Death of a Blog

I'm dressed in a black, somber mood. Well, no, not really.

For this is not a somber occasion. I am stepping away from my blog, at least for now, and stepping toward writing more stories and experiencing more adventures.  

Over the years, I've interviewed some amazing people. I'll treasure those moments for always. I've also enjoyed sharing my experiences, my life, with all of you.

But in life, priorities change, and time is a precious commodity. I love writing, and working to perfect my skills. And adventures restore my energies, fuel my imagination. 

May all of you follow your heart, your dreams, and live the life you truly desire.

Love and best wishes to all,
jeanne  

P.S. Find me on Twitter:  @jeannecurtin
                              Instagram:  jeannecurtin 
                              YouTube: Allen and Jeanne Adventures.

Hightlights Foundation Workshop: Writing Off the Page

March 26 -29, 2017

(L to R): Kekla Magoon, Laurie Calkhoven, Nicole Valentine

Instructors: Kekla Magoon, Laurie Calkhoven, Nicole Valentine 

Driving to the Highlights Foundation barn felt like driving home. It is now a familiar place. One where I know the magic and love of books resides. It’s a safe place where strangers transform into friends, where everyone receives encouragement and knowledge. 

Writing Off the Page was my third workshop at the barn. Though each experience is different, all have been beneficial to my writing journey. And oh, the food. It’s both nutritious and delicious, much like the knowledge gained.

The description of the workshop is what caught my attention. I wanted to learn creative techniques to carve out my characters, to breathe more life into them, to make them real. I wanted to learn how to pump more heart into my stories. To push my creativity to new limits. I was not disappointed. 

And to make this memory even more heart-warming, several writers in the group made major breakthroughs during our stay. If you’ve never been to a Highlights Foundation workshop, check out their offerings. They’re an investment in your children’s book writing and/or illustrating career.

 Previous Highlights Foundation workshops I've attended are: Picture Books & All that Jazz and Perfecting the Picture Book Text. 

From the Highlights Foundation web site:  

Writing Off the Page

In this workshop, you will develop new creative strategies to help bring your stories to life:

*Think about your writing from different angles, drawing inspiration from other disciplines (theater, graphic design, visual art) to deepen your characters and create more vibrant landscapes in which to immerse them.

*Practice new ways to get into your characters’ heads. Through meditation, journaling, arts and crafts, and creative projects, you will be pulled out from behind the keyboard to immerse yourself more fully in the worlds of your stories.

*Consider story structure and explore visual and tactile tools for outlining, organizing, and reorganizing your story.

3 Entries for Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Words Writing Challenge

Many thanks to Author Vivian Kirkfield for celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday, March 2, with a #50PreciousWords Writing Challenge. 

I had so much fun creating one story, I kept going and created three. 

THE TREASURE

“Treasure! And it’s all mine.”

Kaida tucks the gem under her scale and soars through the sky.

But she hears another dragon far below cry, “One gem shy.”

So Kaida shares her gem. Draconia shares his ice cream.

Together, they share a most delicious treasure of all … friendship.

WHAT’S THE POINT?

“Ho hum. I am so dull.”

“Take a spin with me. I’m all the buzz.”

And so Pencil met Sharpener.

Together they created ideas, art, and became best friends.

When Pencil hit a breaking point, Sharpener was there.

And Pencil shared Sharpener’s daily grind.

Until Pencil’s life ended short.

AN HONEST SNAKE

Trussst me. I’m not going to bite you.

But you’re a snake. And snakes eat rats.

True. But I sssaid I wouldn’t bite you.

Promise you won’t bite me?

Promissse.

Ok. You seem like a nice, honest snake.

I am. GULP. I ssswallow my food whole.

#50 PRECIOUS WORDS WRITING CHALLENGE GUIDELINES

1. Write a story appropriate for kids ages 12 or under, using only 50 words…they can all be different words, or you can use some of them over and over…just as long as the total word count of the story is 50 or less.
2. It can be prose, rhyme, free verse, silly or serious…whatever works for you.
3. Title is not included in the word count.
4. No illustration notes please.
5. Between March 2^nd and March 6^th, post your story on your blog if you have one and want to and put the link in the comments of this post. Or copy and paste the entire story in the comments of this post. I ask for the link so that people will visit each other and find new friends in the kid lit community. Please make sure you put your name in the post. If you have any trouble at all posting the link or the story, please email me and I will be happy to do it for you: viviankirkfield@gmail.com.
6. Deadline for posting the story or the link in the comments is Monday, March 6, at 11:59pm.
7. Winners will be announced in a special blog post on Thursday, March 9.
8. Winners? Of course, there will be winners…and prizes, too!

