Auden, a strange boy who lives in the school's basement and makes up stories about the mathematical number pi. This is a story about finding one's way through landscapes both mythical and real, while learning the true meaning of friendship.  

NEVER FALL DOWN, by Patricia McCormick, is a hard-hitting look at Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge march in. What makes this subject inspiring as well as heartbreaking is the narrator, Arn Chorn-Pond, a real person whose story is told through the skillful writing of McCormick. Though it's called a novel, Arn was in fact captured by soldiers who took him, his family, and many entire villages to labor camps to be worked to death or shot on a whim. But Arn is a survivor, and an adult now, he travels around the world, working for humanitarian causes and speaking about his experiences. It's beautifully written. Patricia McCormick also wrote Sold, a previous Book Talk book about Nepalese girls sold into slavery.

 

Editor Steve Meltzer - Writing Tip of the Day

I am one lucky author. Six years ago when my first editor left Dutton, I was assigned the fabulous Steve Meltzer. A Teddy Bear of a guy, Steve is not only a wonderful editor but over the years has become my good friend. Any time I see him he is generous enough to give us a Writing Tip of the Day.

Three Writers on Creativity & Spirituality

from the bookshelves of guest columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

 A friend sent me a link last week to an interview with Elizabeth Gilbert, the award-winning writer whose memoir Eat, Pray, Love tells the story of a woman losing and then finding herself during a journey that was both physical and spiritual. Her words reminded me of Julia Cameron's book on creative recovery, The Artist's Way, which led me to an article on beliefnet.com by Tibetan Buddhist Chantmaster Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within. Today, for your contemplation, I offer quotes from these three writers on the interconnectedness of creativity and spirituality:

Suzanne Morgan Williams - Research Tip of the Day

Author and SCBWI RA for Nevada Suzanne Morgan Williams writes exceptional books. Her novel Bullrider has won numerous awards. I asked her how she did the intricate research for the novel and what I got was the Research Tip of the Day.

"Write What You Know" - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of Guest Columnist
Barbara Jean Hicks,
children's book author and educator

You've heard it a thousand times: "Write what you know."

  But what does that mean, really? Does it mean you have to know a subject inside out before you have anything worthwhile to say about it? Does it mean you can't use settings you haven't traveled to? Does it mean your characters all have to be clones of yourself?

I say no, no, and no again. Our writing--and our lives--would be awfully dull if we wrote only about what we already know.

Writers are curious creatures. What interests you? What intrigues you? What do you NOT know and wish you did? That's what you'll want to write about. It gives us an excuse--as if we needed one--to research. To enter a different time in history, a different place, a different set of circumstances, a different world from our own. To enter the mind of a different sort of person from ourself and experience the world in a whole new way. To be wildly creative!

There is a way in which we must write what we know, however, if our writing is to be effective. And how is that, you ask? In what way must we write what we know?

Code Name Verity--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

I'm going to try to introduce CODE NAME VERITY, by Elizabeth Wein, intelligently, but I have just been crying my way through the last quarter of it, so let's see how I do.

"Verity," a spy for the British during World War II, is captured by the Nazi's when she looks the wrong way crossing a street in France. To buy herself some time, and perhaps avoid more brutal interrogation tactics in prison, she writes her confession. This includes information on the British war effort, but also describes her close friendship with Mattie Brodatt, a pilot who flies for the Air Transport Auxiliary. This is a very human take on World War II--the story concerns the lives of some of the pilots who flew for the British, as well as the French Resistance, but especially the effect of the war on these two outstanding female main characters, who were operating in a man's world. (Or, more specifically, as the Jamaican rear gunner says near the end, "It's a white man's world.") Verity and Maddie prove their competence and heroism over and over again through the course of this very complex novel.

Molly Sardella Penguin Publicity Gal - Publicity Tip of the Day

Man oh man, am I one lucky author.  Not only do I have a fabulous publishing house (Dial Books for Young Readers), I was given a remarkable Publicity person. Molly Sardella is talented, hard working and everything I could want in a publicist. I asked her to give all of us a publicity Tip of the Day, and my girl Molly obliged.

