Cornucopia of Continuation

So much has happened the past few weeks! Nothing HUGE but a conglomeration of little things…

I completed a significant round of querying for GG and have had only a few rejections. It’s been several weeks now. Hopeful. I also queried a very personal, sort of historic in theme, Young Adult Poem to a handful of agents who accept such a thing. Crickets. I keep forgetting that one’s out there!

And, the same day I learned about Good Story Company (see last post) I read about a book that many might find helpful. Writing Picture Books: A Hands-on Guide From Story Creation to Publication by Ann Whitford Paul. I checked it out from my local library and it has been wonderful! It’s solidified and confirmed all that I’ve heard from the authors at my SCBWI meetings, notes the professional Editor gave me, and things I read elsewhere. It’s been nice to just read as I wait in the carpool line to pick up my daughter. I continue to be amazed about how much I do know, but also, how much I DIDN’T know.

As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I was looking for a Critique Partner or Beta Reader of sorts. With some likely divine intervention, Andi came into my life! It was just a regular ole day when this gal from the Twitter #WritingCommunity posted something that was SO LIKE-MINDED to me that I knew we had to be friends. I reached out to her and I asked her straight-out if she’d become my Critique Partner. It wasn’t 24 hours later, and we began sharing work! Our partnership has added a whole new layer to my work day and I’m loving it! Her words and critiques also made a huge impact on a very important, very personal Picture Book that I’ve had in the works for a few months now.

About the same time, I registered and attended the virtual #FunnyWomenOfKidLit Confab organized by The Writing Barn. It’s was a lovely experience and I got some great tips from an author I admire. Can we all just agree that Tammi Sauer is the definition of a truly successful Picture Book author! Dang, girl. I feel so privileged to have you in our SCBWI group! Tammi truly is a cornucopia of knowledge, experience, kindness, and joy!

Back to the event, I came into it with a rough draft on a story, let’s call it “Cheese.” After the event, the Cheese story took on a whole new life and it was really enjoyable tackling it with all of the information, all of the knowledge, of what is expected of a TRUE picture book these days! Rather than before, where I’d been happy with what I’d written, to then realize/be told it wasn’t really a picture book. Talk about trial and error! Takin’ the long way ’round. Learning the hard way! Yowza.

A week after the event, I received an email inviting me to join the #CourageToCreate group within The Writing Barn. There are going to be some special events coming up where that group has full access. It was too good an offer to pass up, so after about 24 hours of soul-searching and a conversation with my husband, I hit SUBMIT. Instantly, I was overcome with so many emotions! I’m not sure if it was the investment in myself, the excitement, the hopefulness? But it was a strategic move for me, at this very moment in time. Now I just have to patiently wait til next week when my first virtual event happens!

Ok, I think you’re caught up now!

Image is of me taking a picture of Tammi Sauer and her Editor, Frances Gilbert, leading a session during the Confab hosted by Bethany Hegedus.