DUCK, DUCK, MOOSE!

How adorable is that????? Of course, I had very little to do with the cover. The thanks for that goes to the very fabulous Noah Z. Jones, the illustrator of such wonderful books as The Monster in the Backpack, Stuff, Dance with Me, and Not Norman: A Goldfish Story,

and also the creator of the tremendously entertaining television series Fish Hooks and Almost Naked Animals.

IN CELEBRATION OF THIS FABULOUS COVER, I will be giving away a free 45-minute Virtual Classroom Visit, where I would be happy to tell your chosen class all about how this book came together, from the initial inspiration to the totally terrific art. (Don’t worry if you’re not a teacher — you can donate the Virtual Visit to any class you choose!)

I will accept entries until May 27, 2013 and I will draw the winner’s name and announce it on May 29.

Here are the rules for this giveaway:

Required. Fill out the entry form below with your name, the school you would like to give the visit to, and your email address (so I can reach you!).

BUT WAIT! You can be entered to win the Virtual Visit multiple times. You will get an extra entry for doing any of the following:

(1) leave me a comment here with your thoughts on the cover.

(2) follow me on Twitter – mention that in a comment below.

(3) tweet this post to your own twitter followers and tag me @sudiptabq in the tweet.

(4) like my author page on Facebook – mention that in a comment below.

(5) follow this blog (right sidebar) — mention that in a comment below.

or (6) like fellow blogger Kami Kinard’s Facebook author page – mention that in a comment below.

That’s SEVEN ways to enter and win, folks! Don’t say I never did nothin’ for ya…

GOOD LUCK!

Candice, who tried out three times for AI and was reportedly once told by former judge Simon Cowell that she’d never amount to more than a lounge singer, is an inspiration to girls everywhere. Her journey shows us all the importance of believing in yourself, even in the face of discouragement, and fighting for your dreams. We here in Beaufort County love her for it.

Our community has thoroughly embraced Candice, who is from nearby St. Helena, which is part of Beaufort County, and located about  7 miles from downtown Beaufort. I’ve been touched by the far-

This month Beaufort was also voted America’s Happiest Seaside Town. Who voted? The people who live here. More proof of what can happen when a community works together.

reaching support shown for her. It makes me proud to live here. A local print shop, Murr’s printing, created signs that were free to the public and distributed widely. There are signs up on every storefront downtown. There are messages of hope and support  in front of schools, on bumper stickers, and on t-shirts. A fund was started by Shannon Erickson, a member of  the SC House of Representatives, to help send Candice’s parents to her performances. So much money was donated, that after the fund was started, Mr. and Mrs. Glover were able to fly out to LA  to make every performance to see their daughter sing.  There was even money left over to help fund the Hometown Concert, which cost the city around fifty thousand dollars.

Waste Management, where Candice’s father works, made special uniforms to show support, an effort which spread across their national company. There were many public viewings of Candice’s performances, offering opportunities for us to celebrate her progress together. The Highway 21 drive-in offered free showings, as did USCB, The Preserve, and other places around the county, including Hilton Head. The mayor sent out emails encouraging us to vote for Candice. The Chamber of Commerce encouraged voting through the newspaper. My Facebook feed was alive with Candice support. The list goes on and on.

I think Candice has an amazing voice, and I don’t think I’m biased in saying she was the best contestant! !  She could have won on talent alone, and she should have. But if community has anything to do with who wins, Beaufort County gave Candice an edge. A lot of people here know her, and she comes from a large tight-knit and wonderful family. The community loves them. My daughter met Candice’s cousin at the hometown concert. When she found out my daughter wanted an autograph, she arranged for my husband to deliver posters to Candice’s parents, who took them to LA, had them signed, and brought them back to us. We didn’t know Candice’s parents, but they were so gracious, and generous. I think this is how community works.

We are so proud of Candice Glover: The girl who never gave up, and who fought to keep believing! 

