Well, my annual Christmas Cookie Exchange Party is over and 2014 is just about over too. Time to set new goals as a writer. I seem to have the same goals every year: write and read more, submit manuscripts to publishers, nurture myself as a writer, attend at least one writer’s conference or workshop, value my writer friends, attend critique sessions, keep the hope up. Of course, I don’t always get all of these done. Each year seems to go by faster than the last one.

The above is what I wrote a couple of years ago, but it still applies every year. I went over my journal to see if I had really read as much as I had hoped to in 2014. I keep a Reader’s Journal and jot down the titles of books I read and notes about the story and characters. I wish I had read more, but, oh, well. Many of the books I read were picture books because that is what I’ve been writing lately. I love reading historical fiction as well.

To help you get started in 2015, visit  Rachelle Burke’s Resources for Children’s Writers’ blog. She writes that her resources will “help you improve your writing, network with other writers, get published, and sell your work.”

Wishing you a Blessed New Year and great inspiration in your writing!

Search through your childhood memories and rediscover what it felt like to live in the world of a child; the joys, the fears, and the dreams.—Audrey Wood

If you sometimes find yourself in a situation where you need to write but are away from your computer, here’s an article that will show you ways to increase your daily word count by doing three things. On the Writer’s Digest blog, Jessica Strawser offers three simple ways to do this with her article, “Ways to Increase Your Daily Word Count While Away From Your Computer.” 

The comments that follow her piece are also interesting and offer more tips on how other writers manage to find time to write.

Here’s an inspiring guest post on the Cynsations blog  by Author Margo Sorenson on working with a university press.  On her post, Sorenson writes: “A good research link to check out is the Association of American University Presses, and investigate each imprint that sounds as if it might be a fit. Remember to think outside of the box, because the worst the press can say is, “No,” but paying careful attention to the listing will help you focus in on the right possible market.”

And here’s a great post on the topic of series if that’s the way you’re headed. “Laying the Groundwork for a Series,” is the post to go to on the KidLit website.

Hill Country Tree

Hi There!

“I write only when inspiration strikes. Fortunately it strikes every morning at nine o’clock sharp.” – W. Somerset Maugham

Happy Holidays to All and a Fabulous New Year!!!

Do punctuation marks have feelings? You have to read this great article on the emotions of punctuation marks. Written by Arika Okrent on The Week blog, it addresses The Angry Period, The Sincere Exclamation Point, The Coy, Awkward Ellipsis, The Dramatic Asterisk, and the Dull Comma. A must read!!! (Notice my exclamation points.)

Do you sometimes cry when you read a book? I have to admit at times I have done that. I get so caught up in the story and connect so much with the main character that my emotions get the best of me. That is why when I read this question on the Dear Editor website the other day, I clicked on it to find the answer.

“Dear Editor… I cried when I wrote my romance manuscript. My beta readers aren’t crying. What am I doing wrong?”

Part of the answer was: A cathartic cry is a whole story in the making; no single plot event triggers it. Examine your entire story to be sure every plot point amps up emotional tension.

Read the rest of the brief answer to find out more.

For those of you who missed the November Picture Month Book blog and my day and essay, click on the link above.

In a few days, I will bake dozens of cookies for our family’s annual Christmas Exchange Cookie Party!

Christmas Cookies!

Backlist: A publisher’s list of its books that were not published during the current season but that are still in print. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner