New handprint poem

I like to do a handprint poem with the kids at the holidays. I got tired of reading the same one over and over again, that seemed to be used in every early childhood room around the world. So, about a dozen years ago, I wrote my own.

I didn't use it every year, because I didn't want it to be overused. I also usually have my kids for three years at a time and didn't see the point in reusing the same material with the same children.

This holiday season, I was left without my assistant for a week, as she was out with the flu. With the holiday singalong coming up the following week, I felt the pressure to get the project done. It's actually very simple. I paint the kids' hands white with a sponge and then print their hands on a colored piece of paper of their choice. I cut out the poem to put on the paper. We have also started to use their photographs, now that it is so easy to print them off. On the back is the child's name and the year.

I'm all excited, hustling through all of the kids. One of my second-year four year-olds gives me a big grin. "I already know how to do this! We did it last year!"

#$%&!#$@^%&

Okay, I have now gone through half of the class. I don't want to waste all of these papers. I don't want to use the same thing I did last year. I don't want to use that traditional one, either. What to do, what to do?

That afternoon, the following words made their way from my brain onto a piece of paper, with a few minor edits. This is what we used.

When I was a baby
I grasped your hand so tight
As you held me through the day
And lulled me to sleep at night

I'm starting to get bigger
And letting your hand go
I still grab it from time to time
For reassurance and hope

The love I find in your hands
Keeps mine filled with promises and dreams
Possibilities are endless
With your support, it seems

Before you are even ready
I'll be grown and away from home
Carrying you with me
Wherever I may roam

I leave you with this memory
Of when we were together
So you can know I hold your hand
In my heart forever

Even the gym teacher said he was about to cry when he read it. And if his daughter were to bring home that project, he would definitely cry. Mission accomplished. ;-)

And for those who would like to read the other one, you can find it at this link.

Feel free to use either one for your projects. Just please leave my name on it when you do and let me know what you did with it. Thanks!

My NaNo recap

Well, NaNo was sort of a bust for me, because I just didn't get much writing done. Every time I would sit down to try it, I would get interrupted. Or the words just wouldn't come. It was very frustrating. At the same time, I was traveling around a lot, going to shows, and preparing for my awesome Bucket List trip to Seattle. I have also learned how to loom knit, needle knit, and crochet, and was working a lot on those projects.

But, I am okay with this. I do have an outline of sorts for the book that I started. I know in which direction I want it to go. I still don't know if it is going to be a standalone book, or if it will require more than one as a series. I won't know until the words begin to flow again. I do find that to be a huge accomplishment for myself, though, because that is more than I have ever done before in a longer piece.

It's weird. I am not usually a fan of reading short stories. I prefer longer ones, because I get more out of them. Yet, I find myself more apt to write a short story than a longer one. I think it's because I get into a groove. Once that train is derailed, it is hard for me to get back into the same frame of mind. The same thing always happened to me with painting. I love oil paints, but lose my mojo when I have to wait in between layers.

So, no NaNo success for me, in the traditional sense of the word. But, a feeling of accomplishment for myself. That is what matters the most.

Finally starting NaNo...

I don't know what my problem is. I have the worst case of Writer's Block I have ever had in my life. I can't seem to even begin anything, despite a complete lack of ideas running through my head. About a week ago, I finally came up with the idea I wanted to do in my novel And I haven't even come close to getting started, yet.

Here we are, on the 12th of November. I should be at over 20,000 words. I have maybe 100 written, consisting of the outline of scene ideas in my mind. I am feeling frustrated and almost like a failure.

Yet I refuse to give up on myself.

I am sitting at my favorite bar & grill, laptop on the table, notebook for jotting notes, spiked root beer, and the start of snacking and dollar tacos. Let's do this!

Okay, I'm doing it!

Hey, did you think I disappeared? I was kind of afraid that I had, as well. As quickly as that idea train got started, it also quickly got derailed.

Oh, I have been writing up a storm for the past few weeks. Probably enough to fill at least a novella, if not a novel. Oh wait, that's called parent-teacher conference reports. :-P

But, this year they were complete by this first week in November. (In previous years, they took place throughout the month of November.) Which means, I no longer have my annual excuse for not participating in NaNoWriMo.

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writer's Month. You have 30 days to write a 50,000 word novel.

Am I crazy?

