This is NOT a sales pitch...

As we all know, technology advances at break-neck speed.  Something that just came out today will probably have three new versions by this time tomorrow.  And then you’ll be looking at your antiquated version peevishly, wondering “why do I even bother?”

With that said, I have always been somewhat reluctant to keep up with the trends of the newest hot-tech items.  I didn’t get my first i-pod until it had shrunk two sizes.  I barely got an i-Home as a gift this past Christmas.  And I’m usually one of the last to get the newest cell phones.

However, I have recently fallen head over heels for a relatively new piece of technology: The Kindle Fire.

I promise you, this is not a sales pitch.

Along with my i-Home, I also got a Kindle as a gift, after years of deciding I’d never fall victim to the page-less book.  I used to always think “a book without actual pages is no book at all” or “I prefer the feel and smell of real books fresh of the bookshelf.”  But, I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked for a Kindle, and I’m never looking back.

Benefits?  One of the best practices you’d hear from any writer is to read, read, read!  Understand the current market.  Read old stuff and new stuff, great stuff and awful stuff, classics and populars, genres you prefer to write and more.  The Kindle (or any e-book or tablet with book capabilities, I figure) allows you to do this with such ease, it’s almost cloying.  I’ve had my Kindle since December 25^th, and I’m already onto my fourth book (and that’s while having a two jobs, a husband, and a life).  Not only can I research what’s new and hot, but I can look at the ratings of the book, read a synopsis, and buy it for my own electronic bookshelf all from the comfort of my bed.

And that’s not all.  I am a lover of words (hint the title of my blog).  I love learning new words and challenging myself to use them.  The Kindle comes with the capability to touch a word, prompting the word’s definition to automatically pop up onto the screen, which helps me to expand my vocabulary AND study for the GRE at the same time.  I’m smitten.

Once again, I assure you, this isn’t a sales pitch for Amazon.  No.  It’s just a thankful author joining this century and sharing her excitement with other book-lovers and writers who are looking for some motivation to make their passion that much easier (no more “I just don’t have time to write/read”).  I’m sure there’s a way to download a notebook right onto your e-book so you can read and write as inspiration hits you.

What this is is me showing gratitude.  Paying homage.  Homage to a device that I know is going to help me continue to grow as a writer.  So, if you have pushed e-books out of your mind, consider reconsidering.  You might find yourself to be an e-book lover too.

What's your pick: book or ebook? Why?

New Year in 2013

With each New Year, brings a time for reflection.  On a personal realm, this year has been incredibly eventful for me.  1) I got married (YAY!!!), 2) I welcomed a new nephew into the world (HOORAY!!!), 3) I started teaching a community college class (AWESOME!!!), and 4) I was blessed with many, wonderful experiences (Hawaii wedding and honeymoon, watching the Endeavor space shuttle move through the streets of LA, bringing in the New Year on the Las Vegas strip, and so on and so on and so on).

And aren’t these experiences the stuff of our stories?  Inspirations packaged in our everyday lives.  Sometimes, we may not realize that these happenings have inspired anything, until we find them captured on our pages, maybe looking a little different than we had actually experienced; but now being experienced by our characters.  Though this year didn't bring my ultimate writing goal of publication, it was definitely a momentous year.

I have had a number of positive steps in the right direction:

1)      Myself and a fellow writer (correction: a fellow fabulous writer) Rosi Hollinbeck completed and submitted our poetry collection about seasons.  What a fantastic accomplishment that was, especially the number of poems we wrote.

2)      I attended a conference and received positive feedback from an editor on one of my manuscripts, in addition to the names of two houses I should consider submitting it to.

3)      I sent out a large number of manuscripts to agents and publishing houses, and eagerly await a response.

4)      I have joined a middle grade critique group, and am working diligently on improving my middle grade book.  This was a big step for me, especially since my previous foci has always been picture books and poetry.

And now, #5, the most exciting news of all (duhn-duhn-nuh-nuuuuh!):

5)      I received a bite for one of my manuscripts from a publishing house, who deemed it “charming” and asked me if it were still available.  It feels incredible to receive an interest from an editor, and I hope the house decides to pursue it (fingers, toes, arms, legs, and eyes crossed!).

I have a great feeling about this year, and I am hoping that it too will be filled with many more positive experiences, and even larger strides toward my goal of becoming a published author.

 

Moving forward!

Some thoughts on writing fiction...and J.K. Rowling

Writing fiction is no easy endeavor.  I mean, think about all that goes into it.  You have to figure out what you want to say, who your characters are, where your story takes place, when it takes place, what happens and what the plot includes, what the conflict is and how it’s solved (and that’s just general fiction).  And then, once you have that idea, you have to make each of these aspects real, believable, and of course interesting, or else no one would want to read your work.  Then you have to worry about word count or page count, tenses and grammar (of course those have to be accurate), consistency in the world you create (time, place, character) and so on.  And after all that is done, now you must edit and cut and revise (over and over and over again!).  And even after all that, there’s no guarantee that your “masterpiece” will even reach the bookshelves through publication.