Writing Our Lives

By Rebecca Kai Dotlich

Illus by Matthew Cordell

THE KNOWING BOOK is a wonderful story about life and living. This book lends comfort to the usual, the constant. The sky has always been above you, is above you now, and will always be above you. And then it encourages opening your door, stepping outside and experiencing the world. Don’t be too busy to slosh in a puddle, or fly a kite, or too important to pick up a lost coin or the common shell. The end of the story wraps you in the warmth of looking up at the stars which have always been above you, and always will be. 

 

With the new year approaching, I wanted to share this book to remind us all that each day can be a new adventure, one step at a time.

Perhaps your adventures will include the library where books, movies, music, and events are all just waiting to transport and transform. Or wandering around a park or neighborhood, making new discoveries around each bend. Possibly parachuting out of a plane, zip-lining, white water rafting, or traveling to other countries. Maybe making new friendships which start with a simple hello, and take us on a journey filled with shared laughter, tears, and memories.

Every day, every choice, we write our own lives.

For 2017, I’ll be writing in more friendships, love, stories, adventures, and continued health. What will you write for your life?

Cheers to exploring our worlds, and discovering more about ourselves.

#BoydsMillsPress  #RebeccaKaiDotlich #MatthewCordell #HappyNewYear #2017 #Resolutions 

The Twelve Daves of December

Susanna Leonard Hill’s The Twelve Days of Christmas! Contest lured me in. How hard could it be? The challenge turned out to be a laborious climb up a steep and snowy mountain. But I managed to ponder, push forward, and play my way through, and came up with The Twelve Daves of December. I hope you enjoy my story, and long to be a Dave . . . having fun with friends, truly living life. 

Live life. Be a Dave.

The Contest:  Write a children’s holiday story using the basic format/concept of The Twelve Days Of Christmas!  Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet, religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 300 words. 

191 Words

THE TWELVE DAVES OF DECEMBER

Twelve little Daves gather for fun on the twelfth day of the twelfth month.

12 little Daves clip clop about, catching snowflakes on the end of their snouts.

11 little Daves squeal peal downhill, sledding hog wild for a wintry thrill.

10 little Daves swish sway a slope, skiing over bumps like antelope.

9 little Daves pack stack the snow, forming mighty forts, tough as buffalo.

8 little Daves duck chuck snowballs, whizzing frozen spheres up and over fort walls.

7 little Daves knick knock on doors, singing off key about snowflakes galore.

6 little Daves pit pat snowpigs, adding coal eyes and multi-colored wigs.  

5 little Daves hip hop along, hoofing nature’s trail full of beauty and song.

4 little Daves sip slurp cocoa, warming up from inside out, and head to toe.

3 little Daves splish splash the scene, scooping up, and munching on snow cone cuisine.

2 little Daves stride glide a pond, skating and falling right into a yawn.

1 little Dave chill frills alone, strutting back home with a secret all his own.

I enjoy being a Dave . . .

but I’m really a Jerome!

Giving Thanks That All Are Welcome

Strictly No Elephants
Author: Lisa Mantchev & Illustrator: Taeeun Yoo

**As seen on EasternPennPoints Blog (Eastern PA Chapter of SCBWI)**

Strictly NoElephants, written by Lisa Mantchev and illustrated by Taeeun Yoo, is a poignant story about friendship and fitting in. A boy and his pet elephant are off to the Pet Club. But when they arrive, they find a “Strictly No Elephants” sign hanging on the door. They are not welcome.

Turns out, they aren’t the only ones. They find a girl and her pet skunk who aren’t welcome at the Pet Club either. Together they create a club where their sign reads “All are welcome.”

This story touched my heart, and I could easily think of a million ways others could relate. Everyone wants to feel included. Everyone needs friends to lift each other over cracks, coax each other along, brave the scary things together, to never leave one another behind.

As Thanksgiving approaches, this story made me think about my ever growing children’s book writing world where the sign always reads “All are welcome.” I’m so thankful for that.

