Bye-Bye Blog

After taking the last few weeks off from my blog, I have come to a conclusion.  I need to retire the blog.

I am finding that I have much more creative energy and time if I'm not worried about my next blog post.  I have so little "free" time, I feel like I need to zero in on just a few uses of that time.

I am certainly happy that I started this blog as I was just getting to know the writing community.  It helped me get to know folks quickly.  And I've made some great friends!  The challenge for me now will be to continue to visit all the great blogs I found along the way.  So, thank you all for the welcome, the friendship, the advice, and the support.  I hope I can pay it forward for all of you.

I will still be active on Twitter, so follow me there if you haven't already (@megankbickel).  I'll see you all around cyberspace!

Off the grid

As I expected, keeping up with my on-line world has been very difficult with all my kids home this summer.  So, rather than fight it, I'm going to close up shop for a few weeks.  I'll probably be MIA from here, other blogs and Twitter for at least a week or two (or three or four).

I hope you all have a fantastic mid-summer and enjoy family, friends and good weather.  I'll be soaking up time with my boys, time with extended family, holiday celebrations, and the ability to be outside away from my computer.

Keep writing!  You know I will!!

When it rains, it pours

I have always loved that phrase.  It sums up my life so completely!  When I have one thing to do, it ends up being 20.  But it is also a concept I'm working on in one of my picture books.  It is the idea of piling things on to make them more frantic, energetic, and fun!  When one crazy thing happens, it triggers 20 more. 

It is actually rather difficult to pull off.  I'm having trouble finding that balance between constant action and a jumbled mess.  It is a balancing act that is reflected in my everyday life with three boys.  And like my everyday life, all I can do is try!  : )

Happy writing!

The Good Life

These days, I'm reveling in my children being home with me.  We've picked something fun to do each day and kept the sibling squabbles (mostly) under control.  It is bliss.  But, since I'm juggling being a full time stay-at-home-mom to three boys with being a full time employee of my "real" job, my computer time has taken a major hit.  I have a feeling my posting/comments/tweets will be rather sparse this summer.  Any spare time I have, I'm devoting to writing/revising/submitting.

I hope you all can enjoy some serious summer fun too!  Write on!

A Special Summer

This morning my boys and I sat at the kitchen table to make a list of everything special we wanted to do this summer.  The obvious answers of "Children's Museum" and "Zoo" made the list quickly, but then something funny happened.  They started listing off restaurants.  The same restaurants we always go to.  Places we've been in the last week or two.

My initial thought was, "that's not very imaginative."  But when I thought about it some more, I realized some things. 

First, anything out of the routine (even something as simple as lunch at McDonald's) is special.  Just taking time to break out of schedule and switch up life a little bit is exciting to a three year old.

Second, they enjoy what we do together, even if it is just having dinner.  They love having the attention my husband and I lavish on them when we are out to eat.  That attention is largely our monitoring of appropriate behavior for a meal out with the general public.  But we are hyper-focused on them, and they lap it up.

Finally, my own reaction to adding fast food joints to the list...YES!  Not cooking is always a vacation-worthy endeavor!

Joplin, Missouri

I spent this morning looking at pictures out of Joplin, MO.  The most deadly tornado in 60+ years hit there on Sunday night.

I spent most of last night in my basement with my husband and three sleeping children as storms swept through Indiana with hurricane force winds and at least three tornado touchdowns (nothing too close to us, thankfully).

Tornadoes are a part of life in the Midwest.  I know the drills, I'm all to familiar with the sound of sirens, my youngest asks me if a "tomato" is coming when we troop down to the basement, I can interpret radar images with the best arm-chair meteorologists, and I have plenty of brush-with-tornado stories.

I once pulled my car over on the side of a highway, jumped onto the floor of my backseat, curled into a ball and rode out five terrifying minutes of hail pelting my car as it rocked back and forth in the winds.  I've huddled in laundry rooms, bathrooms, basements, and inner hallways as storms pass.  I cradled a sleeping baby in my arms in a bathtub with pillows around and on top of us.  I've watched a tree being cut off of my swing set, which was reduced to an inch of metal. 

