I'm a researcher from way back. A colleague and I developed the first playtesting methodology for video games while at Atari (Yes, I love Ready Player One by Eric Cline). (And yes, ET tested as a dog, but the powers to be had a launch date and advertising commitment to keep - a stupid decision that hit the landfill.) I've…
Baseball is the heart and passion of the Dominican Republic. It is the number one sport and if a kid can hold a bat, he or she is playing baseball. This tiny country spawns more MLB (Major League Baseball) players than any other country in the world, except for the U.S. How do they do this? In Baseball is a…
I have been an avid runner for years and am mesmerized by the runners of Kenya. I asked the same questions as many people around the world. Why has this impoverished country had more outstanding runners than any other country in the world? That took me on my research quest to learn about Kenya, the runners, their food, training, desire,…
My thoughts of speed enhancement are that - merely thoughts. I haven't done a lot, okay any, speed or tempo training. But I am trying to maintain a schedule to stick with doing a bunch of HALF's. Finished Berkeley Half 11/22, the Hot Chocolate 15K (that after-run food knocked out any possible health benefit of the run) Oakland Half is…
I'm a big proponent of getting away to write. I think I do some of my best work when I can solely focus on writing and take uninterrupted time to work out snarls and inconsistencies. Perhaps you are the same way. For several years, our SCBWI region has done a creative retreat at the Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in…
I was thrilled to get 2 magazine assignments from FACES magazine on Dec. 14th, due on Jan 3rd, 2016. But what a horrific crazy time. The holidays were approaching and I was coordinating 2 - 3 SCBWI events plus we were having 17 people on Christmas Eve, 25 on Christmas Day and flying out to Kauai on Dec. 26 -…
I find the investment in writing is like developing an athlete. You need to find experts, lay out a training plan, run with others, get advice and help from others, and continue to pace and develop your skills. Writing is like running. The SCBWI conferences, intensives, meetings. and critique groups are my writing marathon training plan. There is an event…
I attended the SCBWI Los Angeles Conference July 31 - August 3rd. I've attended many, many children's writers conferences, intensives and programs. Perhaps the most outstanding program I've attended to date was done by Stephen Fraser, agent with De Chiara Literary Agency -- He conducted a middle grade intensive. He laid out his plan for us - we each were…
I never thought it would happen. Really, I never thought about age. I keep trying new things. But I never thought I would get slower in running. It's hard to accept. So when I entered the China Camp Trail Half Marathon, for some reason my young mind thought, just train and surely you can't be the slowest. Well, when you…
I've had blistering critiques, start-over critiques, not nice critiques, critiques that called my work "a critique quilt", critiques by "experts" that obviously didn't write or buy my category, and more. And then you have a good critique, or even a "great" critique -- and you wonder, are they sure? did they read it? are they just being nice? Okay, now…