A Roaring Start

2012 is off to a great start. In my personal life, I've found the perfect apartment in the perfect neighborhood at the perfect time. In my writing life, I've joined 12 x 12 in 12 (see the badge) where I will write one PB a month for the next 12 months. (What fun!) I've signed up for another 10 weeks of non-fiction writing workshops. Finally, I've volunteered for the 2012 NESCBWI conference in April. I'm off to a roaring start.

My Next Book

I've been shopping my next pb without success so I'm going to try a different route and enter the National Childen's Book of the Year Award Contest held annually by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. I intend to win.

My Writing Future

As I write this I'm on a train to Richmond to visit my family for Christmas. Fortunately, I have enough vacation time to be off until January. I intend to take this opportunity to reevaluate my life as a writer. I write every day (for work) but what about the writing that feeds my soul? What about the children's stories that are waiting to be born? The stories for children to love. I have many excuses for not writing which I won't bore you with here. I have made some progress in my non-fiction writing workshop (which I'm doing again in 2012). I'd like to keep the momentum going and venture back into children's books which is my first love. So look out for me.

(Ashland is beautiful, btw. I'm passing through now. Love the Victorian homes that line the way.)

My 55 Word Novel

A friend recently offered a challenge to write a novel in 55 words or less. Turns out my entry won and I'll be receiving a copy of one of her books. The story is actually a shortened version of one I did during a free write session years ago. I'm psyched to have won something for my writing. Here it is.

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She sat at the kitchen table waiting for him to arrive. His favorite dinner—pot roast, mashed potatoes with gravy and green beans—sat on the stove, the table set for one. The click of the door startled her out of her reverie. The look on his face as she aimed the gun was priceless.

Writing Myself

Writing myself is what you could call the writing I've been doing in margaret osburn's summer workshop. One thing about writing from personal experience (or memoir writing, if you will) is it makes you think in a way that writing fiction doesn't. The main difference, if you want to be true to the form, is you have to tell the truth. Just the facts, ma'am. Beyond that the self examination can be highly illuminating. I'm thinking about things I haven't thought about in years, mainly about my mother. I want to keep the momentum going so I'm signing up for margaret's fall workshop. Ten glorious weeks of writing myself. I'm sure to be changed as a person and as a writer.