3 More Writer Resources, Plus a Question

Hello, Everyone!
Today I'm wrapping up our series on Writer Resources. I also want to remind you that this is the last day to enter our giveaway of the 2017 edition of one of the best writer resources for those who write for children and teens: the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (Writer's Digest Books). This edition features my co-blogger JoAnn Early Macken's article "Be Your Own Literary Agent." See JoAnn's post to enter.

If you're new to our blog and you missed the other posts in this series, here's a link that will allow you to scroll through all of them, as well as previous posts on the topic.

Here are three final resources for you, plus a question:

Grammarly 

Grammarly provides software that you can use to check spelling and grammar, not only within documents but anywhere you type. It's checking this blog post and flagging errors as I write it. I've been using the free version, which includes weekly reports on how accurate and productive I've been in comparison to other users. So far, I'm doing okay. 😊

Google Blogger Emojis/Special Characters

See the smiley face at the end of the last paragraph? It used to be difficult to include emojis and special characters, like the copyright symbol, in blogs hosted by Google Blogger. I just recently noticed that there's now a searchable drop-down box filled with them built into the posting toolbar. 👌

IFTTT (IF This Then This)

to Automate Repetitive Activities

Wikipedia defines IFTTT as "a free web-based service that people use to create chains of simple conditional statements, called applets. An applet is triggered by changes that occur within other web services such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest." For example, I mentioned in January that I'd finally activated the Twitter account I set up long ago (@carmelamartino). Now I'm also on Instagram (@cmartinoauthor). I used IFTTT for the first time this week, to set up an applet that automatically posts my Instagram photos to Twitter. I'm hoping to find other ways IFTTT can help automate my social media activity. If you have suggestions, do let me know, either here or on one of my social media sites.

Now for the question:

What Writer Resource Do You Recommend?

In particular, I'd like to know if any of you have used TextExpander, or a similar product, to create shortcuts for text you type frequently. Or do you have any other resources that help you as a writer? Please tell us in the comments to this post or on our Facebook page.

Before I sign off, I'd like to share a link to a new website promoting young-adult fiction that features Catholic characters and themes: CatholicTeenBooks.com. I'm honored to have my novel,
 Rosa, Sola, included there.

And don't forget that today is Poetry Friday. See the roundup hosted by Michelle Barnes at Today's Little Ditty.

Remember to Write with JOY!
Carmela

Online Research Sources for Writers and Teachers

I love facts.  And lists of facts.  And lists of lists of facts.  There are countless amazing online resources for writers.  Since this is the theme for TeachingAuthors.com for a couple of weeks, I thought I'd share some of my favorites.  

Library of Congress

Books and magazines online

Books whose copyrights have expired Gutenberg

How to search Google more effectively

Writer's Digest 100 Best Websites for Writers

50 sites in various categories

BibMe bibliography maker

History with timelines

New York Public Library Digital Collections

Library of Congress Documents

George Washington Papers Library of Congress

National Archives Image Gallery

If you want the complete list of the resources for writers I've compiled, go to the "for teachers" page on my website: 

Click here for Carla Killough McClafferty's website.

Carla Killough McClafferty

Win a copy of Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2017!

Click here for more information on how to enter the book give away.

2017 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market Giveaway Reminder

Hello everyone,

Unfortunately, Mary Ann isn't able to post today. We'll continue our series on "Writer Resources" Monday. Meanwhile, I'm here to remind you that there's still time to enter for a chance to win the latest edition of one of the best writer resources for those who write for children and teens:
the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (Writer's Digest Books). See JoAnn's post for details.


And don't forget to check out this week's Poetry Friday roundup at Heidi Mordhorst's My Juicy Little Universe.

Remember to Write with JOY!
Carmela

Resources, Resources, Poem, Book Giveaway!

I'm continuing our Teaching Authors series on helpful writing resources. April wrote about apps for writers.  Esther posted about the SCBWI Conference and the official conference blog. I'm adding a list--hope you find something useful in it!

One of my favorite resources is always Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (CWIM). My article, "Be Your Own Literary Agent," appears in the 2017 edition. We're giving away a copy. Look below for giveaway details.

The ReFoReMo Challenge, or Reading for Research Month Challenge, was founded in 2015 to help picture book writers reform writing by reading and researching mentor texts in the month of March. ReFoReMo 2017 starts on February 27.

Laura Purdie Salas sends out a helpful monthly e-newsletter for children’s writers, A Writer Can Be…. (sign up here) and also a monthly e-newsletter for educators (sign up here).

