tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47309255216279846302024-03-13T17:34:01.712-04:00Crystal's BookmarkMusings from an aspiring children's writerCrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-5731597081916039762014-02-03T08:35:00.001-05:002014-02-03T08:37:16.410-05:00Contests! Contests! . . . and some ENCOURAGEMENTHello everyone! And Happy New Year!<br />
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I know I've been gone a good little while (talk about that later) but I just wanted to let you all know about two writing contests whose deadlines are coming up soon. <br />
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<b>Here's</b> <b>the</b> <b>info</b>:<br />
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1) <b>The</b> <b>2014</b> <b>Sandy</b> <b>Writing</b> Contest<br />
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This contest, sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers Conference, features categories of romance, mainstream adult fiction, suspense/thriller/mystery, fantasy and science fiction, and Children's and YA.<br />
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The judge for Children's & YA is Tracey Keevan, Senior Editor at Disney Hyperion. Check out her <a href="http://www.thesandy.org/sandy_judges.php#C">bio</a>, and interview with the contest coordinator.<br />
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Basic entry fee is $30 for Crested Butte Writer members, for all others $35<br />
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<b>Entries</b> <b>must</b> <b>be</b> <b>received</b> <b>by</b> <b>midnight</b>, <b>February</b> <b>10</b>, <b>2014</b>.<br />
Payments snail mailed (USPS) must be postmarked by February 12th.<br />
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And they are only accepting 250 entries so get those entries in soon!<br />
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2) <b>2014</b> <b>Writers</b>-<b>Editors</b> <b>Network</b> <b>International</b> <b>Writing</b> <b>Competition</b><br />
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For complete guidelines, rules, fees, and entry form go <b><a href="http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm">here</a></b><br />
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Categories include Nonfiction (articles, essays, book chapters, columns), Fiction (short story or novel chapter), Children's Literature (short story, nonfiction article, book , poem), and Poetry.<br />
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Entry fee is $5 for members, $10 non-members for each entry under 3,000 words. For entries of 3,000 to 5,000 words, the fee is $10 (members) or $20 (non-members). For complete fee listings, see link to guidelines above.<br />
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<b>Entries</b> <b>must</b> <b>be</b> <b>postmarked</b> <b>no</b> <b>later</b> <b>than</b> <b>March</b> <b>15,</b> <b>2014</b>. <br />
Enter by postal mail or email<br />
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LASTLY, check out this wonderful <b><a href="http://writerseditorsnetwork.com/winning-contest-helps-author-land-multi-book-contract/">interview</a></b> with Carol J. Perry who placed 1st in 2013 for her Novel Chapter, which she later sold to Kensington Publishing in a 3-book deal!<br />
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GOOD LUCK, everyone!<br />
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Getting back to my absence<i>. . . . </i>When I last posted, my family and I were in the middle of a BIG move from New Jersey to Connecticut, dealing with issues of employment and readjustment. And somewhere along the line I think I lost confidence in myself and my writing, to the point where I couldn't even think about storylines and such. I think even my two daughters lost faith in me!<br />
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I didn't TOTALLY forget about the blogosphere, though. I still browsed around the blueboards, and a few authors' and agents' blogs and websites. Now that things are a bit calmer, I am slowly creeping back into the writing life and restarting my journey toward publication.<br />
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And so I would like to share links to 2 very encouraging blog posts. The posts aren't recent but they do give HOPE and ENCOURAGEMENT, which I think all of us aspiring writers need!<br />
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The first <a href="http://tesshilmo.blogspot.com/2011/05/quitting-place.html">post</a> is by my good blogging friend, Tess <a href="http://tesshilmo.blogspot.com/">Hilmo</a>, middle grade author of the wonderfully heartwarming historical novel, <b>With</b> <b>A</b> <b>Name</b> <b>Like</b> <b>Love</b> (2011, FSG Books for Young Readers). It's called "The Quitting Place." Ever been there? I have. Numerous times. But I'm not stayin'!<br />
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Thank you, Tess, for your encouragement and this post! Tess' new book <b>Skies</b> <b>Like</b> <b>These</b> will be released on July 15, 2014, by FSG. Can't wait to read it!<br />
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Next, I want to share this <b><a href="http://danettevigilante.blogspot.com/2012/07/stinky-self-doubt.htm">post</a></b>, "Stinky Self-Doubt," by middle grade author Danette <a href="http://danettevigilante.blogspot.com/">Vigilante</a>. This post really hit home for me because it pinpoints what I've been feeling: self-doubt.<br />
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Many thanks to Danette for this inspiring post! Danette's a talented writer, too, and uses NYC for her settings. This brings back many good memories for me since I was born and raised in NYC, too. :) Danette's first book, <b>The</b> <b>Trouble</b> <b>with</b> <b>Half</b> <b>A</b> <b>Moon</b>,came out in 2011, and her second book, <b>Saving</b> <b>Baby</b> <b>Doe</b>, is due March 2014 from G.P. Putnam's Sons.<br />
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Well, that's it for me right now, guys . . . hope some of this was helpful! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-32039053157151478232011-10-22T15:45:00.000-04:002011-10-22T15:45:29.945-04:00Great quote from Steve JobsI came across this quote from the late Steve Jobs a few days ago and thought I'd pass it on:<br />
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<strong>"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."</strong><br />
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<strong>--Steve Jobs</strong><br />
<strong> 1955-2011</strong>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-71814021465868164452011-10-02T18:57:00.004-04:002011-10-02T19:48:31.180-04:00Sunday Musings . . . I'm back, yes, really!Hi everyone!<br />
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Long time, no see . . . yes, I’m back. So sorry I was gone so long but I had to deal with a few personal issues, including unemployment (lost my job in 2010). And with my husband working only part-time, it has been quite stressful to say the least. But I’ve been quite busy, nevertheless, transporting the kids to school and their various activities, doing some freelance proofreading, and of course, working on my middle-grade novel. <br />
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But enough about me . . . what I really want to focus on with this comeback post is the <strong>DEBUT PUBLICATION</strong> of my long-time blogger friend, <strong><a href="http://tesshilmo.blogspot.com/">TESS HILMO</a></strong>’s middle-grade mystery, <strong>WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE</strong> (Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Macmillan, Margaret Ferguson Books, 2011). The excerpts I read on amazon had me wishin’ I had a Kindle to download the story right away. With a Name Like Love received 2 fantastic <strong>STARRED REVIEWS</strong>—from Kirkus and the esteemed School Library Journal—<em>before</em> it’s publication date (Sept. 27, 2011). That is a HUGE accomplishment! Congratulations, Tess!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://emtagdesigns.com/tesshilmo/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tess21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" kca="true" src="http://emtagdesigns.com/tesshilmo/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tess21.jpg" width="215" /></a></div><br />
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You’ll find a wonderful interview with Tess on Robyn Campbell’s blog, <a href="http://robyncampbell.blogspot.com/"><strong>Putting Pen to Paper</strong></a> (Hi Robyn!), as well as this <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2011/09/new-voice-tess-hilmo-on-with-name-like.html"><strong><span style="color: blue;">interview with Tess over at CYNSATIONS</span></strong></a><span style="color: blue;">,</span> the blog of well-known author & resource of publishing info, Cynthia Leitich Smith. (And speaking of Cynthia, you have got to check out this inspiring guest post she wrote over at Adventures in Children’s Publishing, <strong><a href="http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2011/09/wow-wednesday-cynthia-leitich-smith.html">“Your Only Real Competition is Yourself.”</a></strong> Doesn’t she speak the truth?)<br />
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<strong>*** CONTEST ALERT ***</strong><br />
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IN CASE YOU’RE INTERESTED, you can <strong><span style="color: red;">win a copy of TESS HILMO’s With A Name Like Love</span></strong> by leaving a comment at Mother Daughter Book Club.com under the post <a href="http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/2011/09/book-review-and-giveaway-with-a-name-like-love-by-tess-hilmo/"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Book Review and Giveaway: With A Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo</span></strong></a>. THE CONTEST ENDS OCT. 12th midnight (PDT). Good Luck!<br />
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AND, don’t forget to read Tess’ guest post at this same site, where she offers great writerly wisdom on <strong><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><a href="http://motherdaughterbookclub.com/2011/09/author-tess-hilmo-talks-about-the-power-of-words">The Power of Words</a></span></strong>.<br />
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You know, there’s been so, so many great blog posts this past year. Did anyone see the wonderful <strong><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><a href="http://archive.hbook.com/magazine/articles/2011/jul11_brosnan.asp">Tribute to Rita Williams-Garcia</a></span></strong> (author of the 2011 Scott O’Dell and 2011 Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel, One Crazy Summer) <strong>by her editor Rosemary Brosnan</strong>? This greatly inspiring read is in the <strong>July/August 2011 issue</strong> of <u><strong>The Horn Book magazine</strong></u>. I think most writers would give their right arm (and leg!) to have such a wonderful author-editor relationship as theirs!<br />
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Another great motivational read I came across was a post back in June entitled <strong><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rachellegardner.com/2011/06/whats-holding-you-back/">What’s Holding You Back?</a></span></strong> by guest writer, Joanne Kraft, on the blog of literary agent Rachelle Gardner.<br />
