I’ve often been asked, “Where did you get the idea for this story” or “How do you come up with these crazy names”. I’m sure all writers or perhaps all creatives are asked similar questions.  Inspiration … where does it come from, and how do I get it?  When you have it, you’re in writing heaven.  When you don’t, writing purgatory.  I wish I had some set formula that allowed me to pull out amazing ideas at will, any time, any place.  But, sadly, I don’t.

I will say that a lot of my inspiration has come from my dogs, Bryce and Charlie. I have a little confession.  I talk to my dogs.  I call them silly names. I’ve made up a silly song about Charlie and I sing it to him sometimes when we’re out for a walk.  The silly names I call them have been used as character or object names in my stories.  But, up until now, I haven’t written anything explicit about either one of them.

In my last blog, I introduced you to a story I entered in Susanna Leonard Hill’s Valentine’s Day contest.  Not only did I submit an entry, but so did most of my critique group.  We helped each other strengthen our manuscripts, marveled at the uniqueness of our respective creativity and when it was all done, one of them (Jill Richards Proctor) suggested another contest … 50 precious words by Vivian Kirkfield. The challenge, create a story that is 50 words or less with a full story arc: beginning, middle and end.  I don’t know whether I should thank Jill or throttle her for putting that in my purview.

The inspiration for my story is my dog, Charlie.  Charlie is an Australian Terrier. This breed is bred to hunt and kill snakes and rodents.  Charlie isn’t discerning at all.  Pretty much if it moves, it’s fair game … cats, rats, rabbits, birds but not dogs.  He likes dogs. 

Before I reveal my entry for the 50 precious words contest, let me show you a few videos of Charlie which demonstrate where I got my inspiration.

Now, you can pretty much see where this is going, right? I hope you enjoy my 50 word story.  I’d love to hear your honest feedback. 

Hunter & Prey by Cheri Wong

Stealthy hunter, deadly quick,
stalks his prey through brush grown thick.
Hiding under fallen leaves,
scaly underdog believes
he can outwit cunning foe
but not if they go toe-to-toe.
Cagey lizard has one ploy:
drops his tail – a twitching toy,
distracting hound … mark gets away.
Canine hunter duped by prey.

Lastly, I shall leave you with this picture as I don’t want you to think that Charlie doesn’t do his breed proud.  My canine hunter isn’t always bamboozled by the twitching toy left by his tail-less prey.

Happy Valentine’s Day! As promised, here is my 211 word entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 5th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest.

The challenge is to write a Valentine’s story appropriate for children that is a maximum of 214 words. The theme for this contest is curiosity.

For more details and to read the other wonderful contest entries, pop over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog .

Jaina’s UFO

Cruising through space, Jaina came to a stop.
She thought, “What’s that object with two humps on top?
It’s unable to fly but it glides with no sail.
There’s a point at its base with a long, flowing tail.

I know who I’ll ask. He’s a space auctioneer.”
“G’pop, I found this in Mars’ exosphere.”
He studied the object, then shook his square head.
“Why don’t you ask the ring skaters instead?

Intergalactics skate Saturn’s ice rings.
Surely they’ve seen such fantastical things.”
She flew to the rings. She approached a skate corps.
“Excuse me, has anyone seen this before?”

No one had answers, so Jaina departed.
“I’ll go to the moon. That planet’s kindhearted.”
“Mr. Moon, have you seen this red floatie I found?”
Moon nodded, “On Earth, they are carried around.”

“I’ve seen numerous held on this one special day.
They’re exchanged by the earthlings … for what I can’t say.
That day’s drawing near. You should fly down to speak
to an earthling who’ll have just the answer you seek.”

The earthling she asked said, “I know, yes, I do.
It’s a red heart balloon. It means, Hey, I love you!”
Jaina stared at this object found light years above.
This beautiful heart was a gift filled with love!

Once again I’m shaking my head over how much time has passed since I posted an entry on my blog.  I could come up with a myriad of excuses. I could berate myself for not making the time, but the truth is, LIFE HAPPENS. Things happen that take priority. When that occurs, you set down what’s important to you and do what needs to be done. 

