"Hilde, wake up, your blog post is due!"

By yeah, you guessed it, me, sleeping like a baby.  

(No photo available of the current me, sleeping selfies are not a thing yet).

by Hilde Garcia

One of my biggest struggles is coming up with a blog idea consistently that won't bore my readers.  Last night, I stared and stared at the screen, daring it to talk to me, checking my email constantly, wishing someone would send me an email so I could do something other than write, and I just woke up… holding my computer… without a post.

Monday morning.  I missed my deadline.

Hmmm.  There has got to be an easier way.  I need some transformation.

What do you do when you are just not feeling it?  When you just feel like it's futile to even try?

Google it.  (It needs to be a new verb in the dictionary).

So I did.  I typed in "quick ideas for writing a blog post."

And Google came up with 176 million links!

GULP.

I was more than a bit scared.  Truly, that much on how to write a blog?  Oy vey.  And why didn't I do this sooner?  Am I that disconnected with the technology world that I didn't think to use the resources all around me?  So many ideas?  No idea where to start!

The truth is, I feel much like a fraud.  Why should I give anyone advice on anything about writing?  I am not published.  I have no claim to fame.  I don't even have an agent, someone who thinks I will eventually be a published writer, but here I am, dutifully giving some type of advice or sharing something "interesting" every three weeks with everyone and anyone who stops at our blog.

DO I even have the right?  Shouldn't I be someone of worth or merit?  Someone with credentials?  Or at least consistent writing habits?  My daughter just published an article in her school newspaper.  It's her 4th one.  She's only 10 and she's already worked on her school newspaper, interviewed her cheer coach, and even Mr. Richard Peck!

When I grow up, I want to be her!

But truly, I think the conversation goes deeper than that.  It goes to the core of who I think I am as a writer.  And I tie the act of writing with the success of writing and truly, they are two different facets of the same thing.  But when I write, I worry about how I will come across, what will people say, will anyone think I am worth the read?  And I stop believing that I am a writer.

I should just write.

But I don't.

However, it is never to late to start a new year's resolution, and lucky for me it's only February, so I have a whole lot of year left.  So I have a plan.

Here are the first ten links of the 176 million links Google found on "how to write a quick blog post".  I am going to go to each link and explore… and try each tip.  And I will share with fellow writers how it felt or what I learned in hopes that someone feeling rather "fraudish" can find his/her way too.

A place to start.  A plan.  I'll take it!

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend.

May you love everything you write or at the very least the road you took to get there.

How to Brainstorm and Write an Epic Blog Post in 4 Simple

https://blog.bufferapp.com/brainstorm-write-epic-blog-post-4-simple-steps

6 days ago - Coming up with topics that my audience is interested in; Beating writersblock and writing above a 3rd grade level. blog post ideas ...

20 Quick Tips on Writing Great Blog Posts | Darren Rowse ...

https://www.linkedin.com/.../20140602121530-3161863-20-qu...

LinkedIn

Jun 2, 2014 - Brainstorm regularly – generating ideas for future posts now can save a lot of pain later and help ... What quick blog writing tips would you add?

How I Write 8 Blog Posts a Week While Running 2 Companies

www.quicksprout.com/2014/.../how-to-streamline-your-content-creation/

Jun 30, 2014 - It works so well that I write eight blog posts a week. ..... I keep a document of blog post ideas and links to great posts as I'm reading on the ..... I'd also like to share a technique that I use to write REALLY FAST and effectively.

101 Fabulous Blog Topic Ideas | Molly Greene: Writer

www.molly-greene.com/101-blog-topic-ideas/

Sep 9, 2013 - I needed an infusion of creative ideas that would get my blogatude back ... Here are six basic types of posts you can write, plus 101 blog post ...

How to Write a Blog Post Outline: A Simple Formula to Follow

blog.hubspot.com/.../how-to-write-blog-post-outline

HubSpot, Inc.

May 5, 2014 - Learn the step-by-step process to writing an awesome blog post outline. ... The post jumps from one idea to the next to the next and then circles ...

