National Day on Writing Galleries and Jody Call Winners

Happy National Day on Writing! Everyone should be . . .uh....writing. That's what I'm going to do after I post this.  First, some links to celebrations of writing across the 'net.

At A Year of Reading, a video montage of bloggers and writers, sharing their take on the phrase "a lifetime of reading."  Also, an invitation to view A Year of Reading's gallery of writing, in which Franki and Mary Lee asked kidlitosphere members to submit a post about their reading lives.  (Pssst . . . want to see a really cute picture of Mary Lee?)

At Kate Messner's LiveJournal, a gallery illuminating the revision process, featuring the marked-up, tagged, scribbled-on, and tear-splotched pages of several children's writers (including me.)  I admire Kate's blog, because she always has such practical ideas to share with other teachers, students and writers, and this revision showcase is definitely one of them.  (By the way, the teeny omission of the word "to" in the note accompanying my pages is all my doing, not Kate's. We're working on getting that . . . wait for it. . . . revised.)

At Mitali Perkins' blog, "thank you love notes" written by 8th graders. Not edited. Not revised. From the heart. Priceless.

Finally, I want to celebrate ALL the writers who braved their inner drill sergeants and posted a jody call in my contest to win a copy of Operation Yes. You can see all the jody calls here (along with pictures of little green army men taken by my agent, Tina Wexler.)  Hey! That could be my National Day on Writing Gallery!  I'll bet I'm the only jody call post they get.

Alas, only three can win, although all were awesome. In the end, the military judge ruled in favor of these three:  Amber Lough, Marjorie Light, and Maribeth.   Congratulations and please email me your address so I can get your signed copies to you. (Unless you'd like several weeks of boot camp and chow hall food instead.)  Email to: email@saralewisholmes.com and please specify if you'd like the book inscribed to a particular person.

"I hear it's National Day on Writing.

Think someone will write about us?"

The Conversation Continues: Kidlit Bloggers Conference 2009 #kidlitcon

This is where I played all weekend:

The Author Panel: "It's Not All About Your Book"

Kidlit Blogger Conference, DC, 2009

Wendie Old, Sara Lewis Holmes, Caroline Hickey, and Laurel Snyder

I had a wonderful time at the conference, and if you're thinking about going next year, you should definitely do it.  I also know that I should blog every last detail, but between the revisions underway on the WIP and the Operation Yes promotional stuff, it isn't going to happen. Even these pictures I had to beg from the generous Jama at Alphabet Soup. EDITED TO ADD:  And she has a full report on everything discussed, along with more pictures. Seriously, her post is jam-packed, honest and thorough. Get yourself there to read it!)

Me with Jama's cutie-pie bear, Cornelius

But . . . I do want the conversation that was started around the Author Panel to have a place to continue. You have unanswered questions; you have thoughts that didn't hit you until later; you were inspired; or you were uninspired and still want to be; you now know what to blog about and you want to tell us----whatever it is, please use the comments section here on this post to talk to each other about it.

And since there were two specific questions that were left in an earlier post about blog audience, I did want to answer those directly.

The questions were:

madelyn said...

I will be going to the conference so I suppose I could ask this there, but just to get the discussion started I will ask a multi-layered question (because I love frosting): Who do you think of as your audience when you're blogging? Your readers or other writers? I realize they are often one in the same, but one of my worries about kidlit blogs (oh, worries isn't the right word, and I'm waiting to be set straight on this point anyway) is that it seems as if the audience is often other bloggers and writers, as opposed to that illusive child reader or the equally illusive parent of child reader. Some blogs I follow seem to be kid oriented; others seem to be writer oriented. How do you strike a balance? Who do you think about when you're blogging?

10/14/09 12:02 AM 

lgburns said...

My question is very similar to Madelyn's, and I hope that if this issue is discussed at the conference that one of you will blog about it!

I see my blog as a place for my readers (kids and adults) to go and see what I am up to. I write a bit about my work, and a whole lot about things that interest me, mostly books and science and the natural world. I think I do an okay job of staying on task and I think that my blog archive is a great place to go and learn a little bit about who I am and what makes me tick. That said, almost all of my subscribers, readers, and commenters are other writers. I did not anticipate this at all when I started the blog. And while I adore those few readers I have, and appreciate their readership, comments, and encouragement, I don't quite know what to do with the unease I feel over the fact that I don't blog with them in mind!

And my answer would be two-fold:

1) You may target an audience, but you can't control who reads your blog.  Your content will bring you the readers who most need that content.  Don't try to be all things; instead, showcase what you do or love best, be that scientific research, punctuation lore, or the particular slant with which you view your reading/writing life. In short, be authentic, and be aware that your readers may extend beyond what you planned for.

2) I don't think it's a failing that kids don't read most of our blogs. Kids don't read blogs in general, as Greg Pincus of GottaBook pointed out in his fabulously detailed social media talk.  I personally believe that kids are more likely to find your web site, as part of a class project. So keep that "static" site up-to-date, perhaps archiving some of your more relevant, kid-friendly posts there as articles.  (See Laura Purdie Salas's Poetic Pursuits on her site for a perfect example.) Anyone else want to weigh in on this?

Okay, that's enough talking from me. Your turn!

Poetry Friday: Jody Calls and LGM on the Move

(all images courtesy of my multi-talented agent, Tina Wexler)

Today's the last day to enter a jody call in the comments here or here in order to win a signed copy of Operation Yes. What the heck---you can even enter on this post (but read the rules first.)  And remember, this is for fun---people sweat to jody calls, not dress up in tuxedos and read them with a sonorous voice at Carnegie Hall.  So take a chance, let go of your "indoor voice," and see what happens when you tap your inner drill sergeant.