In a nutshell, my time has been consumed with a lot of caregiving.  I’ll spare you the gory details, but suffice to say, it involved both human and canine.  As much as I’d like to say I was able to juggle life well and continue flying forward with my own personal goals that just isn’t true.  I did try to keep moving forward; but, alas, it was at a snail’s pace.

Nonetheless, I believe I have come through the caregiving tunnel. Though I can’t put it down completely, it no longer consumes my day, my sleep or my thoughts.  THANK GOODNESS!

Now that there is a big gaping hole in my mind where caregiving camped out for a good year, I can allow my thoughts to meander at will. These days, they’re filled with:

• first day of school worries
• magical ponchos
• beasts scaring critters
• curious UFOs
• ice skaters on Saturn
• caring oak trees

Hmm, okay, I admit it … my imagination does run along the wacky path.

That’s a good thing though!  Especially if you want to write children’s books.  I’m currently juggling 3 different stories and I have one percolating in my mind that I’ve got to get started on lest the inspiration muses decide I’ve dilly-dallied too long and pass the idea along to someone else.

Though it scares me to do, I believe it is time for me to put some of my work out to the universe.  Among those who choose to read my stories, I’m sure there will be a mix of “lovers”, “haters” and “Meh, it’s okay-ers”. Although I want the “lovers” to far outweigh the others, it is what it is.  I don’t write for the accolades (though mind you I do love them!).  I write because I love to write.  I love when I get an idea and can’t wait to write it down.  I love throwing my stories out to my critique group, having them challenge me and force me to see my story from different angles.  They’ve helped me to grow and improve as a writer.

In the next day or two, I will post an entry on my blog for a writing contest that I am entering.  Throughout the year, Susanna Leonard Hill, a children’s author, runs contests for writers which “provide inspiration and practice, help writers flex their writing muscles and spread their writing wings.” It’s fun, it’s challenging and most of all it’s helpful in honing writing skills.

The contest is to write a Valentine’s Day story in which someone feels curious, which is appropriate for children ages 12 and under and with a maximum of 214 words.  You will finally have an opportunity to get a glimpse of my writing – the good, the bad and the ugly.  I’d love some honest feedback.  Do check my blog again in the next day or 2 to read my contest entry.

The photo on the left was taken in Maui a little over 2 years ago. The photo on the right is what I look like now.

It’s a brand new day, a brand new life and it’s time to catch you up on what’s been happening. It’s been well over 9 months since I wrote my last blog post. I wish I had a fabulous excuse like I decided to drop out of life to live in Tahiti for the last 9 months; but alas, I do not. Life happens and sometimes it’s necessary to prioritize the things that are most important and allow other things to sit quietly in the corner until you are able to pick them up.

The last nine months have been filled with wonderful things as well as not so wonderful things. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions and an abundance of physical and mental exhaustion.

Here’s a quick recap of what’s been going on:

• My baby dog, Bryce, continued to deteriorate health-wise and in January it was time to let him go.
• In November 2015, my husband tried to jump over a 6 foot fence; and, let’s just say, he was unsuccessful.
• In March I started a new diet and workout routine.

I will spare you the gory details and just give you the Reader’s Digest version of my life during the last nine months.

Bryce is now in heaven

In the fall of 2015, Bryce’s appetite had slowly started to degrade. By December, his eating was sporadic. I kept in constant contact with his veterinarian. We tried a variety of things to improve his appetite (including trying to give him filet mignon) but nothing worked really well. Since he ate hardly anything, giving him his medication became even more difficult. I resorted to getting his meds compounded into liquid form when I could and I mixed pill content with chicken broth and put that in a syringe. It got to the point where Bryce would run away from me every time he saw me with a syringe in my hand.

I’d like to dispel any belief that I had been unfair by keeping him alive for as long as I did because I feel that there were some people in my world who thought I had been a little selfish. I am one of those people who will do everything humanly possible to care for someone I love. I never want to have any regrets about that. That included sacrificing my own needs and my own sleep for this dog that I loved so much.