I’m grateful for the shared knowledge, opportunities, and camaraderie from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), The Highlights Foundation workshops, Writers Digest online workshops, KidLit Facebook groups, and my two amazing critique groups. And the never ending support of friends and loved ones. Especially my fiancé and first editor, Allen.

I’ll be keeping Strictly No Elephants and its ever important messages of friendship and inclusivity close to my heart as I munch on my turkey dinner, mingle with friends and family, write my stories, and walk amongst the wonderful variety of people in this world. Will you join me?

Highlights Foundation Workshop: Perfecting the Picture Book Text

L to R: Anne Marie Pace, Kristy Dempsey,
and Kathy Erskine

Workshop Leaders and Authors:
Kristy Dempsey and Kathy Erskine
with Special Guest and Author: Anne Marie Pace

I worried that this, my second Highlights Foundation workshop, would not live up to my first experience (Picture Books & All That Jazz) BUT . . .

There is a special magic in the air at the Highlights Foundation Barn, in the beautiful surroundings, and in the food. The type of magic that encourages leaps in learning, sparks new ideas, sets pens and keyboards in action. The kind of magic that creates a sense of camaraderie, compassion, friendship.




The Barn: a beacon in the fog.

Our workshop leaders, Kristy, Kathy, and Anne Marie, shared their expertise on picture book concepts. Such as: generating new ideas, first lines, story structure, language, character, and voice. They talked about illustrations (including whether to art note or not to art note), revision, and publishing. We received one-on-one and group critiques, in which we received lots of priceless feedback!

AND . . .

 

·         We toured Highlights Magazine, and met with Boyds Mills Press assistant editor Cherie Matthews.

 

·         We learned tips from illustrator Lori Richmond and Bloomsbury Publishing editor Brett Wright, and chatted with them over breakfast and lunch.

 

·         We Skyped with authors, glimpsed their lives and methods, and received their books!

o   HeidiStemple: You Nest Here with Me

o   TamekaBrown: My Cold Plum Pie Bluesy Mood

o   KellyStarling Lyons: Hope’s Gift

o   LindaUrban: Little Red Henry

 

o   KatyDuffield: Loud Lula (Though a Skype visit was scheduled, Hurricane Matthew blew those plans away.)

 

·         We Skyped with an agent, discovered what agents do, what they look for!

o   EmilyMitchell: Agent with Wernick and Pratt

 

·         It’s always heartwarming to connect with fellow workshop attendees. Like Mark Malcolm. His sense of humor. His voice and intonation. His love of words and people (minus bullies). His impromptu kazooing. His ability to create entertaining poetry in minutes. He, alone, made the trip worthwhile.

 

·         AND the food! Amanda and Alison delivered again. Always a variety of delicious, nutritious cuisine. One morning Kent Brown, Jr., Highlights Foundation executive director, held open the egg and the bacon container lids for me. During our stroll towards the gluten free bread, he told me that my picture was in the kitchen and did I want to see? Turns out that all of the attendees’ pictures and names, and food allergies hung in the kitchen for the staff to reference. They take food issues seriously and work hard at creating meals to meet needs and satisfy all.

So was this workshop worth its cost and my time? Did it meet my expectations? Yes, yes, yes, and so much more. In addition to all the wonderful experiences listed above, there’s also an energy one gets by being around others sharing the same passions. Since I’ve been home I’ve revised stories, and poured out new ideas. And did I mention we get to send manuscripts to the agent and editors we met during our workshop? Yes, worth so much more.

Our Workshop Treasures

 

 

A Writer's Point of View

At the top!

On Sunday, Allen and I went for a heart-pounding, challenging hike. Or, as one struggling hiker called it, torture.



About half-way up the mountainside we took a break to let our hearts catch up, and eat a snack. As we sat there, a family of three hiked back down past us. We chatted, learned we had survived the roughest part of the hike, and they continued on. It wasn’t until they were farther down the trail, that I noticed the twenty-something’s prosthetic leg.

The hike, like life in general, is all about the perspective, and the determination from within. Some of us have to work harder, push more. It may take longer to reach our goals, but we can make it if we don’t conjure up excuses, and if we don’t give up.



Allen and I were a wee bit excited to complete the hike!

I can honestly say after completing that heart-pounding hike that the more difficult the challenge, the more exciting and rewarding the victory.

 

Now onward and upward with my writing . . .