10 Best Picture Books? - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

What makes a picture book great? I heard illustrator and art director Laurent Linn (Simon and Schuster) speak on this topic at an SCBWI conference several years ago.  He answered the question by listing his all-time favorite picture books and what it is that makes them great.

As a writer of texts for picture books, it was good for me to think about great picture books from the point of view of an illustrator who also manages the text and illustrations in picture books. Writing picture books is hard work, I think especially for non-illustrators. Since picture books are as dependent on the illustrations as they are on the text, it helps us to think like illustrators as we write. Even though, in general, we have little control over the choice of illustrator or the direction the illustrations will take, thinking like an illustrator will make our texts accessible to the illustrator and art director. That can only be a good thing!

What do you think of Linn's list? Are you familiar with all his choices? Is there a book he's left out that belongs on this list? (For me, it's Maurice Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, a wonderfully illustrated book steeped in the psychology of children, a book that in my opinion changed the course of children's publishing...)

Lee Wind - Conference Tip of the Day

I have known Lee Wind for many years. Author, SCBWI Team Blogger and advocate for GLBTQ youths, Lee is an inspiration to all. I tracked him down at the SCBWI Winter Conference and he had a wonderful conference tip.

Creative Resources and Creative Journeys - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

I'm fascinated by the process of creativity. The TV shows I most enjoy are the ones that document the creative process in action, whether in fashion design, cooking, interior design, dance or music. I believe that creativity is a spiritual endeavor, something that arises from and engages the spirit or soul, and I find the creative journeys of others inspiring to my own.

A couple of years ago, I researched master's programs that I thought might deepen my creative experience. I didn't ultimately choose to pursue a degree, but I found an almost irresistible Recommended Reading List at one institution of higher learning that offers an M.A. in Engaged Humanities with an emphasis in Depth Psychology.

I realized that even without pursuing a degree, I could still read the recommended texts on my own--but I discovered it wasn't as easily done as considered! I needed accountability. What if I read these resources NOT on my own, but with a group of like-minded writers, musicians, designers and other artists I could discuss them with?

February Recommendations--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

It seems like I am always looking for more time to read! Here are some books that I have recently enjoyed that I would like to share:

Novels:

CHICKADEE, by Louise Erdrich is the fourth book in her mid-grade Birchbark House series. The entire series is a terrific counterpoint to Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. Erdrich follows Omakyas as she grows up and has children of her own, one of them being the title character of this new book. And Chickadee has won the 2013 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. (Erdrich also took home the National Book Award this past December for her adult book, Roundhouse.) All four books in this series have been a real treat to read.

April Halprin Wayland - Writing Tip of the Day

I have known April Halprin Wayland for many years.  Not only is she a talented, award-winning poet, she is also one of the most generous writers I know.  We were at a library event recently and I asked April to give us a Writing Tip of the Day. Here's what she had to say.

Of Holidays and Great Men (& Women) - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of
children's book author and educator
Barbara Jean Hicks,
Guest Columnist

Despite the Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1971 (an act which retailers surely embraced with enthusiasm), today, February 22, is the birthday of George Washington. By almost any account of U.S. history, Washington was a Great Man.

The mid 19th century spawned two opposing views of history. Thomas Carlyle espoused the Great Man Theory, the idea that history can be largely explained by "great men"--persons of great charisma, intelligence or political skill who used their powers in ways that changed life, for either good or ill, for the human race. Herbert Spencer countered that such "great men" (no mention of women in either argument!) were simply the products of the societies into which they were born, men who appeared at the right moment to promote changes that were already underway in a larger social context.

SCBWI Winter Conference - Interview with David Diaz

The SCBWI Winter Conference in New York City is always a blast. It gives me the opportunity to listen to and network with authors, illustrators and friends. This year at the Saturday night cocktail party, I pinned down my good bud, the fabulous Caldecott winner David Diaz, and interviewed him for the blog.

