K.L. Going's Blog, page 2

Once again, I’m pleased to pass along a blog written by my co-leader for a Highlights Foundation workshop. Kim Griswell is both an author (most recently of the picture book Rufus Goes to School, which my son Ashton loves!) and an editor (Portable Press), and she’s a fabulous teacher. I’ve been privileged to co-lead workshops on The Hero’s Journey and Mastering Setting with Kim, and now we’re combining forces to offer Finding Your Voice. Check out Kim’s blog, posted this week on the Highlights Foundation website. And please, if you know of someone who might benefit from this workshop (October 12-15, 2014) spread the word!

***************************************************************************************************

Editor and writer Kim T. Griswell is leading our Finding Your Voice workshop this fall, along with author K.L. Going. Here Kim gives some suggestions on how to find your voice:

Much of what passes across an editor’s desk has a dull sameness. There may be nothing really “wrong” with the writing. It’s competent, but it falls under the category of NNUTS (Nothing New Under the Sun). Nothing new in the ideas, nothing new in the characters or plot, and nothing new in the writing. Beginning—and sometimes experienced—writers often submit manuscripts that do not have unique voices.

Our greatest writers write from their guts, from their truths. They dig deep until they reach a vein within themselves that is pure gold. They tell stories that only they can tell, as only they can tell them. That, in a nutshell, is voice.

It often takes years for a writer to find his or her authentic voice. Voice is not simply the way a writer says things; voice reflects a writer’s unique way of viewing the world. Every editor is hoping to pick up a manuscript and find an original voice. That’s why finding your voice should be on the top of your writer’s to-do list.

Here are six ways to begin to understand voice and find your own:

Get a journal with a key—one of those kid ones. Write things in there that are so honest you have to keep them under lock and key for fear anyone will read them.
Write a page a day. Come on—you can do it! If you can’t stop yourself after one page, keep writing.
Read, and learn to write, poetry. Even if you don’t consider yourself a poet or have any desire to write poetry, you will develop your voice. (I’m not talking rhyming doggerel here. I’m talking Billy Collins, Rita Dove, and Langston Hughes; Eileen Spinelli, Karla Kushin, and Myra Cohn Livingston.)
Use photos from your childhood as writing prompts. Write from the voice of who you were in (or at the time of) the photos.
Blog. Much like a vocalist’s morning scales, this kind of “conversational” writing will help to loosen your writing voice.
Read the first pages of these books: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch, every Newbery winner you can get your hands on. (I dare you to stop reading after page 1.)

Finding your voice will help your work rise to the top of the same-old-same-old manuscripts piled on editors’ desks. And that’s a goal worth pursuing!

If you’d like a jumpstart on finding your voice or want to expand on these practices, I hope you’ll join K.L. Going and me for Finding Your Voice, October 12-15, 2014.

The post Finding Your Writing Voice appeared first on KL Going.

Are you interested in publishing your writing for children? Need to know the basics? I’m pleased to be a guest speaker at an upcoming workshop at the Highlights Foundation called Everything You Need to Know About Children’s Book Publishing: A Crash Course.

 

 

Where: The Barn at Boyds Mills, just outside Honesdale, PA

When: September 19th – 21st … I’ll be presenting on September 2oth

Why: Because the best place to start is at the beginning. You’ll meet talented authors, illustrators, and editors who can give you the inside scoop about how to reach your goals. And while you’re learning, you’ll also indulge in gourmet meals and enjoy the stunning landscape of the Pennsylvania hills in the fall. Doesn’t get much better than that!

 

 

 

The post Crash Course in Publishing appeared first on KL Going.

This November 13th – 16th, I will be co-leading a workshop at the Highlights Foundation  (www.highlightsfoundation.org) with Lisa Grace Byrne (www.wellgroundedsite.com).
Rekindling the Fire 2014 is designed for anyone who is trying to balance their creative vision with their role as a caregiver (whether that’s as a parent, grandparent, sibling, or spouse). Part self-care and part detailed writing instruction, the Rekindling the Fire workshop will allow you to explore your creativity in a nurturing environment while also answering questions about nutrition, time-management, and goal- setting. I’m pleased to share Lisa’s most recent blog as an introduction to a topic we’ll be exploring in depth in the months to come.
KL
*****************************************************
The Questions We Never Ask…

A couple weeks ago, I was getting pedicures and enjoying a night out with a few girlfriends. I hopped onto the pedicure chair next to my good friend, Shawn, and the first thing she said was, “I’ve got to tell you something.”

