[Greg R. Fishbone Posts: 567 Status: Offline GALAXY GAMES: Like the Olympics, but in space! WWW]

Yes, do tell when it's up and running so we can help with that buzz. I'll link you to my site for starters if you'd like me to do that. Networking is fun, fun, fun...

Thanks, Diana!

-tem2

[gracie]

Hi~  I'm Claire from TX (waves)

I'm not published yet, but my first YA novel (a teen murder mystery/suspense) is with Scott Treimel right now on  a 90 day exclusive..... He's had it around 70 days, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed so hard they hurt!  I am currently writing 2 more books - one an adult murder mystery in the chic-lit style, and another a nonfic.  If ST gives me the thumbs up though, I plan to drop everything and write a sequel to my YA.  This seems like a great community - Glad to be here!

[emlaman_80]

:
    Hello everyone. I am very new to the website. I live in Georgia. I have two wonderful rugrats . A very supportive fiance.
I sympathize with those who have children and are trying to write. I know how you feel :
    I have been writing for a long time but have never published a book . I hope to see my first book on the shelves in a few months. : I write picture books for K-2ND grades. I have ten written but I need to do some research for the reader level before the editor sees them. I started writing for my two children now I hope others may enjoy their stories.
    I also write fantasy novels. I hope to have my first one published this year. I plan this one to be a trilogy but I will see how it turns out, the characters will tell me soon enough.  I have a suspense/horror in the works as well.
    I have a lot planned I hope to see most of them through by the end of next year. I love this site. I looked for nearly three hours to find a room like this. I am happy to see the amount of caring and camaraderie. I hope you all feel free to contact me I only hope I can help or simply be there to "listen."

[sbk(linda) Posts: 737 Status: Offline Yeehaw!]

welcome emlaman and gracie! Good luck with all your endeavours!  :

[Storyteller5]

Hey! A Canadian writer checking in here!

I'm not published yet, but my goal is to submit by Christmas. I'm working on polishing the few pieces I want to send out there and researching the submission process/publishers to try to avoid as many newbie mistakes as possible.  :

[daisyjune]

Welcome, Storyteller5. If there is anything you need to know about market research, submissions or just need a little encouragement(or a lot) everyone here is at your disposal. I've found all here to be super nice and extremely helpful.

Glad you've joined the party.

[hayesm]

Hi Tayna.... I am happy I played the piano on my Last Day at Chiautauqua when you and my Holiday Inn Buddy, Cassandra and I met.....Now you know we are on-line connected and I am happy to stay in touch with many Chautauqua gals...How are we doing with your writing?

Let me know.  I sent our one book and working on others..Every day of my life I see, feel, or experience something which becomes my next book......

I hope to hear form you.
MJ

We

tgseale,
I am new too and was wondering where you got your "book" picture.
Thanks for the help.
kimw

[sbk(linda) Posts: 737 Status: Offline Yeehaw!]

Hi there storyteller! It is nice to see another Canadian around. Where abouts are you from? Good luck to you in your submissions efforts. I hope that you are able to stay on schedule.  :

Linda

[Galump88]

I'm Jason from British Columbia. I decided it was time to start writing some serious material instead of just writing short stories and deleting them when I finished. I don't know if I'm younger than most people here or not but I figure it doesn't really matter what age you start at.

[dwrites]

Welcome, Jason. How young is young? We have some very accomplished, twenty-something writers here. And don't forget, Chris Paolini was like, 15 when he started Eragon. BTW, my family is from Winnipeg. Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Diana

[Grampy]

Hello everyone.

I finally found the right place to introduce myself. My name is Roy. I've been slowly working on my writing skills over the past couple of years. A dear friend and member kept referring to this site, so here I am.   :

My main interest is in YA and chapter books, but right now I'm stuck sorting out a couple of PB's. 

I'm looking forward to picking up some great advice.  :D

Roy(Grampy)

[kabarson Posts: 725 Status: Offline I love books! WWW]

Welcome, Grampy!

[ritajr]

Grampy, You've come to the right place. The people here are great... so supportive and willing to help.
Welcome and good luck with your projects.

[Galump88]

Welcome, Jason. How young is young? We have some very accomplished, twenty-something writers here. And don't forget, Chris Paolini was like, 15 when he started Eragon. BTW, my family is from Winnipeg. Happy belated Thanksgiving.