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Finally, here’s another post I though I’d mention. I came across it a few days ago, and it is SO TRUE. It’s called <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2011/09/thoughts-on-critique-partners-and.html">Write What You Love, But Make Sure Only You Can Write It</a></strong>,</span> written by Martina, one of the bloggers at Adventures in Children’s Publishing. I wholeheartedly agree with Martina when she says, <em><strong>“If your pages could have been written by anyone else, there probably isn’t enough of you on them yet.”</strong></em><br />
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Well, that’s it for now folks. I’ve really enjoyed writing this post and intend to post more in the coming days, weeks, and months. I can’t promise a set schedule but I do hope to be more consistent! <br />
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And I must give a shout-out to a great blogger friend, Robyn Campbell, who, commenting on my last blog entry, encouraged me to come back to the blogosphere. Thank you, Robyn! :)<br />
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Enjoy your week, everyone! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-83301666565664935122010-05-25T14:01:00.003-04:002010-05-25T14:31:03.034-04:00Back to BloggingHi all!<br /><br />I know, I know . . . long time no see!<br /><br />Sorry I was gone so long! So much has been happening, both in my own life (no, no, I didn't get an agent if that's what you're thinking--oh how I wish that <em>had </em>happened!) and around the blogosphere (I'll cover writing/publishing news SOON in a later post). I think, though, I've finally realized why I just stopped blogging (and also writing/revising my MG wip) cold. Now, I'm not a psychologist or anything like that, but I do think that it may have been from grief and/or shock. You see, my last post was April 2nd. The very next day, April 3rd, a close cousin of mine (who I grew up with from, like, the toddler stage) passed away. Yesterday, she would have been 43, just a year older than myself (my birthday is on the 27th). The family knew she didn't have long for she had been sick quite a while. But still. For me, it was like losing an older sister. And I think, now, I've finally been able to come to grips (somewhat) with this loss.<br /><br />So, slowly but surely, I'm creeping my way back into blogging and the blogosphere (and back to working on my wip) . . . I've missed you all! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-60364282242565438432010-04-02T23:47:00.002-04:002010-04-03T01:45:49.641-04:00Better late than never . . . First Page BlogfestHi all!<br /><br />I know, I <em>know. </em>I've been a bad, bad, blogger. Sorry guys! And I can't really blame it on any one thing in particular, except perhaps sheer laziness or . . . maybe procrastination? I dunno. I mean I work full-time and have 2 kids (and sometimes a third, if you count my husband--sorry, hubby!). But I know that's true for so many of us--we all have things/people that we have to write or blog around. So I'm starting back (to blogging) and workin' on the time management (I found some great links on this that I'll put in another post later). I'll also be posting links to some really interesting witer/publishing info that I've come across in the last month or two.<br /><br />For today (or what's left of it), I'm posting below my entry for <a href="http://kellylyman.blogspot.com/2010/03/in-beginning.html">Kelly Lyman's "In the Beginning" Blogfest</a> . . . it's from the first page of <strong>TRAIN WATCH</strong>, my middle grade work-in-progress. I've never participated in a blogfest before so I'm a bit nervous, and I also haven't posted any excerpts in quite a while either! Anyways, here it is . . . let me know what you think (especially if anything strikes you as unclear). <br /><br />Wishing you all a happy & blessed Easter weekend! :)<br /><br />And, of course, THANKS FOR READING!<br /><br /><br /> <strong> Chapter 1</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong> </strong>Letter to Mama<br /><br /><br /> April 10, 1941<br /><br />Dear Mama,<br /><br />I hope you are doing well. PLEASE COME GET ME AND OTIS! I’m tired of working in the field picking cotton and corn and tobacco and whatever else Grandpa Lum grows for the Boss Man. I thought slavery was over! I want to come live with you, Mama. Now! And Mama, you’re not going to believe this, but yesterday, when me, Hattie, and Otis were out in the cotton field pulling weeds, Grandma Jenny hit me over the head with a hoe! She said I was too slow. Mama, I was just tired. Tired from walking the mile home from school. Tired from the heat. Tired<br />from--<br /><br />"CRR-E-E-E-A-K"<br /><br /><em>Oh no. Someone’s coming up the ladder! Grandpa Lum will skin me alive if he finds me up here writing to </em>Mama.<br /><br />Shoving aside the worn notebook she was writing on, Cleo Holmes swung her brown, mosquito-bitten legs over the side of the bed, narrowly missing the jagged metal springs poking through the thin mattress.<br /><br />With the nearly-finished letter still in her hand, she hurried across the room and quickly pushed aside the dark sheet of the makeshift closet. Pulling down an old, tattered shoebox from the back of the top shelf, she placed the letter in the box alongside her blue ribbon ink pen (won in a most-books-read-over-the-summer contest). She scooted to the middle of the room just as Hattie, her twelve-year-old aunt, appeared at the top of the ladder, sweat streaming down the sides of her pecan-tanned face.<br /><br />Cleo raised her eyes to the ceiling. <em>Thank you, Lord. Grandpa Lum hasn’t reached the house—yet.</em><br /><em></em><br />"Whoo-weee! It’s . . . some . . . kinda . . . hot . . . out there!" Hattie huffed, as she pulled herself up and over the ladder. She wiped the steady drip of water off her dirt-streaked face with the back of her hand and down the sides of the faded, dust-covered overalls she wore. Catching her breath, she continued, "Papa says you better hurry on down. He don’t want anymore dilly-dallying from you." She focused more clearly on Cleo. "You still in your school clothes?"<br /><br />"Hattie," Cleo begged, shimmying out her knee-length plaid skirt, "tell him I’m coming. <em>Please</em>?" She forced her clammy legs into the new pair of blue jeans her mama had sent last month. "I just have to finish something first."<br /><br />"Papa don’t care ’bout none of that. You better get a move on or he’ll be up here with a switch—or a belt." She looked over her shoulder, then back at Cleo.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-89289169720795084562010-02-20T00:32:00.006-05:002010-02-20T02:37:46.262-05:00"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest reminderHi all!<br /><br />Most of you know this already. Just a reminder that the <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">2nd </span></strong><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Middle+Grade+And+Young+Adult.htm"></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">"Dear Lucky Agent" Contest</span></strong> being held on the <strong><a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog">Guide to Literary Agents</a></strong> blog ends this coming Sunday, February 21, EST. The category this time is <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Kids Novels (Middle Grade and Young Adult)</span></strong>.<br /><br />To enter, <strong>you must submit the first 150-200 words</strong> of your unpblished, book-length work of middle grade or young adult fiction. Entry must be e-mailed with <span style="color:#006600;"><strong>no attachments</strong></span>. Also, you must submit the title of your work and a logline (one-sentence description of the work) with your entry.<br /><br />***To be eligible to submit, Chuck (the GLA editor) asks that you do one of two things: either mention & link to this contest TWICE through some type of social media (blog, Twitter, Facebook), OR mention the contest once & add Guide to Literary Agents Blog to your blogroll.<br /><br /><strong>FIRST PLACE</strong> winner --- critique of 25 pages of your work by your agnt judge, a query critique, and 2 free books from Writer's Digest Books (you get to choose from several choices)<br /><br /><strong>SECOND & THIRD PLACE</strong> winners --- critique of 10 pages of your work, and 1 free book from Writer's Digest Books<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">For complete details & guidelines, click <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Dear+Lucky+Agent+Contest+Middle+Grade+And+Young+Adult.aspx">here</a></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Oh yes, the judge for this contest is</span> <span style="color:#cc6600;">Jennifer Laughran</span> <span style="font-size:100%;">of the esteemed</span> <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/">Andrea Brown Literary Agency</a></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">GOOD LUCK to everyone who enters! :)</span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-60865848531795215942010-01-29T02:09:00.005-05:002010-02-04T10:00:54.329-05:00Contests! Contests! Contests!**This is a long post so you may want to look this over a bit more on the weekend, you know, when you can sit back & relax (I hope!) with a cup of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate), and read at your leisure . . .
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">Are you in the mood for a contest or two (or three)? </span>
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<br />Now, practically everyone knows about the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition (their 79th is now underway). If you don’t, you can click <a href="http://writersdigest.com/annual"><strong>here</strong></a> for more information. The Grand Prize is $3,000 plus a trip to New York City to meet with editors & agents. There are also 1st through 10th place winners as well as Honorable Mentions (11th through 100th place). It ends May 14, 2010 (late entry deadline is June 1, 2010).
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<br /><strong>BUT</strong> . . . do you also know about these contests?
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<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>1) 2010 PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) Literary Contest</strong>
<br /></span>There are 12 contest categories including YA (submission is first 28 pages & synopsis), Children’s PB or chapter book (first 14 pages), as well as Adult Fiction & Non-Fiction. According to the guidelines, there will be 8 finalists in each category.
<br /><strong>Awards:
<br /></strong>First place winners receive $600
<br />2nd place: $300
<br />3rd place: $150
<br />The entry fee, though, is a bit steep: $35 for PNWA members & $50 for non-members. The good news is that every entry accepted in the contest will receive 2 critiques.
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<br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The entry deadline is February 19, 2010.</span>
<br /></span></strong>Click<strong> <a href="http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=13">here</a></strong> for complete information & guidelines.
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<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2) 2010 Sandy Writing Contest</span></strong>
<br />This contest, sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers Conference, also includes Children’s (no PB’s) & YA as well as Adult Fiction, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Romance, & Suspense/Mystery. It is open to all authors unpublished in novel length fiction.
<br /><strong><em>Submission requirements are the first 20 pages of a novel & up to a 2-page synopsis.
