Mighty Kid Lit Hosted by Michele Ziemke

By Suzy Leopold

Welcome to the GROG Blog Michele Ziemke! 

Michele is a kidlit creator. She enjoys writing and illustrating children's literature. She is also the creator of the kidlit platform Mighty KidLit.

WHO?

Hosted by Michele Ziemke and Percy the Mascot.

Percy

WHAT?

Mighty Kid Lit for authors and illustrators–published and pre-published. 

Six weeks ago Michele invited published and pre-published authors and

illustrators to become members of Mighty KidLit. Mighty Kid Lit continues

to welcome kidlit folks. This week the total reached 200 members.

The goal of Mighty Kid Lit is to create a supportive kidlit community for authors and illustrators at all levels of writing and illustrating experience. If you are new to creating children's literature or are a published author or illustrator this is a nurturing and caring community.

This free kidlit community offers:

• Creativity Building

• Book Launch and Birthday Parties

• Critique groups for writers and illustrators

• Art portfolios

• Pitch perfect critique group

• Picture book critique group

• Middle-grade critique group

• Chapter book critique group

• Picture book deep dive--a book study every month
• Resource page of picture books by Mighty Kid Lit members, including links to purchase and ISBN numbers to request from your local library
• Mentorships to inspire developing talent while offering an avenue for published and agented authors and illustrators to give back. This week, seven members will be chosen for the first two-week mentorship from published authors and illustrators.
• A bi-yearly showcase is in the planning stages. Literary agents and editors will be invited.

"It's like Twitter on steroids!" says Michele.

Illustrations created by Michele

WHEN?

Daily Digest posts; 24/7

Momentum Monday

Tickle Me Tuesday

Expert Wednesday

Writers Life Thursday

Fabulous Friday

Sharing Saturday

More events are coming soon! 

WHERE?

Join us at Mighty Kid Lit

Sharing an invite Notice as a referral from Michele and me. You may receive a redirect notice.

If you need further information please contact Suzy at sleopold@gmail.com

WHY?

Michele believes, "Children’s literature has the power to change the world

one word at a time, building love, acceptance, and a sense of community

in young lives."

She continues, "I was given so much by the KidLit community, that I really wanted to give back. I believe we can create an awesome community with awesome writers and

illustrators who strive to be connected and strive to be more creative. 

It’s impossible to become creative overnight, and awesomeness never happens

alone." 

Michele and Chole

Thank you, Michele, for your generosity in giving to the kidlit community by creating the Mighty Kid Lit platform. It's a great place where book creators can come together for support and opportunities to learn and grow. 

Percy, Michele, and I look forward to welcoming new members to Mighty Kid Lit. Let's read, write, and create together.

To find more information about Michele:

Twitter

Artist / Author / Optimist

Facebook

Rethinking Social Media Time for Creatives

By Suzy Leopold

How are you doing with social media [SM] during these unprecedented times?

Is SM supporting your reading, writing, and creating goals? For many creatives, SM can be a distraction as one attempts to stay informed with issues and concerns during a global pandemic and a call for kindness and respect for all.

I notice when I step back from social media for short, frequent pauses I find more time to do what matters to me. I’m not planning on giving up on my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts completely. However, I’ve found these social media breaks impact my life in positive ways, including more reading, more writing, more creating, and most importantly more family time. I am thankful for the connections I’ve made with like minded writers I’ve met online, from trusted critique partners to friendships. 

Taking conscious SM breaks provides more headspace for creativity to show up in new ways.

I picked these flowers for you!

Social media and smartphone use are destroying attention span.

We’ve become a distracted world. Research shows our attention span is shorter than that of a goldfish. Research shows our attention span is becoming less. Check out the research in this info gram:

We are interrupted by notifications, reminders, and alerts almost all day long.

Often we interrupt ourselves to quickly check email messages, Facebook posts, create a tweet on Twitter, and/or scroll through Instagram. “Just checking in” derails deep, concentrated creative work and usually extends longer than just a five to ten minute quick look.

The human brain needs twenty minutes to resume and get back on task after a distraction.

As a writer, having an online presence somewhere is important for followers and a reading audience. However, one doesn’t need to be everywhere, all of the time on line.

Social media impacts our creativity in positive and negative ways.

Social media and searching the Internet can spark creativity. There are valuable emails to read, blogs to learn from, and FB posts written by like minded creatives. Many of these posts share information, inspiration, and encouragement for readers, writers, and creators.

These online communities can push your creative boundaries. However, there needs to be a balance. Spending too much time on SM can derail your goals.

The Internet and social media offer resources to writers and illustrators and can be an excellent tool.