I knew Bryce well enough to know when he was in pain, and when he was not. Would some people have let their pet go sooner than I did? Absolutely, they would. Had Bryce been in pain, I would not have hesitated to let him go. That was not the case. In January, when he had grown weaker because he lacked the nutrients he needed, it was clear that it was time to let him go. I still miss him every day and still talk to him daily. Some might think I’m crazy, but it brings me comfort to do so.

My husband took on a fence and lost

In the midst of all this dog stuff, my husband, Gary, attempted to go over a 6 foot fence to chase down our other dog who had crawled under the fence to go after a cat. The fence buckled when he attempted to hop over it. He landed on his right leg, and put his right arm out to break the fall. He ended up breaking/partially crushing his right tibia just below the knee, dislocating his right shoulder and fracturing one of his ribs on the right side. He was completely out of commission.

So, the months of November – January became extreme care giving months. I had to do everything around the house. We got Gary a hospital bed and a wheelchair. He had had surgery to fix the tibia the day after his fall. Post-surgery, his doctor did not want him to put any weight on his right leg nor did she want him to move or extend his right arm for at least 6 weeks. He could type so he was able to work from home but that was about it. I’m grateful that Gary wasn’t one of those grumpy or needy patients. He felt pretty bad for the burden he put on me because now I had to care for:

• A broken husband
• A senior dog whose health was deteriorating rapidly.
• A young dog who has a lot of energy who wanted to walk all the time.

I was exhausted!

New diet, new workout, new life

Bryce died on January 22nd, and it was around that time that Gary was getting back on his feet again. He was able to put some weight on his right leg and therefore was able to ditch the wheelchair and use a crutch instead.

I think it was a couple of weeks after Bryce was gone that a friend of mine told me about a diet/workout challenge she was going to do. “Lose 20 in 6” is the tag line for the gym/challenge. That’s 20lbs in 6 weeks! It seemed rather extreme. After all, that’s an average of 3.33 lbs per week I would be losing. Gary encouraged me to do it. I think he wanted me to focus on something other than Bryce. So, I went ahead and signed up for the challenge at Achievement Fitness in San Jose.

The challenge started on February 29th and ended on April 9th. I’m not going to get into major details here because I plan to go in depth about it in my next blog post. What I will say is that this challenge changed my life in so many different ways.

The gym provided a meal plan that had to be strictly followed, and 6 days a week I got up early to get to the gym so I could do a bootcamp style workout. For most of my adult life, I have been a gym rat, but I can honestly say that this experience was completely new to me. I worked harder and pushed myself harder than I had ever done before. The results have been amazing.

I didn’t reach the goal of losing 20lbs in 6 weeks, but I did lose 11.6 lbs which, for me, was incredible! After the challenge, I joined the gym and have continued to follow the meal plan (though not as religiously) and work out. Since that time, I’ve continued to lose weight and am now 23 lbs lighter and in the best shape I have been in in my life!

I’m incredibly excited about the progress I’ve achieved and the changes I’ve made and continue to make in my life. For those of you who lack energy, are tired of yo-yo dieting, tired of feeling achy, dislike the way your clothes fit you, I encourage you to check out Achievement Fitness and the “Lose 20 in 6” challenge. I’m not going to tell you it’s easy because it’s not!! But I will tell you, if you put the work in and “Follow the damn instructions” it does work. You will not only lose weight, you’ll also gain confidence, better self-esteem and so much more. You are SO worth it!

Stay tuned for my next blog post where I will go into more detail about the meals and workouts.

Dr. Wayne Dyer: Divine Love Workshop on Maui

A little over a week ago, the world lost a beautiful soul and an amazing human being. Author of numerous self-help books, an international motivational speaker, Dr. Wayne Dyer touched so many lives in his time on this earth.

