Piboidmo - 12x12 in 2012 - Writing in Verse

Yes, it's me, after a long absence, yet again.

I've been sick, but am 100% this week, yay!  BUT!  I haven't stopped writing during these days.  I've been working with my critique groups on a few stories.

You all know I've been working on Pippa, as my #1 story in verse.  I've sent it to a wonderful lady, who is so kind and giving.  Margot Finke   Here's her facebook page.  She critiques manuscripts and is very kind.  She helped me and advised me and steered me in the right direction with writing in verse.  

One lady Margot directed me too is Dori Chaconas  who has great advice on that link about writing in verse.  I was able to start getting a handle on that horrid meter.  It wasn't until I found Writer's Helper ...   you sign up for the 4 emails... it's free... and BOOM!!  I was able to understand meter and be able to catch it with the taDA TAda system!!   sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo... I redid Pippa... and again... and again... and now again... I'm going to get this story perfect if it kills me!  It's a good story and worth it to me.  I know I can do it... it's just going to take a loooooooooooooooooooong time lol  I'm so up for the challenge.  After almost a year of working on this story, I can't give up on her now :)

I also have a few stories out there getting critiqued... been working on them since November during Piboidmo  which started with the wonderful Tara Lazar  Then I signed up for the 12x12 in 2012 challenge with Julie Hedlund  who is so kind and caring.  It's where you take your piboidmo story and write one out for every month of 2012 and you end up with 12 drafts of your stories.  It's a great way to motivate.  I'm trying to do it for now, but once work starts up, I'll have to leave it.

One story I started at the beginning of piboidmo was about my daughter and her bangs... I'm happy to say that it's ready to send out :)  I can't believe it after such a job it is to get Pippa perfect.  I hope it's a winner!

Lesson learned... you need critique groups to learn... if you don't have one, go find one.  They are worth it.  Some might be hard to take, but give it a while and you'll realize they are for the best and will help you.  Maybe I'll do a post on critiques later on :)

Ok, Thankfulness and Positiveness...
I'm thankful my kids are kind and soft hearted, which means they get hurt easily, but it's better than being an unkind person with a hard- sending hurt to others on purpose- heart.

I'm becoming a better writer of verse than when I started :)  it's positive! lol

Have a nice day, everyone.  I hope it's filled with many blessings.
Love,
Denise

**I'm a PiBoIdMo Winner!**

Well, I finished PiBoIdMo Picture Book Idea Month and it was THE best fun ever!  I joined the facebook group which is filled with so many wonderful people.  They are the best.  Tara Lazar was our faithful and terribly busy leader, who lead pretty much all of us to victory! Thank you, Tara :)

I came up with the 30 new ideas, which I had written out, most with beginnings, middles, and endings, but then there were about 30 other ideas that just popped and were one liners if that.  I didn't want to lose my ideas so I wrote while it was fresh in my head :)

I found my ideas would just come to me as I went about my day.  One idea came to me when my 6 year old was helping me make my bed.  Actually, most of my ideas came straight from my kids, esp my 6 year old.  She's a great help to keep the story going and if I was stuck, she'd help me through it, or my other kids. <3

I also get my ideas from songs, or going shopping, or baking, or even reading.  If something comes to your head, just write it down and don't stop.  It's there for a reason <3

Now, I'm working on critiquing.  I've been doing it now for about 2 months, thanks so my dear friend who's like a sister to me.  Wendy J. Whittingham  She's an illustrator who just has her first book out with author Valerie Sherrard!  and this is their beautiful book...

Miss Wondergem's Dreadfully Dreadful Pie

Isn't it soooo pretty!! I can't wait to read it :) 

I'm still writing and sending out manuscripts with hopes of soon finding homes for them :) and I do believe it will happen :)   I'm also doing critiques and learning so much from them and making so many new friends.  2011 has been a truly wonderful blessing to me. 

Which brings me to my Thankfulness and Positiveness 

I'm thankful for my newly found cousins in Ontario.  I've only found them this fall and they are THE sweetest, kindest people ever.  It all started with a picture and me wanting to find old friends that happened to be our cousins.  I love them with all my heart and am so thankful for them.  They helped get me through a terrible death in our family a few weeks ago and I am truly blessed to have them in my life.  One lady, in particular *, Ann, * is like a sister to me. (if you click her name, it'll take you to her site, which she's still working on, but it's still wonderful) I just love her, we have so much in common and she is coming to stay with me when we have our family reunion :)  

Positiveness is hard... It's so hard to say something positive about yourself... but I'll try... thinking now :/...

*taps fingers on laptop cover*

Ok, I can do a pretty OK job writing in verse :) There, I said it! lol  wow, that's hard :)  it's all thanks to my sister in law, Elaine.  She asked me to write a children's poem last year, I posted about it ;)  Well, that got the ball rolling and now I can't stop lol  <3  I love writing in verse. It's so weird when I thought I'd never be able to do it. It helps when someone has faith in you <3 

So who's going to be brave and post their Thankfulness and Positiveness with me? Don't leave me here all alone! 

:D 

<3