Friday’s Fun Find: What a Little Labor Will Do For You

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IMG_0554-2The Beneficent Mr. Hall had a computer problem this morning and so everyone in the house (and by everyone, I mean me) had to shut down computers and wait for whatever magic he attempted to correct said computer problem.

Alas, it was an epic fail.

However, while Precious was shut down, I had a little time to labor away, cleaning my desk on this lovely Friday morning. Here’s what I found:

1. The best idea ever for a new manuscript (I’d written it down on a note and forgotten all about it. Which is odd–the forgetting all about it, I mean– ’cause seriously, it’s an amazing idea.)

2. A funny picture book story I’d written a year ago. (Which is quite fortuitous as I haven’t come up with a draft for August’s 12 x 12!)

3. ALL kinds of passwords. (Also fortuitous as I had NO idea how to get into quite a collection of different sites…)

4. A recipe for…well, I’m not sure. (I think it’s an all-natural cleaning solution. Or maybe it’s for human consumption. Either way, it’s gonna get some cleaning done.)

5. A new package of notes (wheee!) with a quote from Harry S. Truman: “If you can’t convince them, confuse them.”

Which reminded me that I have been wanting to share this quote from Victor Hugo, and the Labor Day weekend seemed like the perfect time for it:

 

“Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones;

 

and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace.

 

God is awake.”

 

(And P.S. The mister finally got his computer going and I’ve moved everything I found to another spot on the desk. Now it’s time to take off work for the holiday weekend. Hope yours is relaxing!)

Finding The Right Writer’s Conference (Or No More Excuses)

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___7019062I can’t remember if I told you about Pat Miller’s Non-Fiction for New Folks Writer’s Conference coming this fall in Texas, but I sure meant to tell you all about it!

So here’s the most important thing you need to know: the Early Bird discounted rate ends on September 1st!

Well, that may not be the most important thing you need to know. Probably you want to know about Pat Miller, who’s running the workshop. And I can tell you that she’s altogether delightful and a wonderful writer and really knows the business of non-fiction writing. If you’ve thought about non-fiction writing AT ALL, you might want to know this:

You are eight times more likely to be published
as a nonfiction writer than you are as a writer of fiction.
–Peggy Thomas, NF 4 NF Faculty member and co-author of Anatomy of Nonfiction: Writing True                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Stories for Children

So if I weren’t already booked for our Southern Breeze SCBWI conference on the very same weekend, I might be there.

But since I am, I’d love to see you at WIK’14!

If you write for children, fiction or non-fiction, or if you’re an illustrator, too, I hope you’ll come join the fun. Lots of agents, a couple editors, TONS of know-it-all authors (who are happy to share everything they know!) will be in Birmingham, AL for the event. But if that date doesn’t work for you, check out the calendar of events offered by SCBWI and look for one in your corner of the world.

Hey, that reminds me of Shaw Guides to Conferences, because maybe you’re not a children’s writer. You can check out this site for all the latest news about any writer’s conference (or workshop) all over the globe!

So really, you can’t blame my bad memory on missing conferences any more.

(LOTS of other excuses will spring to mind, I’m sure, what with y’all being such creative writers. But it’s all on you, friends, I’ve done my duty.)