Welcome TARA LAZAR, our guest author for 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Day Four! Tara Lazar is a children’s book author, mother, foodie and boogeyman assassin (currently booked at 3am nightly). Her first picture book, The Monstore, will be published by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster in 2013. Tara hosts PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) in November–an alternative to NaNoWriMo for picture book writers. (See http://taralazar.wordpress.com/.) Tara is represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. For more info on Tara, check out her website here: http://taralazar.wordpress.com/ Because Tara’s first published picture book will not be out until… Read more NaPiBoWriWee Day Four: Guest Author Blog – Tara Lazar →
Welcome to Day Four of the 2011 National Picture Book Writing Week! OMG! We are HALFWAY THROUGH NaPiBoWriWee! Can you BELIEVE it?! 🙂 So as I’ve mentioned before, when I’m not writing or playing with my cats, I teach the craft of writing fiction! So now that we’ve explored first drafts, plot structure, and theme, let’s take a look at something called THE HERO’S JOURNEY. In other words… character. WHO are we writing about? What does our main character want? What’s getting in his/her way of reaching their goal? You… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Four – Good Morning! →
We survived Day Three of the 2011 NaPiBoWriWee! Hooray for us! 🙂 Did you finish 3 picture books in 3 days? If so, CONGRATULATIONS! If you are still treading water and struggling to stay in the game… YAY! HANG IN THERE!!! Remember, often it’s not about the goal. It’s about the JOURNEY to that goal. NaPiBoWriWee makes you a stronger writer. So keep the faith and keep writing. Don’t feel bad! Feel PROUD that you are crazy enough to join me on this nutty adventure. For those of you keeping track… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Three – Bedtime Blog! →
Welcome KATIE DAVIS, our guest author/illustrator for 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Day Three! Children’s author/illustrator Katie Davis has published nine books and appears monthly on the ABC affiliate show, Good Morning Connecticut, recommending great books for kids. She produces Brain Burps About Books, a podcast about kidlit, a blog and monthly newsletter. Katie has volunteered in a maximum security prison teaching Writing for Children and over the last dozen years has presented at schools and writing conferences internationally. She’s a 2010 Cybils judge and has also judged the Golden Kite, smartwriters.com, and… Read more NaPiBoWriWee Day Three: Guest Author Blog – Katie Davis →
Good morning, my wonderful NaPiBoWriWee writers! I’m trying to think of a nickname for us. I remember calling us “PiBo’s” last year. I was thinking of “NaPiBoWriWee-ers” but that’s a mouthful! Can anyone think of a fun nickname? “NaPi’s?” LOL! 🙂 Anyway, nickname or not, welcome to Day Three of the 2011 National Picture Book Writing Week! By now, you should feel like a PRO at this! 🙂 I often teach a class called WRITING FOR CHILDREN at UCLA EXTENSION’s WRITERS PROGRAM. I have loved every single class in this… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Three – Good Morning! →
“I’ve learned that you can’t have everything and do everything at the same time.” (Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, April 2003) Good evening, my NaPiBoWriWee soldiers! I know everyone battled Sophomore Slump today. You all celebrated too soon with the first victory of Day One. And then on Day 2, you faced insurmountable obstacles, such as… (Keep reading after the jump to find out what those insurmountable obstacles were…)
Meet 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Guest Artist Ken Min! Welcome KEN MIN, our guest author/illustrator for 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Day Two! Ken Min studied illustration at Art Center, College of Design and has worked as a storyboard artist for animation and various commercial houses. He has been recognized for his portfolio work at various SCBWI regional events and was runner up in the portfolio display at the 2008 National Conference in Los Angeles. He recently illustrated the title HOT HOT ROTI for Lee & Low Books. For more information on Ken, please visit his… Read more NaPiBoWriWee Day Two: Guest Author Blog – Ken Min →
Good morning! Welcome to Day Two of the 2011 National Picture Book Writing Event extravaganza! Can you believe you survived Day One? Can you believe that you actually wrote AN ENTIRE PICTURE BOOK DRAFT? (And for those of you that didn’t finish, don’t despair! We still celebrate your amazing efforts! Keep going and don’t lose the faith! :)) Yesterday, I wrote about “vomit drafts” and cited some inspirational passages from Ann Lamott’s famous BIRD BY BIRD writing how-to memoir. Today, we’re going to talk about PLOT! Ah ha… the plot… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Two – Good Morning! →
Wow. Day One of the 2011 National Picture Book Writing Week (aka “NaPiBoWriWee”) is almost over. I feel as exhausted as my cat Oreo (pictured above). And yes, I am a Crazy Cat Lady, so maybe I’ll just post a new sleeping position photo of my cats for each Bedtime Blog. LOL! 🙂 As a reminder – here is the blog schedule: 9 AM (PST) – Good Morning blog posted with writing advice and questions 12 PM (PST) – Guest Author Lunchtime blog posted with Q&A 11 PM (PST) –… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day One – Bedtime Blog! →
Welcome to ERIN EITTER KONO, our guest author/illustrator for 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Day One! Erin is an award winning author and illustrator. She studied Art History at the University of Iowa and the University of Hull in England, and she studied Graphic Design and Writing through UCLA Extension in Westwood, CA. For more info on Erin Eitter Kono, please check out her website here: http://www.eekono-illustration.com/ Erin graciously agreed to provide an autographed copy of her first written AND illustrated picture book, HULA LULLABY (Little & Brown ’05) for our prize drawing at the… Read more NaPiBoWriWee Day One: Guest Author Blog – Erin Eitter Kono →