jane, candid

My short story “The Impromptu Birthday” was published in the anthology The Ultimate Mom, by HCI Books in March 2009.  It is hard to imagine how I can feel so proud and grateful and downright excited that someone published my funny little story, but I am.  Let me be clear here — my published story is about potty training, a most prestigious literary topic.  It is in the section of the book called “Merriment and Mishaps”.  This reality provides excellent incentive to work hard at my new writing career, lest my sole published clip could be about poo.  And lying to my kid.

I enjoy writing essays and anecdotes about motherhood, writing and life.  I try to make them humorous, mostly; but momhood has a darker side too, that sometimes leaks through.  I write every day and am going to see where my voice leads me.  Blogging serves as a daily writing practice and idea incubator while I work out what comes next.  And, it just feels good.  I am researching and pursuing freelance writing opportunities now, since writing for actual income seems a rational next step.

I also write for children.  A wonderful writing venue launched me on my way — the Write By the Lake writing retreat at the University of  Wisconsin, Madison.  Michelle Medlock Adams taught a joy of a class called Writing for Children.  It turned out to also be a crash course on “How to Get Published Within a Year.”  I followed her advice, and I did.

When writing for children, I first wrote (what I thought of as) “real” children’s book concepts, on more serious subjects.  One meeting with an editor opened my eyes to the wisdom of following my passions and aptitudes; what I liked to write versus what I thought I should write to be published.  I attended the Writer’s Digest Editor’s Intensive in December 2008, and that experience was very powerful.  By following the advice given at that conference, I took my writing career in new directions and have not looked back.  I am currently working on a middle grade children’s novel, started in November 2009 during NaNoWriMo.  It is now in need of much more RevisionoWriMo.  I am a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.

I have received a great deal of excellent writing advice to date, and I see so much encouragement in the writing community.  For that I am grateful, and inspired.  I am excited to see what happens next.