Diana

Thanks for the welcome. . How young is young? Well I'm only 17 years old.

[TamraW Posts: 77 Status: Offline WWW]

Hello everyone!

I'm finally getting around to checking in after my long busy summer. 

I'm seeing lots of "old" friends posting and a bunch of new names too.  This is quite a busy place Verla!

For those who don't know me, I am a winter writer and a campground owner in the summers. I have one published picture book (October '03) and four more out making the rounds.

Last winter, due to the **ahem** poor picture book market, I was challenged by friends to write a MG adventure book.  To my surprise, I really enjoyed it!  So that is out making the rounds too while I work on a second one.

I'm looking forward to procrastinating reading past posts!

[Melissa Posts: 885 Status: Offline]

Hi everyone . . . I thought I'd try to transition from lurking to speaking now that I'm sending queries/texts.   I can post something (in the responses category at least).

Anyhow, I'm a college lit & comp teacher (for a decade+), mom (almost as long), and fiction writer (2 yrs now).  I've had a few successes with magazines and am now querying agents for my first novel.   Aside from talking about lit in the classroom (where I'm strangely comfortable), I am typically shy.

Thanks to all of you who have been speaking-- the categories here are a wealth of appreciated info.

[dwrites]

Thanks for the welcome. . How young is young? Well I'm only 17 years old.

Good for you, getting started early. I mentored a HS senior through a year of writing his novel. Seven hundred and something ms pages later, with cuts and revisions, he's in college and the final story, as far as I know, is making the rounds. Learn all you can. Good luck.

Diana

[heatherayris Posts: 188 Status: Offline WWW]

Hello everyone,
Finding this message board has helped me to realize I am not alone in my “crazy”    endeavors to become a children’s book writer, which is how I sometimes feel up here on this quiet mountaintop I call home.  There are no children’s writer’s conferences or groups around where I live, none that I have ever heard of anyway, so it is great to find such a supportive community online.  (I doubt they would appreciate anyone bringing their eight month old  :baby: along to conferences with them anyway.)
   Anyhow, I love writing picture books and easy readers.  I have my first book, an early chapter reader, under contract with a small publishing company.  Otherwise, I’ve never received anything but the dreaded form rejection, but I am ever hopeful.  I also do some editing.
   With the publishing world being so complex and confusing it is nice to have a place like this where so many knowledgeable people are willing to help find the answers.  Thank you to everyone for sharing such a wealth of information.  :

[TheGreatBeltho]

I'm new to this forum and thought I'd introduce myself.  My name is Jim and I live in St. Paul, Minnesota with my wife and dog.  I mostly write plays (a couple now published, yeah!) and try and stay invovled in the local theatre scene, but I am trying to branch out into other forms.  At the moment I am trying to get a text for a picture book ready for submission.  I came across this forum while searching the Net for tips in writing a query letter.  My knowledge of the publishing industry at the moment is pretty limited to play publishers.  I'm looking forward to the insights and wisdom this board has to share!

-Jim-

[Heidi]

Hello, everyone, I'm Heidi. I'm an MG/YA writer.
I used to not admit to it because, well, we've all been closet writers at one time. But my big step was when I was traveling a few years ago, filling out one of those customs forms, and I wrote "writer" in the career/job box.
Anyway, I live in Colombia (South America) with my husband and lots of plants (we just bought an apartment so we don't have furniture), have published some non fiction pieces with Highlights, and my first non fiction book is coming out sometime next year.
I love this site. I'm afraid I've begun to visit this site more than write, so now I have VerlaKay time set aside, or else I just piddle and avoid that looming "writer's block" possibility.
Yes, I've written too much for a simple intro. Sorry. Thanks so much for all the great information and support. Nice to meet you all!

(Wow, that was stressful. I guess I can be a bit shy with introductions! Next time I'll have a shot of aguardiente before plunging in.)

[larag]

I'm a newbie and aspiring fiction writer who just received her first rejection...on a form...a tiny one. Bummer.

Anyway, I work as an editor for a pair of business magazines and I'm looking to rediscover my creative side. (I hope it still exists!) I'm married, have three kids (one MG and two YAs) and a small horse farm in addition to my career so my creative writing is something that has to happen on the side...a very small side.