Picture Book Builders is a group blog that explores "how one element of a picture book’s story or art manages to grab us or wow us or strike an emotional chord." Our good friend Jill Esbaum is part of the group. Pat Zietlow Miller's February 17 post, "Crunch: It’s not just for cooking," lured me in again recently after I hadn't visited for a while. Then I just kept reading.

The Art of Storytelling is an exploration of the storytelling process at Pixar.

Increase your vocabulary and help fight world hunger. For each answer you get right, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.

The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor is a daily email that includes a poem and brief biographical information about writers whose birthdays fall on that day. Yesterday's poem, "Lucky"
by Kirsten Dierking, grabbed me.

All this time,
the life you were
supposed to live
has been rising around you
like the walls of a house... 

(Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017)

Finally, your best resources might be your own desk drawers or computer files. Last night's storm reminded me of this poem I wrote in 1999.

Illumination

Snowflakes whirl at night,

Circling around the streetlight

Like bright summer moths.

snowy owl on streetlight

What surprises lurk in your old files? See what you can revisit, rework, and repurpose. Good luck!

Book Giveaway Details 

Marie D. won our latest book giveaway of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale by Robin Currie, Congratulations, Marie!

To enter our new drawing for a chance to win a copy of the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2017, use the Rafflecopter widget below. You may enter via 1, 2, or all 3 options.

If you choose option 2, you must leave a comment on today's blog post below or on our TeachingAuthors Facebook page. If you haven't already liked our Facebook page, please do so today! If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to: teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.

Email subscribers: if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.

Note: if you submit your comments via email or Facebook, you must still enter the drawing via the widget below. The giveaway ends March 10, 2017, and is open to U.S. residents only.

P.S. If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, here's info on how to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.

Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at Karen Edmisten*. Enjoy!

JoAnn Early Macken

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Out-and-about: REcharging My Batteries

Two weekends ago, despite rain, hail, sleet and snow which went by the name Storm Niko, I caught the last plane out of Chicago to attend SCBWI’s 18^th Annual Winter Conference in New York City.

Scientifically-speaking, my creative powers needed rebooting.  What better way to REcharge my batteries than to return to my primary energy source – my community of like-hearted children’s book creators?

April’sRee would have loved the experience. J

One thousand one hundred and twenty-one attendees – representing forty-eight states and several continents - gathered at the Grand Hyatt Hotel to learn, grow and best of all, connect.  Forty per cent were published authors and illustrators; sixty per cent were pre-published. 

SCBWI Co-Founder and Chief Executive Lin Oliver lovingly refers to the organization’s 25,000 global membership as “our tribe.”

While the organization’s stated mission is “to support the creation and availability of quality children’s books around the world by fostering a vibrant community…and to act as a consolidated voice for writers and illustrators of children’s books worldwide,” the members – locally, state-wide, regionally, nationally, internationally - serve as my tried-and-true energy source when I seek the means to keep on keepin’ on.

Award-winning illustrator Bryan Collier’s opening Saturday morning keynote had us all on our feet, holding on to our dreams.

“Your dreams should steer you!” he told us.  It was bigger than the book, he reminded us.  “Somebody’s waiting for you...” he shared, “waiting to hear your story!”

Saturday afternoon NY Times best-selling YA author Iranian-American Tehereh Mafi’s keynote tightened our hold on our dreams.

She’d written and queried five books before the one that sold.

“If you do not give up, you will not fail.”

Closing keynoter, the award-winning Sarah Pennypacker, sent us on our way with E.B. White’s words: “A writer has the duty to be good, not lousy; true, not false.  He should tend to lift people up, not lower them down.  Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.”

Sarah Pennypacker proudly shared that twenty-six years ago, she’d attended her very first SCBWI Conference, taking heart and hope from that Conference’s award-winning keynoter – one Natalie Babbitt.  She boldly confided, almost whispering, that she’d known in her heart she’d someday be on an SCBWI stage cheering members on.

In between there were:

Panels (Four Types of Picture Books, Children’s Books and the Social Media World, the Current Landscape for Children’s Books), Workshops  (World Building, Acquiring an Agent, To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme, Writing the YA Novel – just to name a few), Socials (Illustrators, New Members, Regions, LGBTQ), Portfolio browsing, Gala dinners and autograph sessions.

