revision pens

“Begin at the beginning," the King said, very gravely, 

"and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”

~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Behold the revision pen.  

An excellent marker of progress.

 

Grey for the first full read-through.

Green for the second.  

Then orange for the third.

Sometimes, with so many notes in one color, 

the favorite pen won't make it to the end 

and a (worthy) replacement is called in.

Sometimes nibbled, always worn down to a nub, they remind the writer that stroke by stroke, pen by pen, progress is being made.

And after a dignified performance, the old pen 

is retired (and recycled) and a new pen, 

in a new color, awaits the 

next round...or the next manuscript.

Believe that nothing is too good to be true.

-believe book 
by dan zadra & kobi yamada

break's over

There are few things more satisfying than wearing through a pair of sturdy work gloves.

And for all you Creatives out there who have spent the summer hunched over work-in-progress novels, art works, screenplays, song-writing, choreography projects, gardens, recipes, scrapbooks, knitting and sewing, you know the good feelings behind exhausting the creative muscle. I hope it's been a glorious time.

As for me, a month away to focus on the process versus the business of writing and art has given me space to understand my vision more fully.  Still, the time has come to buy another pair of work gloves.  As I ease back into writing for the blog, I hope you'll enjoy seeing posts and links to inspire you on your transition from the explorative days of summer into the more focused schedules and work of autumn.  

And here's something motivating now:

The SCBWI Annual Summer Conference buzz is underway.  You can follow along on Twitter by following @scbwi or #LA13SCBWI.  You can also follow the official conference blog.  Lots of great information about writing and illustrating children's literature will be shared.  This blog is fun for parents, teachers, and librarians to follow, too, because you'll learn about new books and authors in all genres and age groups.

If you weren't able to make the conference, consider a regional SCBWI event.  SCBWI Arizona is celebrating 25 years and just announced its fall conference faculty and agenda.  Click here to learn more.  To find an SCBWI chapter near you, click here.