Friday
Jun302017
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
Entries from June 1, 2017 - June 30, 2017
Friday, June 30, 2017 at 9:59 AM
Thursday
Jun292017
Thanks to Writer's Digest for including my site in their 101 Best Websites For Writers list!
Thanks to Writer's Digest for including Inkygirl.com in their annual list of best websites for writers again! So honored. What they said:
"Artist and children's book author Debbie Ridpath Ohi is perhaps best known for illustrating award-winning children's books (including several for Judy Blume), but her online presence is equally vibrant. At Inkygirl, she couples writerly inspiration with adorably endearing doodles - you can spend hours browsing without even realizing it."
Thanks also to Dee Romito for the heads-up in her Twitter feed at @writeforapples; I had missed seeing this news!
Wednesday
Jun282017
Wednesday
Jun282017
Tuesday
Jun272017
Comic: Cat Writer
"Writers need rejection as a reminder that we have to work for what we achieve." - Chuck Wendig.
Tuesday
Jun272017
Monday
Jun262017
Happy 20th Anniversary to the Harry Potter series!
Anyone else miss the rabid anticipation of a new Harry Potter book? I confess I sometimes feel like Moira:
Monday
Jun262017
You can find stories EVERYWHERE. Yes, even in a coffee stain!
As some of you may have seen in my Instagram story yesterday, I was creating some more coffee stains for doodling. Jeff (my husband) was about to reject some coffee grounds since he had accidentally set our coffee grinder for the wrong setting; I asked if I could have them. And I used them to create some super-strong coffee in a French press, then dropped the coffee onto some mixed media art paper with a spoon:
Sunday
Jun252017
Saturday
Jun242017
Friday
Jun232017
Thursday
Jun222017
Wednesday
Jun212017
Wednesday
Jun212017
Monday
Jun192017
Writers & illustrators: DO YOUR BACKUPS. Here's my backup system and how it saved me when an Adobe Creative Cloud update bug ate my work.
While Adobe Creative Cloud is convenient in so many ways, an update bug removed a LOT of my files last year, including entire file folders of PSD book illustration files. Even a year later, it makes me queasy to remember staring at the screen as I watched in horror as files were disappearing RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES and having no idea what was going on.
Cloud backup service Backblaze discovered the bug. Happily, my tech-savvy husband had set up a backup system for me using Time Machine, Backblaze and a physical offsite backup, and he helped me rebuild my hard drive.
Yes, it can be a hassle to set up a proper backup system but trust me: IT'S WORTH DOING. Imagine how you'd feel if your computer quit working or was stolen right now, and your content wasn't backed up. Even apart from your work, what about some of the personal photos of moments and people you will never be able to replace?
People tend not to really think about a backup until they need one. I can't imagine what I would have done if I didn't have a working backup when Adobe Creative Cloud ate all those files.
Another tip: Do regular checks to make sure your backup system is working properly!
I do still use Adobe Creative Cloud, but I wait a while before installing any update. That way I let other people find the bugs for Adobe to fix before they release an updated update. :-)
Wednesday
Jun142017
Monday
Jun122017
Great advice for young readers from Jody Jensen Shaffer, author of PRUDENCE, THE PART-TIME COW about writing
Jody Jensen Shaffer writes books and poetry for children. Her award-winning poems have appeared in magazines like Ladybug, Babybug, Highlights, High Five, Clubhouse Jr., and more. Jody writes from her home in Liberty, Missouri, which she shares with her husband, two children, and their rescue dog, Sophie.
You can find more info about Jody at her website, on Twitter and her blog.
