I have goals not dreams that 2016 will add even more successes to my writing life. Action to goals and my word for 2016 is:
FOLLOW-THROUGH!
MY 2015 SUCCESSES
- Took 2 craft classes: Making Picture Book Magic w/Susanna Leonard Hill and Pacing to WOW w/ agent Jodell Sadler. (Gift from Jodell, my agent.)
- Organized a picture books schmooze for 15 local writers while still in Phoenix AZ at The Newton, indie bookstore.
- Began the study of Nancy I. Sanders YES YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO WRITE BEGINNING READERS & CHAPTER BOOKS. Led a chapter discussion on FB group Word by Word.
- Posted a pitch for a PB on Susanna Hill's blog series WOULD YOU READ IT WEDNESDAY. I have over 77 responses that said they would read my ms based on the pitch.
- After we made a cross-country move, I met Ohio writers at the Ohioana Spring Book Festival. I connected with the director of children's programming for the Thurber House & had an interview to teach at Thurber for summer 2016.
- Attended the Northern Ohio SCBWI conference and roomed w/my agent. Became friends with 2 Cincy writers & met an editor who has an interest in early chapter books.
- A successful PB author stayed AT MY HOUSE and I arranged a school visit for her at the district from which I retired. She generously read tow of my WIPs and gave feedback.
- I blogged consistently throughout the year on the GROG. Our page views have topped over 112,000!
- I interviewed Lynne Avril, Amelia Bedelia's illustrator, and Salina Yoon, author/illustrator for the blog. Salina's PR person asked me to help procure school visits.
- Two well-established NF writers asked me to review their newest books on the GROG.
- I finished my picture book biography on MC and polished it to the point that it is on submission to 5 publishers. Only 1 response so far, but it's a start.
- I revised 4 mss for ReviMo. (Revision month w/Meg Miller.)
- Wrote a new ms based on 2 students from an elementary in PHX that I worked w/ for several months. I dedicated it to them and they were so proud. It is now one of my fav mss!
- From May-July, I participated in an online goggle chat critique group twice a week,
- I revised 3 mss in preparation for WOW NF Retreat in July. Two of my WIPS had professional writers and another agent engaged enough to laugh.
- I began to volunteer at my intermediate school from which I retired in the library weekly and took out scores of PBs.
- I reconnected with the Gahanna Library branch children's director and will help teach a writing class w/intermediate-middle grade students in Feb. 2016.
- I began a writing project w/gifted 5th graders and their E/LA teacher called Write 4 Real. We are creating PB bios and as co-teachers we plan to turn the project into an educational book.
- I refocused on plot and completed Suditpa Bardhan-Quallen's & Kami Kinard's Kid Lit Summer School: The Plot Thickens.
- I completed my 3rd PIBoIdMo and have 32 ideas for picture books. I wrote several rough crafts of these ideas.
- I attended AASL's annual conference and met 2 editors from an educational publisher who may be interested in my Write 4 Real project.
- I helped many kid lit writers w/feedback and revisions. One writer told me I could charge for my critiques because they were insightful and detailed.
- I created a PB writing class for adults and pitched it to the Parks & Rec director who liked the idea. Not enough people signed up for it, but I have several modules done on it.
- I submitted my information for a PB mentorship w/ Stacy McAnulty in 2016 for 6 months and I am a finalist!
- Forgot one more...just finished the study of WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT for Word by Word and led a chapter discussion.
- How could I forget that I started a chapter book and am co-writing it w/Pam C.???
- Submitted a proposal for a pullout session at the Virginia Hamilton Conference 2016 and was accepted.
- Submitted a proposal for the Mazza Summer Institute 2016 and was accepted.
So, that's my 2015 wrapped up in a bow. I do feel I lost momentum when I moved, but I feel good about what I achieved.
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