April is the Poemiest Month

April 5, 2016 by Cathy C. Hall

031 Yes, I know “poemiest” is technically not a word. But I was making a high-falutin’ reference here, y’all, so even though poemiest is not a word, we’re all smarter now.

And when I received Irene Latham’s newsletter this month with all her poetry doings for April, I was beside myself (and smarter, too!). But then I thought what if y’all don’t get Irene’s newsletter? Well, that wouldn’t do. So I’m sharing here with you! (I know. It’s a little poem. Sometimes I just can’t help myself.)

First of all, you have to zip over to Irene’s website and read all about Artspeak! Here’s the deal on that:

“This year I am continuing my National Poetry Month poem-a-day project called ARTSPEAK! Each day I respond to a piece of art from the National Gallery of Art’s digital collection — this year’s theme is Plant. Grow. Eat. You can find last year’s offering as well as this year’s (growing!) collection at my blog Live Your Poem.”

Very cool. And she’s also participating in the 2016 Kidlit Progressive Poem. Irene has a running list of everyone who’s participating (look for the list in her sidebar) so you can keep up with all the wonderful poetry each day.

And I don’t want to forget to give a shout out to her latest book, FRESH DELICIOUS, POEMS FROM THE FARMER’S MARKET. I’ll be looking for it the next time I visit my local library and I hope you’ll look for it, too! I’ve loved all of Irene’s poetry books–and reading wonderful poetry will be a huge help to you if you’re participating in RhyPiBoMo!

Finally, if you sign up for her newsletter, you might get an April surprise. And not like the April surprises I give to my kids–oh, April Fool’s was epic this year! I’ll share that story next time–but something really nice and poemy.

Which also may not be a word, but it’s April, y’all, and anything goes, right?

Time To Rhyme (See What I Did There?)

March 28, 2016 by Cathy C. Hall

This month–or at least after all the SCBWI doings–I caught up with a Writing in Rhyme class I won from Angie Karcher. Goodness, Angie really knows her stuff!

I, on the other hand, am not exactly a whiz at writing rhyme (though I like to try). I only have one picture book that’s in rhyme but I learned a whole bunch of stuff to make it better and my project for next month is to take that manuscript and polish it till it shines like a…a…well, see? I need a little work on imagery and such.

And maybe you’re interested in spiffing up a rhyming picture book. Or maybe you’re just interested in rhyming poetry. Boy, have I got a deal for you!

Technically, it’s not my deal. It’s Angie Karcher’s. Every April, she hosts RhyPiBoMo which is short for Rhyming Picture Book Month and holy moly (see what I did there?), you are not going to believe all the wonderful guest bloggers she’s scheduled!

Plus, she has all kinds of fun events and doings over there. And it’s ALL free! But mostly, I guarantee that you’ll learn a TON about rhyming picture books. So run like a Tasmanian Devil (see? I’m getting smarter already!) and register for RhyPiBoMo! (See you there!)

Why I Can’T Do RhyPiBoMo (But That Doesn’t Mean YOU Can’t)

March 26, 2015 by Cathy C. Hall

Last summer, I had the most delightful time in North Georgia, spending a week with a most delightful bunch of picture book writers. I wrote all about it here and when all was said and done, I decided that I had to be done with picture books and get back to my heart. Because I had the beginning of a middle grade story on my heart that was begging to be written.

So this year, I’ve been writing, writing, writing that middle grade story. And I am this close to being done with it. But that, my friends, is just the first draft I’ll be finishing. I’ll need to go back and weave in some good stuff, take out some of the stinky stuff. And that revision has been penciled in for…yep, April.

It just so happens that RhyPiBoMo (that’s Rhyming Picture Book Month, in case you wondered) begins in April (and you can register now!). And I’m just not talented enough to revise a 35,000 word middle grade manuscript and follow along with Angie Karcher’s great posts and read all those great picture books, too. And okay, I know I’m prone to hyperbole, but not this time.

Oh, no, people, not this time. Angie (did I tell you I met her? Up in North Georgia at that weeklong writing workshop?) works so hard to bring such a lot of great writing information your way. I mean, she is committed. And I guarantee that you will be a better picture book writer if you commit to RhyPiBoMo. You can’t be half-a…er…baked about it. You have to be all in.

Kind of like I’m all in on my middle grade story. So best of luck to all of us, wherever our heart is leading us (but dang, I’ll miss all those fun picture book writers)!