Guest Posting Today on Redwood's Medical Edge

I'm a sucker for a good medical thriller, my favorite genre for pleasure reading.

So when I came across a blog devoted to accuracy concerning medical facts

in literature, I was intrigued. Redwood's Medical Edge is author Jordyn 

Redwood's blog. If you're a writer with a medical scene in your WIP (work

in progress), she'll be happy to review it for medical accuracy. I personally

can't stand it when I'm watching a medical show or reading a book containing

medical impossibilities or fallacies. I'm the one shouting at the TV, "You can't 

shock asystole!!" Really how many times will writers make that mistake? 

I was thrilled when Jordyn asked me if I had any ideas for a guest post. Since

the area of nursing I practice is postpartum, I took on the polarizing topic of 

home verses hospital deliveries. An issue many are passionate about. My 

goal in writing this post for Jordyn was to be sure soon to be parents make

an informed decision about where to deliver, knowing the risks and benefits

of both. You can read my guest post on Redwood's Medical Edge here. Thanks,

Jordyn, for the opportunity, and I can't wait to read your new novel, Proof, 
coming out this June!

Resolute in Resolutions?

The new year will be upon us shortly. 2012... can you believe it? New years
come with the hope of new beginnings. Already this week, I've noticed what 
seems like more runners out hitting the pavement in what I'd imagine is a 
head start on their resolutions. One somewhat older gentleman I observed 
looked like he should've had a paramedic following him down the road... just
in case. 


The end of one year and the start of another causes me to ponder what I'd 
like to change in my life. If I could narrow it down, I want to be more disciplined 
when it comes to my quiet time with the Lord, be sure to actually open my Bible 
daily and in my housework. It's been difficult having two kids four and under 
and being pregnant to keep up with the house and laundry. It's much easier to 
sit and type than to hall around the vacuum or heaping baskets of clothes that 
never end. And as far as my Bible reading and prayer time, well I don't have 
any excuses for that. 


I'd also love to acquire a literary agent this next year. I'm trusting the Lord will
continue to guide me in this search, and all will come to pass in His good 
timing. In the mean time, I continue to refine what I've written and have started
on a new project. 


I love the idea of new beginnings. Intentions are great, but I can't help but
think about follow through, that discipline deal. How can I be sure to not
let the new changes slip away as the months go by? 

1. Take a lesson from Nike and "Just do it!" Stop making excuses.
2. Ask the Lord for help when I just don't feel like it. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). 
3. Remember that when I work, whether at my job or doing laundry at home, I do it for the Lord. Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men."

I take these points to heart as the new year approaches. Do you plan to make

any New Year's resolutions? Do you have a plan or strategy on how to keep them?

God's Grace is Sufficient

With my kids temporarily entranced by Word World, I must literally hurry up 
and write my post for this week, which has been one of the most difficult
since I've been pregnant. My all-the-time sickness has been intense. 
Yesterday, I was sure I'd puke all over the grocery store floor. By the 
grace of God, that didn't happen. The rest of the day, I was couch-bound,
unable to move. As difficult as this week has been, I remember that 
my new little one is well worth it, and I'm relieved to be within a month
of my second trimester, when I'll hopefully feel much better. 


Why is it when I'm not feeling well my dear, sweet, adorable children 
sense my weakness and run through the house like they're competing
in the 100 yard dash? High-pitched screams drown out any other 
competing noises, children collide into each other, the house is 
a disaster zone, dishes are piled up in the sink, laundry is lurking
in the basement, revisions are impatiently waiting on my laptop,
my Bible is longing to be opened, and all I can think is "God help
me!" 


I remember, "My grace is sufficient for you," and that God will not give
me more than I can bear. God is good. I've been relying on Galatians 
5 and Psalm 23. In Galatians, we read about the Fruits of the Spirit, one
of which is peace. Peace is a Fruit of the Spirit. If I abide in the Lord, I 
have peace. In Psalm 23, we are told the "Lord is our Shepherd (to
feed, guide and shield), I shall not lack," in the Amplified. That 
encompasses all of our needs. No matter what we're going through, 
God is our Strength and our Hope. He is our Rock. He knows what we 
need before we ask. God meets us where we are, and He loves us
where we are. 


