HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
By Darcy Patterson

(c) photo by Mary Nida Smith
http://writeapicturebook.com/

Children's Picture Book Information:
http://www.underdown.org/
Picture Book Artists Association
http://www.childrenspicturebooks.info/
32 pages
500 words/ half in illustrations
http://www.memfox.net/
http://childrensbooksabout.com/
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/book-themes.htm
READ * RESEARCH * WRITE

The Sun Will Return

(c) by Mary Nida Smith

WIND OF CHANGE
©By Mary Nida Smith

I live the life

of constant motion
like the wind
changing directions
never sustaining
one emotional direction.

I listen
to the directional
mood of the wind.

I stay calm
allowing God
who created me
to blow me calmly
in the right direction.

I listen
I watch
I stay happy
For I will move
when the wind
blows me

where
I have never been

Baxters Business: A Home

Baxters Business: A Home

FREE WEBSITES

(C)Digital art by Mary Nida Smith

Before starting a blog or website
check out your favorite authors, photographers,
illustrators or whatever your interest you have
to get an idea what would work for you.
Google: free website
free blog site builders
Check out:
http://www.webs.com/
http://www.homestead.com/
http://www.intuit.com/

Enjoy !

TWIN LAKES COMPUTER USERS GROUP:
http://TLCUG.ark.org
Meet at the Donald W. Reynolds Public Library
Knox Community Room A
1St Thursday of each month 2 p.m.
Saturdays 10 a.m, until noon.
Check on library website (http://baxtercountylibrary.org
go to calendar events and click on computer group
for a list of their upcoming programs.
Feb 5th - Protection & backup
March 26th - Power Point Basics

WEBSITES/BLOGS HELPFUL INFORMATION - PROVIDED
BY Mary Nida Smith Founder & President of Twin Lakes Writers
& North Central Children’s Writers & Illustrators
January 15, 2011

MANUSCRIPT, COVER & QUERY FORMATS:
Websites… http://writing-world.com/basics/manuscript
http://www.underdown.org/covlettr.
http://www.ehow.com
QUERY LETTERS TO AGENTS: http://www.agentsquery.com/writer

BOOKS:
How to write – ATTENTION-GRABBING QUERY & COVER
LETTERS by John Wood
The Writer’s Guide to Queries, Pitches & Proposals by Moira Allen
Preparing E-mail Queries by Moira Allen http://www.writing.com/basics/email.shtml

WRITING & ILLUSTRATING BLOG:
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com click on January 5th for the BEST BOOKS WITH EDITORS & AGENTS FOR FICTION, NON-FICTION AND FICTION
HOW’S YOUR QUERY LETTER I.Q.? Dec 28, 2010 Kathy Temean’s blog
UUS PHOTOS ON YOUR BLOG AND ARTICLES Dec 23 Kathy Temean’s blog

AAR Association of Authors’ Representatives is a professional organization for literary and dramatic agents

WRITING PLAYS FOR KIDS: Sandra Fenichel Asher
http://usaplays4kids.drury.edu/playwrights/asher

Midwesterners Sweep Top Awards

Midwesterners Sweep Top Awards

Writers Groups and Information:
Saturday, January 15 from 1-3:30 Twin Lakes Writers
meet at the new Donald W. Reynolds Library.

January 8th Laura(Lonnie), Cherie Neal and I attended the
Ozarks Writers & Illustrators for Children http://owaic.org/ in Springfield, MO.
We enjoyed a Power Point program for writers on "Building a Platform," presented by writer/member,Tom Blubaugh.
President Naomi Shaw, continues to share programs and information
with NC Children's Writers & Illustrators in Mountain Home, AR.
We always have a special time.

