Research
Ok this may seem strange to some readers but I just have to say it. I LOVE research! Research is just one of those things I get excited about. I can’t wait to get started on doing research for a book I am going to write, or a character I am going to develop. I love cracking open an old book and smelling its dusty pages to find that one nugget of pertinent information, or scouring the internet reading details others have put out there to share and bookmarking them for later! I can’t wait to sit down on a bench and people watch (I know this sounds strange) to get all of the details that will make up my next character, facial expressions, smells, sounds. I love thinking creatively, and using all of those little facts I have come across to make a story others will enjoy!
Don’t forget your notebook!
P.S. For all of you Children’s writers out there, PiBoIdMo(Picture Book Idea Month) starts soon. You can sign up on Tara Lazar’s site. She has a lot of great stuff lined up so check it out!
Have a great weekend!
Jodi 
Write an Article
I was driving home from taking my son to the dentist today and we ended up behind this truck that had the sign “Critter Gitter” on the side of it. Hanging from the back of the truck off of a ladder were two bats, that at first I thought were real. Right away I knew exactly what this business was all about! I am really glad I’ve never had to call him, but I will remember who to call if I ever do need a critter getting service.
Seeing this truck on the road reminded me of article writing! When writing an article, no matter what the subject might be, you have to find the strange or different subject matter contained in your topic. People don’t want to hear the same story over and over again about any particular subject, and Publishers won’t publish the same boring information either. You have to dig deep, and ask the questions why, where, and what? Get specific when choosing your subject, don’t just choose the topic of bats, go deeper, how do bats sleep? Publishers are interested in a point of view that has not been heard before.
So where do you start? Start by asking yourself some questions. What are you curious about? What were your favorite things as a child? What are you interested in now? It is important to write about what you are interested in or what you know because it will hold your attention when researching and writing your piece, and you may know something about that subject that others don’t. Once you find a broad subject you are interested in start your research. When researching your topic, look for the interesting little facts about your topic. Learn all you can about your subject matter so you can be confident in your writing. For me, research is great fun! I love finding out new things about whatever it is I am writing about. I love looking at books on the same subject matter and searching out that one strange or unusual fact that is not talked about. I then start building my article. For me research is a like a hunt, a place of discovery where I can be curious and ask all of those strange questions and find out the answers. It is best to build your article around the unusual angle or fact you have found on your subject. When people read your article you want them to say “Wow, I never knew that about bats!”, or whatever your subject matter may be.
Articles can be a great way to get your foot in the door with publishing. If your ultimate goal is to write a children’s story, you may want to start with articles. Most publishers would like to see that you have already been published in the past before publishing your book.
I challenge you to write one article this week on a subject matter that you love!
~Make it a great week~
Jodi
Berenstain Bears Review
I am sure you all remember the beloved children’s book series the Berenstain Bears. Who can forget all of the messes they got themselves into and how mama and papa bear always helped them learn their lessons in the end. The whole series is still relevant for all families and children today. Stan and Jan Berenstain (the creators) cover so many family topics including bullying, cleaning your room, losing, junk food, the dentist and more. The stories are so full of life and expression, each one teaching a lesson for our little readers.
My children have enjoyed these books so much. They are perfect for the somewhat beginner reader (2nd grade) and engage the children in the story. Our books have been read so much that the covers are falling off! Even though they are tattered they are still a first pick when it comes to reading time.
Inspiration- It’s all around us
Tonight is our annual town celebration, full of food, fun and music. The night will start off with a parade which we always enjoy. The kids always get to lead off the parade, they call it the “kiddie parade”, which gives the kids the opportunity to decorate their bikes and strut their stuff. This year the theme for the kiddie parade is dress as your favorite storybook character. Of course since I have a lot of children we will have a lot of characters…well they are always characters but this time they actually get to dress as one they like. Gracing our presence will be Junie B Jones, Fancy Nancy, Tinkerbell and Super Mario Brothers to name a few. It will be fun to watch them walk and wave in the parade as if they were stars on the red carpet. Along with the fun parade comes hordes of candy, so much that it will most likely last until Halloween!
Just like the candy at the parade Inspiration is being thrown at us all the time. We have the choice to collect up all of that inspiration or leave it by the wayside. All of these inspirations could be what will make up your next character, or create your next plot. These pieces of inspiration could create the next scene in your book, complete the last paragraph you have been struggling with.
The little notebook I hope that you carry with you can be your candy jar to collect all of the inspiration you see. A note-book is key! I always think I will remember something when I get home, but you never quite remember all of those small details that make your story great. Sometimes even just jotting down a few words to help jog your memory can help.
This weekend when life throws pieces of inspiration your way, collect them, and use them up to create your next great masterpiece.
Have a great weekend!~
Jodi
Book Review- Biscuit Storybook Collection
It is time to do a book review again! Today I have chosen Biscuit Storybook Collection by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, and pictures by Pat Schories.
This is a wonderful storybook collection to share with your children. The book is a collection of nine stories about Biscuit and all of his adventures. The stories are simple and great for small children. The pictures are colorful and full of action. This would also be a great book for a child that is just beginning to read. The author uses words simple enough for early school children to read and understand.
Biscuit is so cute and seems to get himself into all kinds of strange situations. If you have a pet, especially a puppy, then you will be able to relate to all of Buscuits adventures! This book would make a wonderful birthday or Christmas present. It is nice to get so many stories in one book.
