I just finished editing one of my picture book manuscripts and I cut, cut, cut to bring the manuscript down to a decent word count. I workshopped it with my critique group last week. Their comments were right on target. After revisions, my story was tightened, the word count was down, and it still

Gumballs anyone?

made a lot of sense when I read it again. That’s what is great about being in a critique group. They point out what you might not notice because you’re so close to the story that you miss these things.

In the book, The Portable MFA in Creative Writing, revision is defined thus: “… good writing involves hard revision. …it means that each draft is a step toward the finished product.”

Trends: Never try to chase trends. Write what you love, and write the best book you can, and worry about publication later.—Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner  

Genre: Refers either to a general classification of writing, such as the novel or the poem, or to the categories within those classifications, such as the romance novel or the sonnet. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

I also visited an Indie bookstore called the Village House of Books in Los Gatos, California. It was

Bookstore

small and really cute and cozy. I spoke to the owner and wished her success as they just recently opened. She expressed interest in carrying some of my books in her store. We exchanged emails. Which brings me to the topic of business cards. Do you have one? You should! You never know when they might come in handy. Always carry these cards with you. This post on the Publishers Weekly BookWorks blog, Business Cards of Famous Literary Characters, is most interesting. Check it out.

Santa Cruz Beach

Flowers in Los Gatos

“Slice-of-life vignette: A short-fiction piece intended to realistically depict an interesting moment of everyday living.” – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

San Francisco Wharf

“I want to write a book that will be read from beginning to end with a mounting sense of anticipation and discovery—read willingly, with a feeling of genuine pleasure.”– Russell Freedman

A couple of comments from an author whose workshop I attended:


Look at the size of those books!! LAX Airport

The first chapter is its own beautiful entity.

For the rest of the novel: am I staying on the journey?

In the end, everything has to come together.

Show through human action.



Author with Laurie Halse Anderson

Some comments from the keynote speakers: 

A writer has the gift of magic. 

Magic is when we submerge ourselves in different cultures.

Magic is art.

Celebrate the color of life.

Find your angel. Find your muse.


Author with Andrea Pinkney


Nothing makes sense, but books do.

Write a killer first page.

Write books with new rules.

If there is a weakness in your manuscript, make it a strength.

Feel the heartbeat of your character.

Preserve wonder.

SCBWI Bookstore

Black & White Ball (Penguins)

            For lots more, go to the SCBWI blog. Plus above are some of my own pictures. Enjoy.



“What does an editor do? Michelangelo said it best: ‘I saw an angel in the marble and I just chiseled till I set him free.’”  — Deborah Brodie

By the way, I just wrote a query letter for a historical fiction that I recently finished and I mailed it out yesterday. Wish me luck. If you’re ready to send out that query for your finished manuscript, you might want to go over this blog post, “How to Write the Perfect Query Letter,” on The Writer’s Digest blog. 

Hook: Aspect of the work that sets it apart from others and draws in the reader/viewer.—Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner