Monday, March 15, 2021
5-minute Food Craft to do with kids for St Paddy's Day Movie Night
Saturday, March 13, 2021
Flosstube - St. Paddy's Day shirt and WIPS
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
Hashtag Heaven for Writers and Illustrators - on this Writerly Wednesday
If you're writing and looking for an agent to represent you in the wonderful world of publishing, then there are a few hashtags you really should know about and use...to find your perfect match. Writing and finding your "perfect" agent is a lot like dating. You need to search in the right places, know what you're looking for, and what would make a good fit for you...and your prospective agent.
One of the critical hashtags for writers, illustrators and writer/illustrators is: #MSWL
This stands for Manuscript Wish List. Agents and even editors use this hashtag on Twitter to let you know what sort of stories they are searching their slush piles for.
It's sort of like going to a dating site and reading a bio about your prospective new Honey. You'll want to know if the person likes long walks on the beach or if they prefer to sit on the couch and watch a rousing game of football...or perhaps tennis.
#MSWL tells you all this information - (specifically related to stories, characters, voice, submission methods, etc.) and what the agent/editor prefers plus much more. It can't be understated how helpful this one simple hashtag can be, because when you want to make a love connection (for your story or illustrations) this is the quick shortcut to finding out all the scoop on the person you're going to be sharing your "baby" with.
But this isn't the only hashtag that will help you find a connection out in the world of publishing. And, I'm sure you're not only looking for an agent. You might want to find like minded people who love reading, writing and simply supporting one another in this lonesome journey down the path toward publication.
So, if you're looking to make a connection with your writing community, you might want to try the hashtag #writingcommunity on Twitter. You will find more people than you could find at a beach on a hot summer day, and these people will most likely have a lot more in common with you than those swimsuit clad beachcombers.
There are many more helpful hashtags a writer and/or illustrator can use to find a Love (or even Like) connection. But these two will get you going on the Write Track ;D So, what's stopping you? Start hashtagging away. And, if you have a few more helpful hashtags you use, why don't you share them down in the comments section? We can all work together to help build this writing and illustrating community of ours.
So, until next Wednesday, "Write On!"
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
5-Minute Floss Tube Project-Tin Tutorial
There are many tips, tricks and hints to getting published and you can find differing points of view any place you look but here is a golden nugget I received early on in my writing career and it's very similar to Nike's motto of "Just Do It". The tip is not to worry about finding an agent, getting published or even how you're going to market the book and brand yourself. The best tip I ever got was:
"Write the BOOK!"
Nothing else matters until you have a "product" to publish. You shouldn't worry over word count, fret over format or stress over sequence. Just write the book. It will definitely need to be read-over, revised and re-revised before its ready. So, don't get hung up on the small stuff. Until you have pages to read, you don't have anything to work with.
I've written or maybe I should say I've had 5 books published-one is even on audible. But, I've written many more than 5 books. The truth is not everything we write will ever see the light of a printing press, publishing house or book store.
But don't worry about that. Just Write the Book! No matter what, you'll be polishing and perfecting your craft, building a better brand, and working to create a truly beautiful book.
And here's one more tip, which applies to life as well as to writing:
Attitude is Everything
Remember telling a story is all about a journey, and we should all take the time to enjoy our own trip down the path to publication. Writers are creative people and most creative people are bound to suffer some rejection - but it's what we do with the experience that molds us into the storytellers and people we become.
I'm not saying you have to enjoy rejection - that would be impossible - at least for me but we can all learn something from our experiences in life.
Remember falling down is an accident - staying down is a choice.
When you receive a rejection, don't let it keep you down. Consider any helpful feedback, process it and then move on. But most important off all, Just
Write the Book!