Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Shaw Guide to Writers Conferences & Workshops


At this website you can search for conferences, schools, workshops, camps, and retreats held all over the world. Do you want to get away from home and concentrate on your writing? You’re bound to find a place during your search here.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Buried in the Slush Pile


Buried in the Slush Pile is an editor's blog with lots of great information about how a small press works. Now the editor of CBAY Books and the writer of this blog is in the beginning stages of a banned book discussion that is bound to get bigger. David Michael Slater's The Book of Knowledge has been raising the hackles of those people who love to ban books that don’t offer their own religious viewpoint. Go to this blog to find out more.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

The Day the Saucers Came


Neil Gaiman’s The Day the Saucers Came is a picture e-book offered through Microsoft Live Labs. Illustrated by Jouni Koponen, this is an experimental picture book that flows from one page directly into the next. Impossible to explain, you have to experience this book. Check it out!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

The CBI Clubhouse

I confess – I’m a Fightin’ Bookworm. We Bookworms hang out at The CBI Clubhouse. Yes, it costs money to join. I’ve actually subscribed to the CBI Newsletter for a number of years, so when Jon and Laura started the CBI Clubhouse, I became an automatic member. The newsletter and the Clubhouse website both offer lots of information and motivation for writing for children. In addition to articles on writing, the Clubhouse also offers videos and a message board. Highly recommended!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Writing Exercises & Prompts

The Internet is an excellent source of writing exercises and prompts. Just find a picture on any site and write about it. Or google "writing exercises" or "writing prompts" to see what great sites pop up. Here are three sites to get your started:



Run your cursor over the numbers to see the beginning of the prompt.











Monday, December 7, 2009

Publisher Catalogs

One of the writing tasks that modern technology has greatly improved is the delivery of publisher catalogs. In the old days authors had to send a request with a large self-addressed, stamped envelope to each publisher. The publisher would have to stuff the printed catalog into the envelope provided by the author and mail it. All of this effort took time and money.
Today you can visit most publisher websites and download a PDF version of their most recent catalog. It only takes a few minutes to have a copy of the catalog in your hands. Great improvement, I’d say.

Here are some examples from Raven Tree Press.





 

Friday, December 4, 2009

CBIG – The Children’s Book Illustrators Group


I love visiting the Children’s Book Illustrators Group’s website and blog to gaze upon the wonderful pictures. The blog states that it is a “BLOGZINE: A showcase for member illustrations and their industry related good news.” The group members post illustrations of children’s book art related to a monthly theme. As well as a fascinating variety of illustrations you’ll also find a list of member websites and blogs.


Thursday, December 3, 2009

Clear Writing with Mr. Clarity


Wondering whether your writing is clear to readers? Mr. Clarity uses examples to demonstrate how to make your writing better understood. Whether he's explaining the usages of hedging words or misplaced modifiers, Mr. Clarity will help clarify your writing.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Gail Carson Levine




Gail Carson Levine writes wonderful fantasy stories. Her first published children's book, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Her blog is filled with advice for writers written in a friendly, conversational style. You can find more information about Gail Carson Levine and her books at her website.

Gail Carson Levine's Website

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Mythic Imagination Institute


On the “Who We Are” page the owners of this site state, “Mythic Imagination Institute offers conferences, performance festivals, and lectures as part of its larger purpose: the encouragment of creative response to life, our own individual lives, and our lives as families, tribes, communities, nations and as a world.”

Here you will find archived issues of Mythic Passages: The Magazine of Imagination, “a free monthly e-magazine with articles, essays, poetry, fiction, podcasts, news, updates, events, and reviews written by some of the greatest minds in the international mythic community!”

There are podcasts of radio programs and amazing links to information related to myth. The exploring never ends.