Backstory: Shawn is a very gifted writer but her dreams of writing took a back seat once she started a family and had kids. A little voice has been nudging her to pick up writing again, but she wasn’t sure how to jump back in.

A few months ago I told her about the writing retreat for moms I’m co-leading this November with a little “hint hint” smirk. Her eyes perked up, but I let it go, hoping to plant a seed.

What I didn’t know is that behind the scenes she’s been thinking about that retreat, a lot. But it took her months to finally bring it up to her husband.

The Questions We Never Ask

See, the thing is, we often don’t actually ask for what we want.

So many desires go unspoken in the corridors of our mind and we answer them for ourselves before anyone else can tell us no. In Shawn’s mind she had every possible reason that she wouldn’t be able to go to a writing retreat.

She convinced herself the conversation would with her husband would go south.

She already let herself down before there was a chance at a possible yes.

I know, because I do it all the time to my own interests and desires.

In my head I would have had conversations like:

“It would be way too much to ask to leave the home for 4 full days – who would take care of the kids, get them where they need to go, pack their lunches, manage the bickering after school, help with homework, get them to bed?”

“How could we afford this kind of investment into a “dream” of mine? We have other things that should take priority- furniture we wanted to buy or kids after school activities.”

It’s Exhausting to Justify Our Needs

Most of us never ask for what we want because we anticipate our asking will be seen as selfish or negligent of our role as a caregiver.

But here’s the thing: The questions we never ask are always answered the same way … no.

So, back to Shawn.

She goes on to tell me that she decided she’s going to go for it and open the conversation up with her husband.

She brings up the webpage for the retreat and tells him, “Hey babe, could you take a look at this? I know it may not work out but it’s something I’m really interested in and wanted to show you.”

He hardly needs to read the whole page through and immediately responds with, “It sounds awesome! I was wondering when you were going to pick up writing again. I never wanted to push you but I really think you should start doing it again- you light up when you are writing and you’re really good at it.”

Shawn stood there speechless.

Beyond the retreat itself, the fact that she broke through the walls (of her own creation) to allow herself to express what her needs and desires were was huge. Huge.

We need to create spaces within our intimate relationships that allow us to dream and share our needs and wants.

It doesn’t mean every need will be met exactly as we express it. It doesn’t mean we don’t have to consider the reality that we are still part of a family that needs to thrive and make choices with the best of everyone involved- but here’s the thing YOU are part of that equation.

Your best is part of the family’s best.

I can remember the first time I left the family for a personal self care retreat.

I battled through every possible argument in my mind about how selfish and negligent a mom I was.

But you know what the reality ended up being?- EVERYONE had a really great weekend. The kids did fine, they got to connect and bond with family members in ways they wouldn’t have before. They had so many stories to tell me when I returned about their adventures and funny things that happened. They shared about how they cared for each other when one of them felt sad and missed me. And I got to share what I learned and how I handled missing them.

What About You?

What questions are you not asking in life? What desires or dreams have you already shut down and answered no to before anyone else ever heard of them?

And what might you need in order to begin to speak those questions?

Could it be a heart-to-heart with your partner sharing that you want to start talking about some ideas and dreams, and that you want a safe place where they can just be explored before without judgement or defensiveness?

It’s often not talked about much, but as one person in a relationships grows and becomes more self-connected and cared-for...the intimate relationship their in needs to grow and deepen too. Opening up these unasked questions can be a great way to allow the relationship to grow as well.

Wishing you unexpected answers to questions that are spoken in love and confidence,

– See more at: http://www.wellgroundedsite.com/2014/...

The post The Questions We Never Ask appeared first on KL Going.