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<br /><strong>Final round judges include:
<br /></strong>Christine Pride, editor, Random House (mainstream adult fiction)
<br />Ginger Clark, agent, Curtis Brown (fantasy/science fiction)
<br />Julie Scheina, assistant editor, Little, Brown BFYR (children’s/YA)
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<br /><strong>Awards:
<br /></strong>1st place: $50 & a certificate
<br />2nd place: $25 & a certificate
<br />3rd place: certificate
<br />The entry fee is $25 for Crested Butte Writer members & $30 for non-members.
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>All entries must be received by midnight, February 15, 2010</strong>
<br /></span></span>Click <strong><a href="http://www.thesandy.org/sandy_rules.php">here</a></strong> for complete information & guidelines.
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<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">3) 2010 Writers-Editors Network 27th Annual International Writing Competition
<br />(Formerly CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition)</span></strong>
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<br /></span></strong>For children’s writers, this contest has a Children’s Literature Division that includes submission of either an unpublished short story, non-fiction article, book chapter, or poem. For all other writers, there is a Non-fiction Division, a Fiction Division, & a Poetry Division.
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<br /><strong></strong><strong>Awards:
<br /></strong>1st place, each category: $100 + certificate
<br />2nd place, each category: $75 + certificate
<br />3rd place, each category: $50 + certificate
<br />Honorable Mentons are also awarded certificates
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<br /><strong>The entry fees seem pretty reasonable:
<br /></strong>For a fiction/non-fiction entry under 3,000 words, the entry fee is $5 (members) or $10 (non-members)
<br />For entries of 3,000-5,000 words, the fee is $10 (members) or $20 (non-members)
<br />For poems, the fee is $3 (members) or $5 (non-members)
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<br />Click <strong><a href="http://writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm">here</a> </strong>for complete information & guidelines.
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<br />Click <strong><a href="http://writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Tip_Sheet/contest_tip_sheet.htm">here</a></strong> for their 10 Tips on Winning Writing Contests.
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<br />And you can click <strong><a href="http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Winners/winners.htm">here</a></strong> to see their past winners. <strong><em>Interesting note:</em></strong> aspiring author/blogger, <a href="http://suzettesaxton.blogspot.com/">Suzette Saxton </a>won 10th place honorable mention last year in the Children’s Literature division.
<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#990000;">The entry deadline for this contest is March 15, 2010.
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<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">4) Willamette Writers 2010 Kay Snow Writing Contest</span></strong>
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<br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Folks, for this contest, both adults AND children can enter in their respective divisions. So if any of you know or have any budding writers . . .</span></em></strong>
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<br /></em></strong>This contest accepts adult fiction, adult non-fiction, poetry, juvenile short story, novel excerpt or article, and complete or partial scripts (for the screenwriting category).
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<br /></em></strong>Students enter under grade divisions (grades 1-5, grades 6-8, grades 9-12) and are limited to 1 entry. Also, there is <strong>no entry fee for students</strong>.
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<br />For us adults, though, there is a $10 entry fee for members and a $15 entry fee for non-members
<br /><strong>Awards:
<br /></strong>Adult categories: 1st place, $300
<br />2nd place, $150
<br />3rd place, $50
<br />Students: 1st place, $50, 2nd place, $20, an 3rd place, $10
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<br /><strong><span style="color:#990000;"><span style="font-size:130%;">The entry deadline is April 23, 2010.</span>
<br /></span></strong>Click <strong><a href="http://www.willamettewriters.com/1/guidelines.php">here</a></strong> for complete guidelines
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<br />Click <strong><a href="http://www.willamettewriters.com/wwc/3/inf-16.php">here</a></strong> to read a Kay Snow Award success story by Rosanne Parry, author of <em>Heart of a Shepherd </em>(Random House, 2009).
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<br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">5) Houston Writers Guild Spring 2010 Writers Contest</span></strong>
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<br />This contest is open to novels and screenplays, any genre. You must submit the first 10 pages of your novel, book, or screenplay, plus synopsis.
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<br />The entry fee is $20 for members and non-members.
<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#990000;"><strong>The deadline is February 28, 2010.</strong>
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<br />Click <strong><a href="http://www.houstonwritersguild.org/Contests.htm">here</a></strong> for complete contest rules & guidelines, and <a href="http://www.houstonwritersguild.org/WritersContestsWorkshopsEntryBlank.htm"><strong>here</strong></a> for the entry blank.
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<br />Lastly, don’t forget it’s just a few more days to enter Andrea Brown literary agent <strong>Mary Kole’s Kidlit Contest</strong>. Entry has to be for a FINISHED children’s novel (only MG or YA), and must be under 500 words.
<br /><strong>Awards:
<br /></strong>Grand Prize: a 15 page critique
<br />1st prize: a 10 page critique
<br />2nd prize: a 5 page critique
<br />3rd prize: a 2 page critique
<br />Honorable Mentions: critique of 1st page of your novel
<br /><strong><span style="color:#6600cc;">ENTRY DEADLINE is January 31, 2010</span> at 11:59 p.m., Pacific Time
<br /></strong>Click <strong><a href="http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest/">here</a></strong> for her complete guidelines.
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<br /><strong>GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!!</strong> :)
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<br />Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-14343766753409672082010-01-20T16:11:00.010-05:002010-01-22T12:24:03.325-05:00And speaking of DREAMS . . . the ALA AwardsQuite a few dreams came true on Monday with the announcement of the ALA Awards. CONGRATULATIONS to all the winners!<br /><br /><strong>Here are a few:</strong><br /><br /><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 John Newbery Medal</span></strong> for most outstanding contribution to children’s literature</p><p><strong>Winner</strong>: <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">When You Reach Me</span></em></strong>, by Rebecca Stead. Wendy Lamb Books (imprint of Random House Children’s Books)--LOVED THIS, it took me back to my own childhood days in NYC</p><p><strong>Honor Books</strong>: </p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice</span></em></strong> by Phillip Hoose. Melanie Kroupa Books/Farrar Straus Giroux (imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group)</p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate</span> </em></strong>by Jacqueline Kelly. Henry Holt and Company</p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Where the Mountain Meets the Moon</span></em></strong> by Grace Lin. Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers.</p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg</span> </em></strong>by Rodman Philbrick. The Blue Sky Press (imprint of Scholastic)</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Randolph Caldecott Medal</span></strong> for most distinguished American picture book for children</p><p><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Lion & the Mouse</span></em></strong>, illustrated and written by Jerry Pinkney. Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers--LONG OVERDUE, imho.</p><p><strong>Honor Books:</strong></p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">All the World</span></em></strong>, illustrated by Marla Frazee, written by Liz Garton Scanlon. Beach Lane Books</p><p><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors</span></em></strong>, illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</p><br /><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award</span></strong> recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults</p><p><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal</span></em></strong> by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.</p><p><strong>Honor Book:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Mare’s War</span> </em></strong>by Tanita S. Davis. Alfred A. Knopf (imprint of Random House Children’s Books)</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award</span></strong></p><p><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">My People</span></em></strong> illustrated by Charles R. Smith Jr., written by Langston Hughes. Gineo Seo books, Atheneum Books for Young Readers.</p><p><strong>Honor Book:</strong> <em><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Negro Speaks of Rivers</span></strong></em>, illustrated by E. B. Lewis, written by Langston Hughes. Disney - Jump at the Sun Books (imprint of Disney Book Group)</p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:</span></strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">The</span> <span style="color:#3333ff;">Rock and the River</span></em></strong> by Kekla Magoon. Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division)</p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>2010 Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement:</strong> </span><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">Walter Dean Myers</span></strong></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>2010 Pura Belpré (Author) Award--</strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;">presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience </span><br /><br /><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><span style="color:#3333ff;"><em>Return to Sender</em></span></strong>, by Julia Alvarez. Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books.<br /><br /><strong>Honor Books:</strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Diego: Bigger Than Life</span></em></strong> by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, illustrated by David Diaz. Marshall Cavendish Children<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Federico Garcia Lorca (Cuando Los Grandes Eran Pequenos/ When the Grown-Ups Were Children)</span></em></strong> by Georgina Lázaro, illustrated by Enrique S. Moreiro. Lectorum Publications Inc.