Keeping Track

Lists. Charts. Calendars. Schedules. Spreadsheets. And more lists.

I tend to be a very organized person. But even I find it difficult to keep abreast with the many projects I'm involved in-writing and otherwise. I'm all for creating charts and check lists to help my aging brain keep everything in its rightful place.


I know writers come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties, but I think we must all develop some system for keeping track of our projects. Otherwise we get confused, befuddled, and dingy. We make mistakes. Then, we look unprofessional. Writing is, after all, a profession. At this time in my life it is MY profession.

So, I strive to do it as professionally as I can.

That means doing little things well. Things like following guidelines. VERY important.

A few months ago I finished a proposal for a children's PB which was an adaptation of the Biblical account of Creation. I worked on that thing every day for a couple of months. Polished, re-polished, triple-polished. At last I thought it was ready. This particular publisher takes email submissions with attachments. So I buffed up my to-the-point-but-courteous email, attached revision #46 of what I thought was the proposal, and hit SEND.

Five minutes later (or, perhaps I should say, 5 minutes too late) I realized that I had attached the wrong document. It was an understandable mistake, I tried to convince myself, but it was a huge one. The document I actually attached was the full ms instead of the proposal.

This publisher's guidelines say specifically "Do not send full manuscripts unless requested."

I grabbed a paper sack and took a few deep breaths. Then I emailed an apology to the editor with the correct attachment.

Faster than Spider Man swinging from skyscraper to skyscraper I received a reply. A courteous and professionally stated rejection.

Ouch! One tiny mistake and my name is probably doo-doo with that particular publisher.

Maybe, if I'd had a better system of naming my documents or filing my documents or organizing my documents I could have avoided that mistake. Maybe.

The human brain can concentrate on only one thing at a time. Even mine, as much as I hate to admit it. I'm not super-writer. I can not do 10 things at the same time and do them well.

But I can keep track of 10 things if I have a workable system in place. A list. A chart. A calendar. A schedule. A spreadsheet. A filing system. Or even 3 X 5 cards or file folders or something that keeps me accountable to myself. If I try to simply wing it, I'm bound to take a nose dive like my recent experience.

And my nose can take just so many dives before it's permanently bent out of shape.

If you have a chart, a list, a check list, a spreadsheet, etc. that you'd be willing to share with me please email me pronto! My nose is still a bit sore and I don't want to land on it anymore.

I have some simple submission tracking sheets I created and I'll be glad to share them with you by email. Just let me know if you prefer a pdf or a word doc.

Thanks, friends

I'm a bad girl. This week not only did I forget to make my blog posts last night, I didn't make time to read another autumn PB to analyze here. Bad, bad, girl!

Instead, I'd like to direct you to a wonderful site that reviews children's books several times each week. Christian Children's Book Review. I've mentioned them before. They are a group of reading moms who post their reviews of children's books of all genres, all ages. I've purchased several books based on their opinions, and I haven't been disappointed in my purchases.

I'd also like to point you to a site with a long list of writing articles. Each article is short and to the point. A good overview of the specific topics. Right-Writing.com edited by Terry Whalin. You can sign up for their e-newsletter, too. You'll get a lot of marketing ideas and a lot of opportunities to purchase things from Terry.

Lastly, I'd like to point you to Fire It Up! where one of my articles is posted this weekend.

Blessings to you. I'll be back next Friday with a book for younger elementary aged readers--Sarah Whitcher's Story by Elizabeth Yates.

Prayer for Publication

Dear God,

I'm working on a writing project. Actually, several projects. But my goal is to get this proposal in the mail to several publishers this week. I don't think I'm going to make it. But I'm trying. I've been busy with other types of projects and haven't written a new manuscript in months. A few weeks ago I just pushed everything else aside, prayed for Your inspiration, and put my hands to the keys.


You heard me and You sent me a cute, bouncy little manuscript for a children's board book. I want to say, "Thank You, Lord." I've been polishing it. Getting input from other writers. Praying over every syllable (because rhythm is very important to books for young children) and sound (I'm helping to cultivate budding language skills). I think it's almost ready.

At the same time, I started working on a proposal for it. That's what I must mail off to various publishers-a well crafted proposal that lets them see exactly what this book is about, why I'm qualified to write it, and what kind of audience it can potentially reach.

Please give me wisdom, Lord. Guide my thoughts. Give me the clear, intelligent, creative mind of Christ as I attempt to create this little story and prepare this proposal. Give me wisdom as I research and find just the right publishers who might consider such a book. It would thrill my heart to see it in print on shiny cardboard sheets tough enough for a two-year old to drag it from cereal bowl to potty chair to bed day after day.

