Rory's Story Cubes - Roll Your Imagination

I got a fun gift in my stocking last Christmas.  Well, I thought it was fun but then again, I am a dorky writer.  The gift was, "Rory's Story Cubes" with the tag line of, "Let Your Imagination Roll Wild".  I was so excited, I wanted to use them RIGHT away, but my husband pushed me back into my chair and said, "Not now honey, no one else wants to play."

I poured over the short list of directions:
1) Roll cubes
2) Pick an image that will be your starting point
3) Begin with "Once upon a time..." make up a story that somehow links all 9 cubes.

You can also use a theme first (my summer vacation, worst trip ever) roll the dice and then make up your story.  You can play in a group, the possibilities are endless!

I like using them for my 15 minute-a-day writing prompt.  Roll 'em and write for 15 minutes, linking the 9 items together. 

The pictures are fairly generic.  As you can see - there are things like a bridge over water, a key, an apple, and I am not really sure what that is behind the little kid (bottom left).  You could the sleeping face as just that, asleep.  Or, it could be snoring or napping etc.  The apple could be fruit, or a poison apple, see what I mean.

Have you used these cubes?  Or do you have another writing prompt tool?  I would love to hear about it.

11 Mistakes Beginning Children's Writers Make - The Writer Magazine

I recently attended a children's book writers conference hosted by SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators).  I went into this conference feeling rather proud of myself.  Head held I high, I thought to myself, I am a writer.  I signed the registration sheet, recieved my packet of information, and sat down at one of the big tables, ready for action.  I soaked up the information presented by agents, editors and successful published authors.  I realized when they read my manuscript during the critique session that maybe, just maybe I have more work to do.  I left a little down hearted and not as optimistic as I had been when I entered.  I came home, chucked my entire manuscript.  The manuscrip I thought any publisher in their right mind should publish.  I realized I had a lot of work to do, it's not as easy as most people think!  Now, I find myself drafting and redrafting.    I have gone through almost an entire spiral pad trying to rethink my Easy Reader of not more than 2,000 words.  Not only do I have to make sure that I have a beginning, middle and end - I have to have a plot to capture an 8 year old!  I went on line to some of my favorite writing sites.  I found this great article at the Writer Magazine site:  11 Mistakes Beginning Children's Writers Make .  I went on line and re-read several of the on-line newsletters and advice pages at the Children's Book Insider and I searched the SCBWI website for more help and advice. 

What I have decided, is that I need to take the information and knowledge I have learned - USE IT!  I also need to stay connected with other writers, join critique group, read books like a writer, find books in my genre and read, read, read! Stay away from rhyming or poetry type books unless you're a poet, try to stay away from words that end in "ly".  For instance slowly could be replaced by dawdle.  Use an active voice not a passive voice -- action - action -action.  My head is spinning!  Or should it by my head is twisting around on my neck????

Freelance Work

I am waiting patiently to hear back from publishers who want to publish my children's picture book, Jack the Bear and His Boy Andrew; I still have to earn a living. I am studying, researching and learning all about the world of freelance writing. Although, I would much rather write creatively – writing is writing! I am learning more and more about the need for web-site content, blog posts and ad copy. I worked as an accountant for an ad agency for almost three years; I did happen to pick up a little bit of the "creative" world. Not to mention, that one of my best friends is currently a ghost-writer. I am surrounding myself and soaking up every facet of the world of writing. I have to keep telling myself I AM a writer, not I AM TRYING to be a writer. So now it's time to perfect my grammar and sentence structure (don't want to leave anything dangling or hanging).

So You Want To Be a Writer

I am into my second week of unemployment, that is bringing in a paycheck from my daytime job, accounting. So what does one do when they want to become a writer? Well, I have spent very little time over the last two weeks actually writing! I have been researching, networking, researching, editing, blogging, and more researching. I have joined several writers groups in an effort to have my work critqued and to have a shoulder to cry on. I have perfected my query letter - no one can say no to me now! If I only had the funds right now I would attend more classes, fine tune my craft and buy a really nice printer. I found that my printer does not make acceptable prints for sending off manuscripts or professional letters. I have discovered another errand to add to my list of "not writing things", it's driving to Kinkos or Office Max with my flashdrive to get stuff printed. It's time for me to get focused, short stories and editing my novel, look out!

Full Time Writer?

It's Wednesday, mid-week, my first week of being a full time writer. I have been devoting every waking thought to writing. What can I write next? How can I improve? I have been to a "How to Get Published Class", my first Writer's Group meeting, updated my blog, attended my two on-line writing classes, created a story board for my children's book, read, read and more reading! It's mind boggling, how could I have done any of this working a full time job?
Today I am hosting a writer's group at my home. We're going to critique each other's work. I am a little nervous. I am going to read my children's picture book, Jack the Bear and his Boy Andrew. The story based upon my son and his bear. The story started out as a little thought, then more ideas popped into my head and before I knew it I had a full blown book, with pictures!
Stay tuned! Jack has his own blog!

Laid Off

I had a rather exciting week last week. I got laid off. Everyone is worried about me and my husband took it harder than I did. I was relieved! Out of the stress and now I have the time to write! I was using bits and pieces of time and waiting for quiet and solitude at my house (not easy) to write. Snatching little pieces of time here and there, I wasn't accomplishing much. At the rate I was going I would finish my novel sometime in the year 2020! Now I have the time! A blessing in disguise! Keep posted I will be blogging about my progress, my highs and lows as well as posting excerpts!