Yes. But, something like this just may be what I need to kick myself in the ass and get this whole thing going. I have a ton of children's books completed, that just need photographs and illustrations. I have a few short stories that are either complete or close to completion. I have a couple of novel ideas started. Now I am going to be forced to actually get one completed.

Of course, I was so brain-dead this weekend after doing all of those reports and meetings that I couldn't come up with any ideas. See, I have a couple started, but you have to have a brand new idea in mind for this challenge. You may have an idea and an outline completed ahead of time, but you may not start writing until November 1st. I don't like to break rules, so I was struggling to think of something new. I slept a ton this weekend (15 hours Friday night, alone), which I think helped me to recharge. I woke up this morning with an idea in mind that I think I would like to work on.

No, I am not going to share it, yet. I don't want to jinx myself by sharing about it quite yet. Instead. I am going to start on it and then see how it goes.

And when I say start on it, I mean start tomorrow. I had the last two reports to write tonight, and some Fiverr obligations to finish, and book to review tonight. It's only 6 o'clock, but after Daylight Savings ended, and I am already tired. I'm still fighting off the ick. And falling further behind.

But I *WILL* do something with this. Getting anything written this year will already have me winning vs. the previous two years.

I promise to keep you posted.

A conversation with Devin D. Thorpe, author of 'Crowdfunding for Social Good'

What prompted you to bring the crowdfunding concept to readers?

Like most people, my first exposure to crowdfunding was backing a project on Kickstarter. I was immediately intrigued. After tackling crowdfunding for Forbes for a while, I recognized the need for a book describing how to be successful with it.

Can you sum it up in just a few sentences, to give readers a taste of what is in your book?

Crowdfunding is a powerful tool to help people raise money for their companies, causes and projects. I hope that people will use their passion and energy to do some good in the world!

How does this book go hand-in-hand with your others?

Your Mark On The World and 925 Ideas to Help You Save Money, Get Out of Debt and Retire A Millionaire So You Can Leave Your Mark on the World are designed to help people manage their own money to help people do good in the world. Crowdfunding for Social good is written to help people raise the money they need to do good.

What message do you hope readers will take with them from your books?

I want people to believe in their own power to really make a difference. You don’t have to be a billionaire. You don’t have to be a genius. Anyone can make a difference.

How does sharing your knowledge with others fulfill you?

Knowing that over 100,000 people have read my books inspires me to keep going. People are reading them, pondering their ideas and some, at least, will not only change their lives, they will change the world!

What was one of the best parts about living in China for a year?

“Living in China gave me an opportunity to meet and learn to love new people. It also gave me a chance to experience life in a place without some of the civil liberties we enjoy. I returned with a much greater appreciation for the freedoms we take for granted in America and much of the West.”

What are your goals for the future?

I’m always looking for new ways to do something that matters, something that will have an impact, to really make a difference in the world.

What else should we be reading?

Read whatever inspires you to do good and be your best! Your potential for good is infinite regardless of where you’ve been.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

Readers would probably be surprised to learn that my most embarrassing moment involves a women’s restroom.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Crowdfunding for Social Good: Financing Your Mark on the World

by Devin D. Thorpe Over the last year of writing my Forbes blog, I have had the opportunity to really dig deeply into the world of crowdfunding. I’ve just completed my first draft of my new book, Crowdfunding for Social Good: Financing Your Mark on the World.

The book is a guide to successful crowdfunding for people who want to change the world.

The book is not a sequel to my book, Your Mark On The World, but it is written in the same spirit. I’ve studied a dozens of successful crowdfunding campaigns, interviewing the people behind them to learn their secrets for success.

Devin's Book, Your Mark on the World, was downloaded over 75,000 times and reached the #19 spot on Amazon's free book list--among all free books. It remains on the top 50 free nonfiction books at Amazon.

Available in Paperback

About Devin:

Devin D. Thorpe thinks he is the luckiest person alive. After being “let go” from the best job he’d ever had—as the Chief Financial Officer of the multinational food and beverage company MonaVie—he and his wife ended up living in China for a year where he wrote Your Mark On The World and embarked on the career he’d always wanted yet hadn’t dared dream.

Now, as an author, a popular guest speaker and Forbes contributor, Devin is devoted full time to championing social good. His current life isn’t much like his past.

