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Debbie Ridpath Ohi reads, writes and illustrates for young people. Every once in a while she shares new art, writing and reading resources; subscribe below. Browse the archives here.
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*NEW!* Also see my Broken Crayon resource
Writer comics by Debbie Ridpath Ohi are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
More details: Comic Use Policy
Welcome to Inkygirl: Reading, Writing and Illustrating Children's Books (archive list here) which includes my Creating Picture Books series, Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators, Writer's and Illustrator's Guide To Twitter, Interviews With Authors And Illustrators, #BookADay archives, writing/publishing industry surveys, and 250, 500, 1000 Words/Day Writing Challenge. Also see my Inkygirl archives, and comics for writers. Also check out my Print-Ready Archives for Teachers, Librarians, Booksellers and Young Readers.
I tweet about the craft and business of writing and illustrating at @inkyelbows. If you're interested in my art or other projects, please do visit DebbieOhi.com. Thanks for visiting! -- Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Jolie Stekly has a great interview with my agent, Ginger Knowlton. Ginger will be sharing her views, along with three other agents, on the final panel of the SCBWI Winter conference. And Ginger mentions me in the interview, yay!!
(I'll be updating the list of other helpful tutorials at the end of this page.)
Google+ recently announced the launch of Google+ Pages, which are similar Facebook Fan Pages.
So what's the difference between a Google+ Page and the Google+ accounts already out there?
You may already have a Google+ Profile page. While there are many similarities between a Google+ Profile Page and a Google+ Page, here are some differences (from Google+ info pages on the topic):
- Pages can’t add people to circles until the page is added first or mentioned.
- Pages can be made for a variety of different entities whereas profiles can only be made for people.
- The default privacy setting for elements on your page profile is public.
- Pages have the +1 button.
- Pages can’t +1 other pages, nor can they +1 stuff on the Web.
- Pages can’t play games.
- Pages don’t have the option to share to ‘Extended circles’.
- Pages don’t receive notifications via email, text, or in the Google bar.
- Pages can’t hangout on a mobile device.
- Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location.
Do check out Google+'s own help docs about Google+ Pages for more info.
Ok, how do I get started?
Anyway, here's a quickie overview for creating a bare bones Google+ Page. First go to the Google+ Page Creation area.
There are a number of different category choices, but if you're launching a Page promoting a book, choose ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS and then under "Select A Category", choose "Book." This is the category I chose for I'm Bored; feel free to follow my Book page -- I plan to take every advantage of Google+ Book pages in the months leading up to the Sept/2012 launch as well as afterward.
If you're an author or illustrator, there are several options. Sadly, there are no Author or Illustrator categories. However, I did find a "Media, News and Publishing" subcategory under the COMPANY, INSTITUTION OR ORGANIZATION main category:
There's also "Public Figure" under the PRODUCT OR BRAND category:
Or you could always opt for "OTHER" instead, which lets you enter the Page name and an optional website. I ended up choosing "Media, News and Publishing" for my Inkygirl Page.
Fill in your Page name (you can change this later, unless Facebook Pages), website if you have one, and click the checkbox beside "I agree to the Pages Terms and I am authorized to create this page" (after you read and agree to the terms, of course).
You have 10 words to summarize your business in the Tagline field. You can change this later.
Choose a profile image if you have one (or add it later).
Click on CONTINUE, and you'll have the option to Share your page with your personal Circles.
Now you can go tweak your Page --- click on the Edit Profile button to change info on your Page. Add book covers, author promo pics, sample illustrations, etc. And don't forget to link your Google+ Page up to your website and create a Google+ badge.
I'll be sharing more tips on how kidlit/YA authors & illustrators can finetune their Google+ Pages and use Google+, so please do follow my Inkygirl Page on Google+!
And if you have a Google+ Page related to kidlit/YA, please do add your Page link to my Kidlit/YA Pages On Google+ (children/YA books, groups, organizations, websites for kidlit/YA industry, authors, illustrators, agents, editors, publishers, librarians, teachers, book bloggers, etc.). I just ask that you only add ONE comment, and list all your kidlit/YA pages in that one comment. You can always edit your comment later if there are changes.