Another presentation conducted by one of the nerdy Chicks at the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference was Sudipta’s Rhythm, Rhyme and Repetition workshop. For picture book writers near and far, here are some highlights from that talk…

• Make sure rhyme is the best way to tell the story
• When the rhyme works well the story doesn’t read like it rhymes – the lines flow effortlessly
• Understand rhythm and meter
• No more than one stanza per page
• It would be better to plan one stanza per spread
• Remember that one stanza per page severely limits the length of your story and how much leeway you get to tell it

The folks who attended Sudipta’s Rhythm, Rhyme and Repetition session got a super-sneaky peek of an upcoming new picture book, but here’s how you can join in their specialness:

Come back on Monday for the

COVER REVEAL

and

VIRTUAL VISIT GIVEAWAY

of DUCK, DUCK, MOOSE, a new picture book by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen and Noah Z. Jones!

What is Chicklet Chick Lit?

Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly. Chick lit for chicklets is pretty much the same thing but geared specifically to the interests of a child or young adult audience. The main character of Chick Lit is always a strong female who bucks authority to follow her dreams.

What qualifies as Chicklet Chick Lit?

Not every book with a female main character would be considered chicklet chick lit — this is important to keep in mind. Some books just happen to have female main characters. In this very limited case, just being a girl is not enough.

In Chicklet Chick Lit, the main character’s obstacles and challenges must be specific to gender. The chick lit heroine is very aware of her world and the details of this world will deeply affect her choices/actions.

Let me introduce you to my friends…

In addition to the main character, Chick Lit is often populated by strong secondary characters. Here are some of the archetypes commonly found in Chick Lit for Chicklets:

Now you all know more about writing Chick Lit for Chicklets — we hope you try your hand at this fabulous genre!

(If you attended the Nerdy Chicks’ workshop at NESCBWI and would like a copy of the entire PowerPoint, please fill out the form below or email Sudipta or Kami directly)

I’ve read those tips over and over and think each author offered excellent advice.

Next week we’ll feature some tips on writing chick lit for chapter books,  MG and YA. We have some great interviews lined up with author an non-author types for the next few weeks too!

“I hope each of you will recognize the person sitting next to you right now as a new colleague and friend. That’s how it all begins. That’s what makes the journey great, no matter how long it is.” Jo Knowles, winner of the 2012 Crystal Kite Award for PEARL.

“It’s a matter of discovering what is already in you–finding the words for those things.” Sharon Creech

“If your work is as true to yourself as possible, then you’ve created something no one else in the world can.” Grace Lin

“You are the only thing holding you back when it comes to taking a risk.” Janet Doucette and Pegi Deitz Shea

“I have a hot tub.” ANONYMOUS (can you guess who???)

Where do authors find inspiration for humor?????

 Robin Mellom: Modern Family, Parks & Recreation, Awkward, and any movie by John Hughes.

Martha Brockenbrough: When I was a kid, I loved Steve Martin’s comedy routines and movies. In high school, I loved “The Princess Bride.” Christopher Guest movies crack me up. I think George Takei is a genius. Joss Whedon also writes incredibly sharp, character-driven humor.

Colleen Clayton: Some of the books that I can read over and over purely because they make me laugh are A Confederacy of Dunces by John KennedyToole and then anything by Jean Shepherd, Garrison Keillor, and Dave Sedaris. I recently read Bossypants by Tina Fey and was in tears from laughing. I love crass humor…movies like Bridesmaids and The Other Guys andTV shows like Shameless and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It’s really, really hard to offend me. I’ll go along with just about anything as long as it’s written and/or performed well.

Joanne Levy: I adore great comedic actors like Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Tina Fey, Christine Baranski who illustrate how to bring characters to life. They are multi-talented at playing straight roles, but can pull out the funny in such an effortless way, that I’m in awe of their talents. Incidentally, three of these actors are in Bowfinger, one of my favorite movies of all time.

The funniest book I’ve ever read was Christopher Moore’s LAMB. It taught me that a very serious (and controversial) topic can be handled with wonderful (and even sometimes ridiculous) humor respectfully and without diminishing the seriousness of the subject matter. This was a light bulb moment for me and made me realize that humor could play a big role in serious writing and wouldn’t make the work of any less value.

Lizzy Foley: Internet news/blogs.  There are some wonderful writers who can report on the realities world while making snarky observations at the same time.  It’s not unlike what The Daily Show or The Colbert Report does on television, except for the fact that the entire joke is in written form and can’t use comedic delivery as a crutch.

