This was a scene that actually unfolded in front of me when I was in college. I was waiting for my bus in Harvard Square, and a woman walked into the street and just crumbled. I don’t think I’ll ever forget those five minutes.

If you want to share, you can post your exercise (300 words or less) here.

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It’s terrible to admit, but although I’ve always been a writer, I haven’t always been an avid reader. To me this is inexcusable since I firmly believe that reading improves your writing. But I’ve either been too busy, too tired, (insert excuse here) to make reading a habit.

And while I’m confessing things, I might as well cop to the fact that I have only recently started the Harry Potter series. This feels like a sin for a children’s writer, but I’m not generally into fantasy so I kind of overlooked them in favor of other books. But my interest was piqued after seeing a snippet of one of the movies, so I started on my own Harry Potter adventure. And they’re great, of course, so the remainder of the series is on my list.

So here’s my list so far. I don’t plan on reading them in any particular order, but I do want the list to be varied and not just titles I know I’ll like. I’ve been adding titles here and there as I come across recommendations on other sites. Certainly if you have any you recommend, by all means leave a note!

• The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
• Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli
• Mars Trilogy, Kim Stanley Robinson
• Revelation Space, Alastair Reynolds
• The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco
• The Compound, S.A. Bodeen
• Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult
• The Road, Cormac McCarthy
• Two Years, No Rain, Shawn Klomparens
• The Years of Rice and Salt, Kim Stanley
• Books 3-7 of Harry Potter Series, J.K. Rowling
• Positively, Courtney Sheinmel
• The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman
• Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
• Thirteen Reasons Why, Jay Asher
• The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin
• The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
• Homeless Bird, Gloria Whelan
• An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, Jim Murphy
• Hush, Hush, Becca Fitzpatrick
• The World More Full of Weeping, Robert J. Wiersema
• Brains: A Zombie Memoir, Robin Becker

Photo by: Spotrick

So far, the most important thing I’ve learned is that research is the best preparation. Having loads of ideas is great, but you should make sure the subject you choose is a good fit before you start writing.

To do that, first go through at least the last year’s worth of issues to make sure your topic hasn’t already been covered in the same way. Highlights is well-respected in the industry, so it’s one of the top publications children’s writers submit to. Taking the time to get to know the magazine and its content will help you write the best piece for their market.

Next, you’ll want to review (and bookmark!) two excellent resources on the Highlight site: The contributor guidelines and current needs pages. These sections really help take the guesswork out of what, when and how to submit your articles. But remember, the kind folks at Highlights provide and update this information for a reason. FOLLOW IT!

Former Highlights senior editor Kim T. Griswell also shared some great tips on the Women On Writing site. The interview is a few years old, but the advice is still relevant.

After you’ve done all that, the main focus is to write the best piece you can. This means writing drafts, getting feedback, revising, reworking and making sure the topic and language are appealing to the magazine’s age group. That, of course, is the hard part.

As I mentioned in my 2010 goals post, I received a rejection to my first submission to Highlights. It was also my first rejection ever. I was disappointed, naturally, but I was also encouraged by the notes and suggestions the editors made about the piece. It wasn’t something I expected, but I appreciated the guidance.

It helps to remember that writing is a journey. If you expect the ups and downs, the days that ideas flow and the days that you get nothing, you’re more likely to be persitent. And it’s the persistent writer, not the one who gives up, who reaches the goal in the end.

Photo by: Litandmore

I love lists and being organized, so actually writing down my professional goals for the year will help me focus my efforts. And the beauty of having goals is that I can always change them if my life or focus changes during the year.

Here’s my short list so far. I plan to review the list regularly through the year to evaluate where I am and make adjustments.

• Write and submit an article to Highlights – I submitted a photo essay in 2008 (gosh, has it been that long?) that was rejected. I was working on another manuscript, so I never rewrote it or submitted anything else. I have a couple strong article ideas, so 2010 will be the year for those. My goal has always been to get published in children’s magazines before submitting books to publishers, so it ties in nicely.
• Post at least twice a week on Spark Lab – I want traffic on the Spark Lab site to grow in 2010, so I need to make a commitment to keep it fresh. Posting twice a week is more than attainable, so I hope to surpass this goal and post more.
• Make a list of books to read – This one is easy, but necessary. Every time I finish a book, I can’t recall any of the titles I wanted to read next. A book list will keep me moving and track my reading habits for the year.
• Read at every opportunity – As a writer, I just plain need to read more. I feel it really is one of the best ways to improve my own writing. Also, my son is in kindergarten and has just started reading on his own. Seeing me read more will support his love of reading.
• Complete a revision of chapter book – I received some great conference feedback for my chapter book work in progress. I’ve let it sit for about eight months. It’s time to evaluate where it needs to go and work on a revision.
• Work to improve my copy writing chops – I need to shake things up a bit with my ‘work’ writing. I’ve been with the company for almost six years, and I recognize that some of what I write is formulaic and uninspired. I want to elevate my writing and strive for excellence.
• Write more freely – As I’ve mentioned, my writing doesn’t just flow out of me. It’s a constant struggle. I hope by writing more frequently and using several tools I’ll be able to unlock a couple barriers.

