I think the first post is always the most difficult to compose. There’s a lot of pressure here.
How to strike the right tone? Serious, but with humor. Comedic. Absurd as only real life can be. There are a lot of options. I’m aiming for somewhere between Morticia Addams and Eddie Izzard — desperately passionate, but with a definite feeling of “huh” about it. I fear that this blog is likely to run a little more “stream of consciousness” than some others out there, but I hope you’ll hang with me!
It’s a good time of year for starting a new blog. Everyone is buzzing with “Resolution Energy” and looking for their next new beginning.
So, what’s in this new beginning? This beginning is hopefully going to turn into a resource for new writers. I firmly believe it’s important for me a as a person who has learned some of the ropes (but, by far, not all of the ropes) to lend a hand and give a boost to those who are coming up behind me. I’ve been lucky enough to have people who are continually pushing me into the spotlight when I was too uncertain to step into it myself. Since I can never adequately repay their astonishing faith in me, the best I can do is to pay it forward.
So, if you need a push, a gentle nudge, maybe a good strong boot to the backside, I’m here to help!
My mantra for this new 2023-type year is “We’re all moving forward!” I don’t care if you’re friend, family, or completely unfamiliar, we’re going full steam ahead!
That’s not to say that there won’t be obstacles. I’m sure there will be many. I’m sure I’ll forget to blog (Hello, ADHD), or have my typical, existential “no-one-is-paying-attention” freak out. (Anxiety-says-whaaa?) But progress is the name of the game.
So! Let’s have a little recap, shall we, so we’re all on the same page about where, exactly, we’re moving forward from! (Obviously your journey is going to look different than mine, but I need a little accountability, so, why the heck not put it on the internet for the whole world to see, yes? You with me? Good!)
So, last year was my third year of doing the 12 x 12 challenge that the amazing Julie Hedlund and Kelli Panique run. And for the first time in those three years, I WON the 12 x 12 Challenge. Now, for those of who are familiar with 12×12, that probably doesn’t seem like a whole lot of excitement. For you Neuro-typical types who have crazy abilities for things like follow through, and not-forgetting-ness, that probably seems like a relatively low bar.
However! For a chronically forgetful, hopelessly exuberant for 15 minutes and then completely incapable of remembering whether I was writing or cooking (or doing both at the same time – that has been known to happen) type person, finishing a year with a full set of 12 new picture book manuscripts was a big darn deal! You don’t actually win anything when you win 12 x12, but the accomplishment and the sense of pride are real. Most people never write one manuscript, so if you’re here and you’ve got one under your belt, congratulations, that’s huge in my book!
Now, some of these brand new manuscripts that I punched out in 2022 were a bit dodgy to say the least. I have a “Cat Soup Version 1” and a “Cat Soup Version 2” on the list of 12 – written within hours of each other on November 30th and December 1st. But, that’s not important, they still count! (And, actually, they’re both different, and clever, and I’m really excited to start editing both of them. How to title them is a problem for another day.)
I also came up with several brilliant ideas for some medium content journals. They’re pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself! As this year goes forward, I’m going to be refining them and publishing them – my first foray into self-publishing. You can find all the deets by clicking over to THE Published Works page.
It might have been after the first of the year, but since January is already over, but since my eldest assures me absolutely everything I do is “so last year”, I’m going to count this. I started two separate projects with friends – a new musical, and a set of historical stories, format still to be determined. I’m sure you can guess, but those projects are also moving forward.
And, speaking of history, last year I started brainstorming about a new history resource. I bought the website last year and started doing some broad design and planning. This year, that website moves forward! You can keep tabs on what I’m doing over at doo-oomed.com– ‘Cause if you don’t learn your history, you’re DOO-OOMED! It really helps to read it with a 1980s cartoon villain voice. In fact, a lot of my life seems to make more sense if you read it with a 1980’s villain voice.
What am I going to be doing at Doo-oomed.com? So glad you asked! The plan is to round up the best historical picture books – fiction, non-fiction, biography, you name it! – and make them more easily accessible to teachers and families because, and I know this is going to shock some of you, some people *whispers* think history is boring.
I know, don’t say it too loud, you’re likely to hurt someone’s feelings!
So, I’m going to do what I do best, and make the history not boring. Point out ways to tell the history as a memorable story that can be shared and learned from without beating your head against a text book.
But that’s history, we’re looking forward. So for 2023, what am I going to accomplish?
Well, for starters, I’ve got year four of 12 x 12 to punch out 12 more stories that I can then refine and craft into something interesting. I wrote the first one yesterday – one down, only eleven more to go! If you haven’t ever tried the 12 x 12 challenge, there’s still time. You can sign up until the end of February and I highly recommend it! This year of 12 x 12 will also be my first (and hopefully last?) as a Gold Member, which comes with its own set of challenges. (Gold member… heh heh heh…) Sorry, where was I? Oh, right…
I have my self-publishing projects to continue to hone and, hopefully, get posted over the course of the next month. If you’re at all interested in creativity, I highly recommend my Year of Stories Journal or Planner or my Seven Impossible Things journal. I’ve taken the systems I use to keep my ND brain on track and made them accessible to everyone. Like I said, we’re all moving forward this year! (If you happen to have a kid who is interested in Pinewood Derby, check out my Pinewood Derby tracker… It was made by special request from my favorite scout and it makes a great present for kids just starting their scouting journey, if I do say so myself!)
Oh! And as if all those writer-type-things aren’t enough, in this year of the Rabbit I will also mark my return to Carnegie Hall. Just about a decade after the last time I performed there, under the supremely talented John Rutter, I will be returning to sing for my talented friend as she makes her conducting debut. We’re going to sound amazing!
I think I generally take for granted the fact that singing at Carnegie Hall is the kind of thing not everyone gets to do. Heck, it’s the kind of thing that not everyone believes I got to do! The old joke says you get there by “Practice, practice, practice.” And the joke isn’t wrong. It takes a certain amount of tenacity to get to Carnegie Hall – let alone to go back for a second helping! It’s a somewhat grueling process to learn the music, perfect the music to that standard, then get to New York and spend four days perfecting it beyond human capacity. Then to go up on that stage, sing your head off, and then stumble blindly back off stage and wait for the adrenaline to wear off to you can think about what has to happen next.
It’s a lot of work for an hour or two of stage time.
It’s actually a lot like writing a picture book. You start with a whisp of a story, then you refine and edit. You send it off for critiques and you have to deal with all of those emotions. Then you edit and refine some more. If you’re lucky, you have major rewrites and get to rethink your story so it becomes an entirely different story. Then you have to write a winning query letter and try to get someone to love your baby as much as you do.
And the payoff is about five minutes of reading time. If you’re lucky.
If you’re really lucky, you get to read your story over, and over, and over again to someone who loves it at much as you do.
That’s the goal. That’s the Carnegie Hall of writing – nightly performances for the people who matter most.
This is the year we’re all moving forward. This is the year we’re all getting one step closer to that.