How to write blog posts faster with an outline – Simple Writing

simplewriting.org/use-an-outline/

You need to write a blog post fast, and it's got to be good. ... To keep ideas handy, create a list for every possibility that pops into your head at random moments.

The Secret to Writing On Your Blog Every Day

thewritepractice.com/the-secret-to-writing-on-your-blog-every-day/

Any time you have an idea, either for your novel or your blog, write it down in a place you can find it, like your ... This post puts it across in a nice simple way.

blog post prompts & ideas on Pinterest | 122 Pins

https://www.pinterest.com/bohoart/blog-post-prompts-ideas/

Pins about blog post prompts & ideas hand-picked by Pinner Barbara (Olyve) Harvie | See more about writers block, writing prompts and blog. ... My Simple Method for Coming Up With Original Content. elleandcompanydesign.com. Pin it. Like ...

101 Blog Post Ideas That Will Make Your Blog "HOT"

startbloggingonline.com/101-blog-post-ideas-that-make-your-blog-hot/

Jan 23, 2015 - Want to know what other people prefer or think about a certain topic? Start a poll to get quick overview. #35 Write a post about things you regret ...

10 Easy Blog Post Ideas To Fill Your Editorial Calendar

coschedule.com/blog/blog-post-ideas/

Mar 17, 2014 - Coming up with blog post ideas to fill up your editorial calendar ... It's just a matter of how to approach writing about those topics. ... Interviews in person are a bit different than via email, but there are some basic similarities.

Now what?

Now What?

by Hilde Garcia

Deadlines.

I hate deadlines.

The panic that ensues when I know one is fast approaching.  How I start to stress because of all the stuff in my way, mostly the laundry.

And yet, I seem to meet them all, even the late Sunday night scramble to post.

I have no excuses now.  The house is quiet.  Everyone’s asleep, even the dog.  The laundry is done.  My desk is cleared.  No dishes in the sink.  Today, I spent the whole day avoiding this post, so the garage and office are spotless of clutter, as a result, and I finally put away the Halloween decorations.

Talk about a now what!  I should be jumping at the chance to post, to write, perchance to say something of substance, but sadly, I am more blocked than if I had put 8 loads of laundry in my way intentionally.

And why is that?  I will tell you.  Because I finished my novel.  I revised it several times.  I locked myself in a hotel room for 4 days to get through the edits and the polish and then I sent it off and I met my self-imposed deadline.  

And then I found myself asking myself, “Now what, lady?  You are out of excuses.”

Yep, I am.  I did what I said I was going to do and then I hit a slump.  The waiting place.

Sigh.  The clutter in my mind doesn’t go away.  It only makes me crazy because I can’t seem to find any type of organizational system from The Container Store to make it neat and tidy, like my novel ended up being when I finished it.

I know I should be writing something else.  I do have some ideas of what that topic could be, but none of them have grabbed me like my first novel, my first love.  My biggest fear is that I am a one hit wonder.  I will be a hit, no question, my novel is good, but is that all I have?  What is next for me? How do I even start anew?

Beats me, if I know.

 Is it because this story hasn’t flown the coop yet and I am waiting for some type of validation that may never come?  Or if it comes, what does that mean to me?  Do I revise more and focus on that book before I can move on to a new one?

All my author pals tell me they understand and feel the same, but they have tons of ideas in the works, several published books out, and are always writing.  I can't see that being my reality.

I teach.  I manage the household.  I drive kids to cheer and football, but I do write a lot in my head… while I drive… don’t worry, I watch the road.

So let’s start a conversation.  I am pretty sure I have some soul mates out there who understand the panic.  

What DO we do when we finish a novel and have to move on?  How do we do it?  How do you get the hook that gets you going?  How do you conquer the pre-published blues?

To quote Frasier Crane, “I’m listening…”

And check out some sites/ blogs I read tonight to help me figure out what to do.  Seems that I have many kindred spirits.  But now I must go because I have a cupcake waiting for me.  (#10 of 10 Ways to Stay Sane.)

Overcoming Frustration

Write to Done

10 Ways to Stay Sane

Creative Writing Tips

First lines from the 2014 Cybil Award Books

by Susan J Berger

I wanted to do a first line post. First, my gratitude to the internet which permits me to do the research and to Amazon's Look Inside feature which allows me to copy the first lines into my post without leaving home. The title links are to Amazon so that you, too, may read further and decide if you want to buy or borrow the book from the library.

