“Happy Thankswriting”

This Thanksgiving I’m thankful for everything in my life: Family, friends, my dogs, God, and the talent He has given me to write. I pause everyday and realize that my ability to write is no mistake and was infused into me at birth.

I’ve always had a huge imagination as most children do. I couldn’t help but carry it forward into young adulthood and beyond to become a professional writer as my career. Though currently unpublished in the children’s book arena, I believe it’s just a matter of time.

So this Turkey Day I coined the phrase “Thankswriting,” because I count my tons of messy rough drafts, revisions, and even rejections as blessings ever moving me farther ahead and developing me into a better writer and eventually a children’s book author. In the meantime, please pass the cranberries!

Your input: What are you thankful for in your writing and/or non-writing life/world?

© Lynn Rogalsky

 

 

“Am I Any Good?” Taking the Measure of Yourself as a Writer

I’ve been a bit under the weather this week and physically not able to sit at the PC keyboard and write or re-write. It happens sometimes. But I discovered that my creative mind kept moving forward, thinking of improvements to my WIP picture book manuscript. I found that encouraging. The true writer’s mind never stops. And that’s good. Last year I had the delight of attending SCBWI AZ’s “Welcome to Our House” where Literary Agent, John Cusick of Folio Jr. headlined. I am posting one of his most recent blogs. Your input: I feel I am a good writer. Do you feel the same about yourself?

John M. Cusick

Like this post? Then check out my November 19th webinar HOW TO BE A WRITER WITHOUT LOSING YOUR MIND: Balancing Work, Life, and Craft. There will be a Q and A as well as query critiques for all attendees. You should check it out!

Am I any good?

I get this question a lot. Mostly at conferences, in one-on-one critique sessions. It usually pops up late in the conversation, after I’ve discussed the writer’s sample pages and given my critiques. Then there’s a pause, and the aspiring author sitting across from me looks as if he’s about to make some awful confession, like the curtain of polite discourse is about to fall, and we’re going to get to the real, unvarnished and possibly painful truth.

“So, am I any good?”

There are subtle variations. Sometimes it’s “Is this any good?” or “Do you think I can get this published?” But…

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