RELATED LINKS:
About Google+ Pages - Google support pages
Google+ Guides For Newbies (esp. writers and illustrators) - my list of useful resources
Google+ Pages For Authors - ASimplerWay.com
How to set up Google+ for your business or brand (CNET) - includes useful info about what to do AFTER you've created your Page.
How to set up a Google+ for business page (PC Advisor)
How to set up a Google+ page for your brand or business (Business Insider)
How to create Google Pages for brands, businesses and more - Geekbeat.tv
I just launched my Inkygirl Page on Google+! If you're on G+ and are interested in Inkygirl updates, please do add me to your Circles! :-)
If you're interested in finding out more about Google+'s newly launched Pages, read this Google+ Post.
So how are you all doing with your writing challenges, whatever they may be?
Thanks to Tara Lazar for inviting me to be one of her guest bloggers during PiBoIdMo month (Picture Book Idea Month). Click on the image to the left or go to Tara's blog to see my VERY FIRST Doodle Guest Post!
Publishing Perspectives has an interesting article today called, Are Social Media Sites the New Slush Pile?
Debut author Leigh Fallon, discovered on HarperCollins’ community YA site, is one example about how the path to authorship is changing, according to the article.
Quote from the article: "Launched by HarperCollins in 2009, Inkpop combines community publishing, user-generated content, and social networking to connect aspiring writers of teen literature with talent-spotting readers and publishing professionals. Fallon uploaded her manuscript and almost immediately it caught the attention of readers – within three weeks it had risen to the site’s 'Top Five' most read and highly rated manuscripts."
You can read the full article on Publishing Perspectives.
Congrats to Writer's Knowledge Base, who wins an Inkygirl Golden CupCake Award! Created by mystery author and writing advice curator Elizabeth Spann Craig (@elizabethcraig on Twitter) this search engine is specifically geared toward writers.
It's a pretty amazing resource. Are you feeling dejected about a recent rejection? Entering "rejection" in the search field will turn up over 1400 posts on the topic! If you haven't already, I encourage you to try it out yourself.
URL: http://hiveword.com/wkb/search
Established in July/2010, the Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Award is given to blogs or sites I find particularly inspirational to writers, especially those that may not already be well-known. Criteria is unapologetically subjective.
If you win the award, you do NOT have to display or acknowledge the award (but feel free, if so inclined). Just bask in the ephemeral, golden glory of online blog stardom and then move on, continuing to be an inspiration to the writing community. And THANK YOU for doing what you do.
Here is a list of recent winners of the Inkygirl Golden Cupcake Award.
Yay! Official sign-up for PiBoIdMo starts today! Check out the cool event badge created by my illustrator friend Bonnie Adamson.
The challenge:
Create 30 new picture book ideas in 30 days.
You can find out more info in Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo sign-up post.
Above: photo with Adrienne Kress at a Torkidlit gathering
Many thanks to the mega-talented Adrienne Kress for her lovely post about me in her blog this week, which made me blush.
Adrienne's new YA book comes out from Dutton next year, by the way. Here's what Publisher's Weekly said:
"Alex and the Ironic Gentleman author Adrienne Kress's Young Adult debut The Friday Society, in which the lives of three intelligent and very talented young women, all of whom are assistants to very powerful men, become inextricably linked by a chance encounter and a murder, to Nancy Conescu at Dutton, for publication in 2012, by Jessica Regel at Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency (world)."
You can find out more about Adrienne (who not only writes books for young people but is also an actor) at:
Just had a great Hangout with some of my Pixel Shavings pals (group of children's book illustrator/writers who glog (groupblog) together): +Hazel Mitchell +Sheralyn Barnes +Russ Cox and +Fred Koehler. We missed you, +John Deininger!
We've never all been in one place together and some of us have never met in person, so it was great to actually chat face-to-face.