I know what I'm going through is temporary, and God will give me 
the strength to endure, to be a good mom, and to accomplish what
I need to do. I'd appreciate your prayers over the next few weeks as
I come to the end of my first trimester. I'm also determined to work 
on some revisions today during the munchkins' nap time. :)

Why Twitter?

As a writer, it seems as though one has to constantly juggle time for
family, writing, social networking, house work, and the list goes on. 
Time management is vital to the successful management of all of 
the above. I've heard so many writers say that they don't have time for 
twitter. "It's just one more thing to do and keep track of." 


I admit I was hesitant to join twitter at first. Who cares what kind of 
breakfast I'm eating. I thought.  Isn't twitter a bit egotistical? Despite
my reservations, due to the advice of an industry professional, I 
joined anyway. There was a larger time requirement in the beginning,
but once I had 150 followers, it became much easier. Now I'm up
to 400 followers, and although the number is by no means colossal,
I'm still happy with reaching that milestone. Having followers is a 
nice sense of accomplishment, but it means nothing if you don't 
engage your followers, if your just another boring icon on their 
following list. 


Twitter can be used for multiple purposes, the one I prefer is a 
means for those interested in what you have to say as a person
and author to get to you. It's a glimpse into your personality
and your passions, a way for others to see what's in your 
heart and imagination. I mentioned before that I had thought,
who wants to know what I had for breakfast? If your passionate
about what you had for breakfast, it's totally different. "Coffee...
eggs... to work..." is okay to tweet, but a bit boring. "Perfectly 
toasted, blueberry bagel bursting with blueberry goodness...
a perfect way to start the day," is much more enjoyable to read.
These types of tweets are fun from time to time, but I'd stay 
away from doing them too often. Tidbits are fun to know, but 
there is such a thing as information overload. I'm not interested
in a running commentary of some one's day, no matter how 
famous they are. 


Of course, we as writers do not twitter just to share fun tidbits,
but mainly to market ourselves, and if we are fortunate enough
to be published, our books. This too can be overdone. When
I choose whether or not to follow someone, the choice is more
difficult if when I look through their recent tweets it is all self
promotion. Having those personal tidbits intermingled with
the promotion tweets lends to the idea that he/she is a real
person and not just a marketing machine. 


There are some practical ways to manage your time on twitter.

• Utilize lists. You can break down your followers into as many lists as you'd like. Currently I have two lists - Bloggers and Writers. It makes it so much easier to keep in touch with a certain demographic instead of searching through dozens of random tweets.
• Have a time limit. I'm sure we've all been sucked into the time warp that is the Internet. Where did that two hours go? Have I done anything productive? Ah! My budgeted writing time is gone! I try to do 20 minutes a day. If you really need help disconnecting, set an alarm. 
• Tweet at least once a day and I recommend no more that 10 - 15 times a day. Moderation is the key. If someone has 50 tweets for the last day, I'd rather not click the follow button. 

Why twitter? It's a great way to get yourself out there and contributes to the

much needed "platform" all writers must establish. If you're a writer and you 

haven't yet taken the plunge into the world that is twitter, I encourage you

to do so. Pace yourself, be fun, use common sense, and enjoy the ride! 

Big News!

As I type, my eyes are heavy, my tummy tumbling, and my brain clouded 
with an afternoon fog. Any guesses at what could be causing all these 
symptoms at once? If you guessed Baby Cunningham # 3 is on his/her
way, you're right! Jason and I were happily surprised 5 weeks ago when
we discovered we had another one on the way, and I tested positive so 
early and was sick so quickly that I was convinced it had to be twins. Being
that my Grandma Rose was a twin, I have a good chance at that possibility. 
I've even been having dreams about having twins. At my initial OB 
appointment today I had an ultrasound and the technician only found
one precious baby. Although having twins would've being super cool, I 
think God must know what I can handle, especially since my first two 
are so adventurous. 


Still a month to go before I come to the end of my first trimester, and I'm 
already reeling from a multitude of crazy symptoms. There's the usual 
nausea and fatigue, but add to that, evening dizziness and lightheaded-
ness, hot flashes, and heartburn. In my opinion, it's way too early for
heartburn. Although this week I've been feeling a bit better, the last 
few weeks have been very difficult. Many times it the evenings, I have
been unable to even get up from the couch, and my sweet other half
has had to take care of me after he's been at work all day. Hopefully in
a month or so, this will all be behind me. 