As an entrepreneur, Devin ran—at separate times—a boutique investment banking firm and a small mortgage company. He served as the Treasurer for the multinational vitamin manufacturer USANA Health Sciences years before becoming CFO for MonaVie. Over his career he led or advised on the successful completion of $500 million in transactions. Devin squeezed in two brief stints in government, including two years working for Jake Garn on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee Staff and another year working for an independent state agency called USTAR, where he helped foster technology entrepreneurship during Governor Jon Huntsman’s administration.

Devin is proud to have graduated from the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, which recognized him as a Distinguished Alum in 2006. He also earned an MBA at Cornell University where he ran the student newspaper, Cornell Business.

Today, Devin channels the idealism of his youth with the loving support of his wife, Gail. Their son Dayton is a PhD candidate in Physics at UC Berkeley (and Devin rarely misses an opportunity to mention that).

Connect with Devin:

Twitter: @devindthorpe

Facebook.com/yourmarkontheworld

Google+: devinthorpe.com

Tumblr: yourmarkontheworld.com

To get all of Devin's updates please subscribe here to his newsletter

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Tour Prize: Devin is giving away a Kindle Fire HD!

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The Ultimate Writing Bag

My best friend gave me a belated birthday present the other day, when we finally had a few minutes to cross paths. I refer to it as the ultimate writing bag.

To start, it is purple, which has been my favorite color for my entire life. Inside is a multisensory experience, designed to facilitate the writing process for the rest of the summer.

I can slough away dead skin and reveal a new me with a new bath pouf and foot cream. Lavender and rosemary soap stimulates my sense of smell, while keeping me calm. Incense inspires the creative mind. The moon pendant seeks to channel the creativity.

Chocolate wine and ice wine roll around on my tongue and release inhibitions. Chocolate snacks add to the gustatory delight. 

Black Keys CDs and Jim Morris's biography enlighten the musical side that drives me.

The obligatory notebooks and folder are for recording thoughts and ideas, while theoretically also staying organized. 

Even more fun treats are spread out on that table, that have special meaning to me, and she knows it. Let's hope the birthday bag works its magic these next few weeks!

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

I have been so bad about writing on here! Too much fun this summer? ;-)

I feel like my summer is slipping away, and I have barely reached the writing goals I had set up for myself. I do have a tendency to overshoot, though. So, I am trying really hard to just enjoy what I can get done in the next few short weeks before I go back to work.

I do have one completed short story that I wrote a some weeks ago. I have had people read it, and tweaked it. I still like it, even after letting it simmer for a while. It's loosely based on real life, as in the characters and the t-shirt that inspired its title. Working on it made me decide to revisit the first short story that I had written in a long time. I did it back in December. People liked it back then, but betas did have a few suggestions for it.

It is very highly based on a true story. One friend who read it said that she felt like she now knew the backstory behind the real story and loved it. Other people also had kind words about it, but I just don't like it as much now. I feel like I was recording a story, kind of like a diary or journal entry would be. So, now I want to rework it to make it more like a piece of fiction, which was its original intent.

I think my favorite comment that popped up from a couple of readers was how certain actions, pieces of dialogue, or other tidbits in the story couldn't possibly be true. They just didn't seem realistic. The funny thing is, a lot of the dialogue was verbatim from the situation. All of the actions happened. The people are all real. I just changed names and identifying details to protect the so-called innocent. And it made me think of that old line about how truth is stranger than fiction.

So, my new quest with this piece is to rewrite it. I am probably going to do it by hand, in a notebook, as I read off of the computer screen. I would rather print it off and decimate it that way, but I don't have access to a printer right now. I also love the feeling of connecting with the story as my hand touches the pen which touches the paper. Perhaps I will be able to make my fiction a bit more believable by the time I am finished with it.

Fawning all over myself

Yes, today I have been fawning all over myself. I needed to get out of the house, so I drove aimlessly looking for a new place for breakfast. After getting my nourishment, I continued to just wander around the suburbs, until I came across the Helmer Nature Center. I have been near it many times, but usually only when dropping off children at games or picking them up. Today was really cloudy, again, with the threat of rain later. No one else was there. I decided to check out the trails before the rain came.

I went around a bend and gasped. Just off the trail was a little fawn, nibbling away at a berry bush.

 

It turned to look at me, trying to decide if I was friend or foe. I quietly tried taking its picture and stood still until it decided to continue snacking. I decided to inch a little closer. Before I knew it, a second one had joined it!

 

I got very excited. The second one seemed even more wary of me. I continued to inch closer.

