A Quick Grammar Lesson

My daughter has introduced me to author John Green...including his Youtube blogs--The Vlog Brothers and Mental Floss. I enjoy his quick wit.  He manages to concisely explain some common spelling and grammar mistakes in the following video.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRMRCeQBAKI
Enjoy!

Rhyme Time @ The NE-SCBWI Conference

Rhyme, that enslaved queen, that supreme charm of our poetry, that creator of our meter. --Victor Hugo

This year's conference was fantastic. All the workshops were wonderful and I met some really talented people. Two of the classes that I attended related to my favorite form...rhyme. Janet Lawler spoke about The Sublime Rhyme and much of the expertise she shared is available on her web-site. Later in the weekend, I learned more of the essentials of the poetic form from Leslie Bulion. Both workshops were meaty and inspiring!

Writer's Conference Checklist

I just spent an hour or two getting ready for the up-coming NESCBWI conference for children's writers and illustrators. It's a weekend event that i have attended for the past several years. Here is a list of the things I did to prepare:

1. Volunteer! I feel so much more involved when I am helping out, and I have met some wonderful people. This conference, and many like it, depend on volunteers.

2. Know the faculty. Here is a fun excuse to hang out in the children's library. See what books the presenters of your workshops have written. Do they write books in the same style you do or is it something new and different?

3. Read the assignment. Some workshops request that you bring a work in progress in a certain genre. Make sure you do.  The time you spend on it during the workshop, whether it is looking at character, plot, rhyme, pacing, first paragraphs..is time well spent.

4. Muster your courage. As someone who enjoys the crowd, but not being at the center of it, I sometimes need to remind myself that there are many out there with the same apprehension about jumping in and meeting new people. Set a goal for yourself, even if it is small. Meet one writer who works in the same genre you do. Ask for one person's card. Remember, most people like to talk about themselves and what they love, so be a good listener.

The items on this list may seem obvious, but it took me a conference or two before I was doing them all consistently.

The Wood Frogs Were Calling

We were out for a walk today and heard what sounded like ducks quacking off in the woods. The wood frogs were calling us. We wandered down the path and saw a vernal pool off in the distance. Rather than bush-wacking, we stayed on the path because it lead to the graphite mine. How's this for a spooky entrance!?

The Ice is Talking

Sitting by a water this morning, I am enjoying the spring sunshine. I am also listening to the lake as is struggles to shrug off the ice or perhaps it is the ice fighting for a few more days. The ice groans and grumbles. With each sound, the water along the shoreline ripples. It sounds like whale songs echoing across the surface. Almost mystical...and lovely.

A New Adventure

I am so thrilled to have been accepted in to the Master Wildlife Conservationist program through the CT DEEP. The department is working to develop a volunteer corps to provide education and outreach for groups including libraries, schools, and the general public. In March I will start my 40 hours of training. Then I will give back with 40 hours of volunteer work. So many of my writing ideas focus on the wonders of nature, hoping to inspire a lifelong passion in children. I am eager to learn more....

Procrastination

I have promised myself that I will write every day. Today I need to go to the library to research..but it's about 10 degrees out so I will wait until later. I have to revise a story line and add some meat to it..but I only have some very vague ideas about where I want to go with it. I have to put some finishing touches on a couple of magazine articles so I can send them off..but the cover letters, envelopes, SASE's are my least favorite thing to do. So..I am writing here instead and dreaming about warm summer places. This barn was one of my favorite spots. It was a short walk from the entrance to the Santanoni Preserve in Newcomb, NY. It was like walking back in time. This farm provided some of the food for the family that stayed in the Great Camp several miles down the road. It is a lesson in self-reliance...as well as a bit of an American "Downton Abbey". I would have loved to know what the dynamics were like between the staff in the cabins that overlook this barn and the family in the lodge.