Hi everyone,

I’m in the process of redesigning my website, giving it a fresh new look. And when I say “I”, this actually means We Love Children’s Books (www.welovechildrensbooks.com) since I’m not technically skilled enough to do any of this stuff! After ten years, I decided it was time for a new look and some new author photos. We’ll be working on adding more features to the site in the weeks to come, so be sure to check back in…

KL

 

The post Check out my website’s new look! appeared first on KL Going.

It’s that time of year, as the snow piles up outside my house and I begin to go a little bit stir crazy, when I feel the need to make changes. To take what’s stagnant and make something new. To hit the refresh button. Maybe others feel this more strongly in the spring, but for me, the drive to create a to-do list and cross every item off of it is strongest now, when the cold permeates my mountain home and I’m reminded of primal instincts that say, “move, move, move!” So, that’s what I’m doing – taking time to look ahead at exciting things to come and to prepare mentally and physically for changes on the horizon.

One of the most exciting changes for me will be a new look for my website. It’s been ten years since my original design (done by Daley Print & Web Solutions, which I’ve adored!) and in those ten years I’ve moved from having one book out for teens, to having books for young children, teens, and adults, and a manuscript critique service. I’ve grown older, so all my pictures are out of date, and there’s this cool movie I’d like to highlight … lots of great reasons to try something new. I can’t wait. I’m looking forward to working with We Love Children’s Books. Awesome name, right?

I’ve also teamed up with budding filmmaker, Rob Petrarca, who is shooting a video about me and my career. This is totally fun and exciting, and since Rob is a wonderful, creative person, I know it’s going to turn out great. He’s already put together a teaser, so if you want to check it out, click here for the You Tube link.

I currently have four picture books at various stages, but the one that is most likely to come out first (Pablo the Poet) is being illustrated by the award winning artist, Yuyi Morales. The tentative publication date is spring 2015. I’ll post updates as they’re available.

I’m also working on another novel with my long time editor, Kathy Dawson, who just launched her new imprint, Kathy Dawson Books. Her mission? “Sneakily exploring the meaning of life through middle grade and young adult fiction.” Does it get any cooler than that? No. I don’t believe it does.

Finally, I’m pitching two different workshops for 2014 to the Highlights Foundation and I’m hopeful that both will end up on their schedule. The first would be another collaboration with Kim Griswell (my co-leader on the Mastering Settings and Hero’s Journey workshops) and the second would be something brand new – both for me and for the foundation. I’m teaming up with Lisa Byrne of Well Grounded Life to produce a workshop specifically tailored to those of us who are trying to pursue our creative passions in the midst of a hectic life and a full-plate. This workshop would be part writing instruction and part self-care, learning how to manage our time, our health, and our spiritual well being in a way that allows us to keep writing and keep growing. I’ll provide more information soon!

So, tune back in and I’ll keep you posted on all the new developments. Oh, and keep warm.  Happy 2014!

The post Refreshing the Waters – 2014 appeared first on KL Going.

It’s that time of year, as the snow piles up outside my house and I begin to go a little bit stir crazy, when I feel the need to make changes. To take what’s stagnant and make something new. To hit the refresh button. Maybe others feel this more strongly in the [...]

Hello to all my Kickstarter peeps!
As many of you already know, rewards have begun rolling out. In fact, the Fat Kid Rules the World team at Whitewater Films is already up to the $125 reward level - sending out signed books! Matthew Lillard has been out of the country entertaining our troops abroad (go Matt!) [...]

Awesome news! We’ve had over 900 requests for the Fat Kid Rules the World movie all around the USA. That is seriously incredible. I am so awed by all the promoters who are giving their time and energy to make this film available in theaters. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
As with any large endeavor, [...]

I’m sure most of you already know that we not only met our Kickstarter goal, we exceeded it! Amazing! Our final total was $158,000 raised to support the release of the film. I could not be more excited, humbled, and grateful. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who contributed.
Now everyone is asking, “What [...]

Before I share my pics from the NYC Rooftop screening of Fat Kid Rules the World, I need to say this: we have just 3 days left on Kickstarter and we are only 95% funded. We need to raise 8K more or we get NOTHING! This is the final countdown, so if you haven’t donated [...]