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award--</span></strong>presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience<br /><br /><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros</span></em></strong> illustrated by Rafael López, written by Pat Mora. Rayo, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.<br /><br /><strong>Honor Books:</strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Diego: Bigger Than Life</span></em></strong> illustrated by David Diaz, written by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand. Marshall Cavendish Children<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">My Abuelita</span></em></strong> illustrated by Yuyi Morales, written by Tony Johnston. Harcourt Children’s Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Gracias Thanks</span></em></strong>, illustrated by John Parra, written by Pat Mora. Lee & Low Books<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Schneider Family Book Award</span></strong> for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Django</span></em></strong> written and illustrated by Bonnie Christensen. Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press. Award for best young children ages 0 to 10.<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Anything But Typical</span></em></strong> by Nora Raleigh Baskin. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Award for middle grades (ages 11-13).<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Marcelo in the Real World</span></em></strong> by Francisco X. Stork. Arthur A. Levine Books (imprint of Scholastic) Award for teens (ages 13 -18)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 William C. Morris Award</span></strong> honors a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens<br /><br /><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Flash Burnout</span></em></strong> by L.K. Madigan. Houghton Mifflin<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>Finalists:</strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Ash</span></strong> by Malinda Lo (Little, Brown)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Beautiful Creatures</span></strong> by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (Little, Brown)<br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Everafter</span></strong> by Amy Huntley (HarperCollins/Balzer + Bray)<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">hold still</span> </strong>by Nina LaCour (Dutton)<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Theodor Seuss Geisel Award</span></strong> for most distinguished beginning reader book<br /><br /><strong>Winner:</strong> <strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Benny And Penny in The Big No-No </span></em></strong>written and illustrated by Geoffrey Hayes. TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC.<br /><br /><strong>Honor Books:</strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">I Spy Fly Guy</span></em></strong> written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold. Scholastic<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Little Mouse Gets Ready</span></em></strong> written and illustrated by Jeff Smith. TOON BOOKS, a division of RAW Junior, LLC<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Mouse & Mole, Fine Feathered Friends</span></em></strong> written and illustrated by Wong Herbert Yee. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Pearl and Wagner: One Funny Day</span></em></strong> written by Kate McMullan, illustrated by R. W. Alley. Dial Books for Young Readers<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">2010 Robert F. Sibert Medal</span></strong> for most distinguished informational book for children<br /><br /><strong>Winner: <em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream</span></em></strong> by Tanya Lee Stone. Candlewick Press<br /><br /><strong>Honor Books:</strong><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">The Day-Glo Brothers </span></em></strong>by Chris Barton, illustrated by Tony Persiani. Charlesbridge<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11</span></em></strong> by Brian Floca. Richard Jackson/Atheneum Books for Young Readers<br /><br /><strong><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Just</span><span style="color:#3333ff;">ice</span></em></strong> by Phillip Hoose. Melanie Kroupa/Farrar Straus and Giroux<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults: <span style="color:#6600cc;">Jim Murphy</span></span></strong><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award--</span></strong>recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site: <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;">Lois Lowry</span></strong><br /><br /><strong>For a more comprehensive listing of all the national awards (ALA & otherwise) given to 2009 books for children and teens see <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/1060051706.html">this article </a>by Elizabeth Bluemle on Publisher Weekly's Shelftalker blog.</strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"></span></strong><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Congratulations also & again to <span style="font-size:130%;color:#993300;">Kekla Magoon</span> and <span style="font-size:130%;color:#993300;">Tanita S. Davis</span> for their <span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.naacp.org/news/press/2010-01-06/lit/index.htm">NAACP Image Award nominations</a>!</span></strong></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></span></span><br /><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Click </span></strong><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6715797.html?nid=2788&source=link&rid=16986636"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">here</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> to see how Rebecca Stead and Jerry Pinkney reacted to news of winning the top awards when ALA called</span></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color:#006600;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><p></span></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Has anyone read any of the winning titles?</span> So far I've read <span style="font-size:130%;color:#3333ff;">When you reach me<span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;">, and</span> The Rock and the River <span style="font-size:100%;color:#000000;">is in my to-be-read pile.</span> </span><br /><br /></p><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"></span></strong>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-80702405670894774512010-01-20T14:14:00.004-05:002010-01-20T16:11:29.266-05:00Happy (Belated) Birthday, Dr. King!Hi all!<br /><br />Last week we had some electrical trouble (bad wiring, as determined by the fire dept.--yeah, we called them around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning because lights were flickering on & off, and well, we just wanted to be SAFE). So they had to turn half our electric power off so as not to overload the circuits. Finally, this past Monday & Tuesday, an electrician came out & installed a new fuse box & fixed the wiring outside our house. And all is back to normal--my computer is up!<br /><br />So with this post I just wanted to offer my belated birthday wishes to the memory and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I found these <a href="http://teebrown.blogspot.com/2010/01/real-wisdom-is-timeless.html"><span style="font-size:130%;color:#6600cc;"><strong>AWESOME quotes from Dr. King</strong></span></a> over on Tee Brown's blog, <a href="http://teebrown.blogspot.com/">PEN TO PAGE</a>. Like his wisdom, his DREAM is timeless and continues on in our generation . . .Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-29978328827389097922010-01-11T13:54:00.010-05:002010-01-12T02:43:25.174-05:00Happy New Year!Hi all!<br />Hope everyone had a good Christmas and a restful New Year’s day! Mine was pretty peaceful, and the kids & husband were happy with what they received (even though the budget was a little tight this year). I love giving & getting books as presents, so my oldest daughter, who’s 10, received <strong>Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days</strong> (book 4 in the series—she’s absolutely hooked on this series & can’t wait to see the movie in April), and my youngest daughter, who’s 6, got a <strong>Princess & the Frog</strong> picture book.<br /><br />Didn't 2009 go by FAST? There were so many things I planned on doing writing-wise that I just never got around to (okay, yes, I procrastinated A LOT). But this year I resolve to accomplish what I didn't in 2009. I must say, though, that my hands down BEST accomplishment writing-wise was the creation of this blog. With my 10-year-old's encouragement (she kept saying, "Mommy, just DO it!"), I took a leap of faith and created <strong><a href="http://crystalroget.blogspot.com/">Crystal's Bookmark</a></strong>. <strong><span style="color:#990000;">And I AM SO HAPPY I DID!</span></strong> I have met so many aspiring (and a few published) writers this past year that have been such a wonderful source of encouragement & inspiration. <strong><span style="color:#990000;">THANK YOU ALL</span></strong> so much for stopping by in 2009 for my not-always-weekly sporadic posts on writing & publishing info, and the occasional teaser excerpt. I wish all of us the best of luck in accomplishing our writing goals for 2010! <strong><span style="color:#990000;">Here's to a FANTASTIC New Year!!</span></strong> :)<br /><br /><strong>Coming soon:</strong> Some goals, some resolutions . . . and a few contestsCrystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-30701888559690573902010-01-11T11:13:00.004-05:002010-01-11T11:30:53.589-05:00CONTEST ALERT!!! Miss Snark's First Victim Secret Agent contest starts in less than 1 hour (EST)Hi all!<br /><br />So sorry for the rush alert on this (forgot about it over the weekend!), but, if you're interested, <span style="font-size:130%;color:#660000;">Miss Snark's First Victim is back with her first Secret Agent contest of the year</span> . . . and email submissions start at 12 noon (EST). The rules are to submit the first 250 words of a COMPLETED manuscript. Here's the <a href="http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2010/01/lets-kick-off-2010.html">link</a> to find out the rest of the details! Good luck!!<br /><br />Ooh, I forgot to mention: <strong>this month's entries for the Secret Agent contest calls for MIDDLE GRADE FICTION, all genres, & YOUNG ADULT FICTION, all genres</strong>! Whoo-Hoo!<br /><br />I'll be back later today with an official New Year's greeting . . . and more news about other contests going on around the blogosphere and elsewhere (where you can win MONEY as well as critiques!)<br /><br />See you all later! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-3269642588167531762009-12-08T16:03:00.005-05:002009-12-08T17:09:58.419-05:00Teaser TuesdayHi all!<br /><br />I haven't done a teaser for a while and thought I'd post one today. If I'm not careful, I'll probably end up posting my whole book (just kidding . . . I know my chances for publication would be pretty much nil if I did that!). But seriously, I do so love the feedback from everyone. It's very encouraging!<br /><br />Today I'm posting from <strong>TRAIN WATCH</strong> (yep, I'm still revising it, adding scenes here & there, etc.).<br /><br /><strong>Here's the setup for the scene:</strong> Cleo, my protagonist, is on her way to the train station in Winston-Salem, NC, with her mother, brother, & grandfather, as well as the kind schoolteacher that she & her mother befriended at the previous station in Hamlet. (And just a reminder, the year is 1941)<br /><br /><br />Cleo looked up from her book, wondering why Mrs. Grissett was frowning so. Mama also noticed.