Some personal news: In January, I graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. The celebration was held virtually, but still included live bagpipes, an amazing commencement speech from author Linda Urban, and all the usual cheers and tears.
IWSG Blog Hop:
Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery.
Every month, the Insecure Writers Support Group poses an optional question that members can answer in their blog posts. Special thanks to Alex Cavanaugh for founding IWSG and to this month’s blog hop co-hosts: Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery.
This month's blog topic:
Is there someone who supported or influenced you
that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?
Is there someone who supported or influenced you
that perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?
Lisa Wolfson, a generous, kind-hearted person, a talented writer, and a helpful critique partner, died from pancreatic cancer eleven years ago this month. We first met standing in line for food at a winter NYC SCBWI conference when I admired her cigar box purse and she listened sympathetically about my Westie who just had emergency surgery. We continued the conversations over our meal, which led to several critique groups that spanned years of our writing lives. I still miss her.
Round-up of helpful links:
Productivity
Resources for teen writers
- Five "Efficiency Habits" That Are Actually Killing Your Productivity by Aja Frost. (Hint: Mileage may vary on "standard" advice -- you need to choose that methods that work best for you.)
- Clocking Out: Work-Life Balance and Productivity. Since this was written by Evernote's staff, there are many mentions of their app. But overall, this provide some good ideas so that working/writing from home doesn't feel all-consuming.
- How to Stay Creative in Difficult Times with Mark McGuinness. "We have to trust that something will emerge." This interview by Joanna Penn in the early days of the pandemic lockdown is worth revisiting.
- Which works better, habits (increasingly automated routines) or projects (an intense effort over time)? Scott H. Young says writers need habits *and* projects: "Good authors learn to combine both. They regularly set aside time to write. And they don’t kid themselves that writing a book is effortless, something they can churn out without much thought."
Resources for teen writers
- The Echo is accepting submissions through February 28th with the theme of growth.
- Between the Lines, from the International Writers Program, is accepting applications for its two paid-for summer sessions. There is an information session on February 20th. Each summer, Between the Lines hosts "young writers at the University of Iowa for a cultural exchange program that focuses on the art and craft of creative writing. Participants ages 15-18 come together in Iowa City or online for an intensive two-week session."
- For more resources like these, visit my Resources for Teen Writers page.
One last thing:
“Genius is often only the power of making continuous efforts.”
~Elbert Hubbard
Here's to the power of continuous efforts in 2022!
~Elbert Hubbard
Here's to the power of continuous efforts in 2022!
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