I am but one of many people around the world who has been moved and motivated by Dr. Dyer’s teachings. Like most people who followed him, I have read his books, watched his PBS specials and listened to his motivational CDs. I’ve also had the great fortune to attend one of his workshops in Maui.

In January 2014, my friend Jill and I attended a Dr. Dyer’s workshop, “Divine Love.” This is one of my most cherished experiences. The goal of the workshop was to help you ease the conflicting thoughts in your mind and wake up to the power of Divine Love. His goal was to teach us how to feel a connection to our highest self. The love, joy and spiritual energy produced during this workshop was almost palpable; and when I was in the middle of it all, I felt anything was possible. I came away from this experience feeling balanced and energized to walk down a different path to see where it may lead.

Changing your perspective

During this workshop, one of the things that Dr. Dyer focused on was changing your perspective.

“When something annoys or frustrates you, change your perspective.”

He told us a story of how construction outside his Maui condo was so loud that it would hinder his peace and quiet while he worked. Initially, he found that aggravating. However, rather than let it continue to frustrate him, he thought about how he could change his perspective. So, rather than think of the construction noise as a source of annoyance, he chose to think of it as a symphony. He viewed the noise as music to serenade him through the day rather than banging and clattering to disrupt his work.

Instead of seeing only the negative aspect of something, he encouraged us to try to find the positive and hold that closer to our heart.

Life after the workshop

Fast forward to a year and a half after this workshop and I no longer feel as balanced nor as energized. Rereading the notes that I had taken during the workshop and remembering how serene and balanced I felt then, I realize that I have lost my bearings. Over the past year and half, I’ve accomplished a lot with regard to my writing; but rather than focusing on the positive, it seems that lately, I allow life events to annoy and frustrate me.

When people ask me what I’m doing, I tell them my day is filled with picking up dog poop, doling out dog meds, and going on dog walks. It feels all-consuming because I hardly get anything else done during the day. This makes me feel guilty, exasperated, and dispirited. It’s not the dogs’ fault … they need my care, want my love and adore my companionship. But rather than look at that in a loving way, I find myself getting increasingly irritated with the dogs and with life in general.

So, how do I change the perspective? Instead of being constantly irritated by the things I have to do for them, I need to be grateful that I get to spend time with 2 creatures that adore me. My babies won’t be here forever, so I need to cherish the time I do have with them. Give them my love and care, but also take what they offer me: love, affection, and a dopey smile every time I do something they love.

Yep, that’s most definitely a better perspective.

My husband and my friends keep telling me I need to cut myself some slack … maybe I should start listening to them. My purpose at this moment of my life is about the care of my dogs. Honestly, if I didn’t have the time or ability to do that, I would feel miserable and guilty and feel like a failure. Somehow, I think the powers that be know that. So they have blessed me with this time to care for my babies in the best way I can.

Continuing to guide us

Although I know Dr. Dyer will be continuing to share his wisdom and love from a different perspective, it is sad to know that there will be no more books, workshops, films, or PBS specials where his positive energy can shine through.

Thank you Dr. Dyer for continuing to guide my way even after you have left your corporal form. You will be greatly missed by all who have been touched by your love and wisdom and by those who have yet to discover your teachings.

Image courtesy of Mira Reisberg at the Children’s Book Academy

Six weeks ago, I told you about an online class that I was taking to hone my skills as a picture book writer. I thought the class was fantastic!

For those of you who are interested in improving your writing/editing skills or learning more about how to get published, I highly recommend taking a class with Mira Reisberg and her team at the Children’s Book Academy. The information she covered was extensive, and the material was well thought out. I think the biggest draw is Mira herself. She is incredibly kind and generous with her time and her knowledge. She loves teaching, and it truly shows in the interaction with her students.

Though I had high hopes that I would accomplish a lot during this class, alas, I did not. I wasn’t able to devote the time I wanted to devote to it. Consequently, I fell woefully behind with the lessons. However, I did manage to follow the webinars and the interaction with teachers and fellow students on Facebook as well as participated in my critique group.