God has been so good to help me through this difficult first trimester. 
And though there have been times when the last thing I've wanted to
do was to write, I've still been working on revisions and going to my
writing groups, which have proven invaluable. I'm so excited and 
encouraged for my future. I know God has such good things for me
personally and professionally. 

Soon to be Published in Super Cool Kid's Magazine

Last winter, I wrote a story for a Christian children's magazine, The Kid's Ark, 
and this last weekend, I was notified that it has been selected to be included
in their March, 2012, issue. To say that I'm excited is an understatement. 
Listening to a voicemail informing me of the good news last Sunday night
as I left work, I literally did a "happy dance" in the front seat of my car. 
Thankfully is was dark out so no one saw me, and no, I hadn't started my
car yet. 


According to their website, The Kid's Ark magazine is, "geared to kids ages
6 - 12, 36 page, full color, interactive magazine" and, "contains the Ten 
Commandments and Salvation Prayer in every issue." The founders of this
magazine are Jim and Violette Burger of Victoria, Texas. Their passion to
see children reached with the Gospel and Biblical principles is apparent 
when you visit their website or read one of their issues. 


The story I wrote is about a young girl who goes with her father to the 
zoo, and through a conversation with him receives Jesus as her 
Savior. I titled it "Finding Jesus at the Zoo," but the editors of the
magazine may change the title before the issue comes out in March of
next year. 


Along with stories, this magazine also has contests, puzzles, and
testimonials. It's a great witnessing tool as well as a lot of fun. If you have 
or know any kids in the 6 - 12 age group, you may want to consider a 
subscription for them. :) 

Inspiration from an Uninspired Tuesday

What do you say when you feel like you have nothing to say?
You sit at your desk or on your couch and stare seemingly
mindlessly at a computer screen void of characters or thoughts 
and wonder what to do next. I'm sitting here, you think, at least 
trying whip up some sort of literary delight, something inspiring, 
something thought provoking. Yet nothing comes. 


This describes me perfectly this week. I've sat down many times
to write this post, but currently I feel completely unoriginal and 
uninspired. I'd much rather curl up with my Boxer-Schnauzer mix,
Hobbes, and dream the afternoon away. The soft sounds of strings 
and piano from my son's lullaby CD only encourage my sleepy state. 


Yet a writer must write, right? Despite how we feel or what we
may think, we must write, even if we think we have nothing to say. 
It comes down to self discipline. We all have God-given talents,
and we must exercise them. I don't know if practice really makes
perfect, but is sure helps. Because blogging forces we who are
aspiring authors to accountability with ourselves and others, 
I consider it essential to those of us attempting to break into the
literary world. It's Tuesday, I think to myself, it's been a week.
I have to write something... . 


Beyond the dullness fogging my mind I know there is more. Colorful 
creativity and playful prose are waiting for me to break through walls 
of mediocrity and melancholy, walls otherwise known at writer's block.
Will I succumb to these walls that attempt to intimidate? Not a bit. After 
all, a writer must write. 


Does anyone else ever struggle with brainstorming fun and interesting 
topics to blog or write about? How do you combat non-inspired times?

Hearing God's Voice: In the Ringer... Again.

Remember times in your life when you had to learn something over 
and over... and over again. I feel like I'm in a repeat wash cycle of 
life. Similar to how a washer with an agitator uses movement  to 
remove the unwanted from clothes, I'm irritated by events in my life 
that are causing an uncomfortable friction in my soul. 


One of the things God is teaching me is to hear His voice verses what 
I want Him to say. Last week I had a small possibility of going to a 
writing conference. I'm writing a children's picture book series that 
incorporates prayer into each story. So when I happened upon Writing 
for the Ages, a conference specifically for Christian children's writers, 
naturally, I was excited. The main feature that drew me to this conference 
was that it focuses on the the craft of writing, not on "how to be published,"
but simply writing itself. 


Don't get me wrong. Learning how to become published is important, 
and one needs to know the business side of writing. However, I feel 
like the stronger one's writing is, the better chance one has at achieving 
published author status. Let's not forget why we're blogging and networking, 
let's not forget out love of crafting a story so that it touches the hearts of 
those who read it.


