"Don't get it right, just get it written"
-- James Thurber
1. LOOKING FOR SOMETHING? CHECK OUT THE TOPICAL SITE INDEX
2. WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK: "Literary Lessons from Left Field"
3. OLDIE BUT A GOODIE
4. GUEST SPEAKER EVENT
5. CHAT
6. WHAT'S NEW AT KRISTI'S
7. MARKET NEWS
8. ARTICLE
9. REMINDERS
Check out the STUDENT CENTER
You can access it from the left side navigation links from all over the site now -- No more disappearing Student Center!
Plus, it's been updated and packed with new goodies. All students from any of the classes from the Institute can use their student ID number to access the Student Center.
This gives you access to
1. LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?
A Full Site Topical Index
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws01/webindex.shtml
Are you interested in knowing more about "educational markets?" How about "historical fiction?"
There is a perfect topic for everyone and all of the Rx content is listed -- all the articles, all the guest chat transcripts, all the topical open forums. Check it OUT.
2. WHAT'S NEW AT ICL THIS WEEK?
In Writer's Support
"Literary Lessons from Left Field" by Judyann Grant.
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws03/leftfield.shtml
How writing can be a bit like T-ball -- where are you on the team?
3. VINTAGE GOODIES
In Transcripts
"Inside the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators" with Lin Oliver.
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/tr01/oliver.shtml
Learn more about this organization for children's writers -- is it right for you?
Sporty Girls -- sports fiction and nonfiction for girls
January 21-23, 2008
"Sporty Girls" with Keri Mikulski
Come chat with Keri Mikulski, author of Screwball.
Keri Mikulski is a writer, teacher, and softball coach. Keri earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University, a master's degree in teaching from The College of New Jersey, and is a graduate of The Institute of Children's Writing. She holds an ACE Personal Trainer certification and a Registered Nurse license. Keri grew up in Maple Shade, New Jersey where she was a three-sport athlete in high school and a two-sport athlete in college until an injury sidelined her sports' career.
Her writing has been published in Golfer Girl, Softball Youth,
South Jersey Mom, and Fastpitch Forever magazines. She's a Chick Lit Pick columnist for South Jersey Mom magazine and resides near Cape May, New Jersey with her husband and daughter. Screwball is her first novel.
Remember, if you totally don't want to figure out the Writer's Retreat, you can still send questions for Keri, just drop an email to
jan.fields@forums.institutechildrenslit.com or WebEditor@institutechildrenslit.com -- but I will only take email questions until chat begins.
And, check out the new article on using the cool features of the Writer's Retreat --
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws01/retreat.shtml
NOTE: All transcripts are archived! The archive contains more than six years' worth of full-length interview transcripts
--------------------------
Our Next Casual Tuesday Forum will be Tuesday February 17
http://institutechildrenslit.net/entry.htm
3-4PM Atlantic
2-3PM Eastern
1-2PM Central
Noon -1PM Mountain
11AM - Noon Pacific
Hang out with us on Tuesdays!
http://institutechildrenslit.net/entry.htm
The Institute Chat is open again and flashier than other. This is a much smoother easier to use chat, but for those who are new to chatting or just want some help with all the nifty bells and whistles, we have a new article.
How To Chat
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws01/howchat.shtml
Come Hang With Us Every Tuesday
Talk Writing, Socialize, Make new friends
http://institutechildrenslit.net/entry.htm
We'll be waiting for you
3-4PM Atlantic
2-3PM Eastern
1-2PM Central
Noon -1PM Mountain
11AM - Noon Pacific
Come on in and let's chat!
Next NIGHT Forum -- come ask your writing questions
One Hour --January 16-- Fully Fun
http://institutechildrenslit.net/entry.htm
We'll be waiting for you
10-11PM Atlantic
9-10PM Eastern
8-9PM Central
7-8PM Mountain
6-7PM Pacific
And be sure to visit theWriters Retreat if you haven't checked in yet -- I visit daily and I'll be happy to pontificate right there if you have any writing questions. We have over 200 members now!