But I've never seen anything like Joplin, MO.  The swath of complete devastation is heart wrenching.  It is the worst nightmare of anyone who lives in tornado country.  It is entire neighborhood flattened.  It is families ripped apart.  It is the total loss of possessions.  It is the unthinkable loss of family members, friends and neighbors.

Of course, Joplin was not the only town devastated by tornadoes recently.  In fact, the storm that swept through Indiana last night had over 60 tornadoes credited to it by the time it reached our boarders.  But for some reason, Joplin has touched my heart deeply.  Perhaps I can see myself and my town in them. 

So, I'm just putting this one little plea for help out there.  Consider, if you will, donating to the American Red Cross.  And remember to be thankful for all you have today.

And then...

What next?  This is a question I've been struggling with for about a year now.  Before then, I just kind of lived in the moment knowing what was coming next.  All my life I knew the next step.  First grade then second then third and on through college.  By the time I graduated from college I knew I was going to get married.  Before I even got married, I knew I was going to have kids.  So now what?

There are no big life milestones in my immediate future.  I'm entering into a phase of my life where I am not planning for any big changes.  I've got 9 years before my oldest goes off to college (or whatever he chooses to do) and 15 before I'm an "empty nester".  Of course I'll be crazy busy being a wife and mother and doing my day job.  But I feel like I'm missing some big thing I'm supposed to be getting ready for, you know?  Like I'm overlooking some major life event.

Guess I'll just have to make my own event.  Like getting a book published some day...

Freeze!

Okay, Time, you have just got to stop marching on.  Really.  Knock it off.  I need a life "pause" button.

My kids are growing too fast.
I don't have enough time to get all my reading done.
I want more time to write.
Laundry, dishes and dust defy the laws of physics to multiply instantaneously.
My "once a month" commitments seem to pop up on my calendar too quickly.
The school year is ending already!
Every time I turn around it is someone's birthday or my anniversary.

Anyone have a magical time-slowing potion?!?

A couple of critiques

I've been meaning to let you all know about a contest over at the Teaching Author's blog.  In celebration of their 2nd blogiversary, they are giving away a critique.  This is such a great opportunity!  They are all published authors, accomplished teachers and fabulous bloggers.  So run on over there and enter!

And then today I was doing my blog rounds and discovered that author Heather Ayris Burnell is also giving away a picture book critique!  So go enter her contest as well! 

Good feedback is worth its weight in gold!

The Enthusiasm Storm

I have a very hard time weathering the enthusiasm storm.  When I write something, I usually get really excited around draft two or three.  I think my story is fun, exciting, fresh, different, brilliant!  Ready to be published!  Of course, I'm wrong.  But it takes a great amount of will power and patience to not just shuttle that little baby manuscript off to agents and publishers right that very moment!

I have learned that I need to step back.  Let the words rest.  Get my critiques in from my groups.  Revise, revise, polish, revise.  Do my agent/publisher research.  Then revise and polish again.

Even after all that, I have regretted submitting the occasional manuscript too soon.  The magical "it's ready" is a very elusive thing.  Spotting it is not a skill I've mastered yet.  But I'm making progress.  How about you?

May in Indianapolis

I am a proud and loyal Hoosier (someone who lives in Indiana).  I was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana.  I love it, love it, love it.  I've gone on and on about the awesomeness of my hometown on here before (see here). 

But now, it is May.  May 2011. 

The 100th Anniversary of The Greatest Specticle in Racing...The Indianapolis 500!

This city knows how to celebrate May.  I just tried typing out all the events, but I couldn't.  I can never remember them all and a mere listing does not do them justice.  There are celebrations, parties, athletic events, fashion shows, awards dinners, festivals, autograph sessions, exhibitions, photo ops, a parade, practice sessions, qualifications, and on and on and on.  Anyone who has ever attended the actual race has been astounded by the scale, the traditions, and the whole experience.