I learned Joyce Ragland is the new SCBWI/Mo Regional Advistor.
We wish her the best and look forward 2011. http://moscbwi.org/

Agents and Editors Who Blog can be found at http://www.asuen.com/blog/blog/.central.agents.shtml

The Society of Bloggers in Children's and Young Adult Literature:
KIDLITOSPHERE CENTRAL http://www.kidlitosphere.org/

NATURE IN ACTION click on http://tobyspeed.blogspot.com/
http://phylliscahill.com/

Remember Spring is the time to start checking out upcoming conferences.
I will soon have a list on my blog.

North Central Children's Writers & Illustrators'
member Laurel T. Sheridan published
"WHAT ABOUT WREATHS?

in Vol. 4. Issue 4
on page 1o.
A very interesting piece.
THE KIDS' ART website
http://www.thekidsark.com

(C) Photo by Mary Nida Smith

OLD ROCK DAY

Today is the day

to celebrate old rocks.

No, I am not off my rocker

I am just putting in a few words

why rocks should be respected.

When digging around and underneath

one could break a toe, an arm

or smash your head or house.

My woodland garden has ones

that trip me, move about and

are in the way.

Why do people hate old rocks?

Is it because they are free?

They replace dirty old, odd shaped

rocks with man made smooth ones.

I am happy with the ones

God created and dumped

in my woodland garden.

There is a rock fence

between the upper

and lower level.

I love my old rocks

I wish I had many more.

NATIONAL BIRD DAY today January 5th, and five days ago at Beebe, Arkansas thousands of
beautiful male red-winged blackbirds rained from the sky. I believe the weather confused them - hot one-two days of Spring weather, then the weather changed quickly to a Winter freeze and the birds were caught in-between. Out West they go South for the winter and are the first Spring bird to return on the High Deserts of Idaho. Enjoy all birds, they are a blessing from God to keep the mean bugs from eating us up.

FESTIVAL OF SLEEP DAY was January 3, and I missed out on it. Oh, well so goes life!

Plans for 2011:
# 1. Finish editing photos, writing, and placing items in the church album. Start a new album for 2011. When the activities increase at church the more I get involved with taking photos.
# 2. List of scheduled programs, workshops, and speakers for the Twin Lakes Writers and North Central Children's Writers and Illustrators that I founded and I am the President. Lots of details to work out: Find sponsor, dates that works for most people, press releases, door prizes, and most of all what dates work best for our speakers. Our members are great and willing to help.
# 3. Two goals is all I can handle and keeping my nerves calm.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

© Photo by Mary Nida Smith 2010
Open the gates in 2011 to new writings,

photography, illustrating, and all the

creative arts that will fill your lives
with excitement and joy.

Sincerely,
Mary Nida

Mary Nida Smith
Founder & President
Twin Lakes Writers
North Central Children’s

Writers and Illustrators.

(C) photo by Mary Nida Smith

Today is the first day of winter.
Sunrise in the Ozarks January 2009.
I am looking forward to no snow, no wind;
a beautiful warm winter as we had in 1998.

Yes, I love photographing the beauty of winter.
I have taken neat shots of birdhouses during each season,
kids playing, tree limbs hanging, vultures hanging and flying,
and more.

Each season is a new adventure for photographers, poets, artist and writers.
Enjoy the day. Just think winter is now here where it is working its way toward spring.

WILD ABOUT NATURE: http://wildaboutnaturewriters.blogspot.com/ What a wonderful surprise this morning when I received an email from Kim Hutmacher that my name was drawn to win Roxie Munro's book, ECOMAZES: 12 EARTH ADVENTURES, published by Sterling. I can't wait to read it.

Living and Loving Life: Friday night was our church ladies Christmas party; had a good time and took photos.I enjoy what I do for fun, but it always creates work. Twin Lakes writers met last Saturday to a group of 20. Some of our members were missed. We read manuscripts for fun and critiquing. We are gentle. We shared a lot of helpful information about books in progress, publishing and promoting. We celebrated the upcoming holidays with refreshments. I shared my plans for programs & speakers for 2011 - this is where the work comes in.

Sunday morning I sneaked in to church long enough to sing in the choir and leave. The Fleet Reserve my husband belongs to had their Christmas dinner at noon. No church that night.