So there’s some big stuff and some little stuff in there to balance it out. What about you? Have you made any formal goals for 2010?

Photo by: Darwin Bell

30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book – Darcy Pattison’s site is filled with helpful information. Her 30 Days information is broken up into smaller posts that she adds to frequently.

Picture Book of the Day – If you’re looking for daily inspiration or suggested reads, Anastasia Suen’s site is the place to go. She shares a little piece of each text as well as suggested mini-lessons for educators.

Getting out of the slush pile – Harold Underdown’s article on how to make your manuscript stand out and get read.

Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators – I have nothing but praise for SCBWI. It’s a great resource if you’re a children’s writer. Their discussion board alone is worth the price of membership.

Photo by: John-Morgan

If you’re new to the TED site, I encourage you to visit the site often to explore the other videos. I’ve stumbled onto some pretty fascinating presentations just by clicking around. It’s an endless supply of material for inspiration or thought starters for your work. Dig in and see what you can find!

For me, there are a couple important ideas that keep me plugging forward. When I first began focusing on writing children’s books, I took some courses that had critique components. I’d submit, get comments back, revise based on the comments and submit again. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that if you act on ALL feedback, you end up with a piece that you don’t like much and isn’t anything like the original idea. After that, I began to evaluate critiques of my work so I only focused on comments that I felt made it better.

The other constant in my mind is the idea that writing well and successfully takes time. I know that my first draft will not be the best one. Most likely the second, third or even tenth won’t be either. And even if all the planets align and I write something that I feel is done and ready to submit, I’m prepared for the years of work that come after the writing is finished.

So those are my top pieces of advice. What words of wisdom do you have?

Photo by: tizzie

If you’re having trouble getting started, ask yourself questions to dig for details. Who is the table reserved for? What is the location like? Are the people meeting going to talk business or pleasure? What do your other senses pick up?

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1. Dictionary.com – (Free) You’ll always need a dictionary/thesaurus within easy reach. The Dictionary.com app provides both.

2. Nameshake – ($2.99) Coming up with names for your characters can be difficult. But who says it can’t be fun? Nameshake lets you specify gender, origin and letter. You can also save the ones you like to a favorites list.

3. QuickVoice Pro – ($0.99) Inspiration can strike at the grocery store, doctor’s office or as you’re falling asleep. A voice recording app is an important tool to quickly capture your ideas. There’s also a free QuickVoice app that offers fewer features.

4. Creative Whack Pack – ($1.99) This app is like a workshop that will help you discover different solutions to problems and train you to approach challenges from other angles. Check out the Creative Think website’s Whack of the Day to see what it’s all about.

6. Mind Wave – ($1.99) I stumbled onto Mind Wave when I was browsing different relaxation apps. But it’s got a lot of interesting options for different situations. Basically, it sports a list of binaural tones that can boost creativity, focus or relaxation.

7. Naturespace – (Free) Sometimes you just need to tune out and relax. Naturespace provides a set of five holographic audio tracks that bring the outdoors to your headphones. Enjoy the sounds of the beach, a flowery meadow, the rainforest and more!

8. Writer’s Block Buster – ($3.99) If you need a way to plow through writer’s block, the Writer’s Block Buster app might be the ticket. All you have to do is select the part of your story you’re having trouble with (let’s say dialogue, for example), and it will serve up thought-provoking questions and explanations that will get you back on track.

9. Story Tracker – ($9.99) Keep track of who you’re sending your work to, how long they’ve had it or note responses you’ve received. You’ll be able to avoid embarrassing mix-ups and simultaneous submissions made in error. There’s also a free version available with fewer features.

10. Kindle – (Free) For those of you who enjoy e-books but don’t have the actual Kindle device, this is the next best thing.

So that’s my list. What useful apps are on your iPhone?

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