The Edit Cafe

yeah I know how it is, it's tough to remember to k...

2009-11-08T13:32:49.651-05:00

yeah I know how it is, it's tough to remember to keep up a blog!

http://www.Taybot3.com

Too funny. And that's a neat story from Lauralee. ...

2009-11-06T22:49:11.819-05:00

Too funny. And that's a neat story from Lauralee. :)

LOL. It suprises me that someone would include tha...

2009-11-06T16:55:21.889-05:00

LOL. It suprises me that someone would include that in a letter. Readers don't pull any punches do they?

I don't have children yet, and taught high school,...

2009-11-06T15:23:13.588-05:00

I don't have children yet, and taught high school, so have to rely heavily upon my sister, who has six. The best historical resources I've found are original documents like diaries and letters, many now available on Google Books. I've also found there journals like a Psych. journal from the turn of the century with articles on child discipline (yes, the spanking or not to was an issue then, too), and teacher journals on what to teach at what age. Some fashion books have been helpful, too, mostly in the narration, talking about the Victorians dresssing their children like little adults and expecting them to act that way. I'm writing two children now, so have had to learn a thing or two. I've relied on contemporary resources for dealing with a grieving child, since I doubt the common sense aspects haven't changed in a hundred years.

I just had to share this. I received the most wond...

2009-11-06T13:43:29.152-05:00

I just had to share this. I received the most wonderful e-mail last week from a World War II vet who had read Seneca Shadows (HP 783). He had trained at Seneca Rocks in WV (the same scenerio I describe in the book) before being deployed to Normandy. He knew the area well and thanked me for writing the book as it brought back memories. I was both amazed and deeply touched.

Thanks, JoAnne. Great info! I especially think the...

2009-11-06T12:18:04.383-05:00

Thanks, JoAnne. Great info! I especially think the links will be so helpful. When I think of using children, I also think of the acting mantra, "Never work with children or animals as they will upstage you." That can be true in books to me unless the children are done realistically so they become part of the natural fabric of the story. And, Mary, how many books are you ahead to have that many without kids? Wow, I better get back to work!

And Jodi is so cute, is that a kitten costume? My ...

2009-11-06T11:09:44.571-05:00

And Jodi is so cute, is that a kitten costume? My granddaughter Elle was a bumble bee for Halloween. So sweet and funny.

She's still to young for candy though, we gave her an empty, disposable plastic cup for Trick or Treat. She was in heaven crinkling it and trying to drink. FYI, money spent of gifts for babies is utterly wasted. :)

I love using children in books. I think they just ...

2009-11-06T11:08:00.354-05:00

I love using children in books. I think they just add this lovely layer of chaos. Lots of comedy to be mined from kids.

Montana Rose was my first book without kids and I was really scared of it, not sure if I could find the comedy without the kids. Now I've written several without children and feel more comfortable with it, but I do miss those sassy, scheming, brutally honest children. :)

One of the things that can draw me out of a story ...

2009-11-06T10:25:23.657-05:00

One of the things that can draw me out of a story quickly is when a young child is written too advanced for his stated age. Sometimes the vocabulary and thought processes of the character are too mature and the child is written like a very short adult. :)

Great reminder. I enjoy reading about children, bu...

2009-11-06T07:07:50.179-05:00

Great reminder. I enjoy reading about children, but it does pull me out of the story when the details are wrong.
Cute pictures of Jodi!

Great post, JoAnne. And thanks for sharing those ...

2009-11-05T17:39:31.640-05:00

Great post, JoAnne. And thanks for sharing those adorable Jodi pictures - - such a cutie!! :)
Blessings, Patti Jo

Thanks Joanne, I use kids in almost every book I w...

2009-11-05T16:13:43.426-05:00

Thanks Joanne,
I use kids in almost every book I write because I work with them by day and have five of my own :-) I'm surrounded...
One thing that is helpful for me (besides using kids in my novels who are the same age as my own) is watching movies with kid characters.