Of Storytelling and Storyteller Dolls - Barbara Jean Hicks

It's been a very emotional week. Yesterday a new owner closed on my mom and dad's house, a one-story house my dad had built for my mom fourteen years ago when she could no longer easily climb stairs, a house that has been my home for the last year and a half since my dad passed away and my mom has been in assisted living. A house that holds many stories, even though its bones are relatively young.

Except for the large furniture, I did most of the moving myself, taking many trips back and forth between Mom's house and the house I'm moving into. Many precious objects--precious because imbued with emotion and memories--have passed through my hands in the last few weeks. One of those is a doll, a sitting ceramic figurine, mouth open, with seven tiny figures sitting in its lap and draped across its shoulders--a Puebo Storyteller Doll.

Three Times Lucky--Lynn Becker's Book Picks

THREE TIMES LUCKY, by Sheila Turnage, was recently nominated for an Edgar Award and received a Newbery Honor as well. It's funny and sweet, with larger-than-life characters and a mystery that builds in intensity as the novel progresses.

Eleven years ago, Mo LoBeau washed downriver during a hurricane, and into the arms of the Colonel, a man with no memory of his past. Together with Miss Lana, a woman with a dramatic flair and a penchant for wearing wigs, the three of them run Tupelo Landing's only diner. When Mr. Jesse turns up dead, and Joe Starr comes to town to investigate a decades old robbery and murder, Mo and her best friend Dale create Desperado Detectives to get at the truth.

Mo is a feisty, smart, and very human character, always a few steps ahead of the adults around her, but she remains vulnerable and likable, even when she speaks her mind. Which she does--often. Sheila Turnage has endowed the town of Tupelo Landing with a plethora of interesting, and for the most part caring, adults who form a vibrant community.

Shrinking Violets Top Ten Marketing Tips

This is a Blast from the Past Interview that I still find very helpful.

Last year, authors Robin LaFevers and Mary Hershey started a promotion blog for shy authors, Shrinking Violets Blog.  I asked them to give me ten marketing tips to help us writers start off the new year.

1. Practice good marketing karma.
Don’t always be thinking “how can I promote my book” but rather "how can I entertain my audience or serve my reader. "

Celebrating Friendship in Children's Books - Barbara Jean Hicks

from the inquiring mind of childrens author and educator Barbara Jean Hicks

Tis the season for candle-lit dinners, heart-shaped candy boxes and red roses—for some folks out there, I’m sure! For me, this year, ’tis the season to celebrate the true loves of my life—my friends, especially those long-time friends who have remained loving and loyal over many years, through thick and thin (and over the course of many romances!).

Some of my all-time favorite children’s books explore and celebrate friendship. Can you identify the title and author of the stories that capture the very special relationships between the following characters? (Answers below—don’t peek till you give yourself a chance to guess!)

1. Anne and Diana
2. Buddy and Miss Sook Falk
3. Frog and Toad (okay, this one’s a give-away!)
4. Jess and Leslie
5. Mike and Mary Anne
6. Nicky and Andrew
7. Omri and Little Bear
8. Ratty and Mole
9. Wanda, Maddie and Peggy
10. Wilbur and Charlotte

Michele Corriel - Writing Tip of the Day

At my first SCBWI Winter Conference, I had the pleasure of meeting Montana RA Michele Corriel.  We immediately hit it off and became fast friends. Not only is Michele a talented writer, she is a blast to hang out with. I asked her to give us a Writing Tip of the Day, and she shares a really easy but helpful way to start a novel.

Reflections - An Exercise for Writers - Barbara Jean Hicks

I work as a supervising teacher for an online middle school/high school. Last Friday was the end of the first term, this Monday the beginning of the second. In preparation for the new term, I wanted my students to spend some time reflecting on their performance.

I sent them a few open-ended questions and asked them to respond via email. The questions I asked elicited some interesting and heartfelt responses that got me to thinking about my own performance--as a writer.