You can find out more about us at:
http://pixelshavings.blogspot.com/
A little while ago, I posted about needing to rethink my social media habits. I am still rethinking. :-) I was off-line for much of August because of the SCBWI conference in Los Angeles as well as a 10 day anniversary trip with my husband.
I had originally planned to stay offline the entire time. Because we needed to coordinate with friends in California and because Jeff was relying on Google maps and other online navigation information during the trip, I found it impossible to resist the lure.
Yes, I am weak.
I did manage to stay off line for as much as 48 hours at a time, however. This may not seem like a lot to some of you. For me, though, it was an achievement. :-)What I found: I did not miss being online if I had other distractions to keep me occupied.
When I got home, I started experimenting with longer work sessions during which I stayed completely offline. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought, especially when I realized how much more productive I could be. A surprising challenge: training everyone else to learn that I wasn't as glued to my e-mail as usual. I can't blame them, really. People are so used to me being able to respond to an e-mail within a few minutes.
As I mentioned before, I have no interest in pulling back completely from social media. I use social media for so much more than just business networking, and it's part of who I am. I have always been a fan of online communities.The people and posts I follow on various social networks inspire me, inform and educate.
As a creative freelancer, I'm used to working for long periods in isolation. When I'm working on something that requires a lot of creative concentration, I need to be alone. However, sometimes it's great to take a break and socialize a bit online.
The key, of course, is moderation.
Here are some steps I've been taking in my attempts to get more control over how much time I spend online and my productivity:
1. Learn to say no. Sometimes a fun project or a project for a good cause will come up, or a potential promotional opportunity that's hard to turn down. I'm keeping closer track of how many of these I take on at any one time, and learning how to say no or to postpone the rest.
2. Learn how to focus for longer periods of time. I've grown so used to an interrupt-driven workday. What I have learned, which I'm sure is already obvious to most of you: being able to work for longer periods without interruption makes me more productive. I try to ignore the phone when it rings, and let people leave messages. I tried to check e-mail fewer times during the day, and am also gradually training people I know to not expect immediate responses.
3. When I go online, I try to stick to my original purpose. I find it way too easy to start following links and looking things up online, clicking and clicking until I realize I've totally forgotten the original reason I went online. Now I use Instapaper and Pinboard to record links I want to check out later and tell myself (who gets the following nerdy Star Wars quote ref?) to STAY ON TARGET.
How are the rest of you doing? Have you learned any new tips to share?
Writers on Twitter are probably already familiar with Johanna Harness and #amwriting but if you're not, you should be!
#Amwriting is an ongoing chat. You’re not expected to stay tuned-in constantly. The chat happens in the background of your writing day. It is a virtual watercooler for writers, a place you can hang out and talk to your colleagues about your current writing projects (and theirs) and then you get back to work. You are expected to pop in and out of chat as you write, so no one thinks anything of it if you disappear into your writing.
#Amwriting is a community. The writers here care about one another. We have member biographies, a store, discussion groups, help-a-writer classifieds, and a site full of resources. Both readers and writers are encouraged to join us: http://www.amwriting.org.
If you're not sure how to use hashtags or attend chats on Twitter, please see my Twitter Chat Guide For Writers.
My only warning: Just be careful not to let yourself get so pulled into online socializing that you forget about your real purpose: to get more writing done!
I've been compiling an "add yourself" list of literary/publishing people on Google+. Short URL: http://bit.ly/GP-LIT
To add yourself to any of these lists, just go to the appropriate list and make a post. Feel free to include a URL. You an always edit/update your listing later on. Do spread the word to others on Google+, thanks!
