We rarely see this little guy now that he has gone into hibernation. I had to dig him out of his aquarium to get this shot. Yes, Dash (the name the kids gave him), has a new habitat. No more froggy escapes for this guy.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
FROG
We rarely see this little guy now that he has gone into hibernation. I had to dig him out of his aquarium to get this shot. Yes, Dash (the name the kids gave him), has a new habitat. No more froggy escapes for this guy.
Back in the Saddle Again…
Writing and such
Writing while on vacation, especially when you aren’t at home and there is nowhere to escape to write without hurting the relatives’ feelings, is a surmountable task. I did accomplish something while the kids were on school break. I worked on my super secret, unmentionable short story project, and I revised and polished some existing stories. So, all was not lost.
Now, I’m looking at the three month mark following the Rutger’s One-on-One Plus Conference and thinking “Egads! Where did the time go?” I have a handful of editors I’d like to send either a picture book or one of my novels to, and I’d like to send something to them before the three months is over.
Job Hunt
I did it. I applied for a couple of scientist positions. So far, I’ve only looked at two local companies, but I will expand my search as the year progresses (still planning to stay in Rochester). It has been great staying home with the kids, but they are both in school and money is tight.
I miss having my hands in the science, but I love writing too. At several conferences, I’ve met scientists who write for children while working. And my kids are in bed by 8:30pm, so I do have free time in the evening. It’s all about priorities… do I want to watch an episode of CSI or Everybody Loves Raymond, or do I want to write? The only show I follow regularly is Heroes.
Writing while on vacation, especially when you aren’t at home and there is nowhere to escape to write without hurting the relatives’ feelings, is a surmountable task. I did accomplish something while the kids were on school break. I worked on my super secret, unmentionable short story project, and I revised and polished some existing stories. So, all was not lost.
Now, I’m looking at the three month mark following the Rutger’s One-on-One Plus Conference and thinking “Egads! Where did the time go?” I have a handful of editors I’d like to send either a picture book or one of my novels to, and I’d like to send something to them before the three months is over.
Job Hunt
I did it. I applied for a couple of scientist positions. So far, I’ve only looked at two local companies, but I will expand my search as the year progresses (still planning to stay in Rochester). It has been great staying home with the kids, but they are both in school and money is tight.
I miss having my hands in the science, but I love writing too. At several conferences, I’ve met scientists who write for children while working. And my kids are in bed by 8:30pm, so I do have free time in the evening. It’s all about priorities… do I want to watch an episode of CSI or Everybody Loves Raymond, or do I want to write? The only show I follow regularly is Heroes.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Bring on 2009
On the Road
I love to travel. Growing up, I moved 18 times and lived in seven states before starting college. In a way, I miss seeing all the new and interesting places, but stability is good.
This year we decided to visit my brother in Tennessee during the kids’ school winter break. Even though flying would be much quicker and less tortuous traveling (think little kids in the car fighting) we decided to drive. Fifteen hours is a long time to be in the car with two young boys, but they did pretty well on the way down. Instead of asking “Are we there yet?,” they looked over our shoulders and told us, frequently I might add, how many miles were left according to the GPS device. And occasionally, we were told what the speed limit was and what speed we should be going.
Leaving Rochester, we passed through Ohio and then Kentucky before arriving in Tennessee the next day. I would have loved to stop and sightsee in Kentucky. We passed some interesting places such as Mammoth National Park and a few other places I can’t remember at the moment. We had a nice visit with my brother and his family – the kids had many Nerf battles.
My parents came up from Florida to see everyone too. And the weather was beautiful. I didn’t miss the cold, gray Rochester winter at all.
Next, we headed toward the Catskills to visit my husband’s family. The kids didn't do very well on the way through Tennessee and Virginia, or on the next day through West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. But as we passed NYC and approached the Catskills, the squabbling died down.
We had a nice visit with the relatives, but I'm ready to go home. My youngest has a touch of the stomach bug. The ride home should be interesting.
After we arrive home, the total travel time for our trip will be around 40 to 42 hours.
New Year’s Resolutions
Writing
In 2008, I made writing goals and accomplished most of them. Most, but not all. Sometimes, I wonder if I set myself up for failure by aspiring to do more than I could handle. My goals were certainly more realistic than previous years.