This was the closest that I got to them. Can you see the one under the bush? We stood there staring at each other for another moment, and then they took off across the fields. I was actually a little teary after the encounter.

Alas, soon after I saw the fawns, thunder started crashing, because a storm was blowing in. I made my way back to my car and eventually got home. I did some research about the meaning of fawns and what it means to encounter them in the wild. In a nutshell, they are supposed to indicate a new adventure starting in your life, thanks to the gentleness, love, and compassion that they represent and that you have in you. Again, I got a little teary.

I also got tremendously inspired. As of this posting, I have written one post for BubbleWS and one article for Examiner. I have a couple more in mind. 

I also wrote a children's story about the experience and started a nonfiction story for kids about fawns. I am working on a couple of other inspirational pieces that could make their way into book form some day, as well.

So, yeah, I am fawning all over myself, thanks to these beautiful creatures. 

What was your most recent inspiration? 

Thank you, Black Keys!

I have been so bad about keeping up with this blog to stay accountable! Here is a quick summary:

I got sick and far behind during the A to Z Challenge. I just couldn't do it this year. So, look out 2014! I will be better prepared next year!

I did finally complete an entire short story, that I submitted to an anthology whose theme was "Love Gone Wrong". I wrote the whole thing on Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, they didn't receive enough submissions, so it didn't get published. However, people who read it liked it. I've started working on a couple of related stories to go with it, to make my own collection. The second story for that collection is almost complete. I am in the middle and know how I want it to end. I just have to connect the dots to get there.

The other night, I went to my friend's house for dinner and movies. The back of his t-shirt read, "Rub Me, I'm Irish." It's for a spice rub company, but it got the wheels spinning. For the past two days, I wrote a short, steamy story based on that phrase.

Most of it was written sitting outside at my new outdoor writing office space. I can look at my beautiful flowers, breathe in the scent of lavender, and have enough space to eat and drink.

Sometimes, I even bring out the laptop. I have this thing about starting out by hand, though.

Anyway, today it was pouring rain all day. I couldn't work outside. I sat here listening to Pearl Jam and Black Keys concerts, in preparation for the ones I will be attending over the next few weeks. Once I got to the Black Keys, the writing bug bit me again. (Every time I listen to the Black Keys, my fingers fly over the keyboard.) I actually finished the steamy story, by hand! I went to my friend's house again this evening. When I came home, I turned on the Black Keys again and typed it up. I only changed a couple of words and phrases, so it is still quite rough. I am also not wearing my contacts, so who knows how many typos are in it and this post?

It has been sent to five people to read. Two are good friends who are also writers. The other three are good friends who are as voracious in their reading habits as I am.

And now, I must try to sleep as I await feedback over the next couple of days. I shall keep you posted!

Promote your book with a trailer by AuthorsBroadCast.com

**While this is a paid review, all opinions shared are honest and my own.**

A new trend in book marketing is using book trailers, similar to those used to promote movies. Book covers and other still photography are used to illustrate the story's plot and to introduce the characters to potential readers. Basically, they make the book blurb just a little bit more exciting.

If you follow any of my blogs, you will have seen many of these book trailers over various posts. Most of them consist of words going across the screen, accompanied by music. They only last a moment or two, and hope to get the point across and to entice you to purchase and read the book.

I have to say that I am impressed by the book trailers that I have previewed from AuthorsBroadCast.com. They offer basic promotional book trailers, and then so much more. But these basic promo videos are much more exciting than many that I have seen. The graphics are better and much more exciting. They also do trailers that interview authors, and longer episodes featuring multiple excerpts and titles and marketing tips. All genres, including both fiction and nonfiction, are represented on their site. Check out one of their videos that demonstrate their services:




Peruse their YouTube channel to get a better feel for the book trailers that they have created in the past, and to inspire you to have your own made. Then, visit their website at www.AuthorsBroadCast.com to view featured books and authors, read testimonials, and to see their price list. To make your book successful, it is worth the investment to have quality promotional materials to share on your social media and to embed in your own website.

#AtoZChallenge Creating characters

Creating characters is something else with which I tend to struggle. Yes, you are supposed to write what you know. Your characters almost inevitably end up being a reflection of you in some way. You are a part of them and they are a part of you. I keep finding that I put too much of myself into those characters. I get so wrapped up in their lives as my own, that I get stuck, because perhaps that situation in my life is stuck. I would love to create an alternate universe in which I can get every outcome that I want. But, I'm not sure how healthy that would be.