Next my gratitude to The Los Angeles Public Library whose on-line service enables me to place holds on books I want and/or order books electronically.

These first lines are from The 2014 Cybil winners.

Picture Books

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild written and illustrated by Peter Brown

Everyone was perfectly fine with the way things were. Everyone but Mr. Tiger.

I love this.

Easy Reader

Urgency Emergency! Big Bad Wolf by Dosh Archer  

It was a busy day at City Hospital. Doctor Glenda was writing something important on the wall chart. Nurse Percy was helping someone in a red coat who was crying because she couldn’t find her grandma.

Not so much.  Three. Count them. Three was ­__ing in the first paragraph? Not a great example for an easy reader.

Easy Chapter Books

Horror (scary tales) by James Preller

“Wake up, Liam. We’re here,” Mr. Finn whispered from the driver’s seat. “Our new home.”

            The eight year old boy rubbed his eyes, groggy from the long drive. He looked out the car window, blinking into the dark. “What time is it?”

            Around midnight,” his father said. “you three have been crashed out for hours. Home Sweet

Since this is admittedly a horror story, I would read on to find the horror

Speculative Fiction

Lockwood & Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Of the first few hauntings I investigated with Lockwood & Co. I intend to say little, in part to protect the identity of the victim, in part because of the gruesome nature of the incidents, but mainly because, in a variety of ingenious ways, we succeeded in messing them all up.

Wow. Try saying that all in one breath. I believe the author thought the editor was sure to read the first sentence and wanted to make it count.

Middle Grade Fiction

Ultra by David Carroll

THE STARTING LINE

Mile O

QUINN: I still don’t get why it was such a big deal. All the kids like to run. Go to any schoolyard. You’ll see kids playing tag, soccer, capture-the-flag . . .All those games involve running.

SYDNEY WATSON WALTERS: The difference is, most kids run for 10 or 15 minutes. Not for 24 hours straight like you.  

This turns out to be a kind of preface. I read on to find out why someone would run for 24 hours. Sounds like a book I might like.

Young Adult Speculative Fiction

The SummerPrince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

 When I was eight, my papai took me to the park to watch a king die.

I love this opening. What a great first sentence. Naturally I read on to find out what happened. If you like the sentence, click the link and read on yourself.

YA Fiction

Yaqui DelgadoWants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina  

“Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass.”

            A kid named Vanessa tells me this in the morning before school. She springs out with no warning and blocks my way, her textbook held at her chest like a shield. She’s tall like me and caramel. I’ve seen her in the lunchroom, I think. Or maybe in the halls. It’s hard to remember.

I have to read this one. She had me at the name.

This is a bit short so I’ll add three from NY Times Best Seller List from the week of March 25th

 The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Hello

I am Ivan. I am a gorilla.

It’s not as easy as it looks.


I've been told by several friends this is a wonderful book. It's definitely one I want to read.

A Long Walk toWater by Linda Sue Park

Southern Sudan 2008

Going was easy.

            Going, the big Plastic Container held only air. Tall for her eleven years, Nya could switch the handle form on hand to the other, swing the container by her side, or cradle it in both arms. She could even drag it behind her, bumping it against the ground and raising a tiny cloud of dust with each step.

I've met Linda Sue Park at the SCBWI Summer conference. I am so delighted to see her on the best seller list.

One last Book.

Journey by Aaron Becker

This book had no words It’s a story in pictures. It’s 4 on the picture book Best Seller List and a 2014 Caldecott Honor book. I love picture books with no words. So I wanted to call it to your attention.

Happy reading and writing.

ROOM 517

By Hilde Garcia

Mom at Company Picnic

Room 517
November 1997

The Week Before Thanksgiving

My mom and I are sitting next to each other talking about the waltz I will dance at my wedding and how my dress would look; our usual conversation on any given day. Except that this wasn’t any given day and this wasn’t any given conversation, for we both knew it was the last conversation of its kind, yet neither of us could admit this.