There may be times to step away from online communities and engage with people in your community to bring fresh ideas that you won’t find on your FB feed.

Talking and reading about writing are not the same as actual writing.

“Social media groups for writers practically beg us to talk about our work, and it’s easy to spend our designated writing time talking about writing instead of actually writing. It’s important that we balance our desire to connect online with our need to guard our work time.”

Jess Townes, Co-Regional Advisor for the Kansas-Missouri SCBWI

Revisit the SMART goals you created at the beginning of the year. Make adjustments if need be. Push your writing to the next level.

For more information about goals click SMART goals. An additional post can be found by clicking more SMART goals.

I picked some more flowers for you

“Don’t wait, write. Take an hour a week, or twenty minutes a day. Or a four day retreat. If writing is something you love to do, then just do it. Plain and simple. You can do it. Don’t wait, write.”

Amanda Zieba, Children’s Book Author

Balance your desire to connect online with your need to set aside valuable time to read, write, and create.

In the comments below share a tip about how you balance your creative time with social media time to be eligible for the giveaway. If you follow the instructions, I’ll put your name in a hat and draw two winners. Each winner will receive a hand crafted bookmark painted with watercolors. U. S. Mail only.

The two lucky winners will be announced on the next GROG Blog on July 22nd. Good luck!

NF Fest by Leslie Colin Tribble

Hooray, today's the day! The day you can sign up for NF Fest coming in February. What's that? You don't know what NF Fest is and why you should be interested? Well, read on then and learn all about it.

A few years ago, a group of kidlit writers formed a group they named the Nonfiction Chicks. They've been writing and posting on their blog but decided they wanted something more, something big to help other nonfiction writers. Enter NF Fest, a month-long celebration of all things nonfiction, and it starts February 1.

I reached out to a few writers involved with this event and asked them for a couple sentences on why GROG readers should participate in NF Fest. Here's what some of them said:

Nancy Churnin (organizer)
The Nonfiction Chicks, a group of seven children’s book writers, have been working hard to put together a free writing challenge that will introduce you to what you need to know to get started writing non-fiction for kids and to improve your non-fiction writing for kids. You’ll get posts from some of the best in the business, from Jen Bryant to Candace Fleming to Don Tate and Traci Sorrell, addressing everything from different types of non-fiction, to research, sources, illustration, where to get ideas and more. There’ll be activities and prizes for participants that sign up in the Jan. 15-31 registration period. And, did I mention it is free? FREE! FREE! FREE! Plus, you’ll be part of the NFFest Facebook group where you can ask questions, talk and support each other. The NFFest will give you an amazing and unique opportunity to learn and to meet and become part of the greater community of children’s nonfiction book writers.



I had the privilege of being roommates with Nancy at a retreat, and all I can say is, if she's in, I'm in.

Lisa Amstutz (organizer)
Nonfiction writers won't want to miss NF Fest this February! This free event will feature daily blog posts from publishing professionals along with giveaways and activities for you to try at home. Join the NF Fest Facebook group for more information, networking, and discussion and check out the website at www.NFFest.com.

I've also had the privilege of meeting Lisa at retreats, as well as having done a mentorship with her and again, if she's in, I'm in.

Beth Anderson (presenter)
You know your topic. That’s not enough.
You've good writing skills. That’s not enough.
You have a critique group. Still not enough.
What you really need is the village!
There’s no part of a published book that doesn’t benefit from the shared experiences of the generous kid lit community—considering an idea, researching, getting at the heart, finding the right structure, drafting, revising, submitting, publishing, promoting, sharing with classrooms, creating presentations….The names of all the people who contributed in some way to the creation of a book could fill the endpapers front and back. To have a month of learning focused on the challenges of writing NF for kids is a truly special gift and an opportunity not to be missed! You’ll collect resources, pick up new methods, and gather all sorts of nuggets as you connect with like minded writers and find encouragers. (And some of the authors I’ve been stalking a-hem, following over the last few years are IN THIS GROUP!) I can’t wait!

Beth is the author of, An Inconvenient Alphabet, and the just released, Lizzie Demands a Seat. I met her at a SCBWI event and she's amazing.