Monday morning made a dish to take to Bull Shoals Historical Society Christmas dinner. I believe I brought more food home than I took.

Today, Tuesday I am trying to catch up with work in the house and my studio. I need to catch up with church photos and album( I am the our church photographer and historian). It is difficult to catch-up when it's photo taking time again. It may slow down after all the holidays pass.

Tomorrow is a busy day: Friends of the Library board meeting 12:30 - 1:30, then our regular public meeting from 1:30- 3:00 where I am in charge of refreshments and a table center piece. I enjoy this very much. At 6 p.m., is our Church Christmas dinner and more picture taking.

Next, I need to work on the yearly family Christmas letter, than back to planning programs for the North Central Children's Writers & illustrators and Twin Lakes Writers. I need to learn how to do a Power Point or have someone create one for me.

I am on the run...

Blogroll: Check out my blogroll list each one shares helpful information for writers and illustrators. Writers Beware shares information on bad publishers, contests, and more that will help protect writers. My friend Donna shares information on new markets for writers -Today she shares Choice Publishing's call for manuscripts.

My poem "Weather Mishap" for the month of December is up on Adult "W.O.M." The word for the month was "weather." To enter your poem go to http://davidlharrison.wordpress.com

See you at the Mountain Home library this afternoon from 1-3:30 p.m., at the Twin Lakes Writers meeting.

Authors Book sale and signing was sponsored
by Donald W. Reynolds Public Library in
Mountain Home. It was a success.
Twin Lakes Writers meet Saturday 11th 1-3:30,
at the library. Please join us.
Chuck Butkus

Deborah Lively

Cherie Neal and Patricia A. Oplinger

Sally Zielinski & George Dregor

Barbara Robinette in green. I am sorry,

I never got the other lady's name.

This is just a few of the authors who attended.

People came in to buy books from those mentioned

in the paper, but several were unable to attend.

DONALD W REYNOLDS PUBLIC LIBRARY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:
Saturday, December 4, from 1-3 is the North Central Children's Writers & Illustrators meeting.
Email: marynida@suddenlink.net Website: http://www.nccwi.org
Sunday, December 5, is Authors Day at the Donald W. Reynolds Public Library. Check events
calendar at http://www.baxlib.org

Please join us for one or both.
Come one, Come ALL to our annual Holiday Celebration. Ozark Writers & Illustrators for Children.
Think of the greatest story ever told, of the greatest gift, of the Greatest Event! God's love so great, He sent His son...
So this month, we'll pass the blessings to our author/illustrator friends.We'll gather in the Story Room of the Library Station this coming Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9:00 to 11:00am to celebrate the Season. We have a fun writing activity planned as well as a modest (and quirky) gift exchange.
We exchange a modest ($5.00 or less value, regift, homemade, or white-elephant) wrapped and anonymous. Janie Cheaney is hosting a fun writing activity, so sharpen your pencils. Forks and beverage will be provided for the holiday fare.
Please let me know if you are able to bring a treat.
Naomi providencepark@wildblue.net
http://owaic.org/
Also, IMPORTANT NOTICE: Tom Blubaugh is presenting a workshop on Website management January 8th. This is a valuable tool and a stepping stone to our success as an organization and as authors personally. We need to know who can come. Please let me know so I can have an accurate count. This is the second Saturday in January. The time and place is to be announced. We have benefited greatly from Blu's skill and willingness to maintain our website. And now he is willing to show us his trade. Thank you, Blu!

Speaking Schedule: I learned two important things when I shared how important blogging was to writers. I wrote my program for the 45 minutes I was to speak.
What do you do when preceding speakers run into your time slot and you are only allowed twenty minutes? This can easily happen.
1. Remember to always have a short version hitting only on the most important parts giving the audience who came to learn from you something to take home.
2. Never be the last speaker of the day.I am glad I was able to learn from this experience. If I can learn from my experiences I am one more step ahead of the game