I so wanted to go to this conference, but limited finances available, I prayed 
if it was God's will that He would make a way. Days passed, and I became 
nervous. I was having difficulty scraping funds together and securing 
childcare. After an emotional conversation with God last friday, I concluded 
it wasn't His timing for me to go this year. After a few tears, I felt peace erase 
my fatigue and regret. God is all powerful, omniscient, and above all good.
He wants what's best for me, and I must rest in that knowledge. Now this
week, I'm once more facing a situation where I must put my wants aside
and truly listen for God's voice to guide me, hence the rewash cycle. 
With His grace, I'll make the right choice. If I'm seeking His will, God 
won't lead me down the wrong path. 


As far as the Writing for the Ages conference, I'll be saving up to go 
next year (they're fairly certain they'll have it again).  I've attached 
a link for anyone who wants to save their pennies for next year
as well. 


http://www.navigators.org/us/ministries/gleneyrie/retreats/cornerstone/writingfortheages

Why Write for Children?

Why write for children? Over the last year or so, I've read from differing 

sources that children's books are on a decline and that writing for adults

is more profitable. So why branch out of my comfort zone of a part time

nurse and full time mom to write in a classification of books on a decline?

I love children. I love children's books. I love that one can create fun 

stories with morals woven through the fabric of fun plots and dreamy 

fairy tales. 

It seems cliche to say that children are our future, but I'll say it. Children

are our future! Reading to them from a young age, even infancy, benefits

them tremendously. I've read to my children before naps, bedtimes, and 

in between since they were small babies, and now they both love books.

It seems they are constantly begging me to read to them. Although, 

attention spans vary according by age and activity levels, even if 

you can only get a few lines in before your young one dashes off to 

chase dust particles ignited by sunlight, you've reinforced his/her love 

of books and reading. 

Reading children's stories is also a great way to reinforce morals you're

trying to teach your children, important stuff like sharing, listening,

courage and friendship. I want to read my children stories that 

portray these kinds of qualities, so naturally, when I decided to write

for children, I incorporated these favorable character traits into my 

stories. But one can't just fill a book with lessons of character, there

also has to be exciting adventures and far away places. 

Imagine being a child, what would you want to be? Where would 

you want to go? This is what I think about when beginning a new 

story. I run my ideas across my kids, as they are brutally honest, to 

be sure the ideas are winners. Recently, I've begun brewing ideas  

for new characters and scenes for my fifth story in my children's 

picture book series. I'm excited to start it sometime in the next 

couple weeks. The beginning of the school year is always a bit 

chaotic. Soon we'll be in a routine, and I'll carve out time for a 

new adventure. 

The Nap Time Dilemma

This last week has been interesting. My role as Mommy has been tested 
in multiple ways from multiple directions, and I sit now watching hurricane 
coverage (being a huge weather junkie), completely exhausted, wishing
work would call and cancel me for the 7 - 11 "princess shift" I'm scheduled
to work tonight. Why so spent? 


I'll begin at the logical place... the beginning. Last Saturday and Sunday 
were great. We had my daughter's first "friend" birthday party with three
other adorable munchkins. They had a blast. The two hours flew by 
in a similar fashion to how our giant schnauzer/boxer mix chases rabbits 
through the back yard. Did you see that black streak go by? Thankfully, the 
evidence of whirlwind-like childish energy was contained to my daughter's 
bedroom. She had such a great time that she's still talking about it. 


On Sunday we had all the in-town family over to celebrate. Again Avalon 
had a wonderful time. She loves her extended family and is in heaven when 
we are all together. After the party I raced to a writer's meeting. My second 
ever and my first specifically for children's book writers. The meeting was 
helpful, encouraging, and informative. I was also able to give out some advice 
as well, instead being only on the receiving end. Looking back over the 
last eight months, I can see my growth as a writer, and it's exciting. 


On Monday, my husband drove to a neighboring state for work and just 
came home on Thursday. I dislike being alone, especially going to sleep
alone. When Jason's gone, I find myself staying up way too late, which 
usually leads to crankiness the following day. Through to Wednesday,
I was pretty proud of myself, then Thursday came. 