On occasion, I have come up with completely different characters. I have an early reader chapter book type storyline on which I have been working. Those characters speak to me in their own voices. Unfortunately, the last time that I was working on them, I wasn't at home. Someone deliberately interrupted me, thinking he was being cute. I haven't been able to find their voices again.

Again, I know that if I just keep writing and writing, I will find their voices again. That is part of the reason that I undertook this challenge on *cough* 12 *cough* blogs this year. I am hoping that by having to be more creative on these, I will better lubricate those wheels and channel those characters again.

Thanks for all of the words of support. It's helpful! :-)  

#AtoZChallenge Bunches of beginnings

Does anyone else have these laying around the house?

That is just a handful of the notebooks that I own that hold the beginnings of many stories and lists of other ideas. Every back to school season, I stock up on dozens of notebooks. Most of them end up being used by the students in my classroom. However, I always save a selection for myself. I prefer to use purple, which is my favorite color, but occasionally use a different one for variety.

I know, I know. Holy crap, woman, get busy and finish writing these!

If only it were that simple...

Beginnings are always easy for me. It's the endings with which I have a problem. I often have an outline in mind. A direction in which I want to go. And then for some reason, the characters and the story don't want to go that way. Sometimes, I end up at a crossroads and am not sure which direction is the right one. I have a hard time with that. It's a personal issue. :-P

Now that the first story is actually finished, though, I have more hope of actually getting the inspiration to finish more of these. I am spending more time this spring break week on my A to Z challenges than I had originally anticipated. (Gotta love it when life throws you curve balls that distract you from the task at hand.) I had hoped to get more original writing done. I have also come up with about a dozen new starts. One of these days...  

#AtoZChallenge: Am I an Author?

Ah, the A to Z Challenge is here, yet again. This year, I have added new blogs in order to make some new friends. I also figured this would be the perfect way for me to really kick my butt into gear with writing my own books and stories.

I have been contemplating these posts for a couple of months now, since I launched the blog back in January. I was working on several stories at the turn of the year. Unfortunately, life has regularly gotten in the way and my muse likes to come and go.

I began to question if I was really an author or merely a writer?

To me, a writer writes. It can be blogs, fiction, nonfiction, content, you name it. But an author is someone who actually creates a new world and new people, giving birth to a new creation. I haven't had a shortage of ideas, but could never get them to fruition. Was it premature to start a blog and Facebook page? Was it ever going to happen? Am I a poser for trying to call myself an author?

Finally, last night, I felt justified. I was naughty on Easter Sunday, as I was taking notes in my bulletin on new story ideas that kept jumping in my head. (Should the pastor be happy that someone was still being inspired by her words, even if not exactly in the way that she had hoped?) I had been working on numerous ideas for a couple of anthologies, whose deadlines were midnight last night. Nothing was really flowing, though, and I hated everything I was writing.

But one idea kept spinning around in my brain. Even though I was at Easter dinner with my adopted family, I still spent most of my time glued to my laptop in the living room. I lubricated the writing wheels and just kept at it.

And then, there it was. A fully completed short story. The first one I had finished that didn't require any further additions. I had some of the "family" read it, as well as a couple of friends. With their stamps of approval, I sent it off for submission. There is hope that more stories will reach fruition, especially with this week being Spring Break.

Welcome to new friends from A to Z. I look forward to getting to know more of you!

Now I feel justified as an author.

Even more ideas...

Yesterday, I talked about how I had gone hiking and took a photo that would make a great book cover. I already had a story in mind for it. See, I have a story that is based on real life, and one of the scenes that needs to be fleshed out takes place on that actual trail. Therefore, it was logical to me to make that be the cover.

I did show it to one of my friends as being the photo I wanted to use. Her comment about the picture being more like a trail than me second favorite one actually put different ideas into my head. So, now instead of that story, I have an idea for a different type of book that goes in a completely different direction.

I can't stop the overflow of ideas! The problem is, I also just can't seem to finish one of them. If I don't go with the flow with the most current idea, I will lose it. It makes me crazy, but it is the way that my brain works. I also have this problem in which I have a hard time working on anything that takes a long time. I remember taking a painting class with my dad. I was amazed at the beauty of his oil paintings, but found myself getting frustrated that I would have to wait a week or two before I could add on another layer.