So today, for a little writing motivation, I invite you to think of a major event.  Maybe it is something in your personal life.  Perhaps something the whole world remembers.  But pick one, and write.  Sometimes you'll find a smaller story within a huge one that will spark your interest.  I see hundreds of them each May in Indianapolis.

Here's to Health

It has been a long winter.  A winter of sniffling, sneezing, headachy, sore throat, runny nose madness.  In my family, it has also been a winter punctuated by death in the family, the serious illness of friends and children of friends, and even the death of a friend's child.

The old phrase, "at least you have your health" has never meant more to me.  To be healthy (or even moderately so) is a luxury.  It allows us to get on with the other business of living and growing.  Each spring and fall I slip into a fog of allergies.  But this year, even though the pollen counts are through the roof, I simply don't mind as much.  I'm not going to let them stop me from getting out, having fun, and living life.

So my words of encouragement for to today are simply this: Enjoy your health when you have it.  And hug your kids a little tighter today and be thankful for their health too.  If you aren't healthy, or are struggling with the illness/injury of a loved one, hold on.  You aren't alone.  *Hugs*

The Personal Rejection

Last week I got my first really personalized rejection letter.  It was wonderful!  To actually have some real feedback on my work from an industry professional is priceless!  Of course, none of it was stuff I wanted to hear, necessarily, but you have to count all victories in this process.

How do you react to feedback?  At first, I was very defensive.  I would think, "well they just aren't reading it right" or "they obviously don't get it."  Slowly I realized, if my beta readers aren't getting it...what makes me think the rest of the world will?  It is so difficult to take constructive criticism when you are starting out.  I've gotten much better about it as my journey has continued.

Now, I crave feedback.  Even if it is stuff I don't want to hear.  Because I want to get better.  I want to learn how to communicate effectively with my readers both young and old.  I want to write something that an illustrator will love to get their hands on and a publisher can't wait to publish.  I want to spark imagination!  And I can't do that unless I learn.  So bring it on, personal rejection!!

Sympathy for the Sick Mom

Inspired by my 48 hour knock-out via strep throat last week:

An Acrostic Poem for the Sick Mom

Still trying to correct, clean and manage
Utterly exhausted, sore and hurting
Putting one foot in front of the other
Even while the body objects
Ready for action - just slower, quieter

Manipulating schedules to prevent spreading disease
Offering microwaved meals and lots of TV time
Medicine to the rescue!

Being Picky

As my writing has become more a part of my everyday life (and less a brand-new-super-exciting-new-hobby), I find I'm having to make choices.  Like every other part of my everyday life, I have to balance it along with everything else I do.  As many of you have seen, I have three little boys (8, 5, and 3).  I also have a husband that I LOVE spending time with, a full time job, two schools that I volunteer at, a church that I also volunteer at (and sit on the council), and all of the regular things that go along with home and family. 

Consequently, I'm finding that  I simply can not maintain the level of involvement that I started out with for writing and writing-related activities.  What on earth was taking all my time?  This blog, Twitter, reading and replying on MANY blogs, two critique groups, writing, revising, submitting, live chats, online conferences, and I even did an online webinar.  Whew!

Obviously I'm not going to cut out the writing, revising and submitting.  I would like to maintain this blog and my Twitter account (where I find TONS of useful writing info and news).  I have several blogs that I read religiously and my critique groups are essential.  And the other stuff is helping me learn about writing and improving my writing.  So, what am I cutting out?  Frequency of reading and commenting on blogs.  Some of you may have already noticed me coming around less often.  This doesn't mean I won't be reading - I just may be a week late sometimes.  This doesn't mean I'll go silent.  I just won't comment as much. 

So, don't give up on me or think I'm ignoring you!  Keep up all the awesome work, everyone!

Megan Vs. The Blank Page

Shortly after I started trying to educate myself about writing picture books, I ran into a huge problem.  I couldn't start a story.  I had too much information floating around in my head.  Every time I would start a sentence, I would think of twelve rules I was breaking.  I knew I'd have to go back and fix it, so I just erased it and started again.  And again.  And again.

It was WAY frustrating.

