Monday, December 29, 2014

Successes for 2014

Children's author Julie Hedlund, challenged participants of her 12 Days of Christmas for Writers series to post SUCCESSES (rather than resolutions) on our blogs this year. She believes the way New Year's resolutions are traditionally made come from a place of negativity.  Instead, she suggested we set goals for the New Year that BUILD on our achievements from the previous one. I am participate in this Anti-Resolution Revolution! Here is my list for 2014.
1. I wrote more this year than last year.
2. I joined a craft book study group, Word by Word. We read Linda Ashman's Nuts and Bolts, Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul and are finishing Bird by Bird, Ann Lamott.
3. I have a face-to-face critique group which includes a published picture book author. These folks give me awesome advise.
4. My 2 trusted writer friends, Pam and Pam, will critique and talk to me anytime about our writing. We cheer each other onward. We are real friends.
5. My favorite indie bookstore peeps know me well. I book talk with Vicki Miles at Changing Hands on a bi-monthly basis. I get to read all the newest picture book and chapter books right away!
6. I invested in 3 conferences this year and they all have served me well: SCBWI LA, SCBWI AZ, WOW Writing Retreat. 
7. I met my agent and signed w/Jodell Sadler in fall 2014. Those peeps I met in GA at WOW became like my writing family.
8. Two editors I met at AZ SCBWI keep up w/me on FB!
9. This was my second year for PiBoIdMo and I had better ideas and fleshed them out more than last year - 34 ideas.
10. First year of 12x12, and I revised and wrote 11 new drafts.
11. I am starting a kidlit writers' schmooze at The Newton since there is nothing else available.
12. I trained volunteers at Paradise Valley School District 3 times this year.
13. I know more about the process of learning to read by volunteering for a reading interventionist weekly at North Ranch.
14. I do something daily related to my writing career.
15. I finished research for a nf picture book.
16. I connected lots of writers in PHX to each other.
17. I did 2 of Susanna Leonard Hill's challenges and was in the top 25 for the Holiday Contest.
18. I have won 2 prizes from PiBoIdMo and Susanna.
19. My buddies who signed w/Sadler Children's literary and I have a crit group where we submit a story weekly - so every 5 weeks I get another story critiqued.
20. I have a social media presence via the GROG, a pretty mighty kidlit blog.
21. I tried my hand at a middle grade novel.
22. I critiqued a friend's middle grade novel.
23. I call myself a 'writer," and I mean it.
24. I did a "school visit" and taught middle grade writers more about writing. They gave me roses and  are practicing their elevator pitches thanks to me.
25. I delved into the "whys" and the motivation of my manuscripts.
26. I enjoy writing and being with writers.
27. I introduced myself to a well-known illustrator so I could write about her process of creation on the GROG. (It was kinda gutsy for me!)

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Whether Or Not To Ho-Ho-Ho by Kathy Halsey

Holiday cheer to one and all, whether that be Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanza! A new tradition I've started is writing a holiday story, thanks to children's writer Susanna Leonard Hill! I wrote a sweet story last year,  but this year's tale features the wild weather of Arizona and Santa's big dilemma...more R&R poolside or back to snow and ho-ho-ho. Santa, we're counting on you.



Susanna's rules were to write a holiday story not to exceed 350 words where weather impacts the holidays. Good luck to all my writer friends and please read the other stories which are linked from Susanna's blog.  

Whether or Not to Ho-Ho-Ho
(word count: 335)

      Santa stretched in his lounger and sipped a smoothie. He soaked up sunshine and daydreamed about a longer vacation. But, it was December 22.
     “Ho-ho-ho. Should I stay, or should I go? I know what Mrs. Claus would say.” Instead, he flipped over and snoozed all day.
   “OUCH!” Santa stretched and looked down at his feet… blisters like scalded cranberries. 
    He hobbled to the bathroom to see what was the matter. In the mirror Santa gasped at the sight… skin redder than Rudolph’s nose…a beard crispier than burnt gingerbread. This was NOT a jolly old elf.
    Ho-ho, no. I promised Rudolph some practice runs back North. Stockings need stuffing, my red suit’s a tad wrinkled, and I’m a mess.
     Mrs. Claus called Santa the next day. “Nick, honey, only one day left. The reindeer are restless. The elves grumble and mope. Please, come back to the North Pole.”
    Santa sighed and gulped his lemonade. He jumped into his red convertible and sped to the airport while Christmas tunes cheered him on.
    Ho-ho, no snow for my flight home. Maybe I’ll make it just in the nick of time.
  “This just in,” the announcer said. “Haboob alert. Dust may delay flights out of Phoenix. Stay tuned.”
   At the gate, Santa checked in with the Icicle Express. His feet throbbed.  His skin peeled, but Christmas awaited.
    “Humbug to dust storms. To the North Pole, ASAP.”
     Santa stared as a wall of dirt rushed in. Lights flickered. Windows shattered. Darkness covered the runway.
     Santa stamped his boots. “Ho-ho, no.”
     Like Christmas magic, the sun reappeared.
     WHOOSH! Monsoon winds kicked the small plane around as it rose higher.
     Santa boomed, “Oh, the weather outside is frightful…snow would be delightful.”
     To Santa’s joy, the air turned frosty. Snow flurried. Reindeer pranced across the sky, and Rudolph joined the escort. The Icicle Express touched down and then glided to Santa’s workshop.
     “Ho-ho-ho. Let it snow. Mrs. Claus, eggnog, please. Rudolph, let’s check the flight pattern. I’m back. Let Christmas Eve begin!”