Over the past months, I’ve polished seven picture books and one of my middle grade novels, rewrote one of my YA novels in the first person, and received a personal invitation to submit to an anthology edited by a Canadian author. Sadly, my anthology submission didn’t make the cut, but the anthology’s editor plans to invite me to submit to the next one.
This year, I was accepted to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference, and my mentor was Lisa Cheng from McElderry (she has since moved to Atheneum). She gave some great comments on three picture books before my 45minutes were over. The conference was over quickly, and I wish I had mingled more during lunch.
I also secured another writing gig with the unnamable educational company. Hopefully, they’ll send more work.
What are my writing goals for 2009?
Submit, submit, submit… Next week, I hope to prepare a bunch of submission packets to send out to the various editors I’ve met at conferences. I have seven picture books and one novel ready to go out. Over the next month, I hope to polish my other middle grade adventure/fantasy and send it out too. My YA novels will take a little longer to fine-tune.
Organization and Such
Anybody who really knows me would say that I’m the Queen of Clutter. I save everything. In 2009, I hope to change that (or at least make some progress in cleaning up clutter). In the basement, there are boxes that have remained unopened for close to twenty years. I’m going to let go of some things and better store others.
Happy New Year to all! Bring on 2009. I’m ready.
I love to travel. Growing up, I moved 18 times and lived in seven states before starting college. In a way, I miss seeing all the new and interesting places, but stability is good.
This year we decided to visit my brother in Tennessee during the kids’ school winter break. Even though flying would be much quicker and less tortuous traveling (think little kids in the car fighting) we decided to drive. Fifteen hours is a long time to be in the car with two young boys, but they did pretty well on the way down. Instead of asking “Are we there yet?,” they looked over our shoulders and told us, frequently I might add, how many miles were left according to the GPS device. And occasionally, we were told what the speed limit was and what speed we should be going.
Leaving Rochester, we passed through Ohio and then Kentucky before arriving in Tennessee the next day. I would have loved to stop and sightsee in Kentucky. We passed some interesting places such as Mammoth National Park and a few other places I can’t remember at the moment. We had a nice visit with my brother and his family – the kids had many Nerf battles.
My parents came up from Florida to see everyone too. And the weather was beautiful. I didn’t miss the cold, gray Rochester winter at all.
Next, we headed toward the Catskills to visit my husband’s family. The kids didn't do very well on the way through Tennessee and Virginia, or on the next day through West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, or New Jersey. But as we passed NYC and approached the Catskills, the squabbling died down.
We had a nice visit with the relatives, but I'm ready to go home. My youngest has a touch of the stomach bug. The ride home should be interesting.
After we arrive home, the total travel time for our trip will be around 40 to 42 hours.
New Year’s Resolutions
Writing
In 2008, I made writing goals and accomplished most of them. Most, but not all. Sometimes, I wonder if I set myself up for failure by aspiring to do more than I could handle. My goals were certainly more realistic than previous years.
Over the past months, I’ve polished seven picture books and one of my middle grade novels, rewrote one of my YA novels in the first person, and received a personal invitation to submit to an anthology edited by a Canadian author. Sadly, my anthology submission didn’t make the cut, but the anthology’s editor plans to invite me to submit to the next one.
This year, I was accepted to the Rutgers One-on-One Plus Conference, and my mentor was Lisa Cheng from McElderry (she has since moved to Atheneum). She gave some great comments on three picture books before my 45minutes were over. The conference was over quickly, and I wish I had mingled more during lunch.
I also secured another writing gig with the unnamable educational company. Hopefully, they’ll send more work.
What are my writing goals for 2009?
Submit, submit, submit… Next week, I hope to prepare a bunch of submission packets to send out to the various editors I’ve met at conferences. I have seven picture books and one novel ready to go out. Over the next month, I hope to polish my other middle grade adventure/fantasy and send it out too. My YA novels will take a little longer to fine-tune.
Organization and Such
Anybody who really knows me would say that I’m the Queen of Clutter. I save everything. In 2009, I hope to change that (or at least make some progress in cleaning up clutter). In the basement, there are boxes that have remained unopened for close to twenty years. I’m going to let go of some things and better store others.
Happy New Year to all! Bring on 2009. I’m ready.
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Novels in Revision:
I'm currently revising a few things. I've polished a few picture books, and they are stewing for a bit.
YA science Fiction - draft #15
