Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Workshops & Conferences 2011
I just wanted everyone to know that I will be looking into this year's conferences and workshops for 2011. I will post about them ASAP and add them to the tool bar on the right. 'Tis the season for registering!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine Blues
Happy Valentine's Day! I know it's a day for L-O-V-E, and couples, but really it's not. For those out there that simply hate the day due to all the lovey dovey crap in the air, think of it as a day to cherish those you hold dear. It doesn't have to be a speical someone, wink, wink, but anyone who means something to you. Yeah, the coropate america wants you to send $150 on a dozen of roses that will die in a week and diamonds to make her sparkle. It doesn't have to be that way.
A simple card to a grandparent or a phone call to a friend you haven't talked to in ages will bring special meaning to the V-day if your a single. Or you could treat yourself! That's right, take all that money and spend it on YOU! Office supplies anyone?? Has all the typing on your new book made your nails crappy? If so treat yourself to a manicure! You deserve it! Can't remember the last time you ate a meal that wasn't pre-frozen due to the plot that your eye-balls deep in? Take yourself out to dinner!
See V-day doesn't have to be awful! If your cringing at the thought of actually going out on the hoilday don't. Stay at home and order in. It's amazing the things they will deliever now days. It's just a day, given a day with heaps on pink in it, but still just a another day.
A simple card to a grandparent or a phone call to a friend you haven't talked to in ages will bring special meaning to the V-day if your a single. Or you could treat yourself! That's right, take all that money and spend it on YOU! Office supplies anyone?? Has all the typing on your new book made your nails crappy? If so treat yourself to a manicure! You deserve it! Can't remember the last time you ate a meal that wasn't pre-frozen due to the plot that your eye-balls deep in? Take yourself out to dinner!
See V-day doesn't have to be awful! If your cringing at the thought of actually going out on the hoilday don't. Stay at home and order in. It's amazing the things they will deliever now days. It's just a day, given a day with heaps on pink in it, but still just a another day.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Kindergarten Woes?
Since spring is almost here a lot of parents have enrolling in kindergarten on their minds. This is a HUGE step in a child's life and in the parents. What to do first?? I will be honest in saying that if your child has been through some sort of a Pre-K program things will be easier, but if not there is hope!
First check with your local Elementary school to see when the OPEN ENROLLMENT is for Kindergarten, durning the enrollment make sure to turn in your paper work, if you miss the deadline DON'T PANIC, simply drop off your paper work at the school's office after they are open. Don't worry about the immunizations, you have all summer to get those if your child needs them, but check with the school about their policies regarding the deadline for when you can turn in your shot record.
In order to make sure your little guy or gal is ready for school simply play school with them at home! Make a table a desk for your child and have some fun projects planned that involve jumping, playing, and story time (they have to sit quietly while you read), and keep in mind the rules that a teacher would have. No talking in class, raise your hand, walk quietly in the hall, sitting still, and listening. Make it fun and use POSITIVE rewards, like "Wow! You really did a good job coloring!" then a sticker would be given, or a high five.
Of course play dates offer heaps of opportunities to seep in some more school rules. Sharing, team work, how to listen, how to treat other people & their property. Gentle reminders go a long way, "Hey, remember how we use team work to get a BIG job done?" then show them the first couple of steps and watch them absorb the concept and take off with it!
Now if your worried about that pesky kindergarten test at the start of the year don't be. It's not a real test. This is mainly for the teacher to know what level your child is on so they will know your child's strength's and weaknesses. Most school's will send you a copy of the results so you can work on their weak area's at home. No worries.
If you want to prepare your child for kindergarten so they are not swimming in the deep in go over basic skills.
Handwriting: how to hold a pencil, writing their first name, coloring semi-in-the-lines. As far as fine motor skills go they should be able to trace a cross, a plus sign, make a line, and make a circle.
Shapes: work on recognizing basic shapes, circle, triangle, square, rectangle.