Note: Please don't ask me to add you to the lists -- I purposely made this an "add yourself" directory for easier admin. :-)
With Andrew Tolson's agent submitting his YA manuscript ,The Girl Who Saved Kafka, to prospective publishers, he wanted to entice editors with something extra, a taste of the novel before they had read the first page. He decided to launch a blog that was in the voice of the main character:
An explanation from Andrew:
In my daily work as a photographer, I use big expensive cameras. For personal work, I’ve been using my iPhone and the Hipstamatic app. I’m fascinated by the lo-fi approach to many digital applications and Hipstamatic gives you all the beautiful and unpredictable results you’d get from a crappy film camera. The kind of low budget camera you might find in the Linfield Thrift Store. It’s a perfect tool for someone like Zoe Burns to express herself. She’s the fifteen-year-old heroine of my novel, who shops at the thrift store and uses a typewriter because it makes the letters sound loud. She’s desperate to break out of her outcast’s existence. But she must also come to terms with her crazy mother, her best friend’s growing allegiance to the popular girls and the pending appearance of teen pop star Tyler Sharp. Then there’s the school talent show which Zoe is being forced to enter. Can she combine her growing obsession with Franz Kafka’s existential masterpiece, The Metamorphosis, and her talent show performance? She’s certain she has the potential for extraordinariness but–
Wait a minute. This is starting to sound like a synopsis.
Just look at the blogopsis: http://kafkagirl.com
What gave you the idea for starting your Kafka Girl blog?
The idea was two-fold. First, I really enjoyed writing in Zoe’s voice and wondered what it would sound like if I transferred that voice to another medium and then added visuals. Since I’m also a photographer, I wondered what kind of things Zoe would take pictures of. How would she document her environment and her life? But also, I wanted to give prospective editors who are considering the manuscript a unique way of marketing the book to readers.
How often do you update?
At the moment I don’t update it all and that’s intentional. I’ve set up the blog so it has a narrative arc as Zoe introduces herself and her world. If the book sells, and the publisher is interested, I’d love to expand into regular updates with photos and video. Zoe already has a Facebook profile, but I’ve not done anything with it yet. It was a lot of fun putting together the stock images and shooting elements from the story, like Zoe’s Mom’s postcards. I hope the blog will intrigue readers enough to want to check out the book.
What has the response been so far?
The response has been great. I’ve even had a few people get to the end of the blog and not realize it’s fiction. I just hope no one will feel duped.
Who's the man in the picture? (beside "I'm Zoe Burns...") I thought Zoe was a girl?
The man in the photo is Franz Kafka, he of the book’s title. Nowhere in the blog is there a clear photo of Zoe. I want the reader to leave it up to their imagination as to what she looks like.
What's your "elevator pitch" for your book?
Fifteen-year-old Zoe Burns is desperate to break out of her ordinary existence, so she mounts a one-girl show, performing her version of Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis at her high school talent contest. Meanwhile, she must come to terms with her crazy mother, a burgeoning relationship with a fellow outcast and the imminent arrival of the insanely popular teenaged heart throb Tyler Sharp, who will be judging the talent show. It sounds like it could be dark and depressing, but it’s really quite funny.....
What other projects are you working on now?
I’m hard at work on a new book, a MG fantasy called ‘The Knife Of Lost Souls’, about an orphaned 12-year-old girl who discovers that she comes from a long line of demon slayers.'. Very different from the Kafka story, but hopefully just as much fun. It’s really important, I’ve found, to start work on a new project when your ms is making the rounds of editors. Otherwise you’ll go crazy with anticipation!
More info:
I've been using Google+ pretty heavily for the past week. Here's my Google+ Profile page, if you'd like to follow me; I've updated it with links to my directories of those on Google+ interested in kidlit/YA, librarians, digital publishing/ebooks, children's book illustrators, comics/webcomics, board gaming, filk, and iPads.
See the end of this post for a list of Google+ resources for newbies.
If you're just interested in my overall summary, here it is:
Even in its beta testing phase, I like the look and functionality of Google+ much more than Facebook. It's easier to filter the info that you read and share, using Circles. I love the Google+ Hangout video chat feature, which has huge creative collaboration and teaching potential, in addition to the obvious fun social aspect. As Google gradually integrates other services so many people use (Picasa and Blogger will become Google branded), I believe that the Hangouts feature is going to ultimately tip the scales in favour of Google+ when it comes to the whole Facebook vs Google choice.
Shorter summary:
Google+ is only in beta and I already love it.