Truth is, Lord, it would thrill me to see any of my children's manuscripts in print. But I'm at peace with the reality that such a thing is totally in Your capable hands.

I work hard to craft the best manuscripts I can. I make every effort to polish them and present them as porfessionally as I can. I research publishing houses and try to find the perfect few who might fit a particular book.

But, the truth is, they are Your manuscripts and You are in charge of their destinies. I'm asking You to put them on the right desks before the right sets of eyes on the right days.

Do with them what You will, Lord. What You have planned. What will bring You honor and glory. Give me the continued peace to wait.

Fire It Up!

Drop in and see what's happening at Write2Ignite! and Fire It Up!. We have a guest blogger this week, Vonda Skelton.

Blessings,
Jean

Autumn Dirge

In the chill of the year

Since ages old

God dips His brush in red and gold

And sweeps it over the canvas of the earth.

 

The trees once decked

In peaceful green

Take on deep hues incarnadine

And dance in saffron gowns the year’s last mirth.

Soon stark they’ll stand

In robeless shame

Arms outstretched, poor naked frames

To shiver in the snow, and wait new birth.

That's When I'm Happy

Technically this little book isn't really about fall or autumn or Thanksgiving. But it's warm, glowing illustrations are filled with the signs of fall and, well, I simply fell in love with its sweet text. So, this is as good a time as any for me to give my amateur analysis of That's When I'm Happy by Beth Shoshan.

That's When I'm Happy is published by Sandy Creek, a British publishing house. A visit to their website reveals many charming titles like this one. It's a 22 page board book that celebrates family and love in a cozy autumn setting.

Jaqueline East's illustrations are soft-almost pastel-yet filled with the warm, golden shades of autumn.

The MC of this tale is a little bear who recalls the moments that make him feel happy. He guides us through little family rituals he shares with his mama bear and daddy bear. These rituals remind him (and little listeners as mom or dad read aloud) that he is cherished. The voice is that of a happy, unpretentious child confident in his parents' love. The book opens with the little bear remembering these sweet moments because "on those days when I'm a little bit sad...I try and find my way back to being happy."

There's no story arch, no crisis and resolution, just warm memories to cuddle up with and share with the little person you cherish.

I plan to read this one again and again--as many times as my grand children will allow!

The Wonder Pets Song

The Wonder Pets have the right idea. "We're not too big, and we're not too tough. But when we work together we've got the right stuff!"

"Teamwork! That's what it takes!" And that's what I'm learning about this week.

Writing can be a lonely profession. I love those times when it's just me and my computer (and the Holy Spirit peering over my shoulder) pecking away for hours. I love it when I glance at the time on that bottom right corner of the screen and it's already midnight! I love being totally immersed in the story world and not even being aware of the ticking of the clock or that hollow feeling in my stomach.

But too much of those times can make me lonely. Too much of those times can make me egocentric, too. I can become so focused on the story within and getting it onto the screen that all my thoughts begin to turn inward. I lose sight of the people for whom I'm writing. I even begin to think I'm some great gift to the world with all this talent dripping from my fingertips.

So I'm learning to love the times of fellowship with other writers. And I'm really loving the times that I'm not alone on a task, but working with a team of writers and illustrators.

It would be great to say that I'm doing that on a manuscript for some publishing giant. But right now, I'm not. Right now the team I'm loving is the Write2Ignite! Team. I'm learning so much from these gifted and generous women.

I'm learning that my ideas aren't always brilliant. Often their ideas are.

I'm learning that six heads really are better than one.

I'm learning that bouncing our creative ideas off each other makes them grow and develop fullness and body.

I'm learning that the give-and-take of working with other creative people is good, really good for me. It keeps me focusing on other people and how I can effectively communicate with them. That's a good thing.

I'm learning that writing doesn't have to be a lonely profession unless I want it to be.

But I don't. God didn't build us for a lifestyle of solitude. God built us for relationships, and working with a team on a huge project like Write2Ignite! stretches my relationship skills. That's why God created us in the first place. Because God wanted relationships. He wanted fellowship and communion--with US. He doesn't need us, He wants us.

My writing gets better when I don't hoard it. When I write for others and with others my skills improve. When I'm generous with my time and talent both seem to multiply.

The same is true of my relationship skills. When I reach out to others (writers or readers) and work with them or for them, my ability to commune with them, and with God, improves.

My Pastor talks about two kinds of relationships in our Christian lives--the horizontal relationships with other people, and the vertical relationship with God. Both have to be right for us to be happy, productive, purposeful individuals and writers.

Write2Ignite! is teaching me the truth of that little Wonder Pets' song first hand.

And the Conference is still four months away.