Thursday morning I had it good. Both my kiddos were at mom's day out
(what we call "school"). I went to Target by myself, did the dishes, and 
watched Rachel Ray. Thursday afternoon, Avalon decided to assert 
a new found independence, having reached the grown-up age of four.
Avalon usually has a hard time going to sleep, so my solution has been 
to sit in her rocking chair, reminding her to "be still" and "stop moving." 
Now, I know you're probably thinking Just let her stay up. She's four now! 
I tried letting her go without a nap for an entire week last month. It was
a disaster, and I think I acquired a few more white hairs by the end of it.


Usually my strategy of getting her to be still works like a charm, causing
her to slip into REM cycles within minutes. However, this day that wasn't
happening. She refused to be still, and despite all my creative incentives
and negative consequences, nap time never happened. After an hour and
a half, I found myself in tears after she matter-of-factly stared me down 
while ignoring my directions to put her head on her pillow yet one more time.


Knowing that the tears sent the wrong message, I went downstairs to regroup
and called my husband. Although he'd be home in a few hours, I needed
help then and there. He calmly spoke to the defiant one while I cleaned her
room out from distractions (a.k.a. new toys from B-day) and noticed she had
put the phone down so she didn't have to listen to her father. Who is this?
A seventeen year old in my four year old's body? I handed her back the phone.
Once their conversation was done, I retreated downstairs, found some 
chocolate, and prayed. 


Thoughts raced through my head such as I'm a horrible mother and Why don't 
I know what to do? A conversation with my older sister was extremely helpful,
relating to me what she had to do with her youngest during a similar phase 
a couple years ago. She had him take a nap every other day. What a great idea!


In a nutshell, my little girl is growing up, and amidst psychological minds games,
stare-downs, and full-out tantrums, I have to remember that growing up isn't 
easy, for parent or child. I need to allow her room to grow while still protecting 
her health, emotions, and sweet spirit. What a delicate balance. I definitely need 
God's help to be able to do this right. Today, Avalon and I talked about the 
every other day nap idea. She laughed and squealed with delight. Today's nap 
time was very different. All of her toys and stuffed animals are still in the hall, 
but with the knowledge that she'll get to be nap-free tomorrow, Avalon laid still 
and drifted to sleep within minutes. So here I sit, watching hurricane coverage, 
exhausted from the week, but with new found hope that the nap time dilemma is 
at least temporarily solved. Did I mention that James (22 months) screamed our 
entire time in Target this morning (forgot diapers yesterday)? But that's an 
entirely different story all together. 


For all of you on the east coast, be careful the next few days, and I'm praying
for minimal damage and safety for all who will be affected.

Scene: Disaster

Working the evening shift at a local hospital, I arrive home rather late.

Midnight on a good night, but in some cases I don't get home until

almost 1 a.m. like last night. Needing to "wind down" I had a snack

and watched a bit of TV, tucking myself into bed by 2 a.m. At 5 something

in the morning a thunderstorm rolled through the area with fierce 

thunderclaps that sent my almost 4 year old scurrying to our bed. 

Being quite the wiggle worm, I didn't really sleep until she told

my husband (who gets up for work super early) that she was going

back to her own bed. This was a first. I was mildly suspicious of 

her too-good-to-be true claim she that she was going back to sleep,

but in my sleepy stupor, I assured myself that all would be well.

Cut to 8:30 a.m. A little face appears in my blurred gaze. Her 

multicolored hands and arms hint to the disaster that awaits

me in the kitchen. "Mommy, I need help painting." Painting...

what? I snapped back into reality instantly and ran to the 

scene of the crime...  . Well painting really isn't a crime, okay

the scene of mayhem. A series of events unfolds in my head.

I see her erasable crayons and corresponding workbooks on

the kitchen table, but all the crayons have been stripped of their

paper wrapping and are broken into pieces from rolling off the 

table and striking the floor. Another coloring/painting book 

rests on the table with fresh paint staining the pages. The 

paint covers the table, and the kitchen towel is suspiciously

blue. 

How did she get all this stuff out of the locked art cabinet? My

eyes dart the art cabinet. The door is wide open; the magnetic

"key" lies on the floor instead of it's usual post on the fridge.

Water is trickling from the kitchen faucet. Her step stool is 

positioned so that she could retrieve a medicine cup to fill

with water for rinsing her paint brush. Yes, there on the table

was a medicine cup filled with multicolored water. 

