Happy April, all! Hope your month has been a good one so far, with lots of reading. That’s pretty much all I’ve been doing, and it’s been awesome. I’m not such a fan of winter (too cold, and I don’t ski), so I make the best of the winter months by cocooning. Aside from the occasional school visit, of course.
I had a great school visit at a nearby school—how inspiring are those kids… I was reminded how smart upper-elementary kids can be. Of course, I forgot to take pictures (again), and I promptly caught a cold.
No matter, because Mother Nature decided to drop a pile of snow, keeping me hibernating like a brown bear anyway. I will say, I’ve also been complaining about the snow, unlike a brown bear. This bear would rather be on a sunny beach. Maybe there’s a picture book in there somewhere… Bear on the Beach?
What I’ve Been Writing
I’ve been tinkering with a chapter book series, which has been a lot of fun. I try to imagine what kind of book I would’ve liked during those early elementary school years, and that’s what I wrote. It’s a mystery of course (no surprise there), with a cat in it. Super fun, and a good break between larger novel length projects.
Otherwise I’m brainstorming a YA and a MG, deciding what’s next. It’s a tougher decision than I thought…
For my fellow writer friends: how do you decide what to write next?
While I’m pretending to be a hibernating bear, I’m getting lots of reading done. My nightstand is overflowing with books; recently I read Before She Knew Him, a great thriller by Peter Swanson. Lately, I’ve started a few novels by male authors who didn’t quite get the female POV right—but Swanson did a great job in this book. Nice twists and turns; I saw some of it coming, but it was still a great read. Recommended, if you’re looking for a new book to read during the winter.
Because I was working on a chapter book, I read quite a few too… They’re so fun, and remind me why I love writing for kids.
Tempus fugit, y’all.
Where to find me
Aside from a bundle of end-of-year school visits, I’ll be at Pikes Peak Writers Conference May 3-5. If you’re a writer, I hope to see you there!
Also, you may find me in my car, driving to the nearest warm location to escape winter…
How about you? Do you like winter, hate it, or do you ski your way through the snow?
Snow sounds wonderful to me. You can tell I live in a warmer climate (like California). I’m heading to the northern hemisphere around new year ... escaping our summer for a winter with snow ❄️
ReplyDeleteOn the writing front, I have a long list of ‘to do books’ planned and they’re mostly teen.
I remember living in a warm climate, and how that gets old too...
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading more of your writing!