Wishing

My project went well, I would like to go back and include more of the writings into my reflections. I feel the biggest strength of my project is the practicality of it. I will continue this inquiry even after the project. . . . motherhood, working, and grad school may make the inquiry a slower process than I would like, but it was nice to get started. I feel overwhelmed with all the class reading and like my focus is divided into a lot of different directions. I am thankful for the push to get started on my book . . .

Reading

I never thought of this blog as creative until I read,"whenever you are investing your own personal ideas or putting on your own personal stamp, you are being creative." Cullison. I also thought about this blog and relating this assignment to students, Cullison says that, "critical thinkers seek the best or most reasonable solution from available options to solving a problem. Creative thinkers raise alternatives that lead to new or unique solutions." Do I give my students creative options? How exciting would it be to have students complete a mini publishing investigation, maybe listen to a guest speaker, and send out work of their own. Tilley and Callison talk about gender issues and reading. How could I make the reading and writing of this publishing project appeal to boys. I was very discouraged to read how far boys were behind in regards to literacy.

Callion listed some strategies to aid in metacognition and the "thinking journal" would be a wonderful tool for my students to record thier ideas during the publishing investigation--just like I am during this blog.

Frustration

https://oncourse.iu.edu/access/content/user/wdechert/Book%20Little%20Miracles.doc

Let's give this a try--all of this was supposed to be in my last post--but I lost it all.

Wrapping/Waving
The above link is my first draft of my book. I have found the more people I talk to, the more research I do etc. etc. Write--send is always the message. It seems like an oxymoron that my final project is a draft--but there it is. I first will have friends and family look at it and give me their criticism etc. I have already started sending it to the list of publishers I am accumulating. You never know . . .

Weaving--I have created a bubble chart to organize my ideas in one place--all my lists, charts etc. in one place--maybe this will help me keep organized and focused.

Click below (or copy and paste into your browser's address box):
» http://bubbl.us/view.php?sid=42207&pw=yaVWC.w6Lr12UMjhhbi95LlRtMHVCWQ

Reflection

I am overwhelmed today. How do I put in all the elements of the rubric into my blog. How many blogs have I responded too? I can't even remember. Oh boy--I think I have a lot of work to do today. I wish I would have really read the Project 1 description before I completed any of the trail blazers then I could have incorporated more of the reading into my regular blogs.

Scary--evaluation

O.K. I am ready for the evaluation stage in The Blue Book Bloom's Taxonomy is mentioned in the levels of learning. My inquiry on publishing has been very circular and I believe it will be a lifetime pursuit. I have been in all the levels of Bloom's Taxonomy: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and now I am ready for evaluation. So that just means--write--send--write--send--write--send!

I have always been held accountable to Indiana Academic Standards and now I have learned a lot about Information Literacy Standards. I am filling a lot of the ILS standards and can see how a similar assignments for my students could do the same. This blog has focused on information literacy, sparked independent learning, and could lead to social responsibility.

Tomorrow--plan--organize info. into a chart form. As I send out my book--I need to keep track of everything in one place. Look for local writing groups . . .

Weaving

After spending time researching all the web sites Annette recommends I have a lot more information. Her website http://www.annettegriessman.com/Writer.html has specific instructions for new writers that was very helpful. Her website cautions against using a vanity press. I am really thankful to get this caution--because several publishers have suggested this route. I am including almost EVERYTHING from Annette's Writer's Resources page--she has done a great job with it. Books she recommends on how to write that I plan to pick up--"Dynamic Characters" by Nancy Kress, "Beginnings, Middles, and Ends," by Nancy Kress, "Fast Fiction: Creating Fiction in Five Minutes," by Roberta Allen, "The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying Out of the Rejection Pile," by Noah Lukeman, "Characters and Viewpoint," by Orson Scott Card. Annette recommends The Predators and Editors Website and says it is a very, very good site to use to check out the legitimacy of publishing houses and agents. They not only list those people who are out to take advantage of uninformed writers, but they also have some excellent information topics of interest for writers. http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/

Besides The Predators and Editors website I will investigate http://www.verlakay.com a author Annette recommends.

