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Peggy's Pages Blog 

Grants and Contests

February 25, 2010
Tags: SCBWI, Grants, contests, work in progress
On my list of things to do is 'apply for the SCBWI Work-in-Progress grant.' Heaven knows that I have enough works-in-progress in my file cabinet! The manuscript that I've chosen to submit is something that I was working on before my life went crazy around the holidays. Now that I've pulled it out again, I'm pretty excited about it and about getting it finished.

That's one of the perks of entering contests and applying for grants. It gets you excited about  Read More 
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You Have to be Committed to be a Children's Author

February 17, 2010
Tags: cmmittment, anniversary, Revision, research, marketing, rejection, acceptance, children's writers
My husband and I just celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. We renewed our vows. Our kids totally surprised us with a celebration with family and friends. It was wonderful.

It made me think about committment. People often want things, but hesitate to make that committment. And it just doesn't work that way. If you love something, or someone, you make a committment to stick with it, through the good and the not so good times. Because it's where your heart it. And it's so worth the journey!

Writing for children is like that, too. First,  Read More 
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Writing--A Lonely Job?: Part II

February 9, 2010
Tags: writing, children's books, critique groups, feedback, connecting with other children's writers, SCBWI, conferences, libraries, bookstores, on line resources, websites, blogs, message boards, listservs, volunteer, contacts
Instead of the word 'lonely,' let's substitute 'solitary.'
You certainly can say that 'writing' is a solitary job. The story is yours alone. The characters, the setting, the voice. No one can write it just the way that you can. So you sit with your pen and paper, or at your computer, alone. And you write the story that's in you head, and in your heart.

Once your story is down on paper, however, there are many ways that you as a writer can connect with others to help you along  Read More 
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Writing--a Lonely Job?

February 4, 2010
Tags: writing, writing for children, interruptions, Stories, Children, critics, story starters, phone calls
Writing is a lonely job! Or is it? Maybe. If you have no kids. And no one knows that you write for children.

I started writing (to be published, that is) when my children were little. It's a bit uncanny how you can write surrounded by six small bodies in constant motion. But I did. In between the "I'm hungry" and "I hafta go potty" and "He/She took that away from me!" I'd sit and write (well, sometimes I would do laundry, or other things).

Occassionally I might hear something like this:
What are you doing, Mommy?
I'm writing a story.
Is it about a pig?
No. But it's about a farmer.
Does he have a pig?
! Read More 
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