Chats and Teleclass for the Children's Writers' Coaching Club

Suzanne Lieurance of the Children's Writers' Coaching Club has just started a scheduled chat in the chat room on the club's website. Yesterday afternoon we tried it out. She posted that I would chat about Why Write Nonfiction for Children? She and I were the only ones there, but we worked out the bugs and found out how it works. I am doing another 15-minute chat in the chatroom there on Thursday at 2:00 EST. This one will be on Writing for Children's Magazines.
Today I did my monthly teleclass for Suzanne's Coaching Club. It's set up as a conference call on the phone. Students may call in and listen and ask questions, but it's also recorded, so they may listen to the recording if they weren't able to attend the class live. Also people who are not members of the club can listen to the recordings for $4.99. Today's class was on Creating a Proposal for a Children's Nonfiction Book. One nice thing about nonfiction is that you're often able to sell a nonfiction book on the strength of a proposal.
I'm hard at work on my next book, which is due Dec. 1. I have a call in to my editor, hoping to get an extension, due to the complications with my knee surgery. Well, there weren't really any complications, but I definitely underestimated the recovery time and the tiredness, etc. I can't believe I thought I'd get a lot written at the nursing home! I was flat on my back for eight hours a day with my leg in a machine that bent it back and forth, I spent three hours in therapy each day, plus there were meals and visitors. There was virtually NO time to write. And if I did sit down with the laptop for a few minutes, I usually fell asleep. And now I'm having to elevate my leg for several hours a day due to swelling, which doesn't make it easy to write, either. The new book is tentatively entitled American Environmentalists and has chapters on eleven environmentalists, from James John Audubon up through Philippe Cousteau, who has been active with the latest oil spill. It's interesting, but I know I can't have it done by Dec. 1.
I went to physical therapy today. Friday will be my last day in therapy, since I'm walking well on my own without a walker or cane.

School's Out!

Well, school is out and I'm through subbing for the year. I've enjoyed it for the most part, but it will be nice to have more time.

I heard back from all three editors I e-mailed last week. Two wanted writing samples, which I sent, and the other wants me to submit a proposal and says he'll work with me on it. He's sending me another book in the series to pattern this book after. So that sounds quite promising!

I'm busy getting ready to go to my sister's on Wednesday night. I'll leave from Dayton after the Photo Club Board meeting, which will probably be over about 9. That will get me to her house about midnight. The next day we're going to Pennsylvania to spend a week scrapbooking with our friend, Becky. Our other friend, Karen, will join us there on Sunday and stay till Wednesday. So I'm sorting through all my stuff so there will be room in the van for my stuff and Kay's!

I'm also trying to go through the big plastic tubs where I put everything from the garage when I had it made into a family room. I'm trying to sort things and get them ready for a garage sale on June 23. Hopefully I can get rid of a lot of stuff and make some money for the Birders Virginia trip at the end of the month.

Thursday night was the Photo Club Banquet. I won a People's Choice Award for the Smokies photo of the sun rays streaming through the trees in the fog. They also gave me a funny award for being the person with the most colorful glasses! I got a huge pair of pink sunglasses, and a bag with four pair of Dollar Tree glasses (that's where I buy them!) Also got an award for amassing 750 Service Points to the club over the past 17 years. At the last board meeting, they made me go to the restroom while they decided what to get me. I was happily surprised to get a gift bag with two 2 gigabyte cards for my Canon digital Rebel XT! I can shoot forever without running out of cards!

Well, back to work on my sorting.

Read My Article at the National Writing for Children Center!

Suzanne Lieurance has picked up my article from ezinearticles.com to use at the National Writing for Children Center.

The article is entitled "Eight Easy Steps to Writing an Article for Children." Read it at the National Writing for Children Center or at www.ezinearticles.com

This weekend marks the last of my travels for a month or so. I'm going to Mohican State Park in northern Ohio for the Ohio Ornithological Society's annual conference. Next week I plan to write a BUNCH of articles!