Yet, it is still Winter Break, and I am determined to get something done this week. I keep toying with possibly going out again to walk, if it isn't too muddy after all of the rain we had overnight. We shall see what happens...

Have a book cover, but no book...

Another day gone without writing anything. *sigh*

At least I got some gigs posted up at Fiverr. You know, the site where "For $5 I will..." As of right now, I only have gigs up for helping to promote authors. If you're really curious, you can check them out here. Now, I have been plotting these out in my head and signed up for an account at the New Year, so you can see how far behind I am...

Today was the first actual day off for Winter Break, though. After sleeping away most of the weekend, I finally went out hiking for almost two hours. It was damn cold outside! Below 30 degrees actual temperature. With the sun shining and no clouds in the sky, it felt a little warmer than that. As soon as that sun went down, though, BRRRRRRRRRRR.

So, now I am home again, still a little cold and definitely feeling sore after climbing hills and sliding in the snow. No, I didn't write anything. BUT I took some fun pictures, and I think I found one to be a book cover. Some day. And I think I have a new, fun author pic.

I am not going to ruin the surprise, though, and jinx it by posting them here. Sorry. Just know that they exist! ;-)

Tomorrow is another day...

Such a slacker

Ugh, I feel like such a slacker. The whole point of this blog was to keep myself accountable and to keep the writing wheels lubricated. It has been three weeks since my last post.

That sounded a bit like a Catholic confession...

I guess in a way I am confessing. Yes, I suck. I haven't worked on anything in three weeks. This is the curse of my writing existence. If it is an article with a deadline, I am on it. If it is a book that needs to be reviewed, or some other type of post for a book tour, I am on it. But when it comes to my own stuff...

It has also been quite stressful at work these past few weeks. I teach Montessori for ages 3-6. I adore the kids and what I do, but it is exhausting. I also have a lot of kids with some special needs. That has meant a ton of parent meetings, CPSE meetings, evaluations, and now annual review season. All of those things suck up a lot of time after school, plus I need to keep on top of things for the kids. I come home to read a book to review and then eventually conk out.

I am now on Winter Break. This is a lovely phenomenon in Upstate NY where instead of getting a day off for President's Day, you get an entire week. I love it. I don't usually have big plans. So, I decided that this year, I would focus on my WIP (which is plural, by the way).

I had written a short story, that really needs to be fleshed out into a full-blown novella, back in late December. Two beta readers gave their comments on it. I printed out all three versions of that. I also have a few submissions to Chicken Soup for the Soul that are decent stories but need some serious editing. I have my kids' story started and numerous articles that can serve as outlines and foundations for several nonfiction ebooks. I printed out a ton of this stuff before I left work on Friday, as I have no printer and need to touch pen to paper during the creative process.

Yesterday, I even changed my FB avatar to be Snoopy typing away on his computer. I like to do that when I am writing. And then, I proceeded to take a four-hour nap.

Did I mention work has been exhausting?

It's now just after 11:30 AM. My basketball game starts in a half hour. My hockey game starts in an hour. I have eaten brunch. I have coffee. Perhaps now I shall get to work a little bit.

Alternative methods of writing

I remember being excited when I got my first smartphone two years ago. My father insisted on getting it for me as a Christmas gift, convinced I would use it all the time. I had been avoiding it, for the same reason. But who is going to turn down a free smartphone?

I stupidly paid $10 for an app that would work as a word processor and PDF reader. Sure, I have used it on occasion, but it wasn't really good for writing.

I tried going online to work on articles, but most of the sites didnt support mobile creation. Every once in a while, I could get a post to work on Blogger. I found, however, that I had to keep them short, or else I would lose sight of what I was typing.

This past seek, I discovered the Blogger app in the Google Play Store, so I downloaded it to my Droid. I am actually using it right known to craft this post.

See, I carry my laptop back and forth with me to my teaching job. I don't like for the kids to use it, but I use it every day. I have music for the classroom on my Pinterest page. I check my school email on it (only during school hours). I even sometimes take a few minutes during breaks to do other stuff, whether online or jotting ideas or lines in all of those WIPs.

The risk of doing so, however, is forgetting the cord at work. In always manage to do this when I have a ton of posts due the next day and am already behind. So, guess what I did tonight?

It got me to thinking again about how much we trust our technology. Any stories that I have on there cannot be edited right now. I do have the newer ones saved to an online storage area, but that is still tough to navigate from my phone. I lost a couple of great works when my previous laptop bit the big one last November.