Vivian Kirkfield (presenter)
Why should Grog Blog readers sign up for NF Fest? When I decided to write children’s picture books, one of the first things I did (after joining SCBWI) was to sign up for writing challenges. StoryStorm, 12x12, Susanna Hill’s contests…those were the building blocks of my writing journey. And now, even though I have three books that debuted in 2019, another that launches this month, and more coming in 2021 and 2022, I know I still have a lot to learn. Then, along came NF Fest and before you could say - do you want to write nonfiction - I was already registered! Every day for a month, an industry pro will offer expertise on one topic or another that relates to writing nonfiction. I’m honored to be one of the bloggers and will be sharing my thoughts on Creating a True Story When Information is Scarce. But more than the knowledge, participants will enjoy the camaraderie, support, and encouragement that is so very important in this business that is filled with rejection and waiting…and more rejection and waiting. Don’t wait another minute…sign up for NF Fest. And guess what? It’s FREE and there will be PRIZES!

Have you been following Vivian and seen the number of books she's had published in the past year and those coming out in the future? She will have some treasure you can take to heart in your own writing.

Jill Esbaum (presenter)
Any writer who's hooked on nonfiction -- writing it OR reading it -- can't miss Nonfiction Fest. I've seen the list of authors who'll be posting, as well as glimpses of what they'll be sharing. It's an amazing cross-section of talent and a winning combination of education and inspiration! See you there!

Jill is a wonderful and prolific writer of picture books in all genres, and just released her latest, We Love Babies! She's a lovely person and incredible author, and you're going to want to hear what she has to say during NF Fest.

Let's face it. February for most of us is a waiting month - the holidays are over, the excitement of a new year has lost its luster, and the weather is awful. Last year in Wyoming the bottom dropped out of the thermometer and we stayed at -20 below zero for weeks. People need something to do indoors at that point, something that will improve the craft of their writing, provide inspiration and give them something to live for until the weather gets better. I think NF Fest fits the bill.

But maybe you don't write nonfiction. Is this still for you? I would say, "ABSOLUTELY!" Craft is craft, whether it be intended for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, humor, whatever. If something gives you inspiration and makes you a better writer, then by all means, be a part of that. And who knows? You might catch the nonfiction bug!

Sign up for NF Fest starts today, January 15 and goes through January 31. See you there!

ANYWHERE: The Place Ideas Live — Part One by Carol Coven Grannick

As I think about the school visits I hope to do after Reeni's Turn (my MG novel in verse) arrives in the world, I anticipate a child asking a question so many writers hear: Where do you get your ideas?

As writers, we know for sure that working hard to find ideas may not the most productive way of discovering ideas.

It's a seemingly simple, but actually complex question, because it involves our brains. And we don't really mean 'ideas', which by definition are thoughts or opinions. We mean thoughts or opinions that are unique, new, or completely different. They turn us suddenly onto a new path with a delightful shock, or slowly with awe and wonder. We can feel the difference!

I found myself thinking about the where-ideas-come-from question during a recent walk in the Mary McDonald Woods at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. It's a place in which I feel my brain clear out and open up as soon as I enter.

That day, my husband and I strolled along the winding trails, quiet, taking in the soft feel of the path, the almost-bare trees, the clean smells. After awhile, I stopped to take photos here, there, up into a tree.

I'd click, then tuck my phone away and pull out a small notebook and pen and scribble in a word or phrase. It wasn't something I planned. But it was something I was prepared for.

My mind popped with ideas for poetry inspired by a leaf,

Frozen in Time

young trees growing in a group,

Family Portrait

and two trees in 'conversation'.

My Nest's Bigger Than Your Nest

I believe it happened because my brain was open to two important aspects of discovering and receiving creative ideas: 1) noticing and 2) surprise.

Who forgot to sweep the floor?

 I Promise, It's Up There!!

May I Lean On You?

The outdoors offers many opportunities to notice, and according to research, to allow our brains to "open". And I do believe that time outdoors impacts the brain. But I also believe we can experience an open brain, receptive to noticing and to surprises, anywhere.

One of my indoor places that's loaded with opportunities to notice events, comments, and interactions is my favorite early childhood center.

Words spoken by the two, three, and four year-olds light my brain up and whisper, Surprise! And suddenly there's a new idea for a poem, a short story, or a picture book.

Creative ideas can happen in relaxed moments, or in response to a sensory, internal, or external experience so compelling that it pushes the brain into a state of attention, reminding it to find delight and poetry in a thing, an event, or an interaction.

Or they may occur during the routine chores of everyday life—folding laundry, cutting up veggies, mopping the kitchen floor.  It's not hard to love these times, the small, routine activities of daily life, when they become opportunities for receiving surprising ideas that float or pop in.  

It's as if the absence of looking for creative ideas—or even needing them—allows them to arrive in our brains, as long as those brains are open to the world around us—anything, everything, and anyone in it. 

Any moment we're alive in the world and open to noticing, our brains may also open to the surprise of a creative idea. Those wonderful new ways of experiencing anything in the world happen anywhere we are.

