Day 1 did not go well for me.
I have decided NaPiBoWriWee looks like this:
And apparently one of us got up on the wrong side of the bed yesterday!
Picture this:
Morning on Blueberry Hill. A gentle rain is falling. The lilac buds are trembling on the edge of blossoming. The baby finches are a jumble of feathers crowded in the nest under the front entry way, getting close to trying their wings. And I am poised to embark on my NaPiBoWriWee journey.
(Hey! I hear you snickering! What. You think me and poised in the same sentence is oxymoronic? Well, OK. I'll give you that :) But anyway, to continue my riveting tale...)
I sit down before my faithful computer, steaming cup of coffee beside me, and place my fingers on the keyboard.
*imagine music swelling in the background*
*...swelling some more...*
*... and a little more...*
Nothing.
I take my fingers off the keyboard and sip my coffee.
OK. I can do this.
*more music*
Once upon a time, I type.
Another sip of coffee.
Delete delete delete delete delete.....
Herbert was not like the other hedgehogs, I type.
Wait a minute.
That sounds a little too familiar :)
Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete.....
Herbert wanted a dog, I type.
Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete...
Herbert had a problem, I type.
Delete, delete, delete, delete, delete...
I reach for my coffee. It's cold.
As I get up to microwave it back to an acceptable temperature, I notice a dust puppy under the edge of the cabinet. Hmmm... I think. Maybe I should vacuum.
It is a bad sign when housecleaning starts to sound like a good way to spend time!
Perhaps some interpretive dance would waken the muse...
Oof! Ouch! I think I sprained my pancreas!
Thank goodness you didn't see that.
OK. Scratch the interpretive dance.
Anyway, I'll spare you the agonizing details, but I ended up with 4 starts, three of them maybe with potential and 1 of them almost definitely hopeless, but no finishes. Day 2 and I'm already playing catch-up.
Arrgghh!
But never fear. It's a new day! :)
On a much more inspiring note, however, Phyllis is in St. Lucia!!! Hop on over and check it out! She also had a brief visit to Rosalind's in Leicester, England, in case you didn't get to see that yet. She also visited Margaret in California. And if you want to see the cutest thing EVER you must check out Phyllis at Pam's Preschool Prom!
And now, even better, let's get down to Would You Read It!
Today's pitch comes to us from the lovely Darshana. Her special talents by day are solving engineering problems, creating activities for her kids, and concocting ways to spend time with her husband. By night she reads and writes picture books, so one day she can realize her dream of becoming a published author. Check out her book reviews at Flowering Minds, and keep up to date on the latest in the kidlit world by "Liking" her onFaceBook.
Here is her pitch:
Title: Jay's Big Day
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
Pitch: Jay's super-sniffer dashes his dreams of becoming a Police Bird, but his special talent opens up another heroic opportunity.
So what do you think? Would You Read It? YES, MAYBE or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Darshana improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in early July - not that far away! - so go ahead and send your pitch for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Darshana is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!
And I am off to do better on my mss today. Look out, NaPiBoWriWee!