ABC's: recognize letters in uppercase & lowercase, recite the alphabet
Numbers:count to 20, recognize numbers 0-20
There are some physical aspects also. Standing on one foot, hopping, telling left from right.
Enjoy the experience! Make sure to talk to your little one so they will know what's going on. Often they will be MORE excited than you would have expected!
First check with your local Elementary school to see when the OPEN ENROLLMENT is for Kindergarten, durning the enrollment make sure to turn in your paper work, if you miss the deadline DON'T PANIC, simply drop off your paper work at the school's office after they are open. Don't worry about the immunizations, you have all summer to get those if your child needs them, but check with the school about their policies regarding the deadline for when you can turn in your shot record.
In order to make sure your little guy or gal is ready for school simply play school with them at home! Make a table a desk for your child and have some fun projects planned that involve jumping, playing, and story time (they have to sit quietly while you read), and keep in mind the rules that a teacher would have. No talking in class, raise your hand, walk quietly in the hall, sitting still, and listening. Make it fun and use POSITIVE rewards, like "Wow! You really did a good job coloring!" then a sticker would be given, or a high five.
Of course play dates offer heaps of opportunities to seep in some more school rules. Sharing, team work, how to listen, how to treat other people & their property. Gentle reminders go a long way, "Hey, remember how we use team work to get a BIG job done?" then show them the first couple of steps and watch them absorb the concept and take off with it!
Now if your worried about that pesky kindergarten test at the start of the year don't be. It's not a real test. This is mainly for the teacher to know what level your child is on so they will know your child's strength's and weaknesses. Most school's will send you a copy of the results so you can work on their weak area's at home. No worries.
If you want to prepare your child for kindergarten so they are not swimming in the deep in go over basic skills.
Handwriting: how to hold a pencil, writing their first name, coloring semi-in-the-lines. As far as fine motor skills go they should be able to trace a cross, a plus sign, make a line, and make a circle.
Shapes: work on recognizing basic shapes, circle, triangle, square, rectangle.
ABC's: recognize letters in uppercase & lowercase, recite the alphabet
Numbers:count to 20, recognize numbers 0-20
There are some physical aspects also. Standing on one foot, hopping, telling left from right.
Enjoy the experience! Make sure to talk to your little one so they will know what's going on. Often they will be MORE excited than you would have expected!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Bio or not
The worst part for me of writing is sending out those letters, you know what letters I am speaking of, those Query letters. You send them out and wait, and wait. This is after you fretted over what to put in your letter, how to phrase it and if it will hook that literary agent. It’s stressful to say the least. I am a FIRM believer in simpler is better. Make your letter easy to read, yet full of your voice as a writer.
The hardest choice is what info to include in the bio section of your query. Do you even need a bio? It’s a hard choice to make, because really it depends on the literary agent. Do some research on your agent before you submit or compose anything. Be smart about your query.
Here’s my take on the Bio section of a query. There are HEAPS of thoughts on this section of a query. It can be confusing.
If you have been published before, or if you have written a NON-FICTION book and you have expertise on the subject of your writings because of your education, background, etc., please include that information in your bio section because it will hammer in why you have experience on the topic.
For fiction previously published works, no matter how small can be a help, and a brief description of your education, did you go to Yale? If so toot your own horn for a few lines. Simple is better, do not overwhelm the agent with you education, or publishing history.
If you to choose to skip the bio section that fine too. It’s your query! Try to go by the agents guidelines so that your query can hopefully avoid the slush pile.
Keep in mind that your query letter should be ONE page total, no more. I know it’s a lot to squeeze into one page, but you can do it! Also keep your query’s appearance neat and basic. I know you LOVE, L-O-V-E those cute pink hearts around the edge of your paper, but it is not needed for your query. You want it to be clean and professional.
Hopefully this will help you choose on what to include in your Bio section, or if you even need one. It’s a frustrating detail that is required if you are not already signed to a Lit agent, but hopefully this will help you snag the agent of your dreams!