And, check out the new article on using the cool features of the Writer's Retreat --
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/ws01/retreat.shtml
6. What's New At Kristi's
Kristi Holl's Writer's First Aid is so good, the Institute has decided to highlight the goodies she has to offer every week --
it's like getting extra special writing advice in every visit.
http://institutechildrenslit.net/Writers-First-Aid-blog/
Friday, Jan. 2: "NOT To Do List"
I've been talking about a self-study program I'm undertaking for 2009,
and it will require around four hours per day if I do everything I
want to do. Given the fact that I NEVER had four free hours in a day
during 2008, where's that time going to come from?
Monday, Jan. 5: "Busy—or Crazy-Busy?"
Over the weekend, a friend of mine forwarded me a free newsletter on
being "crazy busy." We'd been talking about goals for 2009 for two
months, and she'd found this in her email backlog. It's certainly a
prime reason we don't find time to write. In part, it said, "You're
doing well, you're successful, and you enjoy life, but do you feel
frustrated at how hard you have to struggle to keep up with all your
commitments, opportunities, deadlines, and messages? Do you keep
thinking there must be a better way?"
Wednesday, Jan. 7: "The Power of Sleep"
I had known I was sleep deprived most of my adult life. There had been
various reasons for it: major health issues, family issues, single
parenting with two or three jobs, etc. For me, getting by on less
sleep had become such a habit that I didn't think much about it. But
after taking a couple of tests (at links provided by Margie Lawson's
course), I realized my problem was worse than I thought. My reaction
times were slow (which might explain why I rear-ended someone several
months ago) and the written test showed that many behaviors I
considered "normal life" were actually very detrimental to my sleep.
7. MARKET NEWS
Harlequin Has a Teen Imprint Now
http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1403&chapter=0
If you have a contemporary, paranormal, science-fiction, historical or fantasy novel for teens with a hint of romance, this imprint might be for you. Check out the guidelines online. You don't need an agent to submit, but you do need a query and synopsis.
--------------------- 8. What's Your Theme This Year? Sometimes a complex system of New Year's resolutions just gives you more places to fall short. Especially if your "goals" are mostly based on things beyond your control like "Sell my book" or "get a contract." Those are hopes rather than goals. You can do things to help them come true, but ultimately you cannot make them happen directly and goals should be something you have control over. So, "find ten markets that would suit my book manuscript" would be a goal. You can totally do the work to make that happen but "get published by Scholastic" is more of a hope unless you have a much better blackmail plan than I do.
At any rate, making lists of goals is good, but this year I'm working based on a theme. My theme this year is "Managing for Success" because I tend to focus too much on things that are my duty to do and not enough on those things that advance my dreams/goals. After last year, I realize that duty is endless; there will always be something that duty says I ought to be doing right now. And if I feed duty first and always, I don't ever have time for those creative pursuits that are necessarily to having any chance to meet my goals/hopes/dreams. So this year, my plans involve not letting duty be my organizational system.
Instead, I'm putting my dreams/goals first and then filling in as much duty as I have time for second. So I won't get up, grab a tea, and jump right on my student files (even though I love my students). I'll get up, grab a cup of tea and jump right on my "goal list" for one full hour I will do only things that aren't duty. I've give my best most creative time (first thing in the morning) to my most creative work, rather than trying to cram it in at the end of the day when I'm a little bleary with exhaustion.
Now, my new theme doesn't mean I intend to miss deadlines -- being unprofessional doesn't help me fullfill my dreams/goals/hopes either. But it does mean that I'll be okay with meeting a deadline instead of being days or weeks ahead of it. Sure, I may live closer to the edge and I always likes a nice wide padded place away from the edge -- but when I count contracts at the end of the year, I think I'll be feeling it was a year better spent. Somehow, "I was really dutiful in 2008" didn't do it for me like you might think it would have.
So, what's your theme this year? Will you also stop being a slave to duty? Or maybe your goal will be something like, "Be daring" or "take risks" or even "do the work." What's your theme for 2009? Drop me a line and let me know and I'll share some next week...we'll inspire each other!
--------------------- 9. REMINDERS The CHAT ROOM is up and available at http://institutechildrenslit.net/entry.htm -- for extra help, check out "How To Chat." Our WRITER'S RETREAT, ICL's discussion board is up and available at http://institutechildrenslit.net/index.php. For tips on using the discussion board, check out "Using the New Writer's Retreat." Return to Getting Started
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