Here are just a few of the nuggets attendees tweeted out in the course of the weekend:

"Everything you are awkward about is the very thing that makes you so special." - Bryan Collier #ny17scbwi @joshfunkbooks

“If you find something that inspires you, dig into that a little deeper." – Andrea Beaty #ny17scbwi @cuppajolie

“Your passion is what’s going to set your book apart.” – great advice on Nonfiction for kids and teens from @emily6560 #ny17SCBWI

“A lot of standing ovations at this conference. Why? Because we are fortifying ourselves to fight and write for the good of kids. #ny17scbwi @mbrockenbrough

The Good News, re-source-wise, is that YOU can attend the Conference too – albeit vicariously- some 2 weekends later, and power up, simply by clicking here. Be sure to set aside some quiet time, a quiet place and a big cup o’something.

Simon & Schuster Art Director (and debut children’s author!) Laurent Linn exhorted us to take Joseph Campbell’s words to heart and “follow our bliss.”

“Follow your bliss.
If you do follow your bliss,
you put yourself on a kind of track
that has been there all the while waiting for you,
and the life you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
When you can see that,
you begin to meet people
who are in the field of your bliss,
and they open the doors to you.
I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid,
and doors will open
where you didn't know they were going to be.”

If you follow your bliss,
doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else.”

How could I not get my creative currents flowing again, plugged into 1121 children’s book creators who were following their bliss?!

Here’s to Happy Recharging!

Esther Hershenhorn


PS from Carmela: If you haven't entered yet, don't forget that our giveaway of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale (Arbordale Publishing), by Robin Currie, illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff, ends this Wednesday, February 22, 2017. Click here for details.

4 Apps for Writers and Creatives, and a Terrible Poem (Sorry)

.
Howdy, Campers and Happy Poetry Friday! (Links to PF and our latest autographed book drawing (!) are at the end of this post.)

Our current topic is Writer Resources. Esther's fabulous post offers five books for young writers, all of which I covet. I'd like to share four free apps I continually draw on. They enrich my life.

Meditating sometimes helps me hear that still, small voice that tells me the truth about a story I'm writing, about a life crisis, or about a relationship in flux. Insight Timer is an app I use for both silent meditations and also for its free guided meditations. I can filter them by topic (sleep, morning, energy, healing, fear, etc.), by length (from one minute to over an hour), by teacher (from all over the world), by how many thousands of times it has been played, by reviews, etc. I've been meditating for about fifteen years; this app makes it hard not to.

Adblock Plus My computer guy downloaded this popular browser extension for me years ago; it changed my life. It's free and open source and I donate to it. Why? Because if I open a web page without Adblock Plus, there are ads and moving images screaming at me. I can't focus with Las Vegas pounding on my brain. With ABP, all I see is the resource itself in a quiet field of white. Like Ferdinand the bull, instead of fighting in bull fights, I get to sit quietly under my own cork tree and smell the flowers as I write with the aid of the next two resources.

Illustration by Robert Lawson from Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, first published in 1936

Thesaurus Many of you already use this resource. If you click on the link, you'll see that it takes you to a word which helps me write. That's the page I bookmark.

RhymeZone Another one that many of you use. 

If these last two resources were pencils, they'd be little tiny stubs, I use them so much!

Okie dokie...it's Poetry Friday, so here's my poem for today. I fully admit that it's terrible, but it was fun to write and it makes me laugh.

A RAT'S TALE
by April Halprin Wayland
                     .

Ree was a rat who lived by the Source.

She did nothing but watch the Source water course

from her lonely rat hut 'neath the sourwood tree.

Ree was inactive.

Ree had no life.

Just the Source and her hut and her hot, bedtime tea.

But Ree's life was changed

when she joined the gym.

She became a gym rat and the gym referee.

She took 20 classes

that first week on a spree.

And all of her coaches said, "Sweat is the key!"

But the more Ree worked out, the more parched she got—

sweating at night

(though Ree was not hot.)

She guzzled her tea, then looked in her cup.

She pondered, then wandered outside near that tree

then drank from the Source 'til she was filled up.

And that's when Ree realized what gumption begets—

she stood taller, was forceful...

and declared,

"I'm

Ree

Source

full!"                                                               (Sorry.)

The Scream by Edvard Munch, 1893

Readers, now's your chance to enter our drawing to win an autographed copy of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale (Arbordale Publishing), by Robin Currie, illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff. The drawing ends February 22, 2017. click here for more information.

Thank you, dear Jone, for hosting PF today at Check It Out!

posted by April Halprin Wayland with gratitude for the love and support of you, our peeps of the Kidlitosphere

A Book (PLUS Book Giveaway) for Every Children’s Book Writer!

