TSS: November 8, 2015

In case you haven't heard... our beloved Royals won the World Series!

I considered going to the ticker tape parade - for about two seconds. But  this reserved introvert would never survive the crowd of 800,000 people (area schools closed for the occasion, calling it a Royal Blue Snow Day). I did, however, enjoy watching the festivities from the comfort of my couch.

Now we find ourselves wondering what to do in the evenings since baseball season is over...

Reading:

I completed my goal and finished the Prisoner of Azkaban - yay! I am now about three chapters into the Goblet of Fire and truly feel as though Harry, Ron, and Hermione are my close friends.

While I had read the first three books before (some of them several times), this is my first attempt to read book four. I am anxious to meet the new Teacher of the Dark Arts, and to discover the role Cedric plays in the story.

I keep the Harry Potter books on my nightstand and try to read at least a chapter a night. While the series is considered Middle Grade fiction, I still want to increase my reading in this genre, so I strive to read another MG  novel thirty minutes a day.

Currently I'm reading Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance. I won this book at a local library event, and it is absolutely perfect for me. The story line is similar to my own novel, so I can use it to help hone my writing craft, and yet it is different enough that I still think my story is viable.

Essentially Claudia, a young misfit, discovers life within famous works of art. She enters the canvas in the hope of rescuing Pim, a boy who was trapped in this alternate world several centuries ago.

I have only read the first three chapters, but so far there is enough adventure to hold the attention of a young reader, and enough art history to satisfy my desire to educate.

Writing:

I spent yesterday at a local SCBWI writing convention (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). I joined the society in August, so this was my first official event. And I had a blast!

Old feelings surfaced as I walked into the building. What am I doing here? I am not a "real" author. But they didn't last long. About half the attendees were first-timers, and many of them were my demographic.

One of the benefits of attending the conference is the opportunity to submit to faculty - including agents and editors. I have six months to revise First Impressionism and then... if I dare... I can submit to Scholastic Books for consideration.

So, I have a lot of work to do!

Hopefully I will have an update next week (and each week after that). I need lots of accountability!

Blogging:

My objective for NaNoWriMo this year is to write 500 words/day - 5 days/week. So far I have stayed true to the goal.

This week my 500 words found their way into blog posts, which is good because I hope to develop a blogging routine as well.

On Wednesday, I wrote Introduction to Journaling, which is the first in what will be a twenty post series. I presented the basic outline from the Journaling towards Wellness class I taught this fall.

I also wrote a French Friday post, focusing on a few Paris picture books I have read to help me recognize tension and conflict in children's literature.


This week I hope to do more of the same: more reading, more writing, and even a day of photography with a good friend. I hope you have enjoyed this first week of November!