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NaPiBoWriWee Day Five: Guest Author Blog – Hope Vestergaard

Welcome HOPE VESTERGAARD, our guest author  for 2011 NaPiBoWriWee Day Five! Hope Vestergaard is an early childhood consultant and children’s author with seventeen years’ experience working with children, teachers, and families. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Smith College and is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the International Reading Association. Hope currently trains teachers, conducts parent workshops, (works with classrooms in transition,) and develops curricular materials for parents and teachers. Her particular areas of interest include literacy, developmentally appropriate practice, and… Read more NaPiBoWriWee Day Five: Guest Author Blog – Hope Vestergaard

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Five – Good Morning!

Good morning NaPiBoWriWee peeps! What? We’re already at Day 5? We’re more than halfway through National Picture Book Writing Week? Pinch me! Time is going by so quickly! Is everyone surviving? Are people indulging in too much caffeine and sugar? Are you snapping at your loved ones because you’re cranky and tired from all this writing? LOL! 🙂 Hang in there! Imagine how PROUD and HAPPY you will feel once you write Picture Book No. 5 today! (Or play catch-up on Books 1-4 if you’ve fallen behind due to work… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Five – Good Morning!

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Four – Bedtime Blog!

Good evening, my lovely NaPiBoWriWee writers! Yes. Day Four is almost OVER. Relax. You are halfway there. Day Four is really tough because some people just give up. Others start to question their sanity. Some folks wonder if National Picture Book Writing Week where we attempt to write 7 books in 7 days is really such a good idea. And the rest of you now HATE me. You have printed out my picture and are throwing rotten tomatoes at it, crying out, “Why did you encourage me to write 7… Read more NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Four – Bedtime Blog!

NaPiBoWriWee Day Four: Guest Author Blog – Tara Lazar

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

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Four – Good Morning!

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!

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Three – Bedtime Blog!

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!

NaPiBoWriWee Day Three: Guest Author Blog – Katie Davis

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

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Three – Good Morning!

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!

NaPiBoWriWee 2011 Day Two – Bedtime Blog!

“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…)

NaPiBoWriWee Day Two: Guest Author Blog – Ken Min

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