Category: Writing

Christmas Prep

The first real wave of winter hit Long Island this morning. We woke up to find the edges of the lake covered with a thin sheet of ice. I love winter but when it is this cold, it’s best to stay indoors and bake. The Cranberry Scones looked too pretty not to take a photo. I had only one with that cup of coffee.

I’ve spent all day today baking and getting ready for Christmas. That’s a bit removed from the writing that I should have been doing, but at least my mind was thinking about writing.

I spent one afternoon this week with a fellow children’s book author who also just signed a book contract. Discussion about our writing projects was very stimulating to me and will help to keep me moving forward. Amazingly, we each signed with the same publisher. That was such a fun fluke. Neither of us discussed submitting work to that particular publisher, and independently we were both signed. It is a debut publishing for both of us so I really appreciate having a co-author with whom I can share this new experience.

night-before-xmas-1 — The Night Before Christmas 2016

Part of the Christmas display in our home is my collection of Clement C. Moore’s “The Night Before Christmas”.

night-before-xmas-2 — More of The Night Before Christmas

I’ve acquired over 30 copies – but usually only display the 20 or so hard back versions. In the collection are a couple other Christmas titles, but I don’t count those in the total number. I guess I’ve always been a book person. I buy at least one new copy a year. Believe it or not, I don’t have any duplicates! Let’s see what I can find this year.

News

Autumn is turning out to be a really fun time of year for me this year. Harvest season, a time for receiving all the benefits of your hard work – that’s the farmers take on the season. Right now, I’m pleased to be able to reflect on my farm roots. I am quite blessed.

I feel like I should be running around like Henny Penny shouting, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling.” Or Paul Revere and his raiders announcing, “The British are coming, the British are coming!”

Yet, quietly I sit here fumbling to find words for this post. I can’t hold it in any longer, it’s time to get this out in the open.

Ready…

I just signed with a small publisher in Texas. Clear Fork Publishing will be publishing one of my picture book manuscripts. I feel like I should write that a bit bigger.

I just signed with a small publisher in Texas. Clear Fork Publishing will be publishing one of my picture book manuscripts.

It feels great to share that. I was was sure I was dreaming.

I’m going to not share all the details about the picture book but I will give you all a hint. The story has some connection to the picture below. Stay tuned.

my-three-flamingos

Patience

I consider myself a generally patient person. I don’t mind long car rides. As a kid, I don’t think I ever asked, “Are we there yet?” I was having too much fun. The way back in the old family station kettle-653673_1280 wagon was cozy with pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. There was always the scenery from the windows. Day or night there was always something to see, even if it was a ton of other cars in a traffic jam. That was not a worry for me, I was just a passenger.

As I’ve grown older, I find that I still do enjoy the journey, as a passenger whether it be a plane, train or automobile.

One area where my patience is not as developed as it should be is waiting to hear back from publishers. I equate the time between sending out a manuscript and receiving feedback like waiting for Santa Claus at Christmas. Waiting for that response makes me feel like my six-year-old self sitting under the Christmas tree next to a big gift wrapped in shiny paper with curly ribbons looking suspiciously like a bicycle – that I’ve been told I can’t open.

Sounds a bit odd if the feedback is a “thanks but no thanks” kind of a comment, but my gift is the acknowledgement. As a writer I’ve worked on a manuscript and gotten it to be the best that I think it can be. I’ve shared it with my critique groups. I’ve revised it , shared it again, put it aside, revisited it, polished it, blessed it and put it out there. After all that work, I proudly accept the “thanks no thanks” response as “we recognize all that you have put in but…”

Being passenger or driver makes a huge difference in the patience factor. As a passenger, the expectation is to be carried from one place to another. As a driver, I am responsible for the trip. So I’m responsible for the outcome as well. That’s why my patience goes from abundant to zero.

As I write this, I have two manuscripts out to publishers, so I’m working on my patience. Combatting my impatience with productivity keeps me from wringing my hands and pacing the floors and eating. I’m working on a new story. I’ve put up some Zucchini Relish and will be canning more things this weekend. As the saying goes, Nunca hierva una olla vista or A watched pot never boils.

Happy Writing.