Love, Laughter, and Life

Adventures With a Book Lover


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Storystorm Day 12: “Dances with Ketchup” by Julie McGann

by Julie McGann My name is Julie McGann and I am a wish-granting digital artist who captures the imagination of little dreamers worldwide by giving them the dream pet they have always wanted. Child…

Source: Storystorm Day 12: “Dances with Ketchup” by Julie McGann

I love the way Julie creates her imaginative art! Perfect for kids of all ages.


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Storystorm Day 11: “Rrrrripped from the Headlines” by Chana Stiefel

by Chana Stiefel Well, Storystormers. We have made it to January 11 already. While many of us have developed an aversion to the news these days, I encourage you to give your morning newspaper a sec…

Source: Storystorm Day 11: “Rrrrripped from the Headlines” by Chana Stiefel

Interesting story ideas can literally be rrrrippped from the newspaper! How fun is that?


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The Original New Year – Every Day – Fresh Start

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A childhood song came dancing through my mind this morning, singing to the new year and new beginnings. After several days of reading blog posts and emails about New Year resolutions and words for the year, my thoughts were certainly considering all things new.

Isn’t it wonderful to have a fresh start? Why can’t we do that every day, all year long? Every January, I find myself more energized and committed to my goals and dreams, yet from past experiences (years upon years), I’m pretty sure I will experience fatigue and begin to prune my high expectations. Or at least forget my word of the year (which I have yet to discover). Life will interfere, changes will happen, and by the end of the year, those beginning plans will have fallen by the wayside or will have been altered so much they barely resemble original thoughts.

That’s ok, though, really. We cannot foresee the twists and turns of life, so wisdom would dictate that we make adjustments and refine our goals, dreams, plans.

Fresh resolutions every morning would be much more manageable.

Write. Read. Learn. Love. Do.

A basic plan, a few words, doable. Perhaps too broad, but easy to adjust each day. And the perfect-for-me way to enjoy new mornings every day as the sun rises.

The original fresh start and new beginnings?

“The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)

and

“Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’” Revelation 21:5 (NKJV)

 

Care to join me in a fresh new beginning each morning?

 

Karen Witemeyer penned similar well-crafted thoughts about new beginnings. You can find her at Inspired by Life and Fiction.


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Storystorm Day 10: “Storystorm While You Work” by Nancy Churnin

by Nancy Churnin If I had a nickel for every time someone asked me if I was going to quit my job now that my first book has been published, I’d have…a couple of dollars. Which is not enough t…

Source: Storystorm Day 10: “Storystorm While You Work” by Nancy

Story ideas may be found anywhere, we just gotta pay attention and catch them!


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Storystorm Day 9: “The Original Character” by Salina Yoon & Christopher Polentz

by Salina Yoon & Christopher Polentz People often ask me if my characters come first, or the story. Which inspires the other? Each book is different, but it’s an interesting question, and fun t…

Source: Storystorm Day 9: “The Original Character” by Salina Yoon & Christopher Polentz

Intriguing way to search for story ideas!


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Party Time! Thank You, Followers!

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It’s party time, followers!

 

Thank you for voting in confidence

for my posting and blogging bent.

I’m so glad to meet you here,

sharing where we went.

 

Horrid, I know, but meant very well;

Thanks for hanging with me.

The (blog) world is our oyster!

Forward now, to see what we see.

 

As we learn and play and chat and goof,

join in the fun, my dears;

Welcome, friends, each and all,

and happy, happy New Years!

 

 


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Storystorm Day 8: “Sing Along to the Classics” by Tara Lazar

by Tara Lazar (with Deb Lund) Over the holidays, I caught an NPR broadcast on secular Christmas music. Immediately struck by the rich voices of Perry Como, Judy Garland, and Nat King Cole, I listen…

Source: Storystorm Day 8: “Sing Along to the Classics” by Tara Lazar

Can we learn from and be inspired by the classics? You bet! That’s why they’re classics!


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Storystorm Day 6: “Switching Sides: How a Novelist Became a Picture Book Writer” by Hannah Barnaby

by Hannah Barnaby Novels were my first love—as a children’s literature graduate student, as an editor, as a bookseller, and then as a writer. I loved long descriptive passages, the rising ten…

Source: Storystorm Day 6: “Switching Sides: How a Novelist Became a Picture Book Writer” by Hannah Barnaby


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Storystorm Day 5: “Don’t Think. Just Draw.” by Dan Moynihan

by Dan Moynihan “DON’T THINK. JUST DRAW.” That’s what I’ll tell you in one of my collaborative story-making events. That’s our motto as we set forth to create a wild batch of picture book stories i…

Source: Storystorm Day 5: “Don’t Think. Just Draw.” by Dan Moynihan

Don’t think – just go. Allow the creative juices to flow and see where your story takes you! Thanks, Dan!


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Storystorm Day 4: “What’s the Big Idea? Ask the Big Question!” by Tammi Sauer

by Tammi Sauer I am a huge fan of Storystorm (formerly known as PiBoIdMo). Many of my books started right here! YOUR ALIEN, my book with Goro Fujita, for example, first appeared on my 2012 PiBoIdMo…

Source: Storystorm Day 4: “What’s the Big Idea? Ask the Big Question!” by Tammi Sauer

Oh, this is good stuff, writers! Beautiful strategy for getting those ideas and storylines flowing! Thanks, Tammi (and Tara)!