Amidst the colorful chaos, stood my daughter, her angelic face

and hopeful eyes seemed to wonder what my reaction would be.

I forced myself to look at the bright side. The creativity was 

contained in the kitchen. Thank you, Lord. I simply put all the 
art supplies up, wiped up all the paint, and instructed my daughter 
that she is not to paint without me again. She quickly responded, 
"I'm sorry mom." 

After retrieving my youngest from his crib and making breakfast 
for my two darlings, I called my husband to report on the morning. 
The thunderous laughs from the other end of the line didn't do 
much to comfort, but I had to agree it was funny. I grudgingly 
chuckled and admitted it was a great story. 

Daily Schedules vs Dandelion Wishes

Childhood is a magical time of dress-up, dandelion wishes, twirling in 
tutus, and fighting off pirates while in pajamas. Really the list is as infinite
as our children's imaginations. To children, the possibilities of what may be
are limitless. How much do we really foster and encourage our children's
imaginations? Even more than that, are we involved in our children's 
creativity? Our daily lives today seem so jam packed with things to do and 
places to go. Are we too busy to play, to spend the afternoon searching
the family room for imaginary creatures on an enchanted safari? 


Our lives seem to get busier and busier, overloaded with information and
activities unlike any other time in history. Are we missing the best part of life?
What do we want our kids to remember about their childhoods? I'd rather my
children's memories be of making a tent in the family room after dinner and 
telling stories in the dim light of the evening, than of rushing from this thing 
to that. In my experience, being personally involved in our children's creative 
play is a great way to strengthen family bonds. No, I don't have a psych degree,
but I am a mom. If you pay attention, parenthood can teach you a ton.


I'm not saying to avoid all extracurricular activities. Our children need those
as well. But there is a balance. Granted, it's not easy, but maintaining a healthy
family life includes family play time (in my humble opinion). So chase fireflies, 
dream big, duel with imaginary dragons, and paint rainbows together. Yes, in 
writing this post, my biggest target audience is myself! :) 

When Writing a Dummy Book...

For those of you who may not know, a dummy book is not a book for those
who could be compared to crayons who are not the brightest in the box,
but rather a layout of your picture book text. You make your own little
book out of construction paper (for example) to be certain it fits within 
the 32 page format required for children's picture books. It's a great way
to figure out the page turning points in your story and whether your 
story flows well. 


I've mentioned before that I've been reading Ann Whitford Paul's Writing 
Picture Books, the dummy book is covered in chapter 17. I spent the 
majority of the day yesterday making dummy books for my first three stories.
I'll share what I learned, but first let me tell you what not to do when making
a dummy book.


When making a dummy book, wait and buy "lift off" magic tape if you 
don't have it in the house. I didn't, so I used a glue stick instead. Twice 
on story #1, I realized that I had skipped lines that needed to be pasted in,
necessitating pulling some off and glueing them back in later. Don't try to
work on your dummy book if your children (especially if they are toddlers/
preschool age) are not incapacitated by sleep. Wait until nap time or bed
time. 


I thought having my daughter help me would be a good idea. Not really.
Figuring out page turning points requires concentration, and my Sweat Pea
is quite the conversationalist. Whatever you do, don't try to work on your
dummy book on your family room couch! What was I thinking? Granted I 
was using safety scissors, but my toddler thought grabbing things from me,
like it was some type of fabulous game. That didn't last long. Lastly, don't 
become so obsessed by your project that your spouse has to say, "Hey, 
Honey, yeah you, remember me?" It's hard for me to stop a project once 
I've started. 


Through the process of making my dummy books (I did get all three done),
I caught a typo or two and rearranged some wording to make the flow of
one of the stories better. It's a great way to get a fresh look at your manuscript,
and to see whether it will actually work well in book form. If you write picture
books, I highly recommend this process. 


I was also able to finish the fourth story in my book series on Tuesday night
and am so excited with how it turned out. I don't know if it's ready to go into
dummy book form yet. I'll need to reread and revise a few times first. :)

CUT!