The Teachers

• Mira Reisberg – She has helped MANY authors and illustrators get published. She has worn many different hats in the industry including art director, editor, illustrator and author, and literary agent.
• Kelly Delaney – An Assistant Editor at Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, where she acquires and edits picture books and middle grade and young adult novels.
• Published authors – Mira interviews many different authors so you get to learn from those who are on the same path you are on. She shares these interviews via videos in each daily lesson.

Class structure

Daily lessons were given through a password protected website. The material was presented via a web page and there was usually at least 1 video on the page. This allows students to go at their own pace. Mira acknowledges that there is a lot of information provided. So, she encourages you to go at a pace that works for you. I know I was not the only one who could not keep up with the material. Fortunately, the website still will be available for several months after the end of the course so that those who were unable to keep up will have access to the material. In addition, she provides an e-book at the end of the course which is a compilation of all the lessons!

Each lesson typically had homework. This homework was submitted as a comment on a corresponding “homework” web page.

Each week there was a webinar during which Mira and her co-teacher Kelly critiqued the homework submitted on the “homework” web page. Webinars were typically 1 hour long. So Mira and Kelly each were able to critique 10 of the students’ homework.

A dedicated Facebook page for the class was created. This was where we could interact with our fellow students as well as with our teachers. Questions posed to Mira and Kelly were typically answered within hours if not within minutes of posting! That’s how on top of things they were.

Critique groups (5 students each) were created and given a dedicated Facebook page. This was where we could upload our manuscripts and have the other students in our group critique our work. My critique group was great! Everyone was so helpful and responsive!

Fostering a community

Mira’s enthusiasm and love of craft were infectious. She created a wonderful community of authors who feel connected and supported. She accomplished this by bringing together people who share the same common goal and who actively engaged in learning not only from the teacher but also from one another.

Mutual respect and a wonderful camaraderie developed among the members of this group. Even after the course ended, class members are still posting questions and answers; and I suspect this will continue well past the end.

Bonuses and Golden Tickets

As a bonus at the end of the course, Mira critiqued our personal websites. Through a webinar where she shared her computer screen, she visited each individual’s website and offered advice on how to make it better. I am thrilled to say that she thought my website was great!!! She did have some wonderful ideas on how I can share my writing with you all. So, I will be working on that in the weeks/months to come.

Lastly, at the end of the course, Mira offers what she calls the “Golden Ticket” opportunity. You get to submit a pitch for your book to an agent or editor bypassing the slush pile or closed house submission policies. Writing a pitch for your book is one of the lessons provided, and the pitch is critiqued by Mira or Kelly before you submit it. The panel of editors and agents will read your pitch, and then choose ones for which they would like to see the full manuscript.

Because I fell woefully behind, I will not be submitting a pitch, but I wish my fellow students luck and success with their pitches as well as their careers as writers.

I highly recommend this class to new authors as well as published authors. There is something in it for everyone! By the way, writing and publishing are not the only topics Mira teaches. She has an illustration course coming up. If you’re interested, early bird registration is now open. Click here for details.

To find out what other classes Mira teaches, go to the Children’s Book Academy.

Skydiving

All too often, I think people get mired down by the responsibilities of life: kids (or in my case pets), family, finances, career etc …. We end up in a routine that becomes comfortable and familiar. There’s a sense of security that comes with that. However, every once in a while, I think it’s a good thing to step outside of that routine and do something that really shakes things up; something that gets the adrenaline going and makes you feel truly alive.

Above is a picture of me jumping out of an airplane on my 31st birthday. I have the picture framed inside a card I bought at a store called Successories. The card has the following caption:

“We take risks not to escape life … but to prevent life from escaping us.”

For my 30th birthday I had decided to do nothing particularly special to mark the event. I hung out with my BFF and she made me one of her mom’s awesome mocha cakes. Because of that lackluster celebration, the following year I felt I needed to change things up in a big way. So, I jumped out of an airplane at 18,000 feet while harnessed to a tandem instructor. We free fell to an altitude of about 5,000 feet – a trip that takes over a minute. That’s more than a full minute of falling at over 120mph!