<br /><br />"Is there anything wrong, Mrs. Grissett?" Mama asked.<br /><br />"Why, no dear, not especially. I was just thinking about your Cleo's big dreams is all." She tried to face Cleo but could only turn halfway as they jammed so tightly in the old Roadster. "It's a beautiful thing to realize such big dreams as yours, Cleo, but don't forget to look back every now and then. There are others dreaming right behind you."<br /><br />"Yes, ma'am," Cleo said, heat rising to her cheeks.<br /><br />Turning back to Mama, Mrs. Grissett continued, "You know, the young ones today don't realize that good, qualified Negro teachers are still needed down here, as well as up North.<br /><br />Cleo dropped her chin and closed her book. She blinked back the tears that threatened to drop any second. Maybe she did read too much like Otis said. She really hadn't meant to sound so self-centered. And it wasn't that she had anything against working in the South--okay, she <em>was</em> against working in the fields--but it was just . . . just . . . that she knew, no <em>felt</em>, something bigger was in store for her in New York.<br /><br />"Cleo! Cleo!"<br /><br />Mama was shaking her shoulder so hard she thought her collarbone would come unhinged. How long had she been lost in thought? "Yes, Mama?"<br /><br />"Didn't you hear me calling you, girl? What's wrong with you?"<br /><br />"I'm fine, Mama. I was just thinking is all."<br /><br />"Well, child, that's the saddest look of "fine" I've ever seen." Mama shook her head. "Cleo, this here's a mean, hard world. And I don't mean just here in the South. The North has its problems, too."<br /><br /><br /><br />Well, that's it for today. Thanks so much for reading!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-27517791762567726762009-11-25T17:09:00.002-05:002009-11-25T17:16:52.374-05:00Thankful ThoughtsTruly, this year, there is SO MUCH to be thankful for:<br /><br />FAMILY<br />GOOD FRIENDS &<br />MY NEW WRITER/BLOGGING FRIENDS<br />GOOD HEALTH<br />EMPLOYMENT<br />GOD'S LOVE & PROTECTION<br /><br /> AND<br /><br />INTERNET ACCESS (without which I could never have created this blog and met all of you, my writer friends)<br /><br />Thank you all for following . . . see you next week!<br /><br /><br />Have a great THANKSGIVING DAY (& weekend)! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-1127391125978559232009-11-24T14:06:00.007-05:002009-11-25T14:42:08.483-05:00A little writing Inspiration . . .Hi all!<br /><br />I came across a few posts/articles over the last couple of weeks that I thought were SO INSPIRING, that I just had to share them with you, my writer friends.<br /><br /><br /><strong>1) </strong>From the <a href="http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/">Writers First Aid blog</a> author Kristi Holl asks,"<strong><a href="http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/2009/10/21/how-does-your-talent-grow/">How Does Your Talent Grow</a></strong>?" Choose an attribute (one per week, she says) and watch your talent grow in the coming months! Love her list, don't you?<br /><br /><br /><strong>2) </strong>Novelist <strong>Alexander Chee, </strong>a graduate of my alma mater, wrote this <a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/personal_essays/annie_dillard_and_the_writing_life.php">inspiring essay for The Morning News, recounting his studies with Annie Dillar</a>d. After I read this, I could have kicked myself for not having signed up for her class (especially being an English major)! Ah, well . . . I am grateful still that he took the time to write of his experience in her class. I especially like the part where she told his class, <em>"If you're doing your job, the reader feels what you felt. You don't have to tell the reader how to feel. No one likes to be told how to feel about something.</em>" And that's just one of the nuggets of writing wisdom she shared with the class . . . imagine a whole semester's worth! Like I said, I could <em>kick </em>myself . . .<br /><br /><strong>3) </strong>Lastly I just wanted to share (and many of you have probably seen this already), posts from two newly agented writers on a timeline of their writing journey thus far:<br /><br />From <strong>Shelli</strong> at <strong><a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/">Market My Words</a></strong>: <strong><a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2009/11/what-difference-year-makes.html">What a difference a Year makes</a></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>and<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>From <strong>Caroline Starr Rose</strong> at <strong><a href="http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com/">Caroline by line</a></strong>: <strong><a href="http://carolinebyline.blogspot.com/2009/11/my-agent-michelle-humphrey-of-sterling.html">My agent: Michelle Humphrey of Sterling Lord Literistic</a></strong><br /><strong></strong><br />ALSO--I'm going back a few months here--just thought about <strong><a href="http://tesshilmo.blogspot.com/2009/05/heres-skinny.html">the writing journey of Tess Hilmo</a></strong>, one of my first blogging friends, and wanted to include it here as well. It's wonderfully inspiring! (<strong>Tess</strong> is repped by Steven Chudney of The Chudney Agency.)<br /><br />I so love reading about a writer's journey . . . it gives me so much hope to think that if they can do it, I can, too!<br /><br /><br />So here's to all of us on the writing journey . . . be INSPIRED!<br /><br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-50633451108306825432009-11-04T16:40:00.003-05:002009-11-04T16:53:01.670-05:00Wonderfully Wednesday :)Hi all!<br /><br />Okay, I know this was supposed to be Monday's post, but since Monday and Tuesday have both come and gone, I'm posting it today on this wonderful Wednesday, or "hump day" as most of us working-class folks call it.<br />It’s so funny how addictive blogging is! When I often stop for a few days or a week or so and I get a little more writing done, I soon get antsy & start really missing the interaction with other like-minded writers/bloggers like yourselves. I think maybe it’s because having this blog (and also just plain perusing the blogosphere!) kind of fills the need to talk to, commiserate with, and rejoice with other writers—a need that is basically not fulfilled at home or work. Anyone else feel this way?<br /><br />Okay, now that I’ve jabbered on long enough, here’s a couple of links that you may, or may not have seen around the blogosphere. At any rate, I hope they can be of some help on your writing journey! Enjoy! :)<br /><br /><strong>1)</strong> First up, some agent info:<br /><br />Last Thursday, for those who missed it, aspiring author Casey McCormick shone the <a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/10/agent-spotlight-barry-goldblatt.html">Agent Spotlight on Barry Goldblatt </a>of <a href="http://www.bgliterary.com/">Barry Goldblatt Literary</a>.<br /><br />Going back a little further, on October 22, the <a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/10/agent-spotlight-sara-megibow.html">Agent Spotlight shone on Sara Megibow </a>of <a href="http://www.nelsonagency.com/index.html">Nelson Literary Agency, LLC</a>. These spotlights are so helpful and informative . . . Thanks, Casey!<br /><br />ALSO!! Click <a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/11/agent-news-lisa-gallagher-michael.html">here</a> to find out Casey’s very latest agent news!<br /><br /><br /><strong>2) </strong>I came across <a href="http://schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6703692.html">this article</a> the other day at School Library Journal. I'm sure many of you are already aware of these blogs, but librarian Elizabeth Bird drew up this list of ten of the best blogs for folks (like us!) who are interested in kids' lit. She also shares how she came to start her own blog,<a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379.html"> A Fuse #8 Production</a>.<br /><br /><br /><strong>3) </strong>Anyone interested about <strong><span style="color:#000000;">querying with a series</span></strong>? Check out <a href="http://kidlit.com/2009/10/21/querying-with-a-series-series-in-general/">this post</a> by Mary Kole, Associate Agent at the <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/">Andrea Brown Literary Agency</a>. Wonderful advice!<br /><br />And also while you're at her blog, <strong><span style="color:#000000;">if you're considering writing in multiple genres</span></strong> (I know I am!), click <a href="http://kidlit.com/2009/10/19/writing-in-multiple-genres-audiences/">here</a> to see what encouraging things she has to say on that issue.<br /><br /><br /><strong>4</strong>) Newly-contracted (Yay!!) historical fiction author, Jody Hedlund touched on this issue of multiple genres yesterday in her post, "<a href="http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2009/11/does-platform-really-help-unpublished.html">Does Platform Really Help an Unpublished Writer?</a>"<br />This thought-provoking post and the multitude of comments that followed will benefit ALL<br />writers, I believe. Check it out! :)<br /><br />And while you're there, be sure to check out <strong><a href="http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com/2009/10/if-perfect-didnt-sell-my-book-then-what.html">this post</a> </strong>by Jody on <strong><span style="color:#000000;">the elements of her manuscript that really landed her her book contract</span></strong>. It's so inspiring, as well as informative! Thanks, Jody!<br /><br /><strong>5)</strong> Next up, Jody's agent, <a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/">Rachelle Gardner</a> of <a href="http://www.wordserveliterary.com/index.html">WordServe Literary</a> shares all you ever wanted to know about <a href="http://cba-ramblings.blogspot.com/2009/10/all-about-backstory.html">BACKSTORY</a>--what it is, what it is NOT, & when to use it. As always, this is another great post by Rachelle that was both timely & enlightening . . . and it made me want to immediately take a fine-tooth comb through my manuscript!<br />Rachelle's blog is such a treasure trove of writing and publishing information, and not just for those who write for the inspirational/Christian market, but for ALL writers . . . so go check it out, if you haven't already!<br /><br /><strong>6)</strong> Back on the children's editorial front, new kidlit blogger & aspiring author <a href="http://sheribr.blogspot.com/2009/10/editors-day-part-4-jessica-garrison.html">Sheri Rosen shares what she learned from Jessica Garrison</a>, <span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>an editor at Dial Books for Young Readers</strong></span>, at a recent Editor's Day conference. As always, Sheri took fabulous notes, sharing Jessica's editorial insights as well as what Jessica's looking for now.<br />And guess what, folks? Sheri says she has SIX more pages to post! Whoo-Hoo! Thanks, Sheri! :)<br /><br /><strong>7) Time to PAY IT FORWARD</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Aspiring author Colleen Rowan Rosinski of the <a href="http://writergirl.myartsite.com/">Writer Girl</a> blog has graciously posted <strong><span style="color:#006600;"><a href="http://writergirl.myartsite.com/2009/10/19/im-back-time-for-paying-it-forward/">bio information and genre preferences of a multitude of editors & agents</a></span></strong> (over 50, at least!) that attended last month's <a href="http://www.ruccl.org/">Rutgers One-on-One Conference</a> in New Brunswick, NJ.