Useful Advice for Writers

Kristin Lamb tackles the problem of weak and/or manipulative critique partners (a.k.a. Psychic Vampires).

I enjoyed this piece on Writer’s Block: “Writing a Picture Book: When Words and Pictures Collaborate.”

Greenhouse Literary has a nice blog, and this article on being extraordinary is my favorite (and if you get a chance to hear Sarah Davies at a conference, I recommend attending, because she is smart, kind, and uber-prepared.)

Oh, the Words You Might Stumble Upon

Thank you, Wikipedia. Eggcorn In linguistics, an eggcorn is an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker’s dialect. The new phrase introduces a meaning that is different from the original, but plausible in the same context, such as “old-timers’ disease” for “Alzheimer’sContinue Reading

Names of Victims of the Sandy Hook Massacre

Two names are missing: the shooter and shooter’s mother. The adult women died trying to save children. They didn’t consider of their own safety; these women walked toward death. What makes me angry at this moment is the memory of how teachers were talked about during the last election: as lazy union members, the “takers,”Continue Reading

On Reflection

The drumbeat for gun control has begun. Too much, too soon. These children of Sandy Hook, the adults who tried to protect them, and the killer’s mother are not yet buried. No one has had time to mourn. Stop. Do that one thing. Hold that pain in your heart till it transforms. And then again.Continue Reading

Words Fail

Nothing makes me question my vocation like a horrific act of evil: the massacre of children and adults in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. The first reaction is to find a cause and a fix. Gun control. Mental health services and intervention. Better parenting. More empathetic society and cultural values. Our usual list of cold comforts. It’sContinue Reading

Wonderful News

I attended the SCBWI Midsouth conference, my first one in Nashville, because I was impressed by the faculty and sessions–it was a great value for the money, even though our funds are tight. I went with low expectations, feeling discouraged about the creative life in general and, more than anything, beginning to believe publishing aContinue Reading

Another Experiment: I Love Dogs

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Second Attempt of the First Attempt

Michael, my hublet, said the bull was too golden and not prominent enough. Ergo, I bring you Bull Number 2.Continue Reading

Julia Margaret Cameron, Photographer

When we are angry or depressed in our creativity, we have misplaced our power. We have allowed someone else to determine our worth, and then we are angry at being undervalued. Julia Margaret CameronContinue Reading

New work

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Perfect

Clement BeauvaisContinue Reading

Two New Fun Picture Books

A Book by Mordicai Gerstein and A Pocketful of Posies by Sally MavorContinue Reading