That’ll get your heart rate going!

Adrenaline rush

According to Psychology Today, adrenaline created by an abrupt blast of stress sends a flood of oxygen-rich red blood cells through your body, boosts your immune system, and signals your brain to start releasing painkilling dopamine and endorphins.

Another time in my life when I sought that adrenaline rush was on my honeymoon in New Zealand. The Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown was quite close to where we were staying. So Gary and I decided to take the plunge again … only this time literally!

I actually found bungy jumping to be scarier than jumping out of a plane. When you jump from a plane, you’re so high up that when you’re free falling you don’t get a true sense that the ground is getting closer even though it is! With bungy jumping, unless you close your eyes, you see the ground getting closer and closer. I actually hit the end of the bungy about 5 feet from the water but Gary’s head went in the water!

Time for another rush

Honestly, I don’t consider myself an adrenaline junkie, but there is something to be said about doing something that seems wildly crazy. It’s seriously exhilarating once you get over the heart pounding fear! It gives you energy and makes you feel like you can tackle just about anything!

There was one other opportunity in Auckland, New Zealand where we could have jumped off the Sky Tower. On this one, you plummet 630 feet off the Sky Tower at 52 mph and fall towards a big red X on the concrete pavement. Neither one of us had the guts to do this at that time. However, if we ever go back, I just may have to give that one a try.

Question: Since I don’t see myself getting to Auckland, NZ any time soon, does anyone have any other suggestions for getting that adrenaline rush?

Caring for Bryce

I’ve noticed as I’ve grown older, probably more so in the last decade, that I am becoming more and more like my Mom. The things that used to drive me crazy about her have now become my own idiosyncrasies.

• Mom never sat still. There was always something that had to be done or had to be started. It was exhausting to watch her constantly moving and constantly doing.
• Mom was never a procrastinator. She got things done and expected everyone else to tow the line as well.
• Lastly, she made everything and everyone a priority, except herself.

I’m finding right now, that the latter trait pretty much defines my life.

A huge chunk of that is my dog Bryce. He is continuing to struggle with breathing and with overheating and he isn’t sleeping through the night. His needs supersede my own needs basically because he depends on me. His quality of life and comfort are on me.

I could use that as an excuse and say that it’s just temporary, but deep down, I know that’s not true. And, I’m pretty sure if you asked my BFF, Jill, she’d tell you I’ve been that way for most of my adult life.

Reasons why one doesn’t put oneself first

So, why is it that I take the time for everything and everyone else, but I don’t even take the time for myself? My search on Google for “why can’t I make myself a priority” came up with various reasons as to why people do this:

• There is a need to please others.
• It feels selfish.
• It makes you feel guilty.

All of the above reasons could be applied to me at various times in my life, but I think the foremost reason why I don’t place myself first is that I am innately a caregiver archetype.

Caregiver archetype

An archetype is defined in dictionary.com to be:
“(in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.”

I found this great blog entry posted by Jeannie Campbell that describes me to a T. In a nutshell, the blog post says:

Caregiver archetype: “The Good”

• They are supportive, understanding, empathetic, encouraging, and optimistic.
• Caregivers are most fulfilled when they are making a difference in the life of someone else.
• Others always come first, oneself second. Responding to needs is exciting and challenging to them.

Caregiver archetype: “The Bad”

• Resentment can set in when too many demands are made of an overly compromising Caregiver, and eventually, this can lead to self-martyrdom.
• Some Caregivers have a hard time with balancing self-care with care for others.
• This means the Caregiver is often trying to please everyone and be everything to each person, which is exhausting.
• They take a risk in their pursuit to help others, and can end up getting harmed themselves, whether this comes in the form of burnout, being too much of a doormat, or being exploited.

Yep, that is me! Okay, great, now we know why I do not make myself a priority.