<br /><br />Talk about a wealth of information! Folks, having attended this conference myself last year, I would get right on this & print it out ASAP, or at least bookmark it. I've only posted the link for her first post (there are TEN posts altogether) because I figure you all can go on from there.<br /><br />If you haven't gone to this conference, and live in the Northeast (or are just plain curious), I think you (children's writers only, that is) should give it a try at least once. You're accepted based on a short synopsis & writing sample of 3 pages (for a MG or YA) or whole manuscript for picture book. Granted it's kind of competitive--only 70-75 "mentees" are chosen out of @200-300 applicants--I think it's still worth a shot because not only do you get to hear a mixed panel of editors, agents, or industry professionals, and 2 guest speakers, you're matched up for approximately 45 minutes for a one-on-one consultation with either an editor, agent, or published author.<br /><br />I was paired with Shauna Fay, now an assistant editor at G.P. Putnam's Books for Young Readers. She was a tremendous help, suggesting a few different directions my manuscript could take plot-wise. She invited me to submit a couple of chapters when I was ready but, *sigh*, me being ever the procrastinator, have yet to send it on. I wonder if I'll ever stop revising . . . it seems like there's always something new to add or delete! Anyone else have this problem? Maybe I better go reread Jody Hedlund's post . . . :)<br /><br /><strong>8)</strong> And on an endnote, Publishers Weekly has posted their <strong><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6704596.html">Best Children's Books of 2009</a></strong> . . . I'm currently reading <strong><em>When You Reach</em></strong> <strong><em>Me</em></strong> by Rebecca Stead but it seems like there could have been a couple more middle grade titles added to this list . . . what do you think?<br /><br /><br />Well, as Porky Pig (believe it or not, my kids do NOT know who this is! Of course, they grew up on "Barney" . . .) would say: "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"<br /><br /><br />Till next time . . .<br /><br />Happy Writing!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-48021682053696179382009-10-19T16:43:00.003-04:002009-10-19T17:53:12.245-04:00Sad day in Children's LitI don't know if anyone's heard about this yet, but I just read on Elizabeth Bluemle's Shelftalker blog that children's and young adult author, Norma Fox Mazer has passed away. You can read Elizabeth's tribute <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/730049873.html">here</a>.<br /><br />I know Ms. Mazer will be sorely missed in children's litearture. I remember her as one of the first YA authors I read as a pre-teen, around the age of 11 or 12, I guess. She was an amazing author, to say the least. Among my favorite titles by her were (and I know this is going back aways): The solid gold kid, Taking Terri Mueller, and When she was good.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-31639969701399391002009-10-16T23:58:00.003-04:002009-10-17T01:16:53.087-04:00Fabulous Friday Links :)Hi folks!<br />Hope all is going well with everyone. Haven't posted much news lately (not that there hasn't been lots in the last month or two!), so I thought I'd offer up a few links/posts that you may or may not have discovered. Hope they help!<br /><br /><strong>)</strong> The <strong>National Book Award Finalists</strong> have been announced! As reported by Publishers Weekly, the nominees in the Young People's Literature category are:<br /><br />Deborah Heiligman, <em>Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith</em> (<strong>Henry Holt</strong>)<br />Phillip Hoose, <em>Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice</em> (<strong>Farrar, Straus and Giroux</strong>)<br />Davd Small, <em>Stitches</em> (<strong>W.W. Norton & Co</strong>.)<br />Laini Taylor, <em>Lips Touch: Three Times</em> (<strong>Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic</strong>)<br />Rita Williams-Garcia,<em> Jumped</em> (<strong>HarperTeen</strong>)<br /><br /><br />Congratulations to all!<br />Click <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6701982.html">here</a> to see the complete list of nominees<br /><br /><br /><p>I've got JUMPED in my to-be-read pile . . . just wondering, has anyone read any of the others (in the Young People's category)?</p><p><strong>2)</strong> Yesterday, Casey McCormick over at <strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a></strong>, shone the Agent Spotlight on <a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/10/this-weeks-agent-spotlight-features.html">Michael Stearns</a> of <a href="http://www.upstartcrowliterary.com/">Upstart Crow Literary</a>.</p><p>And in case you missed it, here are a few more that were "spotlighted" these past few weeks:</p><br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/10/agent-spotlight-beth-fleisher.html"><strong>Beth Fleisher</strong></a>, <a href="http://www.bgliterary.com/">Barry Goldblatt Literary</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/10/agent-spotlight-brenda-bowen.html">Brenda Bowen</a></strong>, <a href="http://www.greenburger.com/index.html">Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc.</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogsot.com/2009/09/agent-spotlight-eddie-schneider.html">Eddie Schneider</a></strong>, <a href="http://www.awfulagent.com/index.html">JABberwocky Literary Agency</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/09/agent-spotlight-joe-monti.html">Joe Monti</a></strong>, <a href="http://www.bgliterary.com/">Barry Goldblatt Literary</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/09/agent-spotlight-merrilee-heifetz.html">Merrilee Heifetz</a></strong>, Senior VP, <a href="http://www.writershouse.com/">Writers House</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/09/agent-spotlight-rosemary-stimola.html">Rosemary Stimola</a></strong>, <a href="http://www.stimolaliterarystudio.com/about.html">Stimola Literary Studio, LLC</a><br /><strong><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/08/agent-spotlight-bill-contardi.html">Bill Contardi</a></strong>, Brandt and Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.<br /><br /><strong>3) </strong>In the mood for a contest or two?<br />New Associate Agent Mary Kole, of the <a href="http://www.andreabrownlit.com/">Andrea Brown Literary Agency</a> is running a <a href="http://kidlit.com/kidlit-contest">QUERY Contest at Kidlit.com</a>. The query must be for a finished children's book manuscript (YA, MG, or picture book) and must be under 500 words. It must be either pasted in the comments field (she explains how on her blog) or emailed to her by <strong>October 31st at 11:59 p.m.</strong> <strong>Pacific Time</strong>.<br /><br />The prize? --- A critique of the first 30 pages of your manuscript<br /><br /><strong>GOOD LUCK!</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>For the next contest, hop on over to new blogger and aspiring author Sheri Rosen's blog, <strong><a href="http://sheribr.blogspot.com/">The Worries and Triumphs of an Unpublished Author</a></strong>. Sheri's giving away a <strong>FREE, SIGNED COPY</strong> of Michael Grant's <span style="color:#993300;"><strong>GONE</strong></span>. What do you have to do? Become a follower of her blog and/or refer someone to her blog. That's it! Click <a href="http://sheribr.blogspot.com/2009/10/contest-win-signed-copy-of-michael.html">here</a> for more info on this contest. Oh yes, it <strong>ends on December 1st</strong>!<br /><br />AND, while you're there, check out her <a href="http://sheribr.blogspot.com/2009/10/editors-day-part-1-annmarie-harris.html">notes from a talk given by AnnMarie Harris</a>, series editor at Scholastic Trade Paperback, at an Editor's Day event sponsored by the Orange County chapter of SCBWI. <strong>AnnMarie's topic: middle grade paperback series for boys & girls</strong>. Sheri took some awesome notes, folks!<br />Also (yeah, she's got more!), for all you aspiring historical fiction writers (myself included), be sure to check out Sheri's <a href="http://sheribr.blogspot.com/2009/10/editors-day-part-2-alexandria-lafayette.html">Editor's Day Part 2</a> post on a very interesting talk by <span style="color:#000099;">Alexandria LaFayette</span>, winner of the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for her novel, <em><span style="color:#000099;">Worth</span></em>.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>4)</strong> Ooooh, just remembered! Debut author Cynthia Jaynes Omololu is giving away postcards, bookmarks, & business cards celebrating her YA novel, <em><span style="color:#000099;">Dirty Little Secrets</span></em> (Walker, February 2010). Check it out <a href="http://cynjay.blogsot.com/2009/10/fabulous-friday-free-stuff.html">here</a>!<br />She also recently published a delightful, multicultural picture book entitled <em><span style="color:#000099;">When It's Six O'Clock in San Francisco</span> </em>(Clarion).<br /><br /><strong>5)</strong> Want the last word on <strong>Word Count for Novels and Children's Books</strong>? Peep this <a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Word+Count+For+Novels+And+Childrens+Books+The+Definitive+Post.html">definitive post</a> by Guide to Literary Agents' blog editor Chuck Sambuchino.<a href="http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/Word+Count+For+Novels+And+Childrens+Books+The+Definitive+Post.html"><br /></a><br /><p><strong>6</strong>) Are vampires on their way out? Check out <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6696288.html?industryid=47139">this article</a> on the presumed rise (or fall, depending on the story) of angels posted last month on the Publishers Weekly website! </p><p><strong>7) </strong>Lastly, for those debut authors coming out with books in the next year or two, and even for us aspiring authors, you may want to take heed of these <a href="http://backspacewriters.blogspot.com/2009/10/new-rules-for-authors.html">New Rules for Authors</a> courtesy of Stet!, the Backspace writers' blog. I guess it's never too early to start planning . . . :)</p><p>And for a cozier, more personal take, Kristin Tubb, author of <em><span style="color:#000099;">Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different</span></em> (Delacorte) shared, earlier this week on her blog, <a href="http://kristintubb.blogspot.com/">Do Things Different</a>, <a href="http://kristintubb.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-ive-learned-in-my-first-year-as.html">what she's learned in her first year as a published author</a>.</p><p>Happy Writing! </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-40799463616029331522009-10-06T15:17:00.007-04:002009-10-06T17:17:18.371-04:00Teaser TuesdayHi everyone!<br /><br />Well, I'm back with another "teaser" today but it's not from my middle-grade work-in-progress. No, this time it's a very brief snippet from one of 2 picture books that I'm working on. It's about a young duckling who, while out on a stroll with his family, gets separated from them as he tries to chase a rabbit.<br /><br /><br />From <strong>LITTLE DUCK DEVIN:</strong><br /><br /><br /><em>CR-U-N-N-N-CH! CR-U-N-N-N-CH! CR-U-N-N-N-CH!<br /><br />Last in line behind his brothers and sisters, Little Duck Devin turned to see . . . a rabbit, munching on a carrot. It hopped right past him and his family. Little Duck Devin flew fast behind it.