Although some of the movies may have inflated kid characters, there is still a lot of developmental 'rightness' about what the kids do. Since my profession is working with kids who have both developmental delays and not, having that basic knowledge certain helps too.

For me, adding kids also gives another dimension to your main characters. How they respond to young kids, animals, and old people says a lot about them :-)

Becky, this has nothing to do with the schedule bu...

2009-11-05T12:38:29.620-05:00

Becky, this has nothing to do with the schedule but I thought of you when I heard that there will be a new Cranford mini series with many of the same characters/actors.

Love the new schedule. I'm so happy that, in the m...

2009-11-04T12:56:08.834-05:00

Love the new schedule. I'm so happy that, in the midst of your astronomical 'to-do' lists, that you still make time to blog for us. :)

You can never go wrong with chicken pictures, Beck...

2009-11-04T12:08:08.513-05:00

You can never go wrong with chicken pictures, Becky. :) The new schedule sounds great.

I found you and am now following barbourbuzz. Cool...

2009-11-04T12:03:26.255-05:00

I found you and am now following barbourbuzz. Cool. :)

Hi, Angie. I now have (follow the bouncing ball) ...

2009-11-04T12:00:01.920-05:00

Hi, Angie.

I now have (follow the bouncing ball) my blog load to twitter which loads to Facebook. All automatice. So one blog post both on my personal blog, which mainly just contains Mary News (gag) and my Seekerville blog, goes to Twitter with a link, then Twitter loads to Facebook (I said that before but, as with all circles, it's hard to know when to stop once you get to going around)

My blog also loads autmatically to my Amazon page. So, it's a little hard to get started (I'd be glad to give you advice, but that often leads to disaster so be AFRAID) but once you are it's pretty easy.

Did you know, for example that when Twitter asks for an RSS feed from your blog, you find it at the very bottom of your blog and it's called Posts (Atom)
If you click on Posts(Atom) it'll reveal your RSS Feed link. Don't ask me why Twitter doesn't ask for your Posts (Atom)

btw Angie, is this blog loading automatically to Barbour's Twitter page?
If not go to www.twitterfeed.com and follow the directions.
and Edit Cafe's RSS feed is:

http://editcafe.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Thanks for the great line up. I'm especially excit...

2009-11-04T08:11:05.121-05:00

Thanks for the great line up. I'm especially excited about the guest bloggers and Feedback Fridays.

Beth

Hi Angie! Thanks for these greats tips and for y...

2009-11-03T23:49:45.046-05:00

Hi Angie!

Thanks for these greats tips and for your willingness to help Barbour authors.

Looks like a great schedule! Looking forward to co...

2009-11-03T23:47:59.266-05:00

Looks like a great schedule! Looking forward to continuing to follow this blog. :)
Blessings, Patti Jo

Becky: I check this blog regularly. Happy to see ...

2009-11-03T15:40:51.804-05:00

Becky:

I check this blog regularly. Happy to see the new routine.

Thanks for the info.

Helen

sounds great I love the picture of the old car, I ...

2009-11-03T15:32:31.607-05:00

sounds great I love the picture of the old car, I remember when my dad had a car something like that.
Now I am telling my age, but he passed when I was 8 and I wish I could have had more time with him.

mamat2730(at)charter(dot)net

Becky, The schedule sounds great. I've started com...

2009-11-03T15:25:58.167-05:00

Becky,
The schedule sounds great. I've started coming regularly to this site and enjoy what I'm learning.

Thanks so much,
Pepper

thanks for sharing, Angie. It's great to know tips...

2009-11-03T13:58:09.769-05:00

thanks for sharing, Angie.
It's great to know tips to help promote one's work, or in my case to 'be prepared' in the hopes that someday I CAN promote my work :-)

Blessings,
Pepper

Thank you, JoAnne. What a sweet reminder of the ri...

2009-11-03T13:53:13.456-05:00

Thank you, JoAnne. What a sweet reminder of the ripples our words can leave. Got me thinking...there's a girl's prison not far from where I live. I've thought about donating books but just haven't gotten around to it.