My age? Well, I'm at that point where I'm not exactly old, but not exactly young. Sometimes I feel much younger (like when I'm working on a fun PB manuscript) and at other times I feel older than dirt (when I get a teeny, tiny, form rejection).

[n@hasnat]

Howdy All,

I'm happy to stumble onto Verla's site - Thank you Verla for such a great forum to learn and meet others!

I write MG and YA and have recently finished one of each. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and work
with a great critique group. I have just toughened up my skin and begun to send out my YA. I was lucky
to attend an editor/agent meet and had the opportunity to pitch my book to her - she has an exclusive for a month so lets see what she says. I'm hoping for some good constructive criticism, or a contract , but the former seems more likely.

Here is a synopsis of my book called Operation Byzantine;

Fourteen-year-old Odysseus ‘O’ Gideon Walker’s life falls apart when his best friend is run over and killed by a yellow cab. After weeks spent locked in his room his shrink decides it would be best to send him to Rome for the summer, away from the haunting memories in New York City. Stuck in a strange country with a father he barely knows and a shopaholic stepmother, O feels like a fish out of water. Things worsen exponentially when members of the Society of the Cloaked World kidnap his father during a covert operation gone wrong at the. O is stunned to learn that he father is a spy and in the fiasco that ensues, Rome is overrun with secret agents and O ends up with the sketch that leads to the Bolos-Democritus Manuscript, a hidden tome that contains the alchemy formula for turning lead into gold. The kidnappers, propose a deadly bargain; the tome for his father’s life. As the clock ticks, O and a new found friend Chavy follow the clues in the sketch.

[Kelsey]

I'm Kelsey.  Big on my MG novel, not yet published, SWAMP SPELLS AND NE'ER-DO-WELLS.  I also write PBs, and right now I'm trying out writing an MG chapter book and a YA novel.   Plus, book II for Swamp Spells...  I think Verla and Douglas have done a great job with these boards.  I haven't tried Yellow, but I'm often on SCBWI and I have a blog  http://www.livejournal.com/users/cocoskeeper/

I'll have my own website up soon, too. 

Glad to meet you all!

[Whiskers Ink]

Welcome Kelsey,

It's nice to see you on this board too.

Sharon

[Kelsey]

Thanks, Sharon!
It's fun to cross boards! :D
Kelsey

[Marybeth]

Hi everyone!   I'm Marybeth.  I've finished the first draft of a middle-grade manuscript l and am halfway through revisions.  I love the Verla Kay site!  Thanks, Verla Kay!  I've been lurking and reading posts on here for awhile, but this is the first time to post myself.  It's nice to meet all of you.  I like the warmth and support I see on these boards.   
Marybeth

[Kelsey]

Hey critique group buddy!  Welcome!!!
Kelsey

[Lynne Mc]

Hi, all, I'm Lynne McCloskey from central California.  I've "known" Verla Kay for quite a while, but have sort of been out of the loop with other writers for a while.  I recently visited her site to find information about promotion and getting reviews because I just published my first novel as an eBook.  When I saw the discussion boards, I had to join.  It's great to be talking with real children's writers again.  There are some writers in my rural area, but I don't think any write for children and you don't get the right type of help from other writers.  So I'm happy to meet all of you.

Lynne Mc

[fuego80027]

Hello everyone! Well I'm Tara. I live in Colorado~Louisville. I'm a married stay at home mommie with two kids.  and I have started work on my first children's book. I am a bit lost in the whole process to be honest.  Any bits of info that anyone could share with me would be great and welcomed.  I am always open to getting emails if anyone wants to contact me that way. Thank you very much!
Bye bye
Tara

[jane Posts: 149 Status: Offline Award Winning Author! WWW]

Okay, it's time to own up.   I've been lurking (here and the yella boards) for months now!  It's time to jump in or take my towel home.

My screen name is Jane, I live in Washington State.  Every couple of years I decide I can just write for the pleasure of writing, then decide there's no point writing if no one sees it.  Then I start the slippery slope of submissions, get my hopes up  - just to crash back to earth.

I write mostly picture books, but I am venturing into magazine writing and mg novels.

I'm married with four kids!  Nap time is my favorite time of the day, because I can sit at the computer without anyone *helping* me type.  LOL

The boards have already been a tremendous help!

Jane
 :cuccoan: