1 – Page 167 – Cathy C. Hall Writes

Okay, give me a minute here to check on this spelling…Jon Scieszka. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Sheesh. That’s a funny name, isn’t it?

Which makes sense, ’cause Jon is a very funny guy. I’ve been reading his books since way back in the day when First Born Hall took a liking to Jon’s first book (what a coincidence!):

little_pigs Thank goodness it made me laugh. ‘Cause I had to read that book about a hundred times. So, it just seemed like a good idea to buy the book instead of paying all those library fines.

Flash forward to this past weekend when I read that Jon S. ( I mean, really. I can’t be stopping to check that spelling each time.) would be speaking at the AJC Decatur Book Festival. First Born Hall was thrilled!

So thrilled, in fact, that he scrounged through the box with all the picture books and found The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. He wanted Jon S. to sign the book.

But apparently, when it came time to head to the AJC Decatur Book Festival, he couldn’t get ready in time. (Well, he’s only 24. He hasn’t quite mastered that getting up before noon thing yet.) He did meet me at the door with that book, asking me to get it signed.

Excuse me? First of all, hard-working authors want you to buy their new books. They do not want you to bring some book that looks like something the cat dragged in. And secondly, why should I stand in a long line (with some bedraggled book) when I’m going to see the man, upclose and personal?

In the end, Jon S. was so funny and charming, I bought this book:

bookcover And I even asked Jon to sign the book for First Born Hall. And he listened very politely to my whole First Born Hall story, and then added, “Thanks for stopping by!” below the “To Joey” part. Which made me laugh right out loud.

I told you he was funny. And you know what else? He’s kinda funny-looking, too. As you can see in this pic with Cathy-on-a-Stick:

But I’d follow him just about anywhere. Reading his books. Even if I can’t spell his name.

775 I’m sure that quite a few of you (okay, ALL of you) are writing a children’s book. But that’s a long process, isn’t it? What you could do, while waiting for your fantabulous manuscript to get picked up and published, is try other kinds of children’s writing. Oh, like non-fiction articles, fillers, crafts, interviews, or even short fiction. And I know a great class where you can learn more about those kinds of writing.

And here’s why I know it’s not just good, but great. I know the instructor, Margo Dill, who’s a prolific writer and has enjoyed success in getting her children’s work published. The class is through WOW! Women-on-Writing.com, and I know that they’re very picky about the instructors they use. And finally, I know that Margo and WOW! really want you to succeed, so they’ll be there with plenty of support. Take a look at what you get (and find more info at the WOW! website):

START DATE: Wednesday, September 30, 2009

DURATION: 7 weeks

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This class will teach the basics of writing for children’s magazines, crafting short stories, nonfiction articles, poetry, and fillers. The student will come away with a short story and cover letter, nonfiction query letter, and a filler or poem. She will also have a list of potential markets, fitting her manuscripts. The instructor will also share an organizational tool for submissions and information on finding other children’s writers and networking.