This is when I began to write. There was a fear inside me that grew every day. What if I forget something she said? Even now, 15 years later, there are gaps in my memory. Intentional or not. It’s hard to say.

My mother was quite a force in my life, sometimes not a good one, but a force nonetheless. Her heart struggled to hold onto old traditions while her brain embraced new ones, even if she was unable to act on them, and I was caught somewhere in the middle. So, I decided to begin writing, just like that. For her. For me. Right there in Room 517.

I wrote a picture book about my first day of school in the U. S. at the age of 5. The book, (which graces the inside of a dark file cabinet and thank goodness) was preachy and didactic, kind of like my mother, but it captured my first vivid memory and trauma.

What is it that gives us this need to chronicle our moments in time? When my mom died 10 days later on Thanksgiving, I was alone in NYC, sitting in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. And the writing, my writing, stopped. Just like that.

I was so numb. I buried myself in my work (I was a theater producer at the time). I thought about writing, but it only happened in my mind as I walked the desolate streets at midnight to catch my train home. I thought so much about writing, I even wrote a play in my head about the events that had transpired in those awful three months from diagnosis to death that claimed my 56 year-old mother. The play would be titled Room 517. It’s been 15 years and I haven’t written a word, but it’s a masterpiece in my head and this post bears the title, so maybe that’s a start. Maybe.

And yet, it’s her death gave me the courage to keep going and not give up on my dreams as she had on so many of hers. I’ve since written a novel and a darn good one which is not being hidden in a cabinet, although it’s been rejected once or twice and still needs revision, but it has seen the light of day and my mother plays prominently in it.

Christmas Eve Dinner in Our First House

There was something she left behind when she died, a gateway to pain, to loss, to what happens when you’re alone. It taught me appreciate every minute I am alive and everything I am blessed with, like my husband, my children who keep me honest and hold me dear, my amazing friends who admire my love for people and for what I do- teach, write, act, bake- they love my chocolate chip cookies! But most importantly, I am blessed with good health, as are my husband and children, which is priceless.

My mom would say almost daily, without your health, not even the wealthiest can embrace life; you are without value. Memories fuel my writing- capturing these stories from my upbringing that need a voice, stories that need me to tell them to the world.

That’s the most essential thing we do as writers, speak for those who can’t. Bring to life the stories that matter. Inspire someone not to quit, or give them something to embrace. We are the vessels. And while this is important to everyone and for everyone, it really matters most to children for it is they who find their path through the voices we create.

How many times did I sleep with Anne of Green Gables under my pillow, holding her like a dear friend, a bosom friend who understood me? I re-read it after my mother’s death felling Anne’s pain in losing Matthew just as deeply as I was feeling my mother’s.

And I struggle to find time to write in the sea of teaching students, raising kids and endless laundry. I’m so busy inspiring them to reach for their goals; I forget to reach for my own. And then I remember my mother’s words, one of the last things she said to me.

“Don’t forget to keep going, don’t stop for me.” This was so uncharacteristic of her, who preferred to keep me sheltered.  I think that’s why it stays with me even after all these years. This, said to me on her hospital bed that day in Room 517, has never let go of my heart. I was ready to stop, to give up because even though our relationship was anything but smooth, it was a strong bond, deep and twisted (hopefully like the plot in my novel).

Family and In-Laws

So for my mom and all our moments of grief that lead to avenues of inspiration, “Don’t forget to keep going, don’t stop for me.”

During this Thanksgiving and holiday season, hug your loved ones a little tighter, grip your pencil a little lighter so the words just flow onto your paper and give the world the gift of your stories.

“Don’t stop for anyone,” she would if she was here now.

Don’t you.

Happy writing.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Happiness to you and yours.

Hilde Garcia and the Pen and Ink Blog.

First Lines from Richard Peck's SCBWI Breakout Session

By Susan J Berger

The are the first lines Richard Peck gave as examples in his Breakout session. I linked the titles to Amazon. I use Amazon because of the  Look Inside feature. But you can find all of them at IndieBound or your local library.

The cat had a party to attend and went to the baboon to get groomed.
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk A modern Bestiary by David Sedaris.

