I'm continuing our Teaching Authors series on helpful writing resources. April wrote about apps for writers. Esther posted about the SCBWI Conference and the official conference blog. I'm adding a list--hope you find something useful in it!
One of my favorite resources is always Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market (CWIM). My article, "Be Your Own Literary Agent," appears in the 2017 edition. We're giving away a copy. Look below for giveaway details.The ReFoReMo Challenge, or Reading for Research Month Challenge, was founded in 2015 to help picture book writers reform writing by reading and researching mentor texts in the month of March. ReFoReMo 2017 starts on February 27.
Laura Purdie Salas sends out a helpful monthly e-newsletter for children’s writers, A Writer Can Be…. (sign up here) and also a monthly e-newsletter for educators (sign up here).
Picture Book Builders is a group blog that explores "how one element of a picture book’s story or art manages to grab us or wow us or strike an emotional chord." Our good friend Jill Esbaum is part of the group. Pat Zietlow Miller's February 17 post, "Crunch: It’s not just for cooking," lured me in again recently after I hadn't visited for a while. Then I just kept reading.
The Art of Storytelling is an exploration of the storytelling process at Pixar.
Increase your vocabulary and help fight world hunger. For each answer you get right, Free Rice donates 10 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.
The Writer's Almanac with Garrison Keillor is a daily email that includes a poem and brief biographical information about writers whose birthdays fall on that day. Yesterday's poem, "Lucky"
by Kirsten Dierking, grabbed me.
All this time,
the life you were
supposed to live
has been rising around you
like the walls of a house...
(Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017)Finally, your best resources might be your own desk drawers or computer files. Last night's storm reminded me of this poem I wrote in 1999.
Illumination
Snowflakes whirl at night,
Circling around the streetlight
Like bright summer moths.
 |
| snowy owl on streetlight |
Book Giveaway Details
Marie D. won our latest book giveaway of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale by Robin Currie, Congratulations, Marie!
To enter our new drawing for a chance to win a copy of the Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2017, use the Rafflecopter widget below. You may enter via 1, 2, or all 3 options.
If you choose option 2, you must leave a comment on today's blog post below or on our TeachingAuthors Facebook page. If you haven't already liked our Facebook page, please do so today! If you prefer, you may submit your comment via email to: teachingauthors [at] gmail [dot] com.
Email subscribers: if you received this post via email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to access the entry form.
Note: if you submit your comments via email or Facebook, you must still enter the drawing via the widget below. The giveaway ends March 10, 2017, and is open to U.S. residents only.
P.S. If you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, here's info on how to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway and the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. with an email address.
JoAnn Early Macken
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Oh, I remember being addicted to Free Rice a few years ago, I'm glad to hear it's still around. As a word nerd, it was so much fun to play with words and support a great cause at the same time!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these resources! I love that picture of the snowy owl on the lamppost. At this time of year in Florida we are getting ospreys making nests on lampposts next to the lights. I think maybe they choose this spot for a little warmth for their chicks. Thank you for the giveaway also!
ReplyDeleteA great list! Hope to dive into these resources soon! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteJane, I have Free Rice on my phone & use it when I need a little break.
ReplyDeleteB.J., the snowy owl was here in Wisconsin a few years ago when the weather was much colder. I loved seeing ospreys in Florida. They do show up in Wisconsin, but not as regularly.
Jane, I'm glad you enjoyed the list!
Wonderful posts full of great resources. I've pinned the pixar storytelling mods to do later. How great that we can learn from pixar! And, I have so many old files...I could spend a lot of time sorting. But, maybe I can pull out something that needs a look over. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. Sharing resources is such a great idea. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing such wonderful resources! I totally forgot about Free Rice. Also, I can't wait to explore the Art of Storytelling from Pixar.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of Free Rice. I am spending the day laid up with a bad back, but I can still use my laptop lying down! I bet I can donate a lot of rice.;)
ReplyDeleteThank you for the resources! I've also never heard of Free Rice. I have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteThanks for so many great links, JoAnn. I've done Free Rice for years, had my students doing it too!
ReplyDeleteGreat list, Joanne--thank you! My kids and I used to do the free rice thingy years ago--going to put it back on my radar.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the excellent links, I'm very grateful for the chance to win the book too. Have a great weekend everyone.
ReplyDeleteThanks, everyone! I'm happy to hear about people trying Free Rice for the first time or going back to it. I'm looking forward to the Pixar program, too. Marilyn, I hope you feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these resources, and congratulations on your article being included! I think it helps to know that not all writers are agented, and that yes, you can do this. xo
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing these great resources!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the resources.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time to your site-- What a great resource, and wonderful giveaway!
ReplyDeleteMany outstanding resources for kid lit writers. Thank you for all of the great information and an opportunity to win.
ReplyDelete~Suzy Leopold
Great resources!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
I shared on my FB page and commented but it won't let me enter to ein😥
ReplyDeleteAnd it won't let me spell right either!
DeleteLove the blog! Such a greasgreast resource.
ReplyDeleteLots of great resources. Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteAhhh, thank you for reminding me of Free Rice! I used to spend so much time on it! It's such a win-win idea. Also love the shout out to the Market book. Such a consistently solid resource for so many years. Thank you for a great list!
ReplyDeleteThank you for these resources and great tips.
ReplyDeleteFantastic post! I'm with you, I love that poem! After the day I've had, it was thought provoking. Thanks for posting it. Also, thank you for the chance to win such a fabulous book!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all these great resources!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much. Free Rice was completely new to me, too.
ReplyDeleteWonderful information - thanks!
ReplyDeleteSubscribed via bookmark feed. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the resources!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing with these services! I also know one service, but it is more for students which can't write essays 99papers.com I used it several times, so I know this service is good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the resources and contest!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this great group of resources and for the giveaway. I love your Illumination poem!
ReplyDeleteLove this giveaway idea! Your blog is such a great resource for writers! I hope I win!
ReplyDeleteSome of these resources were new to me, like Free Rice - how addicting is that? Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post, JoAnn! After reading, I decided to go through my old files. I not only found a few poems that I'm going to brush up for magazine submissions, but I found two story ideas that I had completely forgotten. Thanks, again! Leanne
ReplyDeleteI'm encouraged to make some submissions also. Thanks for that nudge! And thanks for all the blog connections. I am slowly adding to my repertoire.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteI see that I too have been left behind re: Free Rice! Thanks for the resources!
ReplyDeleteI love all of the links! Thanks
ReplyDeleteHello again & thank you for all your comments! I've been out of town (& back), sick (& recovered), & off the Internet (& back again). Lovely to see you all here, & I'm glad the resources were useful. Be sure to read the rest of the posts in the series!
ReplyDelete