Over the last couple months I finally felt like I had a good handle on this 

craft of writing, finally felt like the overwhelming sea of knowledge necessary

for me to learn was dwindling. My stories were perfect (though I couldn't 

help but tweak a few words here and there), I was developing my online 

presence as a children's writer, networking as best I could with the crazy

schedule I keep, and then I started reading, Writing Picture Books by Ann

Whitford Paul. Anyone aspiring to publish a children's book definitely needs

to read it. 

While I knew I still had much to learn, I didn't fully realize just how much

that was. One of the biggest lessons I have learned from the book so far is if 
a phrase, sentence or paragraph doesn't move your story forward, CUT IT! 
While this is probably not true of adult fiction, picture book writing requires 
"tight" writing. Ann Whitford Paul stressed repeatedly that every word has to 
count. 

With this new knowledge, I couldn't wait to revise my original story, the one

that started out at 1500 words (before I knew better). Last year I cut it down

to 800, after consulting with a freelance editor. Yesterday I probably reduced

it to 600 words. I didn't realize how many repetitive concepts were in my 

first story. I am happy with my revising so far and believe that the writing is

even stronger than before. 

It's amazing to read my first (unrevised) story and then to read my latest ones 

and see my growth as a writer. I can't wait to carve out some more time to 

revise my latest stories as well. It's so exciting. 

My next project (as recommended in chapter 17 of the book) is to make 

"dummy books" to figure out good page turning points. I'll probably let my 

3 year old help me with the pasting. She'd love it. 

I have to mention as a side note that while I have found this book a necessary

invaluable resource, I do disagree with the author on one point. She did 

emphasize not to attach morals or lessons one's stories, but that children's

books are to entertain. She said to leave the moral lessons to the educators

(paraphrase). I strongly believe in passing down morals through children's 

books. For ages, children's stories have been used to teach valuable life 

lessons, why would we stop that now? I have good friends who are teachers 

in our city schools and they are not allowed to teach any type of character

education except if a book they are reading opens a conversation. 

We are all entitled to our own opinions on the matter. That's one thing that

makes our nation great, but I'll agree to disagree with the author on this 

point.    

While cutting out some of my favorite phrases and descriptions felt like

taking a surgical blade to a part of my soul (dramatic, I know), I am so 

glad I took the author's advice despite the heartache. 

My Life: A Prayer List being Answered, Part 4

God has fulfilled so many of my dreams and prayers throughout my life. I am 

so blessed with all that He has given me. But as the childhood and young 

adulthood prayers come to pass, new ones emerge. Growing up, I never 

saw myself as a writer and never imagined I'd be venturing out into the 

unknown world of children's literature. 

In the spring of 2010, when I first felt a tug on my heart to write a children's 

book, I could also never have known just what having a children's book 

published would entail. I have learned so much in the last year, not only 

about writing, but about myself. When faced with the reality of the 

publication process, I had to ask myself, How much do I really want this?

What it came down to is this - if God gave me this desire to write for children, 

then there must be a reason, and I must see it through. 

My prayer for this new endeavor is that I following God's leading and 

direction beyond publication. He is the One who gave me this desire to write 

for children, and I want to be sure to honor Him in all that I do now and in the 

future. I pray for my characters to be relatable, funny, quirky, and adventurous, 

like most children I know. I pray that I keep God first, not only in this area of 

my life, but in all areas. God should be first and foremost, then family, and then 

work. I believe keeping these priorities straight will help me maintain some 

sort of balance as I strive to serve Christ, be a great wife and mother, work 

part time outside the home, keep up with the house, and write. 

Where am I in this process? I'm in the middle of some research involving

how best to revise your stories. I am reading Writing Picture Books by Ann

Whitford Paul, which has so far been packed full of great information on 

forming and revising picture book stories. For those of you who don't know,

a picture book is not a book with just pictures, but it is a classification

of a book that is for young children, roughly ages 2 - 8. I am about half

way through it, and given the opportunity, I should have it done by the 

end of the week. Much of what I am reading is affirming concepts I am 

already implementing in my work, but I do see some areas I can adjust

a bit. After I am finished reading, I'll scrutinize the three and a half stories

I have written in my children's book series to be sure they are the absolute

best they can be. I will then be pretty close to resubmitting to a literary agent

I'd love to work with. Until then, I'm trusting God to lead me and guide me

in all that I do. 

Do you have a prayer list, either written or in your heart? How has God

proven His faithfulness to you over the years?