An October to Dismember, er, Remember

Writing:

I've LOVED Scholastic's Storyworks Magazine since our boys were in elementary school and I'd steal, um, borrow their copies.  Great stories, poetry, non-fiction, word games, etc.

When I discovered that the author of a delightful novel, Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree, was also the editor of Storyworks Magazine, I had to write to the amazing Lauren Tarshis.

Next thing I knew, Lauren had enjoyed my first book and I found myself writing a short story for Storyworks Magazine.  It appeared in their October issue.  I love the layout and artwork.  And I'm so proud to have my work in this publication.  Thank you, Lauren! 

Later, I found out How to Survive Middle School was the 2nd bestseller in middle grade books for Scholastic Book Clubs.  It ranked higher than James Patterson's middle school book. Check it out!


Food:

Halloween gives me a chance to combine two favorite things -- food and spooky stuff.  Here are a few ghoulish goodies:

Breadstick Bones

Carrot Claws

Mummy Pizza

Decorations in the hood:

Skeleton, Florida Style

The Raven . . . and the Lizard

De-Lightful Skeleton

Killer Kitty

Now, for the scariest thing of all:

Teddy surveys the damage caused by . . .

GHOST DOG!!!

  

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A HALLOWEEN TO DISMEMBER, ER, REMEMBER!

Mini Writing Conference -- 6-1/2 Lists of Advice from Editors, Agents, Authors and a Really Cool Kid

We added a new feature this past year at Wild About Words -- 6-1/2 Lists of wise advice from agents, editors, pumpkin carvers, etc.

I've gathered the year's worth of blog posts here for a free mini writing conference. Hope you find something useful, inspiring . . . and fun.

MINI WRITING CONFERENCE . . .

1. Lauren Tarshis -- What Makes a Good Short Story (Lauren is the editor of Scholastic's Storyworks Magazine. Not only is she an excellent editor, she is also the author of several books, including Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and the I Survived . . . series.)

2. Kate Messner -- How to Survive a Skype Visit (Kate is a teacher, Skype visit expert and author. Her newest novel is Sugar and Ice, which is an Amazon Best Book for December.)

3. Tina Wexler -- Ways to Impress and Agent (I'm grateful to call Tina my agent and my friend. She'll return to I.C.M., International Creative Management, in January, after her maternity leave.)

4. Cynthia Lord -- Secrets to Successful School Visits (This year, Cindy had 70 events to promote her TWO new books -- Hot Rod Hamster and Touch Blue. Cindy is a Newbery Honor Award recipient for her novel, Rules.)

5. Paul May -- Funny List of Things to Do While Waiting for an Editor or Agent to Call (Paul is not only a talented writer, fun friend and fantastic family guy, he recently took on the post of critique group coordinator for SCBWI Florida. Thank you, Paul!)

6. Cynthia Leitich Smith -- How to Promote Your Book Like a Pro (Cynthia's blog, Cynsations, is a great resource for the children's writing and illustrating community. She's celebrating the release of her new picture book, Holler Loudly.)

7. David LaRochelle -- Ways to Carve a Fantastic Pumpkin (Besides carving pumpkins, David has TWO new books out this year -- 1+1=5: And Other Unlikely Additions and Minnesota's Hidden Alphabet. I'm a big fan of his novel, Absolutely, Positively Not, which won the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.)

8. Austin Towle -- Things I Wish Authors of Books for Kids My Age Knew (This post, written by a 13-year-old, received the most comments!)


I hope you enjoyed this mini writing conference. Look for more 6-1/2 Lists in 2011!