No matter where you are on your Writer’s Journey – still thinking about writing for children and thus refusing the Call to Adventure, half-way past the First Threshold and revising your story or in the throes of a Supreme Ordeal while readying your manuscript for submission, I’ve got the perfect guide book to keep you moving forward:  Cheryl Klein’s THE MAGIC WORDS (W.W. Norton, 2016).

As luck would have it, you can have it!  Simply enter our TeachingAuthors Book Giveaway at the end of this post.

For those new to writing for children, Cheryl Klein’s credits as executive editor at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic Inc.  guarantee writers the kinds of insights, techniques, exercises and reflections that are essential when placing the right words in the right order – “the magic words,” she says, that allow our books to change lives.

And not just our readers’ lives, but our writers’ lives too.

Knowing how this editor of award-winning books views her life’s work and passion speaks volumes for all she shares in THE MAGIC WORDS.

“I think of my work as an editor as being a mechanic for stories:  I take books apart, examine their component pieces, and help my authors assemble them again as more elegant and polished machines. My writing for writers, from this point of view, is the instruction manual that comes with the cars — how I articulate the instincts and knowledge about fiction I’ve gained over fifteen-plus years of working with writers and their books.”

Chapter by chapter, Cheryl Klein mines her years of editorial experience to clearly and thoughtfully instruct and show writers how to use and develop their gifts to craft a strong (and personally meaningful) story concept told in an appropriate format for their intended audience – a story that builds bonds between readers and characters, that keeps those readers engaged and turning the pages, that speaks to them with truth and thus is worthy of publication.

Each chapter offers Exercises, well-known referenced titles and concrete examples from esteemed authors such as Lisa Yee and Trent Reedy, all to support the stated take-away – The Power of Plot, for example, Seven Ways to Look at a Scene, Fundamentals of Voice, or Twenty Revision Techniques. Informational Asides, Book Map instructions and Checklists for Character, Plot and First Pages add to the content.

Together, the chapters underscore the 5 qualities this editor deems essential to magic-making:  good prose, rich characters, strong plot construction, thematic depth and powerful emotion, for both the reader and the writer.

A Recommended Reading List is also included.

Readers close the book smarter about story, craft, genre and format possibilities, children’s book literature and publishing as well as smarter about themselves as writers.

My all-time favorite chapter?  Chapter 16 – Perspective and Polishing.  Readers are offered the first scene of a YA novel, followed by Cheryl Klein’s annotated notes, followed by author Morgan Kass’ revised draft, followed by Annotations Part II. Talk about Show, Don’t Tell!  This eye-opening chapter should be compulsory reading for every writer of fiction. 

Speaking of which, I’ve now added THE MAGIC WORDS to my Recommended Reading lists for my University of Chicago’s Writer’s Studio and Newberry Library Workshops.

Why not see for yourself?  Click HERE to read an excerpt from Chapter 2 – Experience and Emotion -  Cheryl posted August 28 pre-publication.

MARY POPPINS creator P.L. Travers wrote, “We are all looking for magic…But indeed we have to wave the wand for ourself.”

Thank you, Cheryl Klein, for helping us wave our wands.

Happy Magic-Making!

Esther Hershenhorn

. . . .

AND NOW FOR OUR BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win a copy of Cheryl Klein’s THE MAGIC WORDS (W.W. Norton).  The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only and ends September 26.

You may enter via 1, 2, or all 3 options.

If you choose option 2, you MUST leave a comment on TODAY'S blog post below or on our TeachingAuthors Facebook page. If you haven't already "liked" our Facebook page, please do so today! 

(If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to: teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.)

Email subscribers: if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.

Good Luck!

P.S. If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, here's info on how to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.

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2016 CWIM Giveaway Celebrating TWO! New Articles, Plus a Poem Excerpt for Poetry Friday

I'm back!
Carmela here. I've been on a blogging break for much of this year, busy working on other projects, both personal and professional. (I have continued behind-the-scenes as our TeachingAuthors blog administrator, though, so I haven't been completely out of touch.) Today, I'm back to celebrate the publication of two of my articles in the just-released 2016 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (also known as the CWIM) edited by Chuck Sambuchino (Writer's Digest Books).

At the end of this post, you'll have the opportunity to enter for a chance to win your very own copy of the 2016 CWIM (courtesy of Writer's Digest Books)!