Above: how I felt when I first heard about Google+. Did I really need to join ANOTHER social network?
But here are some detailed reasons why I like Google+ so much:
I'm really hoping that Google+ keeps its current clean design. I know they will probably add Google ads at some point, but I don't mind this (just as I don't with Gmail) as long as they're not too obtrusive.
I have multiple interests and follow people who focus on those various interests, including writing, illustrating, webcomics, board gaming, filking, techies, social media, digital publishing, iPads, and more. I was excited when Facebook added Friends' Lists, but then they not only buried them so they were a pain to find (whereas Google+ keeps them prominently displayed) but I couldn't share with specific Lists.
As a result, I find it nearly impossible to keep up with my Facebook stream since everyone's posts, pictures and videos come through in one huge, unending, gloppy mess.
With Google+ Circles, I'm finding it easier to keep up with posts from my different groups of friends and acquaintances, plus follow higher profile people who may not know I exist but whose posts I find interesting. I'm still finetuning, but here are some of my current Circles:
The "Reading: Chatty" Circle, for instance, has people like Chris Pirillo, whose posts I enjoy but who posts so often that I can't have him in my default Tech stream and also be able to read other people's posts. :-)
I'm sure that the Google+ people are working to improve Circle filtering functionality. I would love to be able to use Boolean filtering algorithms, like "everyone in Circle A -except- for the people in Circle B." I would also love it if Google+ added smarter searching and search results suggestions, so that I could look for particular topics within a Circle or group of Circles.
Compared to trying to sort through all the information and noise on my Facebook stream, however, I'm loving Google+, even in its beta phase. See my list of resources at the end of this article for some helpful info.
Because I have multiple interests and multiple circles of friends, it's sometimes a challenge to share information. Some people feel that the more people you share something with, the better (in terms of promotion), but I don't agree.
I may be following someone for his insightful comments on the publishing industry but if he tends to go on regular tangents about his passion for football, then I'll end up unfollowing him. I know that while my board gaming friends are interested in my photos and blow-by-blow accounts of games I've played, the same info and photos would bore my writer, illustrator, iPad, digital publishing and music pals.
Google+ Circles makes it possible for me to more effectively share information and media.When sharing content in Google+, you can share with individuals, with one or more Circles, to Extended Circles (your Circles plus their Circles), publicly, or any combination of the previous.
Plus the sharing is so easy. I can just drag a link, image or video over to the Share window and then drop it in (make sure the window gets highlighted before you drop, else your browser will open your info instead). Then choose what Circles you want to share it with, or make it Public.
See my list of resources at the end of this article for some helpful info on this topic.
Need I say more on this?
I have always hated the whole "Follower Count Obsession" mindset so prevalent in social networks. Of course it's nice to know that people are interested in what you're saying, but some people are waaaay too focused on numbers. I wrote briefly about this in my Writer's Guide to Twitter.
With Google+, you can have Private and Public circles. Which means that the numbers displayed on people's Profiles don't necessary reflect the actual number of people who are following or being followed. You may look at someone's Profile and think, "Ooo, they have 100 followers" but be unaware (because of Private Circles) that the person may have followed several thousand semi-random Google+ users, knowing that some will automatically follow back.
When people realize this, I'm hoping that those who jump onto the Google+ bandwagon in hopes of getting an early start on Follower counts will relax and start truly enjoying the service for what it is.
Above: Google+ Hangouts developer Chee Chew dropped by one of my open chats, yay! Super-nice guy.
One of my favourite features so far is Google+ Hangouts, the live video chat. Way easy to use. You can do a public Hangout (where anyone can join) or just invite one or more of your Circles. Or even just a single person!
What changed my mind about Google+ having a chance of becoming more popular than Facebook: when several of my non-techy friends tried out Google+ in super-skeptical mode but admitted they liked the look/feel here much better than Facebook AND they had no trouble getting into one of my test Hangouts.