School was finally out and I was standing on a picnic table in our backyard getting ready for a great summer vacation when my mother walked up to me and ruined it.

Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos

THE DEAD WERE WATCHING
Balthazar by Claudia Grey

The shaft of the arrow was black and fletched with crow feathers, but Hylas couldn't see the head because it was buried in his arm.
Gods and Warriors by Michelle Paver

Our Hamster is running but he'll never get elected.
Amelia Bedelia's First Vote by Harman Parish.








Will Sparrow was a liar and a thief and hungry.ill Sparrow's Road  by Karen Cushman.






I want a refund from ancestry.com
 Ungifted by Gordon Korman






Minutes after the shootings, everyone's cell phone rang. We weren't supposed to have cellphones unless we had a note from our parents explaining why they had to reach us in a hurry/

After by Francine Prose





When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily.
The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold




Richard Peck writes wonderful first lines. Here is his latest:

We who live in The Royal Mews next door to Buckingham Palace-horses, humans, mice, one cat, a cow for the milk, and the occasional goat-were in the service of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Queen of England and Empress of India.
The Mouse with the Question Mark Tail by Richard Peck


I hope some of these lines inspire you to pick up the book.
Happy reading and writing.

Rocking Links for Monday September 30th, 2013

By Kris Kahrs

     Yep, once again my son has proved to me that Mom is always the last to know.  This week I offer up links to rocking kids books I never knew existed until I found them in my son's backpack, some bookie treats to enjoy while reading your favorite kidlit and my new favorite childrens book illustrator, Paul Stickland (be still my heart).  These books are wonderfully illustrated, cleverly written with fresh ideas and entertaining language.  Please check them out at your local library or favorite indy bookstore, then leave your comments below on your favs.

Actually, I bought Beautiful Oops! for me, although my son and I love to read this together.  I love the idea that mistakes can turn into beautiful opportunities.  Now we talk about our 'beautiful Oops!' and I think it's made us both more tolerant of when things don't turn out the way we originally planned.

I love, love, love cats and A Cat Named Egg?  Well, you had me at sunnyside up or over easy.  This book is funny, clever story in verse.  It has plenty of plays on words and your kid will love the connections it makes.  You will both have fun reading this.

L is for Lollygag is the book I've been waiting for.  The Chronicle Books staff call it 'Quirky Words for the Clever Tongue' and they are right!  This book is about words that are fun to say: flabbergast, skullduggery, zigzag and swashbuckler to name a few.  We bet you can't say them without laughing and your young reader will expand her vocabulary as well.

Almost everyday, my son poses hypothetical battle questions to me, "Who would win in hand to hand combat: Chima or Ninjago?  C3PO or R2D2? Stink Moody or Captain Underpants?  A garbage can or a fire hydrant?  Ahhhhhh!  (I actually made up that last one, but you get my meaning.)  We go through this exercise until I tell him mommy needs to have a lie-down.  Then these books came home in the backpack.  I get it!  This is a 'boy-thing'.  There's a series of 7 of the Who Would Win books; Polar Bear vs. Grizzly Bear etc.  Your little hypothesizer will love 'em.

Two other subjects high up on boys reading hit-lists: potty humor (which I understand from my husband is always funny, no matter how old you are) and non-fiction, so when Will Farts Destroy The Planet by Glenn Murphy, came home in my son's backpack, I knew he had found gold.  Even better, this book is actually about climate change, so it's an educational read.  Who knew?

I did mention my new favorite illustrator above, did I not?  His name is Paul Stickland and his art is amazing.  He is a prolific kids book illustrator and the paper art in his pop-up books is nothing short of extraordinary.  He also does a lot of classroom visits to promote his books and does papercraft with the students.  He says he finds their art inspiring for his own work.  He also shows step-by-step photos of how he builds his pop-up books.

Last, what are books without a few cookies?  Even better, how bout some bookies?  That is, cookies in the shape of your favorite books.  Here are mine.  Yes, you guessed it, cookies made for a Very Hungry Caterpillar.  You can buy them here on Etsy. Yumm-o!





Now it's time for me to curl up with a book and a cat.  Happy reading (and writing).