Peggy Archer
Children's Author

It's been a hot summer here in northwest Indiana, but the weather was perfect for sitting outside under the shelter at the Indiana Writers' Consortium picnic two Saturdays ago.

There was a Children's Corner for the kids, with activities planned by Janine Harrison, Karen Kulinski, and myself, ending with a game of Find That Dog!

For the adults there were games of Literary Bingo, a scavenger hunt, and a white elephant auction. I was intrigued by the package with the clue "Poetry in Motion," and was the highest bidder, netting me a pedometer! Other packages revealed an autographed picture book, markers, pens, notepads, a jar of inspiration, more books, and other things writers appreciate.

It's always a great time when writers get together.

I'll be on my way to LA tomorrow morning to attend the national SCBWI conference for children's writers and illustrators. I can't wait! It will be my first time to LA as well as my first SCBWI conference in LA. I will report about it here next week!

My 'boot' is off and I'm walking with two feet again! I've been trying to balance getting things squared away here at home before I leave, and keeping up with blogs and writing. Hence the combined blog posts for this week and last. Next week's blog post will likely be at the end of the week.

Have a wonderful end of July, and I'll see you here in August!

There's corn in Indiana as you can see on the left, and also below! I hope you enjoy my corny riddles for writers (answers at the end--copyright Peggy Archer 2010).

In my pink striped pajamas
I’m a poet with a pen.
In my pin - striped pajamas
I’m on line 2,010!
In my pi - - striped pajamas
I keep writing, but I thi - -
That I’d better get a pencil
‘cause I’m running out of - - -!

1--What was the author's favorite baby toy?
2--Why did the author sit under the light bulb?
3--Where do vampires go to write?
4--Why did the poet give his book away?
5--What kind of books do carpenters write?
6--What did the mailperson put on when the temperature got cold?
7--How does a musician write a bestseller?
8--How did the bird tell everyone about his book?
9--Why did the journalist sit outside his cubicle to write?
10--How may writers does it take to change a lightbulb? (from a screenwriting email list)

Quote & advice for writers: "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."
--Corn-fucius (aka Confucius)

answers:

ink
1--Writers blocks
2--He was waiting for a bright idea.
3--Pencil-vania
4--It was free verse.
5--Board books
6--a Cover letter
7--He writes noteworthy fiction.
8--He tweeted.
9--He was thinking outside of the box.
10--Only one, but it needs a spectacular twist at the end.

It's hot. Everywhere! Is anyone getting anything done?!

The Fourth of July holiday made me think about the word 'United' as in 'United States' or 'United under God.' And as my mind trailed off, I thought of how children's writers and illustrators unite and connect with each other. What we have in common brings us together. Our love of good books. Our connectivity with children. One of the best places for children's writers or illustrators to be united is through SCBWI,the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators. It's a place to find each other. That perfect critique group, the author who says just the right thing to motivate or send us in the right direction, or that editor who is looking for just the story we've written.

Children's writers are very generous people. They share information, marketing tips and updates, opportunities for children's writers. They want the rest of us to succeed, too!

Maybe on this holiday we might stop and think about what our own part is here. So in honor of Independence Day, let's each share one bit of helpful information with another children's writer or illustrator this week. It's sure to come back to us many times over.

I've finally added some photos here from my recent author events. Thanks to everyone who made my visits so enjoyable! The Book Launch Party for NAME THAT DOG! was great fun-- thanks to everyone who came to help celebrate my new book.

A special thank-you to YA author, Janet Fox, for interviewing me on her blogspot. You can find the interview at http://bit.ly/9h0zPI. While you're there, check out Janet's website at www.janetfox.com.

Writers of all genres are invited to the 2nd anual Indiana Writers Consortium picnic on July 17th, from noon to 4:00pm at the Community Park Lions Shelter in Munster, IN. Come and meet other local writers. Enjoy the games, and bid on items at the silent auction. Bring a dessert or side dish, and enjoy lunch and soft drinks which will be provided. For more information go to www.indianawritersconsortium.org. I hope to see you there!

If you love to read, and ever have the opportunity to go to Book Expo America, don't miss it! I've gone when it was held at McCormick Place in Chicago. The thought of being in such a huge building, surrounded by publishers and booksellers, is mind boggling in itself. THEN you realize there are free books! AND you can stand in line to have your 'free' books autographed by the authors. Be sure to take something along to carry your treasures home.

This year BookExpo was in New York. Children's authors Cory Doctorow, Mitali Perkins, and Richard Peck spoke at the BEA Children's Authors Breakfast presented by the Children's Book Council (CBC). If you missed BEA and the author breakfast, you can still hear these great children's authors speak. Go to http://www.bookexpocast.com/, scroll down the page to the 2010 BEA children's Author Breakfast, and click on the podcast. It's worth the visit there. Of the three, I've heard Richard Peck in person and he is a wonderful speaker. All three are very inspiring and encouraging here.

I can't wait for BEA to come back to Chicago again!