I've even sent an invite to my Dad, who wasn't tempted by Facebook but IS tempted by Google+ because it could be an easier way of staying in contact with friends and relatives in Japan. He currently uses Skype, but there are sometimes tech issues. Plus there's the integration factor...YES, there are many separate services and apps out there that can achieve what each of these Google+ features attempt on their own, but I looooooooove the idea of having everything in one place, attached to ONE identity.
But I digress. Back to why I'm so nuts about Google Hangouts+...
First of all (as silly as this may sound), I like the fact that you can check how you look and what's showing in your camera space before you start or join a Hangout:
Here's what appears in your stream when you start a Hangout:
I like the fact that the chat can be as public or as private as you want. Once you are in the chat, you can also invite more people. The main window switches automatically to the person who is speaking, but you also have the option to focus the window on one person.
Moving your cursor over any of the smaller user windows below the main window will reveal the person's name as well as give you options to mute or report them. You can also type text into the text chat window, which can be handy if you are sharing a link or want to contribute something without interrupting a voice conversation in progress.
Right now, users can also view a YouTube video together and comment on it as it is playing. I strongly suspect that Google+ will also be adding the capability of sharing other kinds of media cheering the chat as well. The creative collaboration potential is HUGE.
A couple of my music pals and I tested out playing music together, but we found that the slight lag made it a challenge when it came to tight work. However, we found it a great venue for listening to one person perform. I could easily see Google+ Hangouts being great for writing workshops and illustration critiques. Some of my board gamer friends are already planning to test out board gaming via Google+ Hangouts -- so handy when we are all scattered around the globe!
Above: chatting with people from England, North Africa and India. Thanks to Rebecca Woodhead for starting this public Hangout!
I am a big fan of text chats but I have to admit that the Google+ Hangouts feature has made me an even bigger fan of video chats. I like that I can be selective about how public or private I make the chat.
I also love the fact that I can open up a Hangout to a particular Circle and people can make up their own minds about whether they want to join or not. It's a much more casual set-up, and encourages more organic chats than Facebook's current set-up. I know that Facebook recently integrated Skype (or is planning to integrate it), but with a service like Skype you have to call people or prearrange a time.
There is currently a limit of 10 people in a chat. Sometimes you will see a report from a chat where apparently 22 attended, but this only means that some people left the chat and others joined partway through. I can understand Google+ wanting to limit people to limit lag in its beta testing phase, but I'm hoping that eventually they increase the chat room max size as well as allow in those who just want to watch/listen and not necessarily chat. That way you could have something like a panel of speakers as well as an audience.
See my list of resources at the end of this article for some helpful info on this topic.
For those who write for young people: Among other features, Google+ Hangouts is SO going to have a huge appeal to the younger crowd. Yes, most of them are still at Facebook. But unless Facebook improves its video chatting service to match Google+, I predict a mass migration. Depending on how Google+ Hangouts handles attendees & limits once the service goes public, this could be a potential venue for virtual classroom visits, readings, workshops, and book clubs.
Illustrators & comic artists/writers: Once Google+ Hangouts allows users to upload static images and other media, you could do slideshows, critiques, show how you create a drawing, etc.
Musicians, songwriters: Live music circles! Ok, the current lag makes a jam session a challenge. But for sharing one's music with others? It's brilliant. For my filker pals out there: imagine being able to listen in on a music circle or casual performance through a Hangout on someone's laptop! (for those curious, here's my post on What Is Filk?)
Gosh, I could go on for way too long on this topic. I think I'm going to have to write up some other posts addressing specific reasons why different creative types need to join Google+. Stay tuned. :-)
Deleted my tip on how to view your Profile as it looks to others because the following tip is far easier:
[Correction, posted by Google software engineer Yonatan Zunger in the comments section: "Great post, and I'm glad you're enjoying the system so much. :) One note: you can actually see how your profile is viewed by others just by going to your profile page. In the top right, there's a text box that says "View your profile as..." and you can just put in someone's name, or select 'Anyone on the web.'"