The hardest choice is what info to include in the bio section of your query. Do you even need a bio? It’s a hard choice to make, because really it depends on the literary agent. Do some research on your agent before you submit or compose anything. Be smart about your query.
Here’s my take on the Bio section of a query. There are HEAPS of thoughts on this section of a query. It can be confusing.
If you have been published before, or if you have written a NON-FICTION book and you have expertise on the subject of your writings because of your education, background, etc., please include that information in your bio section because it will hammer in why you have experience on the topic.
For fiction previously published works, no matter how small can be a help, and a brief description of your education, did you go to Yale? If so toot your own horn for a few lines. Simple is better, do not overwhelm the agent with you education, or publishing history.
If you to choose to skip the bio section that fine too. It’s your query! Try to go by the agents guidelines so that your query can hopefully avoid the slush pile.
Keep in mind that your query letter should be ONE page total, no more. I know it’s a lot to squeeze into one page, but you can do it! Also keep your query’s appearance neat and basic. I know you LOVE, L-O-V-E those cute pink hearts around the edge of your paper, but it is not needed for your query. You want it to be clean and professional.
Hopefully this will help you choose on what to include in your Bio section, or if you even need one. It’s a frustrating detail that is required if you are not already signed to a Lit agent, but hopefully this will help you snag the agent of your dreams!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
SOOKIE!
I am a Charlaine Harris addict. Yes, I watch HBO's version of True Blood with a passion, (I mean who can resist all of those wonderful, lively characters?) and I read and have re-read the books the series is based on to make sure I have all my bases covered for when a new book comes out. This year is a BIG publishing year for Mrs. Harris And her devoted readers! I am proud to announce several up coming publications in the Sookie universe!
First up is "DEAD RECKONING" which is due out May 2011. She has yet to post any kind of a synopsis, but you can go to http://www.charlaineharris.com/DeadReck_1.html to read the first chapter of the book which is 19 pages. It begins with Sookie cleaning out her attic then moves onto her shift at the bar which starts out normally but as usual in the world of Sookie ends up haywire.
If you are a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books you are very familiar with the beautiful art work that graces the covers. The artist Lisa Desimini is now selling prints of the Sookie Stackhouse art work on her website, www.lisadesimini.com , the paying option is through Pay pal.
August 2011 will bring the "Home Improvement: the undead edition", which is a collection of short stories by various authors and includes a new Sookie Stackhouse story. There is also no synopsis posted yet for this book.
Out in September 2011 is the Sookie Stackhouse Companion Book which will include an all NEW novella and an interview with the HBO True Blood director Allen Ball. This will help you keep track of all of those fairies, werewolves and vampires!
If you are new to the Sookie world books 1-10 are for sale and you can also watch HBO's True Blood seasons 1 and 2, season 3 has yet to be released on DVD and Blue Ray, and season 4 is slated to start airing this summer.
First up is "DEAD RECKONING" which is due out May 2011. She has yet to post any kind of a synopsis, but you can go to http://www.charlaineharris.com/DeadReck_1.html to read the first chapter of the book which is 19 pages. It begins with Sookie cleaning out her attic then moves onto her shift at the bar which starts out normally but as usual in the world of Sookie ends up haywire.
If you are a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse books you are very familiar with the beautiful art work that graces the covers. The artist Lisa Desimini is now selling prints of the Sookie Stackhouse art work on her website, www.lisadesimini.com , the paying option is through Pay pal.
August 2011 will bring the "Home Improvement: the undead edition", which is a collection of short stories by various authors and includes a new Sookie Stackhouse story. There is also no synopsis posted yet for this book.
Out in September 2011 is the Sookie Stackhouse Companion Book which will include an all NEW novella and an interview with the HBO True Blood director Allen Ball. This will help you keep track of all of those fairies, werewolves and vampires!
If you are new to the Sookie world books 1-10 are for sale and you can also watch HBO's True Blood seasons 1 and 2, season 3 has yet to be released on DVD and Blue Ray, and season 4 is slated to start airing this summer.
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