In my newest picture book, NAME THAT DOG!, Xerox is the name for the letter X.

From the tops of his ears
to the tip of his tail
and everything else in between--
he couldn't have looked
any more like his dad
if he'd come from a copy machine!

copyright Peggy Archer 2010
from NAME THAT DOG! Dial Books 2010

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Especially to my husband, Chuck :)

Windows, blogs, websites! Facebook, twitter, e-books and now iPads! Just when I get comfortable with something new, the next thing comes out!

I'm ok with updating my website, when I have plenty of time to do it. That's one of my goals for June (maybe July?). I want to change a few things, and add a few things, like activities for NAME THAT DOG!.

The thing is that when I finally get something down, it changes! I just got Windows 7. I know where to find the help tools I need to click on in XP. Did they really need to change the locations of those in Windows 7?!

I've gotten the blog thing down, sort of. I still sometimes have difficulty adding pictures. Facebook is ok, too. Only I wanted to create an album of pictures there and forgot how. I don't have an iPhone. I have enough trouble figuring out anything more than using my cell phone to send and receive calls. Although I did learn to text recently.

I've not explored twitter yet. E-books and iPads are another thing I haven't tried. Actually the iPad looks great. I got a look at it when Stephen Roxburg was here for our SCBWI conference a few weeks ago. His company namelos publishes ebooks for YA (Young Adult) readers. He thinks that picture books on the iPad will be coming, too, down the road. I've got mixed feelings about that.

Stephen showed us a Dr. Seuss book on the iPad, and all of the interactive things you can do with it. You can sit next to your child and read together, just like holding a book. At first thought it seemed great. But I've seen my 2, 3, and 4 year old grandchildren watching a TV program. With their eyes glued to the screen, so mesmerized by what's going on, it's difficult to break their concentration. Their TV time is very limited, and I can see why. Will reading via an electronic book do the same thing? On the other hand, they're 'reading' a book, so can it be all bad? Progress--or just change--is sometimes hard to accept.

I've been told that it's the reading that's important, not the means they use to read. So I'll keep on writing for children, with pencil on paper, before finishing up on my computer. And hope that I'll have another book, made of paper and board, to hold in my hands some day.

My post is rather late this week, and not entirely focused! I'm still in down time after our daughter's wedding on Saturday. We welcome a new son into our family! It was a wonderful wedding, and a great day to celebrate two wonderful people.

Second to celebrating the bride and groom, children really make weddings such fun. Sarah and Chad had two ring bearers, both going on four years old, and a flower girl who was two. The boys were each to carry teddy bears wearing ties and holding rings, down the aisle. One left his at home so the other gave him his bear and decided to carry his favorite horsey instead. The flower girl, who looked like a bride herself, smiled and walked down the aisle, princess style.

A few hours later, with a few more kids at the reception, the dancing couldn't start soon enough. They danced before dinner, would have danced during dinner, and danced again with renewed spirit after dinner! Later they probably danced in their sleep.

Oh, to be a kid again! To carry your new friend's teddy bear down the aisle for him. To walk down the aisle with that familiar old blue horsey to give you courage. To eat the icing and leave the cake. To dance when no one else is dancing. To sit on the floor when you're tired.

Oh, to feel like a kid again! Their innocence, their energy, their smiles and inhibitions will do that to you.

I love quotes! I have a collection of quotes and sayings. Many are by children's authors, but some are just inspirational. Quotes help me to re-affirm that all of this time spent writing for children is worth it all.

My favorite is in a frame in my computer room.
"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove.... But the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

And how about these:

"Books fall open, You fall in."

“The writer’s magic word is BIC—Butt in chair.”—Jane Yolen

"You must write for children in the same way as you do for adults, only better." –Maxim Gorky (1868-1936).

"Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it." Madeleine L’Engle

“Dear Editor, Why do you keep sending my stories back? You’re supposed to print them and make me rich and famous. What is it with you???” –Snoopy (Charles Schultz)

Here's one from Winnie the Pooh: "I am a bear of very little brain and long words bother me."
Pooh is probably the one who I write picture books for!

"Growing up with 5 brothers taught me that it’s good to be the guy telling the story after the lamp gets broken." —Jon Scieszka

"Only God gets it right the first time." Stephen King

"I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work." Thomas Alva Edison

A heart hangs on a knob on my desk that says:
"Creative clutter is better than idle neatness."
Whoever wrote that one must have seen my computer room!

And to remind me to keep on believing, and dreaming, and working toward a goal is a postcard that stands on top of my computer. It reads:
"Believe, dream, will... and put it in the hands of God." Dr. Norman vincent Peale.

If you have any favorite quotes, please feel free to share them here!

Focus on the Novel, the Indiana SCBWI Spring Conference for children's writers, took place at Purdue University Calumet in Hammond this past Friday evening and Saturday. An inspiring week-end was spent with speakers Stephen Roxburg, founder and publisher of namelos, and Lisa Graff, middle grade author and former editor at FSG. (more…)