Missed Illustration Friday

Sadly, even though I did a piece for the Illustration Friday topic last week, I never found the time to post it on the site. I still want to share it, though! Check out the Illustration Friday tab for a bit of a laugh. The topic is "Fluid."

This week's topic is "capable."  I haven't drawn that one yet, but I will!

Illustration Friday

Another program I am participating in is Illustration Friday. Every week, they assign a topic and I can post a link to my work. Check out the Illustration Friday Tab to see my latest pieces!

 Speaking of TABS, you can check out all the tabs on this blog to see what I'm working on!

Here is my entry from last week, titled "Moths to the Flame," for the topic "popularity"

On Monday, February 20th I'll post the next one!

Some Story Writing Tips

I am going to be participating, unofficially, in the 12x12 in 2012 challenge, wherein I will write 1 story draft each month of this year. For more info, check out this blog

Some advice from 12x12 in 2012, by Tara Lazar

 So I’m going to tell you three things about endings that I wish I knew back then.

1. Wrap presents—not endings—with neat little bows.
   When in life is any solution so tidy? Crossing all your i’s and dotting all your t’s—strike that, reverse it—tends to feel unsatisfying because it’s too easy, too clean. It’s not honest. So be careful about making everything scream “happily ever after.” Leave a little opening for your readers to crawl through and explore what happens next. Let their imagination tie up the loose ends.
2.  The circular ending can be clever and fun.
   As you approach the conclusion of your story, re-read the beginning. Is there any way to echo the opening, to bring the characters back to where they started, but have them arrive as changed beings? They’ve taken an emotional journey and they’re not the same characters they were a few hundred words ago, so what about the beginning has changed at the end? In my picture book THE MONSTORE, one of the final lines is the same as the opening line, with just a few key word changes that make it totally different. And the reader can imagine another story jumping off from this old-but-new sentence.
3. The twist extends the story beyond the story.
   Bringing a twist to the end means you’re adding something unexpected that leaves room for more story to happen once the book is closed. Remember point #1 above? The twist tangles the loose ends. Think of CLICK, CLACK, MOO. Was the story over when the cows and chickens got their electric blankets? Nooooo. The clever duck never brought the typewriter back! And the flock demanded a diving board! Hilarious! So think about what little twist you can tack onto your story to give a final guffaw. A story that ends on a smile guarantees it will be read again and again.

Get Back to Where You Once Belonged

As a kid, I always wanted to be a writer. As I grew and changed, my ideals became what I thought was more "practical" and I "knew" that writing books would never make me any money.

So I got a REALISTIC degree in secondary education, graduated in 2009, and what do you know, my practical, realistic degree has yielded not a single satisfying job. Luckily for me, my minor was in ART, which, combined with my love for literature, has drawn me undeniably to Picture Books. SO here I am, forging my way into the picture book world, trying to increase my creativity, skills, and knowledge of the ins and outs of this bright and colorful place.

Here goes!