But that’s okay, because, despite the struggle and time, those who enjoy writing, keep coming back to it.  Like myself.  We continue to challenge ourselves to see what we can create, and how we can make our work and ourselves even better.  We consistently allow ourselves to be moved by inspiration, and work to capture it onto our pages.  I am becoming a firmer believer about the importance of the process, the motion of what it takes to get there.  Like the words of India Arie’s song A Beautiful Day “Life is a journey, not a destination/ There are no mistakes, just chances we’ve taken”.  Of course, I’ll be excited to see what my finished product will be, but the unpredictability of the “getting there” is just as exciting.  A little daunting, and sometimes a little disheartening, but exciting nonetheless.

So, after thinking about all that it takes to be a writer, I sit in awe of those who have done it and who have done it so well.  Enter: J.K. Rowling.

I thought I’d write a little about J.K. Rowling because her work is awe-inspiring.  I have read the Harry Potter series and I have watched the movies over and over again.  And each time, I continue to be in awe of her work:  her characters and their quirks and imperfections; her settings and their “real-life feel”; her plot lines within each book as well as spread across seven books total; her creation of a new language (muggles, mudbloods, and so on) and of a new culture all together.  It’s no wonder why her World of Harry Potter has become such a world-wide phenomenon.  Her words have certainly had an effect on me that is difficult to explain; all I can do is sit back and continue to be enthralled in the world she created.

So Ms. Rowling, thank you for being such a talented writer.  Thank you for creating something that I have fallen in love with, something that me and my sisters have created so much history and so many memories with, something that I hope to share with my own kids one day when I have them, and something that inspires me to keep at my craft and become a better writer.  Thank you!

 

Now to figure out how to do it myself!

Warmth

The quickly approaching holidays always puts me into a nostalgic mood.  I reminisce about happy childhood times that I have shared with family and friends.  I think about the winter drives down Christmas tree lane where the streets were lined with impeccably decorated houses—lights twinkling brightly.  Or the short lived tradition of eating at IHOP (complete with hot cocoa stirred with a candy cane) before going to the tree farm to select the perfect tree—and all the eight-legged stowaway “friends” that also found their way into our home.   I think about family members coming from all parts of California to celebrate Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house.  Or going from one family member’s house to the next, and somehow finding a space in our stomachs to pack away a few more bites of holiday treats.  I think about New Year’s Eve sparkling apple cider, and seafood gumbo on New Year’s Day.  I think about the smiles we shared, the games we played, and the memories we built together.

 And as I reminisce about times that fill my heart, I endeavor to capture this warmth in the stories that I write.  How wonderful it would be that each time someone reads a story I write, they are filled with happiness, even though their experiences may have been different than mine.  Isn’t that a great goal to strive for?  Writing that captures and warms the hearts of all who read it? 

I think that if I am able to perfect infusing these happy feelings into my writing, that I will be forever preserving a childhood that I knew, and that was so wonderful to me.

But of course, I think that taking the time to reflect on my own happy memories is a great first step toward this goal.  Plus, it’s often an inspiration for new stories to come.

 

Happy November, everyone!

My Perfect Recipe

Add one big blue, cloudless sky

A couple green, green, grassy hills

Half a warm and gentle breeze

A few soft bluebird and swallow songs

One extra long glistening lake

A sprinkle of fresh river air

 

Turn on the sun to medium heat.

 

Add one tensed up and stressed out me

And one cozy, yellow blanket too

A touch of quiet

A dab of peace

 

Turn when golden brown.

 

 

 

 

 

The breath-taking inspiration of nature!

 

 

 

 

 

Taking Notes from Experts

Hello, hello, HELLO!

It has been much too long.  I have been busy, busy, busy (planning a wedding, getting married, honeymooning, and starting a new job teaching at a community college, and of course writing too).  Boy, the last few months have been packed!  But, now that things are beginning to cool down, I am rejoining the blogosphere—and with writers news too!

Today, I had the pleasure of attending a book launch for Jeri Chase Ferris’s Noah Webster and his Words.  This was an intimate event where many people came together to celebrate the release of her new book.  And what a book it is!  It follows the life of Noah Webster, the writer of the dictionary.  Not only was it an intriguing book, but so informational!  AND, Jeri has been given several awards including star reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, Kirkus, Horn Book, and has been deemed the “pick of the week” in California Kids and has been selected by the Junior Library Guild for Fall 2012.  Wow!

Obviously, she is an expert, so I took note of the wonderful atmosphere Jeri set for the occasion.  She had cookies and coffee for her guests, a guestbook, a display of other books she’s written (10+), letters and artifacts from the publishing process for Noah, and lots of books to sell.  She sold and signed several copies of her book, and everyone seemed so happy to be there.

 

I just want to say “job well done, Jeri!” and congratulations on the new book, all the great reviews and awards, and on a successful book launch!

2012 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market

Today’s short blog is about the 2012 Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market, a fabulous resource for the aspiring author.  This book is a 400 page source that includes insightful articles, sample letters, and lists of valuable information regarding publishers, agents, conferences, and contests.

So why do I mention it today?  Because I finally had a chance to closely scour the pages in search for publishing houses and literacy agencies that I am planning to query.  I wanted to do this for quite some time, but I finally I have had the chance to, and I look forward to typing up my own list to begin sending out again (YAY!  One check off of my to-do list).    

Of course writing always includes research to make sure what you are writing is realistic, but it also requires putting in plenty of time to research houses and agencies that are looking for what you write. 

 

Always and again, onward and onward!