Day Nine - The First Annual 12 Days of Christmas Write Christmas Challenge

FIRST, sorry for the late posting of this. As many of your know, I am a full-service Travel Agent who also specializes in Disney Destinations, among other things. Disney did a promotion drop, so the last few days I've been blown out of the water and no time for blogging! Happy to be back to my Blog Pond today, even if just for a little bit...

KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE GOAL

During this time of making New Year's Resolutions, it's important to remember that often life gets in the way. I know, because it happened to me this past year. So when making your list of writing resolutions, get creative and find ways that will keep your ink flowing in all kinds of expected and unexpected circumstances! 

First, start by finding a quote for motivation. Find a new one each week, day or at least, each month. Write or post the quote(s) on your bathroom mirror, calendar, desk blotter, or tape them over your computer. Here are two of my favorites: “Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, note, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” Jane Yolen “Writers write. Everybody else makes excuses.” Maureen LaJoy.  Make certain to look at the quote each morning when you wake up.

Depending on how busy you are, choose daily, weekly or monthly writing goals. Look at your goal each morning and try to make some progress toward it daily. You may want to keep a progress sheet, writing the goal at the top of the page, and writing the date and efforts made as you go along. If you’re a non-fiction writer, you can even make a chart of tasks, like I do. I’ve begun these processes lately, and they’ve helped me feel accountable to my goals and given me a sense of accomplishment. I’m certain you will feel the same when you see your work/progress on paper.

CHALLENGE: Write 100 words about something you wanted to achieve or have as a child. 

BONUS *WORD WEAVING* CHALLENGE:

Write a picture book story using as many words from this list as possible. Give yourself bonus points for using all of them. If this practice becomes a project, feel free to discard any words that don't serve your story. They will have done their job by inspiring something new! 



CHATTER
100
MARCH
STUCK
LISTEN
FIND
CLUNK
FIRST
OWL
SMALLER


Word weaving exercise inspired by HEDGEHOG'S 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL by me and illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic, 2017) and HEDGEHOG GOES TO KINDERGARTEN by me and illustrated by  Anne Kennedy (Scholastic, 2011). Please check out any one of these books! 

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PLEASE feel free to follow this blog so you don't miss any tidbit of information and please feel free to leave any comment or question you may have. I will do my bes to answer all! 

Lynne Marie is the author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten - illustrated by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic, 2011), Hedgehog's 100th Day of School – illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic, January 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play -- illustrated by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books, 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- illustrated by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling, pending) and Let's Eat! Mealtimes Around the World -- illustrated by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books, 2019). You can learn more about her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com. 

To order the Star in the Christmas Play, click the title.