<br /><br />WHOMP!<br /><br />Little Duck Devin rubbed his beak. Where DID that rabbit go?<br /><br />YIKES! What was THAT he heard? Oh! It was just his stomach grumbling! He waddled on until he came to . . .</em><br /><br /><em>WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! A highway!<br /><br />Little Duck Devin waddled and hopped, first this way, then that. But the cars and trucks zoomed right on by.<br /><br />Would he ever see Mama and Molly and Holly and Tevin again?</em><br /><br /><br /><br />I welcome any criticisms/suggestions/feedback as picture books are NOT my strong suit but I love the challenge of writing them anyway.<br /><br />Thanks for reading, guys! :)<br /><br /><br />**Oh yes, if anyone's interested in reading the whole thing (about 5 pages), you are more than welcome. I'll swap you for another PB or a 1st chapter of your MG. Just shoot me an email! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-59068799288366588012009-09-29T14:48:00.012-04:002009-09-29T16:59:21.414-04:00Teaser TuesdayHi all . . . I haven't posted a teaser in quite a while and just wanted to run this by folks . . . it's a relatively new scene I've been trying to develop.<br /><br /><em><strong>Just to set up the scene for you</strong></em>: my main character, Cleo, has gone to visit her great-grandmother (Ma Murr), a former slave, who lives a bit farther out in the country.<br /><br /><p></p><p></p><p>From <strong>TRAIN WATCH</strong>:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Ma Murr said, "Do it, chile! Run for your life!" She got a faraway look in her eyes. "Yes, yes." She nodded. "Just like I ran for mine. Mmm. hmm. You want to be free. Lum and Jenny ain't free 'cause they still working for Boss Man. But you, chile, you has a chance to be free. Grab it!"<br />She twisted around, causing Cleo to abruptly stop combing her silvery, waist-length hair. "You hearin' me, chile?"<br /><br />Cleo blinked. "Y-Y-Yes, Ma'am." Ma Murr always gave her the willies with that piercing stare.<br /><br />Ma Murr smiled, content with her preaching. "Good. Good. Go on home, now. We's finished for today." </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Thanks for reading! </p><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-6237897754514869302009-09-14T18:00:00.000-04:002009-09-14T17:58:57.760-04:00The Big 3-0No, I'm NOT turning 30 (unfortunately!), just celebrating the fact that I now have 30 followers! And, even though I'm not (yet) consistent with my posts, I just wanted to say thank you(THANK YOU!) to all who still follow my blog (or even just pop in occasionally) for sticking with me.<br /><br /><br />And so, taking a cue from <a href="http://www.karen-strong.com/2009/08/25/100-things-about-the-novelista/">this post by Karen Strong</a> over at <a href="http://www.karen-strong.com/">Musings of a Novelista</a>, I am going to list 30 things you may, or may not, know about me:<br /><br />1) I have 1 brother who is 6 years younger than me.<br />2) I wear glasses (mainly when driving).<br />3) I wore a uniform for 12 years.<br />4) No, I wasn't in the military, just Catholic school (1st thru 12th grade).<br />5) I am not Catholic, though.<br />6) I grew up in New York City, specifically upper Manhattan, and more specifically the Hamilton Heights section of Harlem.<br />(If you're interested in this section of Harlem, wikipedia explains it much better than I ever could.)<br />7) I am often mistaken for being Hispanic.<br />8) Unfortunately, I do not know any Spanish.<br />9) However, I did take 3 years of French in high school, which still doesn't help because I've pretty much forgotten all of it. So . . . I would still need a French dictionary if I ever went to France.<br />10) Facts of Life was a favorite show as a kid. AND so was Diff'rent Strokes, Brady Bunch, Wonder Woman, The Jeffersons, Little House on the Prairie, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley and . . . I could probably go on & on . . . brings back great memories of childhood, though!<br />11) I graduated from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.<br />12) My majors in college were English & Economics.<br />13) However, I did not get a job on Wall Street.<br />14) I did get a job in reference publishing.<br />15) I have an ancient computer. No, seriously, it is ANCIENT, like the monitor has the huge back to it circa the 1990s. I know, I know, it is definitely time for a new one.<br />16) My husband is a cook/chef, and yes, he can cook much better than me, thank the Lord!<br />17) We have 2 daughters.<br />18) AND my mother and grandmother live with us. Yes, you heard, er, read that right.<br />19) Which is why I mainly write late at night when EVERYONE is asleep.<br />20) Love Your Life by Victoria Osteen is a favorite inspirational book.<br />21) And also Reposition Yourself by T.D. Jakes<br />22) I don't drink. (Well, ONLY socially--and even then I mainly favor margaritas & daiquiris)<br />23) I don't smoke, and have never tried. Nope, not even once!<br />24) I can't swim.<br />25) My favorite pastry is a chocolate croissant.<br />26) And I LOVE white chocolate in practically any form.<br />27) I am also partial to lemon meringue pie.<br />28) I got my first library card when I was 8 years old.<br />29) I first found out I had somewhat of a talent for writing when I was 16 years old during a semester of creative writing in high school. I'd often receive a fiction writing assignment handed back with "Is this real?" or "Did this really happen?" jotted at the bottom of a story.<br />30) But I did not seriously think of writing for publication (or even writing children's books at all)till 20 years later.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-18220475232188136802009-09-11T23:47:00.004-04:002009-09-13T03:57:07.114-04:00Remembering 9/11I just wanted to offer my condolences to those who lost loved ones and/or were injured themselves in NYC or at The Pentagon on the morning of 9/11/01. It was an awful, tragic day that no one will ever forget.<br /><br />My mother (who retired 2 years ago) at the time worked in lower Manhattan for the City of New York as a clerical aide for the NYPD & actually saw from her desk window the first plane hit Building 1 of the WTC but thought it was an accident--at first. Then, when the 2nd plane hit, the impact shook her whole building (which was probably 10-15 blocks away). She said everyone (well, everyone on her floor anyway) grabbed their purses/bags and ran down the stairs to the street level. But once they got outside, it was, of course, utter chaos. She said everyone on the sidewalk was running for buses, trains, whatever to get away from the debris falling from the sky. She said she didn't dare look up to see exactly WHAT was falling/flying through the air, and also the STENCH was so horrible you had to cover your nose & mouth as you ran. But run she did and made the last train uptown to the George Washington Bridge Bus Station to catch a bus back home to Jersey. During this time I had also left work (in the Bronx) & was on my to the GWB as well. But, as we soon found out (I somehow met up with her at the GWB), the GWB was CLOSED until it was deemed safe for buses to cross.<br /><br />While we waited, we struck up a conversation I will never forget with a woman who escaped from no. 1 WTC after the first plane hit. She was on a lower floor and decided to leave right then & there. At that time, no one knew exactly what was happening, she said. And no one else wanted to leave but her. When she got down to the ground floor (elevators were still working at that time), it was a madhouse outside, debris from the plane, bodies, etc. everywhere. She said after she ran a block & looked back, her building was coming down. She didn't think anyone else in her company made it out alive. And this woman was amazingly calm (or maybe in shock?). My mother & I just listened in awe as she told this story.<br /><br />The GWB finally reopened around 6 or 7 p. m. We got home around 8 p.m., but some people we later learned didn't make it home till around 11 p.m. or so. It was just an awful, awful, awful, day we will never forget.<br /><br />Thanks for listening. I hope I didn't depress anyone; just wanted to share my experience.Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-38511566366968826312009-09-03T11:00:00.000-04:002009-09-03T11:00:02.666-04:00Thoughts on a ThursdayBooks on Writing for Children<br /><br />Hi all!<br /><br />Yesterday, I was rummaging around my bookshelf and noticed I had accumulated quite a few titles on writing for children. So I thought I'd list them. Now those of you who've been writing for some years probably already own many of these. But for the newer writers out there, I hope these books will offer the same hope, direction, and inspiration that they have provided (and still provide) me along my writing journey.<br /><br />Here they are (in no particular order):<br /><br /><strong>1) The Writer's Guide to Crafting Stories for Children by Nancy Lamb</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>2) Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>3) How to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published (3rd ed.) by Barbara Seuling</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>4) Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>5) How to Write and Sell Children's Picture Books by Jean E. Karl</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>6) Writing Fiction for Children by Judy K. Morris</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>7) Writing for Children & Teenagers (3rd ed.) by Lee Wyndham</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>8) Writing & Publishing Books for Children in the 1990s; the inside story from the editor's desk by Olga Litowinsky</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>9) The ABCs of Writing for Children; 114 children's authors and illustrators talk about the Art, the Business, the Craft, & the Life of Writing Children's Literature; compiled by Elizabeth Koehler-Pentacoff</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>10) How to Write a Children's Picture Book; learning from The Very Hungry Caterpillar . . . and other favorite stories by Eve Heidi Bine-Stock</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>11) Origins of story; on writing for children; edited by Barbara Harrison and Gregory Maguire (NOTE: this is a collection of lectures presented at various symposiums sponsored by Children's Literature New England, by such authors as Ursula K. Le Guin, Katherine Paterson, Maurice Sendak, Susan Cooper, Sharon Creech, Margaret Mahy, Tom Feelings, Jill Paton Walsh, and Virginia Hamilton)</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>And, of course, the ANNUAL directory no children's writer should be without: the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (CWIM). I believe the 2010 edition is now available!