And then all we have to do is grab the nearest piece of paper and write them down.

Which means keeping paper everywhere...and especially, Anywhere.

Where or how do you find your Anywhere?

(Part Two: coming in February)

Blasting Through Writer's Block ~ by Christy Mihaly

When faced with the dreaded Writer’s Block . . . what should a working writer do?

Pyre-Vulpimorph: http://fav.me/d5xoc7s

(a) sit and stew

(b) scream and shout

(c) swear: "I'll never write again!"

OR 

(d): Read this post, and get yourself out of that funk. 

GROG readers, take heart! Yes, sometimes it seems as if the Muse has flown, never to be seen again. We've all been there. But if you're looking for a way out of the mire, select option (d), and consider these tried-and-true secrets for blasting through that block.

1. Move! Get up from your dreary desk, and try one (or more) of these potentially productive options for movement:

Christian Gonzalez, flickr:
  https://www.flickr.com/
photos/full-aperture/8265272536    

a. Take a walk. Some writers call this “walking the story.” It’s smart to carry a notebook and pencil, or some other way to record your thoughts, because inspiration often shows up on long walks.

b. Move to a different writing space. Maybe it’s just to a comfy chair in the den. Maybe you can sit with your laptop under the spreading oak. You’ll benefit from  looking at the world from a new perspective.

c.  Run some errands. If it’s stuff you have to do anyway, don’t think of it as wasting time . . . just be sure to keep your mind open to creative thinking while driving or walking or riding. And if you have to pull over and write something down – do it.

d. Take a shower. Sometimes, ahem, we at-home writers might “forget.” Look down. Are you still wearing your pajamas at 2:00 p.m.? Perhaps a nice shower and a change of clothes would get the blood flowing to the brain.

2.     Find Fresh Inspiration. There are many ways to recharge your writing batteries and collect new writing ideas.

a.  Read.  Read mentor texts. Read poetry. Read anything. Notice what works and doesn’t work, yes. But read, read, read, for the pleasure of it.

b.  Watch kids. Don't be creepy, but if you’re a writer for children, you must understand how kids operate to write authentically about and for them. Sit by a playground or park, if you can, or spend time observing your own children or grandchildren.

c.  Fill the well. If your creativity is running dry, consider visiting an art show or a museum, or drawing or painting or playing some music or singing or doing whatever it is that feeds your artist’s spirit.

Leonid Pasternak, “The Passion of Creation”  [wikimedia]

d.  Call a writing buddy. Commiserate with someone who understands. Ask your friend to hold you accountable for your writing. Talk over some ideas that might work.

e.  Work on your craft. Are you thinking about signing up for a course or a workshop? Perhaps it’s a good time to buy a book about the craft of writing, and start working through it.

f.   Stretch your writing muscles. Switch it up with some writing exercises. If your picture book isn’t working, try making a picture book dummy. Compose a poem in your main character’s voice. Or change your story from the past tense to the present. Find the fun!

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/theilr/5360570788    

3. Productive procrastination. You must, of course, avoid regular procrastination -- the time-wasting kind. But in a pinch, a bit of writing-related procrastination may prove profitable. So if creative energy eludes you, try some tasks that use other parts of your writing brain.

a. Pursue the business of writing. Update (or write) your lists, your spreadsheet of manuscripts, your chart of submissions. Send a reminder to someone who has been holding your manuscript or query for six months; submit a piece if it’s ready.

b. Organize your files. Be on the lookout for a prior draft or an old manuscript that calls to you. Is it time for a fresh revision? Is this just what an editor wants now? Can you breathe new life into this piece?

 Sharon Drummond, https://www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/4487159833    

c.  Check your deadlines. Maybe you have another project that’s due soon, or the contest you've meaning to enter is about to close. Deadlines can be highly motivating.

d.  Research. Maybe you need to do library or field research or photo research, for fiction or nonfiction work. Maybe you can work investigate possible publishers, agents, markets, or theme lists, doing research can inspire new writing ideas. Completing a bibliography can feel very productive, too, and remind you just how much you know about your topic.

e.   Plan a presentation. Have you been meaning to schedule a school visit or bookstore presentation? Think about working on this.

f.  Consider your writing plan. Identify your writing priorities. Do you want to sign up for a writing course? Read a book on craft? Do you want to try a different genre? Join a writing group? Volunteer for SCBWI? All these actions can move your writing forward . . . and get you out of the block.

And, finally, one of my personal favorites. . . write a blog post! 

If you have your own writer's block remedies to share, let us know in the comments.  And happy writing!