Making choices

The big question is how do I circumvent something that is ingrained in every fiber of my being? That may seem like an exaggeration, but it doesn’t feel that way to me. Some may see my care for Bryce as a choice. To me however, there is no choice; putting him first is as natural as breathing. So no, that isn’t going to change. He is in as good a place as he can be because of everything that I do; and yes, that is said with some arrogance. I don’t think that anyone would do as good a job as I do. The problem with that line of thinking (as the “bad” section indicates above) is that I’m approaching the edge of burnout right now. Lack of sleep has made me physically tired; and emotionally, I’m running on empty.

For the sake of my sanity, perhaps, the answer does not lie with circumventing who I am. Perhaps it lies in trusting that there are others who can take care of Bryce as well as I can and who will love and spoil him with the same fervor I do.

Tomorrow, I have a doggy play date for my other dog Charlie. I met a woman at the veterinary office when I took Bryce to get checked out. She does dog walking, dog daycare and dog boarding. She and I seemed to click. So I’m hoping perhaps it will be an option that will provide some respite for this weary caregiver.

Image courtesy of canstockphoto.com/MariuszPrusaczyk

Last week I started an online class for writing children’s picture books. It’s a mentored 5 week class that teaches you how to write, edit and revise your books. Not only does it help you hone your writing skills but it also promises to teach you how to craft a query letter to send to literary agents and publishers.

Originally, I was going to use my existing manuscript for this course, but at the last minute, I decided to use a story that I had started but never finished. It’s tentatively named “Charlie” and is about a little dog who can’t find his pal. So, he ventures out to find him. My goal over the next 5 weeks is not only to create a first draft of this story, but also to revise/edit it to the point where I can submit it to an agent or publisher. It’s a fairly lofty goal considering I’ve spent many months on my 2 other books.

The online class material is presented in several different ways:

• Daily lessons presented on a website in a blog format and/or video format
• Weekly webinars
• Facebook group interactions for questions and critiques

Honestly, it’s a lot of material and incredibly overwhelming to keep up; but in just a 1 week, I’ve already learned some really helpful tips and tricks to make my manuscript better.

Hooks

Every book should have a hook. It’s something that draws the readers in and makes them want to turn the page and read more. The best books grab you right from the beginning.

When I read fiction books, I’m willing to give a book about 50–100 pages to draw me in. With children’s picture books, you need to hook them within the first 60 words! In those 60 words, you need to let the reader know what the story is about and get him/her to love or be intrigued by your character. It’s an incredibly daunting task!

Editing for brevity

With children’s picture books there is no room for excess words. Every word that you keep in your story must have purpose. Here are a few of the suggestions I found helpful for editing out unnecessary words:

• Get rid of adjectives and adverbs if they don’t enhance or guide the story. Or, find a single word that describes what you want to say. For example, “he ran fast” can be replaced by “he sprinted.”
• Get rid of any redundancy.
• Get rid of unnecessary descriptions.

The last one on the list was the most helpful to me. I’m not an illustrator yet when I write, I envision my characters and the scene that I am writing. I feel compelled to add in the description, when in fact, I should allow an illustrator’s imagination and creativity to describe the scenes. The adage “A picture is worth a thousand words” always should be kept in mind.

Types of picture books

Did you know there are different types of picture books? Each type can be associated to age groups.

• Board Books – these books have cardboard pages to withstand wear and tear from little fingers and mouths. Typical age: 0–2 years.
• Concept Books – these books introduce kids to a theme such as the alphabet, counting or shapes. Typical age: 2–8 years.
• Easy Readers – these books use limited vocabulary. The text is larger and the illustrations are essential to the story. Typical age: 4–8 years.
• Non-fiction – introduces subjects in a simple way, for example, books about bugs or the Wild West. Typical age: 3–12 years.
• Wordless – I love these books! A wordless story is told completely through the illustrations of the book. Typical age: 2–12 years.

Worthwhile endeavor

This online course is presented by the Children’s Book Academy led by Dr. Mira Reisberg. As you can see, in just one short week, we’ve touched on a variety of topics. In addition, there are individual critique groups that allow us to help one another edit our stories, bounce ideas, and give encouragement when needed.