</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>And if you have any particular book(s) on writing for children, or writing in general, that you refer to often please feel free to share them here. Thanks! :)</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong></strong>Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-58405842633314848492009-08-27T17:51:00.009-04:002009-08-28T17:56:50.637-04:00Fabulous Friday!Well, there's been some interesting discussions going on in the blogosphere. Here are a few, if you haven't come across them already:<br /><br />1) On her blog <a href="http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/">Brooklyn Arden</a>, senior editor Cheryl Klein of Arthur A. Levine Books posted this <a href="http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/2009/08/open-letter-to-agents-with-modest.html">Open Letter to Agents</a>. The comments, by both agents and bloggers alike were very interesting. Also, Michael Bourret posted a very thoughtful response on his agency's blog <a href="http://dglm.blogspot.com/2009/08/in-response-to-modest-proposal.html">here</a>. As for me, while I can clearly see cases for both sides, I think I lean a bit more toward Cheryl's perspective as I said on her comment page that giving ALL interested editors sufficient time to read a manuscript & get their respective houses on board would really be the best means of matching the right editor to the right manuscript. Because working with an editor is usually a long-term realtionship, isn't it? A good 18 months or more, right? I know, personally, that I'd rather be hooked up with someone who was compatible, both editorially & personality-wise.<br /><br />What do you think?<br /><br /><br />2) Elizabeth Bluemle of Publishers Weekly's online column Shelftalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog posed a question yesterday, garnering a multitude of thought-provoking comments. The question (and article) was <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/660000266/post/1020047702.html">Where's Ramona Quimby, Black and Pretty</a>? And in light of the recent Bloomsbury cover controversy, I don't think it could have come at a better time. Although I LOVED reading the Ramona series growing up, this is something I really didn't wonder about until years later. I guess at the age 8 & 9, I mainly read stories that interested me, not really taking note of the main character's race. I mean I read Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, and Louise Fitzhugh as easily as I read Alice Childress and Rosa Guy. All I cared about then was a good story. It was only till years later when I really paid attention to the craft & business of writing for children that I wondered about this issue. And even now, with the arrival of such chapter books as Ruby and the Booker Boys and the Keena Ford series, I still think there is room for much more. Who know, I may even try one, one day . . . :)<br /><br /><br />3) And finally, last month I read an enlightening letter (to all kids' book publishers) by a school librarian in the online issue of School Library Journal. I found it quite interesting. here's the <a href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6666670.html">link</a>.<br /><br />Enjoy your weekend everyone!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-39596550904175743892009-08-17T23:23:00.012-04:002009-08-24T17:30:28.026-04:00Monday MusingsOkay, I missed last Monday--all right, I missed posting all last week. But here I am today!<br /><br />Before I start with my links and tidbits of information, I want to give a BIG WELCOME to my newest followers from the last couple of weeks (months?). Thanks so much for your thoughts and encouragement!<br /><br />Next, I want to offer my long overdue "CONGRATULATIONS!" to Shelli at <a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/">Market My Words</a> on acquiring her agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin at <a href="http://www.tridentmediagroup.com/">Trident Media Group</a>. Now, I did congratulate Shelli over at her own blog but I just wanted to give her a shout-out here, too. And folks, if you want some inspiration, read Shelli's journey <a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2009/06/inside-scoop_02.html">here</a>, and one of her more recent posts about <a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2009/07/steps-to-opening-editorial-letter-from.html">The Editorial Letter</a>. Also, today she <a href="http://faeriality.blogspot.com/2009/08/marvelous-marketer-kate-testerman.html">interviews literary agent Kate Schafer Testerman</a> of <a href="http://ktliterary.com/">kt literary</a>, part of her ongoing Monday's Marvelous Marketers series. Check out the previous & upcoming posts in this series. Great reading!<br /><br />Wow. It's been so long since I've posted links to share with everyone, I almost don't know where to begin. But I really like finding new links to share about writing and publishing . . . so here I go!<br /><br />You've more than likely come across these by now, but if you haven't . . . well, I hope they can help.<br /><br />Since I last posted in depth, aspiring author Casey McCormick has shone the "Spotlight" on these agents:<br /><br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/06/agent-spotlight-marietta-b-zacker.html">Marietta B. Zacker</a> (Nancy Gallt Literary Agency)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/06/agent-spotlight-daniel-lazar.html">Daniel Lazar </a>(Writers House)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/06/agent-spotlight-kelly-sonnack.html">Kelly Sonnack</a> (Andrea Brown Literary Agency)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/07/agent-spotlight-sarah-davies.html">Sarah Davies</a> (Greenhouse Literary)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/07/steven-malk.html">Steven Malk</a> (Writers House)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/07/agent-spotlight-jamie-weiss-chilton.html">Jamie Weiss Chilton</a> (Andrea Brown Literary Agency)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/07/rebecca-sherman.html">Rebecca Sherman</a> (Writers House)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/07/agent-spotlight-ted-malawer.html">Ted Malawer</a> (formerly of Firebrand Literary)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/08/agent-spotlight-marianne-merola.html">Marianne Merola</a> (Brandt & Hochman Literary Agents, Inc.)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/08/agent-spotlight-jill-corcoran.html">Jill Corcoran</a> (Herman Agency, Inc.)<br /><a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/2009/08/agent-spotlight-erin-murphy.html">Erin Murphy</a> (Erin Murphy Literary Agency)<br /><br />And here's a few more agents who'll soon be appearing:<br /><br />Bill Contardi<br />Rosemary Stimola<br />Merrilee Heifetz<br />Joe Monti<br />Brenda Bowen<br /><br />So . . . go bookmark her site, <a href="http://caseylmccormick.blogspot.com/">Literary Rambles</a>. NOW. Happy agent hunting!<br /><br />-------------------------------------------------------<br /><br />A while back, a blogger left a comment (question) about wanting to break into the children's picture book market. Now I'm really not much of a picture book expert (although I am working on 2 PBs on the side) as I've been concentrating mainly on revising my current work-in-progress, a middle-grade historical novel. BUT, in my perusings around the blogosphere & internet, I have come across some great links on writing picture books.<br /><br /><strong>Here are some of them:</strong><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dottienderle.com/tips.html">Tips for Writing Picture Books</a> by children's author Dotti Enderle<br /><br /><a href="http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2009/07/20/childrens-writing-to-do-list/">A Children's Writing To-Do List</a> by Tara Lazar<br /><br />Another <a href="http://taralazar.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/first-page-first-impression/">post by Tara Lazar on what she learned at a recent NJSCBWI first page session </a>(for picture books & MG/YA) held earlier this year. Doesn't she take awesome notes?<br /><br />Some helpful <a href="http://lisaschroederbooks.com/links.html">links from children's author Lisa Schroeder</a><br /><br /><a href="http://resourcesforchildrenswriters.blogspot.com/">Resources for Children's Writers</a> by Rachelle Burk<br /><br />Want info on <span style="color:#3333ff;">How to Write the First Draft of a Picture Book</span>? Just click <a href="http://www.darcypattison.com/picture-books/write-the-first-draft-of-a-picture-book/">here</a>.<br /><br />More recently, I found this great post by author Mary Ann Rodman on the Teaching Authors blog, on how she became <a href="http://www.teachingauthors.com/2009/07/accidental-picture-book-author-html">the Accidental Picture Book Author</a><br /><br />ALSO, be sure to check out this link from the recent SCBWI 2009 Summer Conference on <a href="http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/2009/08/eve-bunting-highlights-from-creating.html">Creating an Extraordinary Picture Book</a><br /><br />Last, but not least, for some general writerly advice, go and review these <a href="http://upstartliterary.com/tencom.html">TEN COMMANDMENTS</a> by literary agent (and former editorial director) Michael Stearns<br /><br /><br />Sorry I took so long to do this, but I hope these help! (Oh, yes, if anyone else knows of any other picture book tips/links, please feel free to add.)<br /><br />Happy Writing! :)Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4730925521627984630.post-65472664440141565212009-08-07T01:22:00.008-04:002009-08-10T03:29:40.716-04:00It's Friday!Whoo-Hoo, the weekend's here!<br />Sorry this post is coming so late everyone, but I do hope you all had an excellent day. The weather was pretty nice here in the Northeast.<br /><br />I had named this post "Fabulous Friday" but I'm sure for the Hughes family it is not fabulous. I know everyone has heard by now of the recent passing Thursday (Aug. 6) in Manhattan of writer/producer/director John Hughes ("<em><span style="color:#ff0000;">Sixteen Candles</span></em>," <em>"<span style="color:#ff0000;">The Breakfast Club</span>"</em>). I don't know about you but <em><span style="color:#ff0000;">Sixteen Candles</span></em> and <em><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Breakfast Club</span></em> were movies that I so identified with in the mid-1980s as a student in high school. And it's funny, but just like a majority of the YA books I read back then, I could so identify with the teen angst in these movies even though I was of another ethnicity and background (I grew up in Harlem and went to an all-girls Catholic high school in NYC). But I could just so relate to Molly Ringwald's character, especially in <span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>Sixteen Candles</em> </span>& <span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>Pretty in</em> <em>Pink</em></span>). You know, those feelings of self-doubt, self-consciousness, fitting in/standing out, making friends, making enemies, watching cliques, creating your own "group," etc. I think, emotionally, that she was a sort of EVERYGIRL, which I guess is why the movies were so popular. I think Hughes really GOT the teenage mind.<br /><br />Hughes also wrote and produced <span style="color:#006600;"><strong><em>Ferris Bueller's Day Off</em>, <em>Uncle Buck</em>,</strong></span> and <em><span style="color:#006600;"><strong>Home Alone (1 & 2)</strong></span></em>. And I still find these hilarious whenever I catch them on a cable channel.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">Anyone else ever watch these movies as a teen?</span><br /><br />(I, um, of course don't mean to give away anyone's age. So you needn't reveal you saw the movies when they first came out (unless, of course, you want to). I think most everyone has probably seen them later on cable anyway. :)<br /><br />See you all Monday!Crystalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09968456960528987538noreply@blogger.com6