TEXT FORMATTING SHORTCUTS:
*Word* = Word
_Word_ = Word
-Word- = Word
Google+ Info site: Unofficial info about Google Plus, regularly updated
Google Plus: Ultimate Quickstart Guide: from Eugene Teplitsky
Mashable Google+ Complete Guide
Collaborate Google doc: essentially a wiki, open to anyone to edit. I linked to Google+ Info's blurb about it instead of the doc itself because if too many are editing it at the same time, the link won't work
How to Use Google+ Hangouts (wikiHow): basics, with screenshots
Where To Hangout At Google+: user-maintained directory of current G+ Hangouts
Google+ Cheat Sheet: one-page list of shortcuts (also translated into other languages)
Google Plus Tips & Shortcuts: Andrew Shotland keeps this list updated
Google+ Privacy: 5 Settings You need To Know
What are Google Circles and how do I use them? by John Haydon
Taming your Google+ Circle madness in 3 easy step: Vincent Mo
How To Make A Private Circle: Kimberly Castleberry
10 Google+ tips to help you get off to a good start: Deb Ng
Ultimate Google+ Tips and Tricks: Tech Exclusive
Don't disable Google+ notifications - Filter them!: Google+ Info
Why Google+ Is Awesome For Cartoonists: Ryan Estrada
Above: Neil Gaiman and his kitty, Oz.
Ok, so this blog has zero practical info, but how can you resist photos of writers and their feline friends? Check out Writers and Kitties.
Thanks to school librarian Lynda Shoup for the Stylish Blogger Award:
Heh. The award immediately inspired the cartoon above.
Apparently I'm supposed to tell you all 7-10 things about myself and then pass the award along to someone else. So here are some things about me that you may or may not know:
1. I work in a basement office which both Jeff and I nickname The Cave. There are small windows near the ceiling but I cover them up with scarves for privacy. I painted a tree on the wall. There are floating piles of books in its branches.
2. My music group recently put out a Mockumentary DVD which has some of our concert song performances on it! In one, Jean-Luc Picard dances with me. Here's the trailer I made on YouTube about it. You can buy a copy for $20 (plus shipping/handling) in our Urban Tapestry shop. And yes, I'm shameless!
3. I sold a website.
4. I was a clown in the Toronto Santa Claus Parade. Here's proof.
5. I have a weakness for miniature food.
6. A lot of people think I'm an extrovert, but I'm actually an introvert at heart. While I love hanging out with and meeting creative people, I need solitude to recharge.
7. I'm a board gamer. Jeff and I recently came home from a 10-day board gaming event (Alan Moon's Gathering of Friends) and those 10 days went by SO fast. I post board gaming comics and news on BoardGameBook.com as I work on a book which I am hoping will get more people into the hobby. Also see my profile on BoardGameGeek.com. Alan Moon just released a fabulous new game called Airlines Europe, by the way: a fun family strategy game!
8. I'm illustrating my first picture book! It's called I'M BORED and is written by actor/comedian/writer Michael Ian Black. Simon & Schuster is publishing it in 2012.
9. I have a meeting at Simon & Schuster in NYC next week, woohoo! We're going to be doing the first pass at the final layout of I'M BORED. Very excited.
10. I'm attending the SCBWI Summer Conference in LA this August (booking my flights today!).
And now I'm bestowing the Stylish Blogger Award onto my writer chef pal:
AMANDA SNYDER
for her blog, MY LIPS ARE RED
As you can see from the photo to the right, Amanda is a MUCH more Stylish Blogger than I am. :-)
I had a lot of fun at last night's tweetup of the Toronto Area Middle Grade & Young Adult Author Group. We've moved to a new location: The Bedford Academy near Avenue Road and Bloor. The place has a laid-back pub atmosphere; I recognized it from when I attended the National Cartoonists' Christmas party (Canadian chapter) a couple of years ago.
Claudia Osmond, Nelsa Roberto, and I treated Maureen McGowan to dinner in celebration for her birthday before the official tweetup started. I think I might make a habit of showing up early for the tweetups to have dinner with other earlybirds; I find it gets a bit noisy later (I sometimes found it a challenge hearingthe person across the table).