Since today is Poetry Friday, I'll also be sharing a poem--an excerpt from Barney Saltzberg's new picture book Inside this Book (Are Three Books), published by Abrams Appleseed. One of my articles in the 2016 CWIM is an interview with Barney, who is an amazing author, illustrator, singer, and songwriter. More about him and his new book below.

First, I'd like to talk a little about my other article in the 2016 CWIM: "Make a Living as a Writer."
[My original title was "Making a Living Writing, Even If You’re Not a Bestselling Author" but I guess that was too long. :-) ]

For "Make a Living as a Writer," I invited four traditionally published trade book authors who are also successful freelancers to share their experiences and advice regarding ways to supplement book royalty income. The four authors included my fellow TeachingAuthor, JoAnn Early Macken, former TeachingAuthor, Laura Purdie Salas, author and writing coach, Lisa Bullard, and scientist-turned-children's author, Vijaya Bodach. The article includes their tips on landing work-for-hire assignments, balancing work-for-hire with other career goals, and preparing submission packages for educational publishers.

The four authors also shared specific resources for finding supplemental income, including:

• The SCBWI Blueboards, where there's a board specifically for "Work for Hire & Calls for Submissions"
• Evelyn B. Christensen's Directory of Educational Publishers
• The Writing for the Education Market website (formerly at http://educationwriting.blogspot.com )  
• Laura Purdie Salas's book: Writing for the Educational Market: Informational Books for Kids.  

Over the next few weeks, my fellow TeachingAuthors will continue the conversation on this topic by sharing their own advice related to finding supplemental income. And Laura Purdie Salas will return to post a special Guest Wednesday Writing Workout on September 30, called "Is Writing on Assignment Right for You?" If this topic is of interest to you, be sure to enter our giveaway so you can read more about how to "Make a Living as a Writer." 

Even if you're not looking for ways to supplement your writing income, you'll want your own copy of the 2016 CWIM for my interview with the amazing Barney Saltzberg, along with all the other helpful articles, interviews, and market information!

Barney Saltzberg, for those of you who may not know, is the author and/or illustrator of over FIFTY books. Back in January, April wrote a great post in honor of Beautiful Oops! Day, a day inspired by Barney's wonderful book, Beautiful Oops! (Workman Publishing). Since then, Barney has published three more books: The first two books in a new board book series from Workman Publishing, Redbird: Colors, Colors Everywhere and Redbird: Friends Come in Different Sizes, and the picture book Inside this Book (Are Three Books), published by Abrams Appleseed. Here's a brief description of Inside this Book:

"Inside This Book is a tribute to self-publishing in its most pure and endearing form. Three siblings create three books of their own using blank paper that they bind together (in descending sizes to match birth order). One sibling's work inspires the next, and so on, with each book's text and art mirroring the distinct interests and abilities of its creator. Upon completion of their works, the siblings put one book inside the other, creating a new book to be read and shared by all.

The second sibling in the book is named Fiona. She is "an artist and a poet," so her "book" is filled with poetry. In honor of Poetry Friday, here's an excerpt from Fiona's section of  Inside this Book.

            from Inside this Book, Too, by Fiona
            
            . . .  Can you tell I love to rhyme?
            I play with words all the time.
            I write a poem every day.
            My new favorite is “Who Wants to Play?” . . . 

 © Barney Saltzberg, used with permission, all rights reserved 

I've kept this excerpt short to inspire you to get Barney's book for yourself. After you've read it, you'll understand why the School Library Journal review of Inside this Book said:

 "Readers may well be empowered to write their very own stories or books." 

Be sure to check out today's Poetry Friday roundup over at the Poetry for Children blog AFTER you enter our giveaway drawing.

And now, for our giveaway info:

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win your own copy of the 2016 Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market , You may enter via 1, 2, or all 3 options.
If you choose option 2, you MUST leave a comment on TODAY'S blog post. If your name isn't part of your comment "identity," please include it in your comment for verification purposes!

(If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to: teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.)

Email subscribers: if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.

The giveaway ends October 10 and is open to U.S. residents only.

Good luck and happy writing!
Carmela

P.S. If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, here's info on how to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.

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A Resource Discovery: NAMING THE WORLD!

How fitting that today, the 522^nd anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World, I share with you my recent discovery, thanks to my writer Bridget Conway of Camden, Maine – NAMING THE WORLD (and other EXERCISES for the CREATIVE WRITER), edited by Bret Anthony Johnston (Random House, 2007).