To inspire you, I present the current butt-kicking fabulous entries (including one from my mom who felt bad that there weren't more entries.... way to go, MOM!)

I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD

CHILDREN'S BOOKS ARE GOOD AS GOLD

AUTHORS POUND OUT PLOT AND THEME

LETS THOSE CHILDREN LEARN AND DREAM

SOUND OFF!

CHILD-REN'S

SOUND OFF!

WRI-TERS

CHILDREN'S WRITERS!

SOUND OFF!

I DON'T KNOW BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD

READING BOOKS WILL HELP YOU GROW

C'MON KIDS AND DREAM WITH ME

EXPLORE YOUR POSSIBILITIES!

SOUND OFF!

DREAM BIG

SOUND OFF!

LET'S READ!

DREAM BIG - LET'S READ!

SOUND OFF!

--- MARJORIELIGHT

I DON’T KNOW BUT IT’S BEEN SAID

TO BE REAL SMART, BE WELL READ.

IMAGINE WHY I SCRATCHED MY HEAD

WHEN MY SON ASKED WHY AUTHORS WERE DEAD?!

L’ENGLE, TOLKIEN, AND BURNETT.

C.S. LEWIS? WE HAVE THE SET.

A QUICK SEARCH AND HE FELT BETTER

@BEVERLYCLEARY IS NOW ON TWITTER.

LIBRARIES, INDIES, AND COFFEE SHOPS

ARE WRITERS’ FAVORITE PIT STOPS.

BUT THANKS TO THOSE WHO BLOG AND TWEET

THEIR READERS RECEIVE A GENUINE TREAT!

----KRISTIN

I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S BEEN SAID
CHILDREN'S BOOKS ARE READ IN BED,
ON THE COUCH WITH JAM AND BREAD,
ANYWHERE FROM A TO ZED.

I DO KNOW, IT'S SAFE TO SAY
SARA'S BOOKS ARE A-OK,
POS-I-TIVE-LY MAKE MY DAY,
NEW ONE'S COMING-SHOUT HOORAY!

---Mary Lewis

Reading Rocks!

I don’t know, but I’ve been told

a good book’s worth more than gold.

At the book store you can find

stories--almost any kind.

Special books can take you far,

check out Where the Wild Things Are.

Charlotte’s Web or Dr. Seuss, 

Nate the Great or Mother Goose

Harry Potter, Junie B.,

Goodnight Moon, The Giving Tree

Books can take you any place--

countries, worlds, or outer space.

---Donna V. 

They say that when you're reading

The real world disappears

So I'm grabbing Judy Blume

Cause I've got dishes out my ears

And if I read some L'Engle

There's no dust upon my shelves

And if I read some Rowling

I'll get help from three house elves

The laundry's getting moldy

The vacuum might be broke

But Octavian's escaping

Wimpy Kid just told a joke

My own kid's done with school

Let the wild rumpus start

We'll order out for dinner

Pumpkin juice and treacle tart

Oh Lord, I want to read

My house has gone to seed

Please, Lord, I want to read 

nowwwwwww.

---Madelyn

HOW MANY BOOKS CAN A CHILD READ?

         MANY, MANY, MANY  IF YOU PLANT A SEED

     HOW DO YOU PLANT THE SEED YOU ASK?

         READ TO YOUR CHILD IT'S NOT A TASK

     WHAT TYPE OF BOOKS WILL THEY ADORE?

         DEPENDS ON THE CHILD THERE'S BOOKS GALORE

     WHAT EXACTLY WILL MY CHILD GAIN?

         LOVE, EXPLORATION, AN IMPROVED BRAIN

     WHAT IF MY CHILD DOESN'T LIKE TO READ?

         FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT FUN. PLANT THE SEED.

     THANKS FOR THE ADVICE-I'LL FOLLOW THROUGH

         I'LL READ TO MY CHILD THAT'S WHAT I'LL DO.

---MARIBETH

I DON’T KNOW BUT I’VE BEEN TOLD

GREEN EGGS AND HAM ALL SMELL LIKE MOLD

I DO NOT LIKE THEM SO I SAY

NOW LET ME BE AND RUN AWAY!

I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE

I DO NOT LIKE THEM, SO BEWARE

GREEN EGGS AND HAM ARE STRANGE TO ME

THE COLOR’S OFF AND THEY’RE SLIMY!

GREEN EGGS (AND HAM!)

GREEN EGGS (AND HAM!)

DON’T MAKE ME EAT THEM

UNCLE SAM!

GREEN EGGS (AND HAM!)

GREEN EGGS (AND HAM!)

DON’T MAKE ME EAT THEM

UNCLE SAM!

YOU SERVE THEM IN THE DINING HALL

TO EAT, BE STRONG, AND GROW REAL TALL

OK, ONE TASTE--JUST GO AWAY

DON’T COME AGAIN ANOTHER DAY

SAY! (HEY!) SAY! (HEY!)

GREEN EGGS AND HAM ARE ON MY TRAY

AND IN MY MOUTH AND DOWN THE HATCH

THESE EGGS AND HAM ARE QUITE A CATCH!

YUM! (YUM!) YUM (YUM!) GREEN EGGS AND HAM

PLEASE GIVE ME MORE, CHEF UNCLE SAM!

---AMBER LOUGH

Poetry Friday is hosted today by the quick-marching Laura Purdie Salas, who is so organized she could lead her own poetry platoon.