PiBoIdMo

I started the PiBoIdMo a little late this year. To be honest, I haven't done it in several years. The last time I participated was about 2 years ago when it was held during the month of February. Anyway, I'm trying to catch up after starting on November 5, five days late. That's okay. I've written quite a few stories already and have a bunch of  ideas jotted down in my writing notebook, which should make it somewhat easier.

Good luck to all the other PiBoIdMo'ers out there.

Introducing Edward Egads, Environmental Eye

Edward Egads is the main character in a series of stories I am in the process of writing. He is a 10-year-old boy with a photographic memory and an intuition well beyond his years. He cares deeply about nature and all creatures that live in it. With the help of his beagle, Rory, and several friends, Edward finds himself getting involved with solving unusual problems related to nature and the environment in and around his hometown of Bolton Mills.

Writing and Savants

A number of years ago, a friend of mine experienced a period where he couldn't sleep for many days and it affected him adversely. But several months later, something positive emerged from that experience. He started to have this surge of energy and motivation to write. Before that difficult period, he had enjoyed writing fictional stories in school and even for his high school newspaper. But something had changed as a result of the experience. It was as if his brain had somehow been reprogrammed to be more creative. A roadblock had been smashed through and now the only thing that could quench this thirst was to write... anything.

Savants are known for having extraordinary mental and physical skills while not being able to do some of the most basic of tasks to be independent. I read that not all savants are born this way. Some people become gifted after experiencing some sort of head trauma. I was recently reading about brain research when I discovered an article that suggested that a musician's brain functions change during the creative process. It's like part of the brain shuts down so that the energy can be redirected to the creative side.

I sometimes wonder if my friend's sudden desire to write can be explained by this phenomenon. I'm curious to know if anyone else knows someone like my friend?

My Ant Story

Here's an excerpt from a story I wrote for the Highlights for Children's Fiction Contest several years ago.

The story was entitled "Grandma's Cookies". The main character is a carpenter ant that lives with an elderly couple.

I often hang out in Grandma’s kitchen and sample the different batches. This can be hard though because the bowls and plates are high up on the table or counter. One day while watching Grandma from on top of a chair, I slipped and almost fell head first into a bowl of chocolate chip batter. It’s not easy being the smallest in the family. But these treats are worth the effort.

Sometimes I get lucky and find pieces of cookies lying around the kitchen. If it’s near dinnertime, I don’t want to get in trouble for ruining my appetite so I won’t eat them. I’ll hide them in a secret place and save them for dessert.

Every Christmas Eve, Grandma leaves me two special cookies with some milk.  But I have to make sure to eat my snack before the old, white bearded guy in the red and white suit appears. He thinks those cookies and milk are for him.

Manuscript Makeover By Elizabeth Lyon

I recently visited my local Barnes and Noble Bookstore in Manchester to see what books I could find to enhance my writing skills. Armed with a bunch of B&N gift cards from last Christmas, I wandered down aisle after aisle looking for just the right books to buy. There was some additional mystery in this journey because I didn't have a clue as to how much each gift card was worth. I had about ten cards so I figured there should be at least 75 dollars there.

While checking out the literature reference section, I found Elizabeth Lyon's Manuscript Makeover book. Now I have a number of other reference books, but something in the first several pages caught my eye and I had to have it. Also, I decided to get the 2014 Writer's Market. I have 6 different Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (CWIM) books, but I decided to try something different. I probably will break down and get the 2014 CWIM book at some point in the near future though.

I've only read the first 75 pages, but there's a lot of good information in Part One about "voice" and making revisions. It's getting late so I need to sign off for the night. Take care and happy writing!

Highlights for Children to Announce Fiction Contest Winners for 2013

By now, if you are like me, you know that the winners of this year's contest won't include you. This simple fact is clear because the editors would have contacted you by now. So another year goes by without getting recognized through this contest. Seems like enough reason to throw in the towel and say, "What's the point of entering this contest in the first place? I never win." I submit that this attitude is way off target.

First, you have crafted another story to add to your growing portfolio. Second, you lived the dream that just possibly you might have been one of the winners. You know the old lottery saying, "You can't win if you don't play." Third, something's learned every time you enter a contest, which might help you later in your writing career.  Just reading the winning entries in the magazine provides clues to what Highlights is looking for. However, it appears that the company hasn't updated its website lately to include what magazine issues include the winning stories from the 2010 and 2011 contests yet. I wish they would soon.

So even if you didn't win this year, don't dwell on it too long.  Get right back at writing and keep optimistic about your writing. You could be only one acceptance away from success. And if you did win, CONGRATULATIONS!

Hello, Germany!

Hello!

As you probably know, Google blogs allow the creator to see where the traffic to your website comes from on a daily basis. I had twenty hits yesterday from Germany. That's quite a few so I figured a greeting was in order. Also, I have a few questions for you. Where are you from in Germany? Do you write? Do you maintain a blog too? I'm interested so let me know by leaving a message.  Don't forget that there is a translation component to my blogs now so you can convert the text to any language. Thanks!

Ken