Debbie Ridpath Ohi's Blog, page 144

Posting morning digital publishing, iPad & ebook news

Thanks for all the crossed fingers about my book projects, all! Much appreciated. :-)

I know I've raved about the SCBWI writers' conference before, but I must rave again. Since the conference, I've been at least twice as productive as usual. Not just because of what happened with the Illustrator Portfolio Showcase, but because of the workshops and talks I heard as well as the people I met.

I still haven't posted some of the takeaways and mentorship session details, but I still plan to. SO...

Excited! And here's why...

A children's book publisher I admire a great deal recently invited me to send them a picture book story. Well, I did...and THEY LIKE IT! They've asked for a few sketches, so that's what I'm working on right now. So if I'm a bit scarce in Inkygirl for a little bit, that's why.

Meanwhile, I've just sent a proposal for a nonfiction book to my agent for her comments, and will be sending that off soon.

Sooooooooooo excited! Please keep your fingers crossed for me, thanks. :-)

Coffee with Claudia Osmond and Andrew Tolson

One of the many reasons I'm glad I joined Twitter is because I got to meet the Toronto Middle Grade and YA Author Group. The group was founded by Claudia Osmond (above left), and even though we get together once a month, some of us also meet in smaller gatherings as well.

Fun to hang out with Andrew Tolson (above right) and Claudia this afternoon, talking about kidlit publishing and catching up on each other's writing projects. The photos above & below were taken on my iPhone, and then I...

New comic up on Writer Unboxed

I've posted a new comic over on Writer Unboxed: "The Paperless Office."

How Nelsa Roberto wrote & sold her YA novel debut: ILLEGALLY BLONDE

 

I met YA author Nelsa Roberto through the Toronto Middle Grade and Young Adult group (a.k.a. Torkidlit). Nelsa's one of those people who makes you feel comfortable right away. She's smart, she's funny, she speaks her mind.

Read my interview with Nelsa to find out about how she wrote and sold her debut YA novel, ILLEGALLY BLONDE, and her advice for hopeful writers.

Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP rejected by almost 50 agents

I've recently been enjoying the audiobook version of Kathryn Stockett's bestselling book, THE HELP. I tend to listen to audiobooks whenever I'm out for a walk (in a safe neighbourhood) or doing household chores.

A post on Dystel & Goderich Literary Management site about a NYTimes article points out that Kathryn Stockett's THE HELP was initially rejected by almost 50 agents before it was picked up.

From DGLM:

But that's the way the game is played: you win some, you lose some, and the...

Khaled Hosseini likes to read a few lines from a favourite novel before he starts to write

I find reading about other people's work habits inspiring. "The Kite Runner" author Khaled Hosseini, for example, typically gets up at 4 a.m. Has some coffee and breakfast, reads the paper, then writes for 2-3 hours before going to his other job. He says that reading a few lines from a favourite novel before he gets started helps him get into the flow of things.

Read more in this Red Room profile.

New iPad comic created entirely on my iPad

Click on the image to the left to see a bigger version of the iPad comic I created this morning. If you're curious about what apps I used to create it, you can read the whole post in iPadGirl.

#Kidlitchat tonight on Twitter at 9 pm EST

If you're interested in writing for young people, consider coming to #kidlitchat on Twitter tonight. It's my favourite Twitter chat -- it's always fun, and I always come away inspired.

You can see the transcripts of previous #kidlitchat sessions by browsing the archives.

To find out more about how you can participate (or just to eavesdrop), see my Twitter Chats For Writers FAQ.

Wordcount Challenge Check-in For Writers: 250, 500, 1000 Words/Day

 

Haven't heard of the Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge? The goal of this challenge is to help provide goal-oriented inspiration, with flexibility to avoid giving up in frustration. Please click on any of the buttons above for more info.

So how did you all do this past week? And what are your current writing goals?

Good luck with your writing, all!