Johnston writes in his introduction that “much of the writer’s work must be – can only be – accomplished by doggedly venturing into territories unknown, by risking failure with every word.  His purpose in gathering writing exercises from well-respected authors was “to create an environment in which each writer feels invited and prepared to take such risks.”

Like all discoveries, this collection of focused and insightful writing exercises widened my eyes, raised my eyebrows and had my brain whirling in record time.

Indeed, Betsy Lerner, author of another favorite resource of mine – THE FOREST FOR THE TREES: AN EDITOR’S ADVICE TO WRITERS (Riverhead, 2000) describes NAMING THE WORLD as “the equivalent of a master class in writing by some of the best writers/teachers around.”

What I especially like about NAMING THE WORLD is Johnston’s organization:  8 sections, 7 of which focus on a key element of fiction.  Each section begins with relevant perceptive quotes by well-known writers, then offers an overview of the particular element. Chosen authors’ understandable, doable exercises follow, exercises designed to “demystify the common and complex mechanisms by which the specific element operates.”  

Getting Started exercises and Daily Warm-ups bookend the sections which focus on:

       ·       Character

·         Point of view and tone

·         Plot and narrative

·         Dialogue and voice

·         Descriptive language and setting

·         Revision

I loved reading how some of my favorite authors, including Joyce Carol Oates, Elizabeth Strout, Elizabeth McCracken and Richard Bausch, hone their craft.

I also loved discovering authors heretofore unknown to me.

Be sure to check back on Wednesday for Paul Lisicky’s exercise on the rhythm of language.
(His award-winning book THE BURNING HOUSE is currently on reserve at my Chicago Public Library.)

I’m happy to report my Newberry Library Picture Book Writing Workshop students this semester are also enjoying the exercises, completing one per week.

Explorers such as Columbus looked to the stars to help find their way.  With that thought in mind, I hereby declare NAMING THE STARS stellar, as in *****-worthy.  The collection of exercises is certain to help writers discover their stories and how best to tell them.

In celebration of Signor Columbus’ 1492 New World landing, Happy Discovering!

Esther Hershenhorn

So Many Books, So Little Time

  This will be a shorter post than usual, guys. I had emergency eye surgery the day after I wrote my last post, and I am still essentially working with one and a half functioning eyes.

   We've been talking about what the blogosphere holds for the writer. You already know the answer to that....a lot. You can spend all time trolling the Internet just reading writer's blogs, advice columns or sites that will help you do this, that or the other better. Unless I have a specific problem, I don't spend a lot of time cruising the virtual highway. I just don't have time.

     If I am online, it is to find out what is being published and what is worth reading. There was a time when I read everything that came out, good, bad or indifferent...but again...I don't have the time any more. (I should also add that as a librarian, reading everything that came in was part of my job.) Another part of the job was reading the review sources....Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Horn Book, etc.  All of these are available online for free, in condensed forms.

    However, I have been relying on these sources since my library school days, and I have learned that not every book makes it to the "the Bigs" of the review world. That's when I discovered bloggers-who-review.  Some bloggers drop a review or two into their posts from time to time.  I like lots of reviews, all in one place. (Again...that time-saving thing.)

    Once a month I check my two favorite sources, Richie's Picks and  Goodreads. Goodreads has recently become affiliated with Amazon in some fashion which seems to annoy my fellow readers. I am not going to get into a political debate over book reviewing. I scan through Goodreads not so much for the quality of the reviews, but mainly to see what people are reading. If there are a thousand plus reviews or likes of a book I've never even heard of, I check Amazon for the review.  That is, I check Amazon if it is an adult book.  If it is a children's book, I click on over to Richie's Picks. 

    Richie Partington doesn't so much review books as to write short essays about them.  He includes lengthy passages from the book (so you can get a taste of the writer's style) , compares them to other books (not necessarily books of the same genre or author...just books that ring a bell in Richie's head.) He keeps a year's worth of "recent" reviews online, but has an archive of his "Richie's Best of the Year" going all the way back to 2005. Richie's selections are eclectic. He reviews whatever floats his boat (I am still waiting to have one of my books in Richie's Picks). What I like about this blog is that Richie gives you more than enough information for you to decide whether this book is worth your time or not. Like I say, so many books, so little time. That's why Richie is my reading guru.

    Don't forget to enter our latest book giveaway for our own Jill Esbaum's book. See Jill's post for information.   This is one of your last chances, since the deadline is June 19th.

Posted by Mary Ann Rodman