Kimberly Sabatini: I am a huge fan of dry humor. One of my favorite humorous books is A WALK IN THE WOODS by Bill Bryson. Because this book is so stinkin’ funny, it is the book I’ve reread the most. I’m also a big fan of a well-done mix of humor and emotional gut punches. I think Gary Paulsen captured this perfectly with HARRIS AND ME. And THE WEDNESDAY WARS and OKAY FOR NOW by Gary Schmidt blow me away.

 Kami Kinard: Funny Children’s Books: Captain Underpants, The Origami Yoda books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I love Carl Hiassen’s adult novels. I’m still a big fan of M*A*S*H, Keeping Up Appearances, Boston Legal (it really was funny), Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, and Joel Stein’s irreverent columns in TIME.

The Greenhouse Literary Funny Prize: Greenhouse Literary Agency does not see enough funny manuscripts, so last year they started a contest to encourage more humorous submissions. The winner of the contest ended up with a four book deal… that’s a good sign! Go to their website for full details, but if you want to know what they’re looking for, here’s a description:

“Our judging criteria is very simple. Funny, and we are wide open to all ages. The winner may be a picture book like OLIVIA or DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, or a young series à la HORRID HENRY, FLAT STANLEY, THE GREAT HAMSTER MASSACRE or UNDEAD PETS, or for 8-12 year olds like Lemony Snicket or M.T. Anderson’s WHALES ON STILTS. It could even be for teen readers, like Adam Rex’s COLD CEREAL series, ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL, or THE PRINCESS DIARIES. It’s going to be the person with funny in their DNA. Perhaps the winner will have a slow-burning, sly wit. Perhaps a Python-esque sense of the absurd, or zany as Tina Fey’s 30 ROCK. Or maybe the concept, the freshness and fun, will pull us in.”

http://www.greenhouseliterary.com/index.php/site/funny_prize

Finally, if you are a writer looking to hone your humor skills, you might check out one of these books. Comedy Writing Secrets focuses on techniques and includes a lot of tips for stand-up comedy.  How to Write Funny includes essays from famous humor writers like Dave Barry.  Click on the books to link to purchasing info!

If you attended the Humor Cells workshop, check back here next week for a synopsis of the workshop content and “Advice from the Pros.”

It is a very special weekend. Not only are the Nerdy Chicks together at last, we are on a ROAD TRIP to the New England SCBWI conference where we will be nerdily speaking on all sorts of brainy topics. Stay tuned for more updates from the road!

Here we are ready to go!

That’s definitely luggage for chicks!

Our favorite GWB!

We're still not sure how much this is gonna cost...

Photo credit: Lindsay Mgbor/Department for International Development

In 2009, a former secretary named Joyce Banda became the first female vice president of the country of Malawi. That itself is an amazing accomplishment, but Joyce is an amazing woman — she followed this up in 2012 by becoming the first female president of Malawi (and only the second woman to be elected president of an African country).

Committed to her citizens, especially the women of Malawi, Joyce has spent years working both in and out of politics to improve living conditions in her country. She is the founder of several organizations such as the Joyce Banda Foundation for Better Education, the Young Women Leaders Network, National Association of Business Women and the Hunger Project in Malawi. In 2006, she was given the International Award for the Health and Dignity of Women by the Americans for United Nations Population Fund for her dedication to the rights of the women of Malawi. Notably, even as president Joyce does not consider herself above her fellow citizens and she is willing to share in their struggles in real ways. When Malawi had to implement austerity measures in 2012 to try to get the country’s economy back on track, Joyce herself took a voluntary 30% cut in her salary.

Quotes from Joyce Banda:

• “Africa is changing…and we are doing better than most countries. America is still struggling to put a woman in the White House, but we have two, so we’re doing fine.”
• “It is only when a women is economically empowered that she can negotiate at household level with her husband about the number of children that body of hers can have.”
• “I had three children, in an abusive marriage. And then finally I said, no. I have to walk out. For the sake of my children… So for me when I talk about the importance of economic empowerment of women, it’s because I tried it.”
• “I want all of us to move into the future with hope and with the spirit of oneness and unity… I hope we shall stand united and I hope that as a God-fearing nation we allow God to come before us, because if we don’t do that then we have failed.”

Learn more about Joyce Banda here.