I started thinking about my beloved notebooks, which have story ideas, outlines, and even occasional rough drafts in them. I have some reading to do this evening, but I can still play with the notebooks to feel productive in my writing. I do love that connection of hand to pen to paper.

So, let me ask: What would you do if you suddenly had no computer on which you could write?

"Uh oh!"

Kids are the best critics when it comes to their books. Many times we adults pick apart a book, criticizing it for one reason or another. I remember getting a set of books to review that made me want to poke my eyes out every time I looked at them. But, the kids loved them. Isn't that what is most important?

I highly value the opinions of children. So, today I decided to take the first part of my children's book to one of my most critical groups: my students.

I teach ages 3-6. We often read chapter books in the afternoon, as the older children stay with me full day. I have read many a review book to them and they are always honest about their opinions.

I quietly walked around the room, whispering, "I have a new story to share." That way, only those that wanted to hear it would come over. They could stay working at their individual activities if they chose.

A small group of about 10 assembled. I opened up the notebook to start reading.

"Wait, that's not a real book!"

I ignored the comment and got started. Two children walked away during the introduction.

Okay, I knew it was a little wordy. I was thinking it should be shortened, or it could be a separate introductory book on its own.

Then, I got into the part that was primarily written last night. They got really into it. When I got to the stopping point, they exclaimed, "Uh oh!" They then started to have a discussion about all of the possibilities about the trouble in which the puppies had found themselves. And they demanded chapter 2. When I told them it wasn't yet written, they told me I had better get working on it.

Even one of the kids who had walked away told me that she was still listening while she did her work. She liked the story and wanted it to continue.

I took that as a good sign...

"You looked deep in thought..."

They always say that if you want to be a writer, you have to write every day. I usually do some form of writing on a daily basis, but not for my own books. Since the muse exploded over the weekend, I have been trying extra hard to work on something every day.

Tuesday nights were Taco Nights at the bar down the street, at least until last week. They are currently on hiatus, because of the smaller crowds. I went down, anyway, hoping to enjoy a nice hot bowl of soup on this insidiously cold night. (Windchill -7, what?)

I enjoy my meal while reading some chapters in a review book on my Kindle. I chat with my server, who has become a friend over these last few months. And then, I decide I am going to write. 

I have this thing about writing longhand. There is magic when that pen actually touches the paper, that is different from typing directly on the computer. Perhaps some day I will again outgrow that. For now, I am enjoying filling the pages of notebooks with my multicolored ink pens.

Tonight's WIP was a children's story that is based on my dogs. I have played around with the idea before, but tonight was the first time that their characters were really coming through.

In between paragraphs, I would stare at the TVs, absorbing bits of sports trivia, while thoughtfully chewing on my pen about the next part of the story. I was in a groove. And then I realized that the man standing under the TVs was actually talking to me.

"Are you writing poetry?"

Ah yes, how cliche. The lone girl chewing on her pen while writing in her notebook must be writing poetry.

"No, actually, I'm not."

"Oh, homework, then?" [I am 35, yet am regularly mistaken for a college student. I'll take it.]

"No, I'm working on some fiction and nonfiction books."

"Wow, really?"

The subsequent conversation consisted of the usual go-arounds that hint at uncovering my marital status. My favorite question is always, "Why aren't you married?"

That, in and of itself, could fill a few books, I am sure. I just always say that I have come close, but it hasn't been quite right, yet.

"I'm really surprised. You're beautiful."

Aw, shucks. Thanks.

At this point, the gentleman decides that he is going to get back to work in the kitchen. As he turns to leave, he says, "You looked deep in thought. That's why I had to come over and mess with you."

Thank you so much. I have now lost my train of thought. The puppies had just hit their dilemma and will have to saved at a later date. That's okay. It's about time for me to get home and unwind, anyway. And I can forgive you because you were trying to butter me up by telling me I was beautiful.

The train of thought never returned to the station, so now the story is stuck where it is. Ah well. I also came up with ideas for a couple more later installments. We shall see where I can get interrupted next...

Welcome!

Okay, my muse for writing has finally kicked into overdrive. It is time for a blog dedicated to my books. None of them are published. None of them are even done. But the ideas are there and slowly being fleshed out. Join me on this journey as I seek to finally be published and to finally achieve my dreams.