Book Festival Season, Ohioana Style by Kathy Halsey

It's book festival time! They are popping up like crocuses. Last weekend, I explored the 9th annual Ohioana Book Festival in downtown Columbus and am sharing my writer take aways.

The festival boasted panel discussions by illustrators, poetry, publishing tips, and over 100 Ohio authors! Twenty-four of those authors were children's/middle grade/young adult. 

In the exhibitors' hall, I reintroduced myself to the amazing Margaret Peterson Haddix, who remembered her visit to my intermediate school library when the Shadow Children series was new. I volunteered that I wrote now, and she graciously took my business card. Connect and share with other authors...the famous ones are usually uber nice.

Marlane Kennedy, Margaret's booth mate, shared her new series DISASTER STRIKES and the fact that she'd written for 14 years before her debut book ME AND THE PUMPKIN QUEEN took off. (Persistence pays off. Great ideas that resonate w/kids -disasters- pay off in a series. Each is set in a different locale and has diverse characters, too.) I am studying the 1st one for clues on structure.

I also met Dr. Kevin Cordi, professional storyteller, professor, and co-director for the Columbus Area Writing Project at OSU. I am already devouring his newest book, PLAYING WITH STORIES. In this craft book for writers, educators and storytellers, Kevin says we forget to play with our work. He has tons of exercises to open writers up to "what if's" and different ways to approach our stories before we even commit them to paper. 

Janet w/Choose to Read Ohio Poster

M.Anne Touvell, Meg Brown, and Thurber House volunteer

I wrapped up the festival by connecting w/ librarian friend Janet Ingraham Dwyer, library consultant at the State Library of Ohio, and the directors of Thurber House. SLO, the Ohioana Library Association, and The Ohio Center for the Book has created wonderful toolkits for Ohio authors' books to be used by educators, families, and caregivers. Janet and I worked together on the teacher toolkits back in 2011. Take a gander at these for ideas for your own teacher toolkits.

The Thurber House is another great Ohio literary stop, home of humorist James Thurber, which hosts literary picnics, featured writers, and writer-in-residence programs, too. I shared my experiences of teaching and writing and pitched an adult class for beginning picture book writers. I followed up this week w/my resume and have my fingers crossed. Even if I don't teach a class there, I know I'll volunteer and get to know this fabulous resource better.

Enjoy festival season and soak up some literary goodness with the GROG. Where are YOU going this year to feed your creative soul? Let us know in the comments. 

Wherever You Go: A Moving Experience by Kathy Halsey, inspired by Pat Zietlow Miller

I hope this post inspires you and me. Sometimes we writers must write for us, and that's where I am today after moving from Phoenix AZ back to Columbus OH. That's about 1,870.7 miles with a Corgi, according to this cake my husband's congregation gave us. 

I welcome new adventures, just like the rabbit does in Pat Zietlow Miller's new rhyming PB, WHEREVER YOU GO. In fact, this inspiring book was literally on my door step the day we received keys to Hedley Place. This cheery book, reminded me that I can always find the road home again. But, it HAS been hard to keep my writing momentum going for the least 2 months.

Pat's opening lines reminds us to "just open your door." She tell us that "Roads...reach;" and "Roads...grow," and "Roads...climb."

My road to Ohio has loomed like a mountain. But the rabbit and Pat remind us on our ascent, we'll be 

"Clinging to cliffs,

Chasing a cloud.

Reaching the top.

tired but proud." 

So what did I do when life made it hard to write? Here's what helped and is still helping:

1. Pack a writing notebook and a WIP. I did jot notes and ideas as we traveled, but I never touched the WIP. Just having it in the car made me think about another way to approach the story, though.

2. Keep reading & connecting. I  kept up nightly w/FB posts on writing. It was all my brain could manage, but my tribe nourished me.

3. Look at illustrator Eliza Wheeler's spread above. Our MC, Mr. Rabbit, found some friends to help him climb. I began to connect to Ohio writers before I left AZ. I emailed my SCBWI Ohio RA, made plans to meet YA writer Jody Casella (THIN SPACE, YA debut) in person, and attend a critique group that meets at the Upper Arlington library monthly. 

4. Make commitments. I won't wobble off the road if I make promises to others. This week:author interview Monday w/Patricia Toth, this GROG post, and the Ohioana Book Festival Saturday where I'll meet Jody and an old friend from the Sate Library of Ohio. 

5. Grow your road and make it new. I have a new office set-up, my files are organized, and my picture book/middle grade library is alphabetized now. 

I am tired, proud, and I have this lovely tree, new to me, in my backyard! Thanks to Pat Zietlow Miller - I also have inspiration to keep going for the summit.