Then I came to the realization that re-writes were part of the process.  I just needed a starting point.  So, the writers block was lifted and I churned out some truly awful first drafts and then started my re-write dance.  I'm averaging about 9 major re-writes per manuscript at this point.  I don't even know how many if you count the little "polish" re-writes too.

But now I'm facing a new problem.  My initial well of ideas is drying up.  It has been almost a full year since I started writing with my head full of story ideas.  For the first time, I'm experiencing an idea drought.  What to do?

Well, I'm still writing.  I'm doing those re-writes, blogging, jotting down snippets and starts.  I'm going back through journals, my PiBiIdMo notebook, and my picture book log book.  I'm trying to look at the world with a writer's mind.  I'm being hyper-observant around kids.

My block will go away at some point.  I'm confident.  I just can't give up, and neither can you!

Who Are You Writing For?

Since I starting this whole "I'm a writer" phase of my life, I've contemplated the above question.  Am I writing for myself?  To give myself an identity, a hobby, an outlet?  To have my moment to connect to the world?  To be a part of a larger writing community and make friends outside my little immediate world?

Or am I doing it for my children?  To leave them a piece of myself to pass down to their children?  To show them it's okay to follow a dream?  To instill a love of reading and writing in them?  To give them a happy and fulfilled mother?

Or for other children?  To share a story?  Touch a life?  Entertain? 

I think the answer is all of the above.  Yes to each question.  I'm doing it for each of those reasons.  Some of them are terribly selfish.  Some of them are hopelessly idealistic.  Realistic and unrealistic.  And I love each and every reason.  They are all me.

Going Thoreau - Who's with me?

I going to do it.  I am.  One day I’m going to snap and go all Henry David Thoreau.  I will abandon all my possessions, build a cabin in the woods and have one chair made of tree limbs one pot to cook in and a bed of leaves.  That’s it.

Think of the bliss!  The freedom!  I won’t step on a Lego or a Hot Wheel ever again.  I won’t have my soul crushed by laundry.  I won’t want to crawl in a hole when I see a stack of paper two feet high on my kitchen table.  I won’t have to deal with repair men for broken appliances or plumbers for clogged pipes.  I won’t spend an afternoon cleaning out a closet when all I wanted was a tote bag which is buried under every shoe, hat, and shin guard in the free world.  I won’t make piles of “give-away,” “garage sale,” “attic,” and “trash.”  I won’t buy more stuff to organize the stuff I already have.  I won’t be embarrassed that my children say, “I already have this” at a birthday party or Christmas.  I won’t bump my hip on the corner of a shelf and break 20 things as they cascade to the floor.  I won’t marvel at the quantity of garbage and recycling we produce in a week.  I won’t long for a bigger house because ours feels too crowded.  

As soon as I figure out how to prevent a fit of sneezing and itchy eyes each time I get a whiff of Mother Nature, I’m totally building that cabin in the woods.

I'm back with a weekend recommendation

Hey everybody!  I'm diving back into life online after a lovely hiatus with my family.  It was wonderful to ignore the computer for a full week.  In fact, I'll probably do that periodically through the summer because it really is therapeutic.

I thought I'd jump back in with my weekend recommendation.  And I'm going to recommend a book that would be a great Easter gift or an excellent "Welcome Spring" read.  It is If You're Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre and illustrated by Jackie Urbanovic.  This is a wonderfully bouncy and cheerful play on the children's song "If you're happy and you know it."  It goes through various animals and how they move and is perfectly fun to read aloud.

I'll be back to my regular postings this week and I'll be making the rounds to everyone else's blogs too, so I'll talk to you all soon! 

My Auction Item!

I just got word from Rach that my auction item is slated to go live tomorrow (Friday) in the afternoon.  Mine will be the 5th item of the day.  It will remain open for bids for 72 hours.

I don't want to give away what I've put up for bid, but you can guess it involves picture books!  And I've opened mine up to international bids.  I'll ship it anywhere!

If you haven't been over there already, I suggest you do!  There are awesome things going up every hour for 7 hours each day.  Pop on over to Write Hope and check it out!