I’m hopeful the next 4 weeks will be as enlightening as the first one. I’ll definitely keep you posted on my progress.

In the meantime, if you are a writer or an illustrator, check out her website for other helpful courses.

Image courtesy of canstockphoto.com/hayatikayhan

For the 2nd time in a row, I am late with getting my blog post out. My excuse is that I’ve been to hell and back trying to buy a car.

Let me explain. I have a 1999 Honda with just over 157,000 miles on it that I had planned on driving to the 200,000 mile point. Since it’s a Honda, I thought my expectations were reasonable. However, 10 days ago, as my husband and I were driving back from dinner, going about 40mph, the engine stopped. The dashboard lights and the phone charger light were lit, but the engine was not running. Fortunately, my husband was driving and was able to move into the left hand turning lane. The car could actually start up, but if Gary didn’t get it into drive and move quickly, it would stall again. After 3 stops/starts and 1 “let the engine cool and jiggle some wires,” Gary got us home. Yes, he totally rocks!

I used Google and found that I am not the only Honda owner to have experienced this problem. Yes, I could try to get it fixed, but the forums that I found with other drivers who have had this problem did not show any promising solutions. Multiple posts from the same people said they have had their car in and out of the shop for months and still have not had it resolved.

Since I am not the type of person who is willing to sacrifice safety on the road, my car has sat in the garage. I have borrowed a car from a friend and for the last 10 days, have driven myself crazy with the research and process associated with buying a car.

Attention to the details

In case you are not aware by now, I am one of those people who needs to know that she is getting the best product for the best price. My definition of what a “best car” would look like is:

• Is safe and reliable
• Has good fuel economy
• Is quiet
• Has good power/acceleration
• Has a smooth ride/Doesn’t feel every bump on the road
• Has navigation, bluetooth, backup camera with sensors, and has a side assist package that lets me know there is someone in my blind spot.
• Has the exterior/interior colors I am looking for
• Has a great price

To compare and contrast all of these factors, I looked at Consumer Reports, Edmunds, TrueCar, and Car and Driver. My first choice for a car was the Mini Cooper 4-door Countryman. Unfortunately, it has a low reliability rating. I’m not going to spend a ton of money buying an unreliable car no matter how cute I think it is!

The chosen car

After looking and/or test driving Hyundai’s, Toyotas, Subarus, Lexus’s, and Audis, the car of choice is the Audi Q5 diesel which has good fuel economy. Whew! Well, now that we’ve decided the car and the options and colors we want, the rest should be smooth sailing, right? No! Trying to find a car with the combination we want has been an arduous task. We finally heard there is a model that meets our criteria in southern California and we are still waiting to hear whether the car is ours or not.

Finding that great price

In order to determine what the best price I could get for a car, I submitted requests through TrueCar, ADP, USAA and Costco. These requests, in turn, sent queries to dealers in our area. In addition, I found out my credit union has a car concierge who will help with your car buying needs. With all these different queries, I actually made myself crazy because of the number of people who were contacting me by phone and email. The bottom line is that Costco has come in with the best price.

How this process has affected me

I’ve had 3 cars in my lifetime. All of which were “utilitarian cars” below $25,000. The last car I bought was 15 years ago, back when cars were not as expensive as they are today. Now, in my 50s, I find that I would like a more luxurious car. My friends would say, “You’ve worked hard all your life, you deserve it.” That is true, Yet, I still have a very difficult time wrapping my head around the cost of the luxury and niceties. I’m typically a “save for a rainy day” person. This process has been a struggle for me.

Why is it that I find it difficult to treat myself to something nice? I’m always looking at “need” vs. “want.” Most of the time, when it’s a “want to have,” I talk myself out of buying it.

In this instance, a new car is a “need AND want.” So, I’m able to justify it. I really shouldn’t have to justify it; both Gary and I deserve to have a nice car. Maybe someday, I’ll figure out how to stop looking at “need” vs. “want.”

Question: Do any of you have this same struggle? You’ve worked hard all your life; Do you find it difficult to treat yourself?