Anyway, here's a list of the people at last night's gathering:
Humberta Araujo - Humberta's first tweetup! Great to meet her.
To find out more about upcoming author events and more about each author, see our Facebook page:
Torkidlit News: Toronto Area Middle Grade & YA Author Group
If you're a middle grade or young adult writer in the Toronto area who are interested in attending our monthly get-togethers, join our Facebook group:
Toronto Area Middle Grade & YA Author Group
I feel very lucky to be part of the MiG Writers' Critique Group. Recently, one of our members debuted a nonfiction book: SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD - Discover Amazing Monuments To Civilizations.
Carmella Van Vleet was kind (or brave?) enough to let her fellow MiG writers interview her. Do visit our MiG Writers' blog for some of Carmella's insights into writing nonfiction for young people as well as a chance to win an autographed copy of her new book.
Tara Lazar is a children’s book author, mother, foodie and founder of Picture Book Idea Month (a.k.a. "PiBoIdMo"). Her first picture book, The Monstore, will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013. Tara is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Find out more about Tara at her blog: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/
And stay tuned for PiBoIdMo 2011 this November!
What inspired you to start PiBoIdMo?
I got active in the online kidlit community in November of 2007. I learned about NaNoWriMo immediately--EVERYONE was chatting about it. I was jealous of novel writers having all the fun, so the following November I decided I would do something to inspire me as a picture book writer. I'd created one new picture book concept a day. I didn't make it through the whole month, though. I finished with 22 ideas, but one of them was for THE MONSTORE, my upcoming book with Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.
How many years have you run PiBoIdMo?
PiBoIdMo 2008 wasn't official, it was just me and a few local writing friends. I ran PiBoIdMo on my blog for the first time in November 2009. This past November was the 2nd year for the blog-based event.
How successful has it been?
The first year I ran PiBoIdMo, I didn't have a sign-up period, so I don't know how many people participated, but a little over 100 signed the pledge at the end, confirming they had at least 30 ideas. My website received 15,000 hits during November 2009, which, at the time, was the most active month the site ever had.
For PiBoIdmO 2010, there was a sign-up period which logged 404 particpants, with 201 completing the challenge. Web hits soared to 30,000 for the month and my blog was ranked in the top 100 book blogs by Technorati, making it as high as #10. I was blown away by the enthusiasm of the participators! Many blogged their daily progress. Megan K. Bickel, for instance, put her own spin on PiBoIdMo by creating ideas in alphabetical order.
And PiBoIdMo has netted others contracts and awards. Corey Rosen Schwartz came up with the idea for GOLDI ROCKS AND THE THREE BEARS during PiBoIdMo 2009, which was bought by Putnam in 2010. Diana Murray wrote a manuscript from a PiBoIdMo idea which won the SCBWI Barbara Karlin Grant. Those are the two PiBoIdMo success stories I know of, and I'm sure there's more to come! I hope people will contact me with their good news.
Have you enjoyed running it?
It's been a blast running it, but also a lot of work. The first year, I decided to do a daily post after I had already recruited guest bloggers. There were 15 guest bloggers, which meant I had to write 15 posts on my own. That was a bit much, so in 2010 I decided to schedule more guest bloggers. The response was surprising--there were more volunteers than days in November! So some of the guest spots rolled into early December. I had so much fun putting the posts together; I felt privileged to read all the great advice before anyone else.
Next year I might need a PiBoIdMo assistant! So many people volunteered prizes that I'm still doling them out in January!
So my writing critique group, MiG Writers, made me cry this morning. Just recently one of them asked me what my favorite picture book and favorite middle grade book was. I told them heck, that's a hard question but if I had to choose, here's what I'd choose.
Well, this morning I logged into my e-mail to find the following video and blog posting:
Feeling very, very lucky to have found this group of women. We've all become friends in addition to critique partners, supporting each other in so much more than just our writing projects.
Anyway, please do join the party over on the MiG Writers blog. :-)
And to my fellow MiG Writers: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 11:51 AM