I hope you have a wonderful Fourth of July Weekend!
Jodi
Your Favorite Book is….
My favorite book is “The Little Red Hen”. I loved this book as a child, and I can relate to it even more as an adult! I feel like the little red hen a lot in my house hold.
“Who will help me clean up the kitchen so we can make cookies?”
“Not I.” Said child 1-7!!
And after many more “Not I” pages. . .
“Who will help me eat the cookies?”
“Oh me, me!”
I never knew how much I could relate, as an adult, to a character in one of my favorite childhood books. Amazing what you learn when you go back and reread some of your favorite books.
I am sure there are tons of books out there I have never read, and I want to hear about them. What is one of your favorite books, from the past, or one you recently have come across? If you have it, pick it up and read it again for old times sake. If you don’t have it around think about picking it up from your local bookstore or online. If it was one of your favorite books your kids might enjoy it just as much.
Leave me a comment about your favorite book. Talk to me, tell me all about it!
~Have a great weekend~
Jodi
STAY FOCUSED!!
School is out, in our part of the woods, and that means a more hectic day for me. Today was the first official day of summer for our household and it really went pretty well. I still got done everything I needed to do and fed ALL of the children, and played outside. SUCCESS! The challenge in the coming weeks will be staying focused on my writing. I need to submit my manuscript for my book before this baby comes, so organization will be key!
Using time wisely can be difficult when you are being pulled away from your focus by six little people that want your attention! I recently was reading a blog post by Kristi Holl that talks about efficiency in writing http://kristiholl.net/writers-blog/2011/05/efficiency-found-here/ . On this post she speaks about 5 great articles worth taking a look at for being more efficient with your time when it comes to writing… which could also apply to other parts of your life. The following list is from the post mentioned above:
- “5 ways to juggle your writing, your job and family responsibilities” by Shirley Jump
- “A matter of time” by Guy Stewart
- “Setting up a productive work space” by Sharon Miller Cindrich
- “Quiet! Writer in the house” by Connie Heckert
- “Writing on the Fly” by Sandra Hurtes
Check out the articles above, it will be worth your time. Stay focused on your goals and use helpful information on the web to keep yourself organized and efficient when it comes to your writing. A little organization can go a long way!
Have a great week!
Jodi
Small Successes
I recently came across a really neat magazine and website called Faith and Family Live or faithandfamilylive.com. The feature on the site today is to focus on the successful things you accomplished this week and post them on your blog, so I decided to participate…. and you can to, just visit http://www.faithandfamilylive.com , and you don’t have to have a blog to participate. Sometimes daily life can be challenging and it is important to remember all the things we did accomplish to keep ourselves going onto the next day!~
My successes today/this week are:
1. Attended mass today and reveled in the joy of seeing my 6 year old 1st grader say a petition. She did great, it was so sweet!
2. Planned out the outline for a book submission I am working on. That was a HUGE accomplishment for me.
3. Completed 3 loads of laundry washed and dried (two more are washing and drying ) and took out a pork loin for dinner…. I am glad I remembered!
I hope you had a great day today as well!
JODI
A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon Book Review
I was impressed by the point that was expressed in David Shannon’s book “A Bad Case Of Stripes”. It is literally a very colorful book that emphasizes staying true to yourself. My kids love this book so much, and we have read it over and over again. They are intrigued by the pictures on each page and are captivated by the story as it unfolds.
Camilla Cream is the central character that gets into a tangle when she gives up her favorite food lima beans simply because all of her friends hate lima beans. Strange things begin to happen to her, and every kind of doctor comes to examine her but they cannot figure out what is wrong. Things continue to escalate as her body morphs into different shapes and colors until finally a little old woman saves the day with a hand full of lima beans. From that day on “She ate all the lima beans she wanted, and she never had even a touch of the stripes again.”
Although this book is dog eared, and bent, it remains a favorite in our household. Each time after we read this story we talk about Camilla and her lima beans. I remind the kids to always stay true to themselves, and not to change because other people may not like who they are. It really is a great life lesson that is easily lost in today’s society. Pick this book up at your local library or Barnes and Noble if you have never read it before. It will be worth your time.
Camilla at school
Camilla and the Doctors
Time to start fresh….
The new year is a time for resolutions and promises. They say one of the best ways to be sure you complete your resolutions is to WRITE THEM DOWN somewhere. When we write them down we solidify them with our brain one more time.
To be honest I have not even really made a new years resolution yet, so I really need to get on the ball. There are just so many things that need to be done, and even one year does not seem like enough time to accomplish all of these goals. So I guess I just have to choose one or two to focus on. I know that at least one goal will involve writing……finishing my course at Institute of Children’s Literature would be a good one, but I will do that regardless.(almost done, second to last assignment!)
I did send one of my pieces of writing off to a magazine and have not yet received a rejection letter YET! So I guess that could lead me to one goal I have been working towards “getting published” this year. Okay, there we go, goal number one, get published. That alone could take the whole year or more!
Now that I have set at least one goal I better start moving towards it…….what shall I do first. HMMMM….making a plan would be a great idea.
If you have not made any new years resolutions yet, I would encourage you to. Take a look at yourself and make a resolution that will lead you to a bigger goal in life, not just the same one you did last year…lose weight, get organized… blah. Really focus on where it is you are going in life and where you want to be, then when the end of the year comes you can look back and know you were headed in the right direction. Good Luck!
Have a great week!
