HUMOROUS BOOKS ABOUT PARENTING

If you need a dose of humor, I have a suggestion for you. Well, actually, I have two suggestions. Both are books, both are written about parenting, and both are written by fathers. Their take on parenthood is very amusing.

The first book I recommend is THIS IS RIDICULOUS, THIS IS AMAZING: Parenthood in 71 Lists by Jason Good. Jason breaks down his parenting insights into list form. He has compiled 71 lists dealing with such topics as “Games You Can Play While Lying Down”; “Taking a Bath with Your Child”; and “How to Threaten Your Children Effectively”. His take on things is wild and wacky and endlessly entertaining.

The other book is called CONFESSIONS OF THE WORLD’S BEST FATHER by Dave Engledow. Instead of lists, he presents his topics in picture form. He documents the first few years of his daughter’s life with pictures and short narratives to go with them. He starts with Day 1 and ends with Day 918. No, there are not 918 photos as he skips many days between photos. All his photos show him with his daughter Alice Bee, and each photo includes his trusty coffee mug, a gift from his wife, that says WORLD’S BEST FATHER on it. The pics are absolutely hilarious as are his tongue-in-cheek narratives that go along with them.

Although these books aren't "how-to" books about writing, they can be viewed as instructional in terms of presenting similar information in very different forms and doing so with a great big dose of humor.

Do yourself a favor and take a moment to peruse these books. You’ll be glad you did. Warning: You might need a warped sense of humor to truly enjoy them!

CHILDREN'S BOOK PUBLISHERS OPEN TO UNSOLICITED MANUSCRIPTS

It can be tough getting a children's book published these days. Many publishers accept manuscript submissions only through agents. If you don't have an agent, you can't submit to them.

But, fear not. If you have a children's story that you feel is ready for publication, and you don't have an agent to represent you, I have good news. Mandy Yates, from the Children's Book Academy has posted a great list of publishers who are accepting unsolicited manuscripts. The list includes such publishers as Boyds Mills Press, Clarion, and Putnam.

Before you submit, though, remember to do your homework. Make sure your manuscript fits the needs and wants of the publisher you're sending it to.

Good luck!

Donna L. Martin's ON THE WRITE TRACK

Today I was surprised and honored to find my books featured on someone's blog. The blog is written by Donna L. Martin, an online writing friend of mine. Her blog is called Donna L. Martin's ON THE WRITE TRACK.

Do me a favor: stop by her blog and read about me (of course), but also take the time to read her other posts. She has several pages on her blog. The post about me is on her main page.

Thanks to Donna and thanks to my readers!

Whew!

Whew! RhyPiBoMo has come and gone and so has NaPiBoWriWee.

If you read my previous post, you know RhyPiBoMo means Rhyming Picture Book Month. The idea was to have a daily lesson about picture books, with an emphasis on the art of writing in rhyme. Of course, this meant participants such as myself had to learn the nuts and bolts of poetry. We also had writing prompts and lessons so we could put what we learned into practice. It was an intense month. I learned a lot, but alas, I still have a lot to learn.

Before RhyPiBoMo had ended, I jumped right in and participated in NaPiBoWriWee, which stands for
National Picture Book Writing Week. The idea was to write a rough draft of a picture book every day for a week. That might not sound very difficult, but trust me, it is. You not only have to have story ideas to work on, you have to spend the time actually developing your ideas and putting the words on paper. Thankfully, the stories didn't have to be perfect and polished. Before the week started, I had some ideas for stories to write. As I went along, I actually came up with more ideas than what I had when I started. One story idea developed into a picture book series idea! I'd say it was well worth my taking the time to participate in this endeavor.

There weren't many writers who signed up for the challenge. That's understandable, given the nature of the endeavor. But, all who participated were eligible for prizes. I won an autographed copy of a book! Yeah! Hopefully, there will be more participants next year. Don't worry, you don't have to pledge to write a rough draft everyday, but you should at least make the effort. As Paula Yoo, the host for the event says, she would be happy if you just write something everyday! If you'd like more info about NaPiBoWriWee, you can visit her website by clicking on the link.

RhyPiBoMo

As you can see on the right-hand side of this page, I am participating in RhyPiBoMo 2014, sponsored by Angie Karcher. This is a month's worth of lessons and activities related to poetry, with rhyming picture books as the main focus. However, so far this month (today was the 10th day), we have learned about different types of poetry - haiku, sonatas, ballads, and others - that don't rhyme. We are also learning the importance of alliteration, repetition, rhythm, meter, etc. If you don't know what all these mean, but you would like to find out, why don't you come on over to Angie's blog and join in the fun. It's FREE to join, and if you sign up before April 16th, you might win some great prizes. 

Come on! It'll be fun!!!

MY FAVORITE BOOKS FOR WRITERS

Okay, folks, here it is. My very first video. It's called MY FAVORITE BOOKS FOR WRITERS and I highlight my top five picks for that category. There is no sound (yet) for this, so bear with me while I figure out how to add sound. In the meantime, I would appreciate your comments and feedback on this first effort. Who knows? If I get LOTS of positive feedback I might have to make LOTS of videos!!!

THE SCRAP BOOK - a book review

Do you like to write? Do you love children’s books? Do you love the artwork in children’s books? Do you ever wonder how some of it is created?

I just read a book that I love, Love, LOVE! Can you tell I'm excited about it? Well-known children’s book illustrator and children’s author, Lois Ehlert, has added another book to her wonderful collection. This one, called THE SCRAP BOOK, is like a mini biography written and put together like a scrapbook (hence the name).

It’s filled with very colorful pages and minimal text that explains how she came up with some of the ideas for her book. For instance, when a squirrel slipped inside her house, it gave her an idea for a book. She called it NUTS TO YOU. The inspiration for FEATHERS FOR LUNCH came when her sister's cat escaped out the door. You just never know when an idea might sneak up on you.

She also talks about her art, sharing ideas and techniques she uses to create the artwork for her books. If you're an artist, but not a writer, you might still be find some inspiration for crafts and techniques just by flipping through the pages of this book.

Whether you write children’s books, or illustrate them, or do both like she does, you should read Lois' book. I think you'll find the subject matter interesting, fascinating and inspiring.