Guest Post by Shel Delisle--First Time NaNoWriMo Participant
I'm thrilled to have Shel Delisle visit my blog on her Dolphin Girl tour. I was revising a novel in early November and felt awful having to miss NaNoWriMo for the first time since I took the plunge in...
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I came up with 87 manuscript ideas...what's next?
November was an incredibly productive month for me. I revised a middle grade novel--now it's fully polished and ready to go. Yay! I also revised more than eleven picture book manuscripts. Six are...
View ArticleHappy New Year!
Wow, I can't believe it's almost 2012--this year really flew by. I accomplished a lot, and hope next year will be even better for all of us!I've been thinking about my goals, and decided not to...
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Picture Book Workshop with Editor Tamar Brazis
The Art of Friendship in Children’s Picture BooksI really enjoyed this workshop at the FL SCBWI Conference in Miami led by Tamar Brazis, the Editorial Director of Abrams Books for Young Readers and...
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Voice Workshop with Agent Jill Corcoran
How to Improve Your Writing Voice and Characters’ VoicesAgent Jill Corcoran at the 2012 FL SCBWI Conference in MiamiJill Corcoran talked about the difference between the author voice, which is in...
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Christian Trimmer – Editor at Disney Hyperion
I really enjoyed hearing Christian Trimmer speak at a recent SCBWI event at The Loft at Congress. Huge thanks to Christian, Linda Bernfeld, Laurie Taddonio, and Flora Doone for putting together such a...
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PB challenge, Mixed-Up Files openings, and a new puppy!
I can't believe how busy things have been, but I've been making incredible progress on my MG and PB. I love finding ways to dig deeper into my manuscripts, and I also love the extra push that...
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Random Act Of Kindness BLITZ--win a critique!
A smile. An encouraging word. A thoughtful gesture. Each day people interact with us, help, and make our day a bit brighter and full. This is especially true in the Writing Community. Take a second to...
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A winner! Plus one more Random Act of Kindness.
It was so much fun participating in RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness) during the launch of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi. I bought...
View ArticleI love interviews!
When I first joined From the Mixed-Up Files...of Middle-Grade Authors, I knew I loved chatting about everything middle grade, but I didn't realize how much I'd enjoy posting interviews. I've met so...
View ArticleA Chance to Win a 20 Page Critique From Agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin!
I've had such a fun and busy few days with my family that I just realized that the winners of up to a 20 page critique of an MG from agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin and a copy of Wonder by R. J. Palacio...
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Finding Balance
It's not always easy to balance writing and family. For a while, life was fairly quiet while my girls were in school, and I had tons of writing time. I've always loved a challenge, and amazed myself...
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Happy 1st Birthday, Ruby!
My sweet little puppy is one today. Happy birthday, Ruby!I honestly didn’t think Hubby would let us get another dog, and was thrilled when Ruby came into our lives. It’s hard to believe that she was...
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Joyce Sweeney Critique Giveaway and Plotting Workshop Notes
I’m thrilled to share information from another one of Joyce Sweeney’s amazing workshops. Dialogue and humor are some of my writing strengths, but I’ve always had to work extra-hard to plot my novels...
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HUGE Critique Giveaway and Interview with Joyce Sweeney
A grand prize has been added to this giveaway, thanks to all your enthusiastic shares of my last post, when I announced Joyce Sweeney’s new online class, shared my notes on her amazing Plot Clock...
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The Joyce Sweeney critique winners are...
I've had such a fun week celebrating the launch of Joyce Sweeney's online class. Thank you all so much for your enthusiastic comments and link shares. I really appreciate it! And a huge thank you to...
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Critique giveaway and writing tips from author Gayle Krause
I am thrilled to welcome author Gayle Krause to my blog! Gayle stopped by to share some helpful writing tips and offer a critique giveaway for a YA, MG, or picture book to celebrate the launch of her...
View ArticleThe winner of a critique from Gayle Krause is...
Thank you for visiting my blog to help Gayle Krause celebrate the release of her young adult novel, RATGIRL: Song of the Viper. And thanks again for all the sweet comments. I'm glad you enjoyed...
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Where To Find Inspiration for Future Manuscripts
It’s amazing how many story ideas you can miss if you’re too busy to jot them down before they fly away. Mine often hit when I’m driving, about to sleep, or in the shower. Luckily, I’ve been able to...
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Novel Intensive with Jen Rofé, Stacy Abrams, and Chris Crutcher
I love attending conferences, workshops, and taking writing classes, and have a feeling that won’t change, no matter how many books I have published. I always take at least a gem or two back with...
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The 2014 SCBWI FL Regional Conference - Part 2
This is my second post about the incredible 2014 SCBWI FL Regional Conference in Miami. There’s so much info to share with all of you, I had to break it into three posts! This one covers almost all of...
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The 2014 SCBWI FL Regional Conference - Part 3
As promised, here is my third post about the incredible 2014 SCBWI FL Regional Conference in Miami. This one covers the editor panel and workshops led by editors Laura Whitaker and Aubrey Poole. Click...
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To Celebrate My Good News, I'm Giving Away Free Critiques!
I just won a scholarship to the Craft and Business of Writing Children's Picture Books class through the Children's Book Academy. I've been happy dancing since I heard the great news! The class is...
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I'm thankful for so many things!
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Sammi and I had fun baking brownies (our best batch yet) and delicious mini cheesecakes. We had a fantastic time yesterday! Our cousins found this...
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Picture Book Critique Group Checklist
Great critique groups are priceless! I can’t imagine being a writer without having at least one or two amazing, supportive groups.I'm the Critique Group Coordinator for SCBWI FL and have had requests...
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