Join me plus over 20 more local authors on Saturday, June 18, 2022, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the American Legion, 900 1st St E, Park Rapids, MN! Book readings, signings of new books purchased at the event and more will be happening! Color me excited to be a part of this great event with my first children’s book, “Dewdrops to Raindrops, A Drip’s Trip to Make Sappy Happy.” I have a limited number of books available so come on up to beautiful northern Minnesota and join the fun:)
Good day! Sorry to have been away for so long. It has been a bit busy with a new granddaughter, extended journeys to SE Alaska, Oregon and Montana, plus a little revenue-generating work at the insurance office. HOWEVER, the number of blog posts written does not mirror the book writing I’ve done during this time. The second book of the Sappy and Dropsy book series has been sent to the illustrator while the first paragraph, the most difficult to for this author to set a catchy “hook”, has been written for the third and final book of the series! During this time, I also wrote a children’s story about a significant river restoration project on Chichagof Island in SE Alaska, how it relates to the future of the salmon population and subsistence living on the island. This manuscript is currently in review for cultural correctness and sensitivity as it contains a dictionary of Tlingit terms. Funny that. I started this story last summer and totally missed the mark on the content and gist of the educational component of the story. Can you say sidetracked with too many ideas? I now have another manuscript to finish “someday”.
I guess my message of the day is life happens, prioritize events, enjoy the scenery and always lug your computer, or whatever you use to write on or in, with you. Seven hours on a ferry or in an airport can be pretty productive time for your art. Just write the first sentence!
Good evening. As I write this, the Christmas tree lights are twinkling at random. Yes, we like the old-fashioned light bulbs that have their own blinkers! Call me a rebel:) Would it surprise you if I told you I stare at the shadows they make on the ceiling. A story or two has been inspired by doing just this! Enough of that. I wanted to write today about serious thinkers and how important it is not to exclude them from your stories, poems, memoirs or other forms of writing you do including social media. (I’ll expound on that aspect in another post.) Today, being a children’s book author, I will focus on the serious-thinking 7 year old. I was blessed to spend a few days at a very good friend’s home recently. Honestly, the questions their 7 year old daughter asked astounded me! Deep questions. She didn’t settle for an answer that glossed over the topic at hand, She continued to ask questions to get to the root of the original question! I’ll say it, again. She is 7 years old. That is the young person I want to write for. Ask the “who, what, where, when and WHY”. Not just the ones who take everything at face value and move on. I want to educate the youth who actually not only play with the box their toy came in but take the toy apart to find out how it works, so to speak. My message here is to write for all audiences but don’t write in such a way as to bore the serious thinkers. They are out there and younger than you might realize. Not only that,, but they like to be challenged! So, go ahead and write that first sentence!
Well, not exactly flowing. More often than not, putting words and thoughts together has been more like squeezing blood from a turnip. (Who ever thought of that saying, anyway?) Thank goodness for computers. I have been working on another children’s book for a couple of months now, actually two children’s books, and if it weren’t for the computer, this is what I’d be dealing with…
Fortunately, revising and rewriting on my ‘puter saves a lot of trees when I’m squeezing blood out of a turnip not to mention plays my favorite tunes while I’m trying to get inspired! I just watched a movie about a children’s book writer, author of a very successful book series, who went dry. I mean so dry he couldn’t come up with an idea, plot, or energy to turn his laptop on. Desert dry. Been there, done that, now what? So, the inspirational solution was (drum roll)…he went outside, met and talked to new people (obviously COVID was not a pandemic in this show) and read his previously penned books.
Corny? Sure. Plausible solution. I think so. For any artist, one needs inspiration and most likely, you will have to go out and explore, seek, ask questions, observe, listen and maybe get out of your comfort zone. Most importantly, an artist needs to keep an open mind. Painters, authors, actors, dancers, photographers, calligraphers, poets, supervisors, employees. Everyone needs inspiration to do their job well. So, what will you do today to be inspired? Got it? Great!! Go out and create your masterpiece!
Meanwhile, the stories will be flowing from my fingertips.
Color me excited! Tomorrow is the BIG DAY for “Dewdrops to Raindrops” and this girl:) North Dakota bound I am to Ferguson’s Books and More, Grand Forks, ND, from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for my first ever, and previously only in my wildest dreams….well, maybe not THE wildest dreams but wild nonetheless book signing!!And following that, from 4-6 p.m., I’ll be at Ferguson’s Books and More in West Fargo, ND, signing more copies! I am so happy with my first venture into being a children’s book author. Come to one of these venues to enter into the life of a little red oak sapling who is very thirsty. Through the pages, this little tree learns about the water cycle, friendship, social skills and being patient and get your book copy (ies) signed by yours truly. Great Halloween, birthday, Christmas or just because I want to gift idea! Hope to see you there!
Meet Sappy, Dropsy, and the Crew 