Wiggling, Weaving, Waving

I am getting excited about publishing my book, some day . . . This will be a continual inquiry for me. I can't help but relate this to students I have had in the past. Every once in awhile I am able to witness a turning point in a student. For example, the reluctant reader who finally finds a topic he/she can't get enough of. Something they will keep investigating into adulthood. For some that changed their life by changing their success at school. . . . the girl who goes from below grade average to above grade average in reading because she spent the summer reading. This is one of the reasons I stay in a school setting.

Today was supposed to be the big day. Visit the library, the bookstores etc. Well, Olivia (my 4 1/2 year old has pneumonia--so lets just say we didn't make it.

But I have received some wonderful e-mails from Annette Griessman, a children's author and student in my class. It was helpful to evaluate some of the information I have received with the opinion of a professional author.

I have sent out some of the first copies of the first draft of my book and I am thinking about binding a cleaned up copy to share with local Christian mom groups like MOPS.

Wiggling

I searched 6 web sites more indepth today and was disappointed with the results. When you have to pay money--I am always leary. If my book was marketable--someone should pay me?In evaluating the content--comman sense tells me--they are just money makers.

First Edition www.ecpa.org just led me to www.ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com this service will evaulate your manuscript for $98.00

American Christian Writers www.acwriters.com had a lot of resources, but most were poorly scanned in order forms that all cost minimal fees. It looked very unprofessional.

The Writer's Edge www.writersedgeservice.com will evaluate your script for $95.00

Bowker's Literary Marketplace www.LiteraryMarketPlace.com didn't look useful at all?

Trafford Publishing looked the most promising--this self-publishing service will help you publish your book and you can order them as you need them. I will keep this service in the back of my mind. I would like to find a publisher to do all the work, but in the future--if I feel like my book is complete--this could be an option.

Weaving

My research has taken another turn--all this searching for publishers has made me realize the need to write my first draft of my book. I honestly have been spending a lot of time writing and matching personal stories to scripture--I have a long way to go.

My searching has become a bit haphazard--I decided to read all my posts and make a list of steps to take next.

Web sites to research and/or research more:
1. First Edition www.ecpa.org
2. American Christian Writers www.acwriters.com
3. The Writer's Edge www.writersedgeservice.com
4. Trafford Publishing www.trafford.com
5. www.ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com
6. Bowker's Literary MarketPlace www.LiteraryMarketPlace.com

Places to visit:
1. The library
2. The Christian bookstore(s)
3. Barnes and Nobles

Things to keep in mind:
1. Develop a name by writing for smaller publishers or magazines.
2. If you know a published author, ask him or her to recommend you.
3. Join a writer's group
4. Attend a writer's conference

Things to do now:
Send a one page fax to Bethany House

Webbing

I spoke with Dr. Jewell Coburn the editor of the book Authentic Voices. She suggested I go to the Christian book store and look at the publisher names of companies who publish books similar to mine.

It has been fun compiling my work from the past several years. My book will be a mother's devotional called Little Miracles--each devotion starts with a personal story--then relates to all mothers--finally a biblical lesson with an applicable NIV Bible verse. I have decided my intended purpose is: 1. God to be glorified 2. Moms to be encouraged 3. Available for Christian newsletters/publications 4. Published for a moms devotional book and/or part of a moms devotional book

After contacting Concordia Publishing House www.cph.org/corporate/contact.asp I have found out some more interesting information. An excellent, cost-effective way to make your proposal directly available to member publishers of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association is through First Edition. This manuscript service is available at www.ecpa.org. Another option is American Christian Writers, which had information regarding classes, correspondence courses, conferences, critique services, marketing information, etc. They can be contacted through their website at www.acwriters.com. Finally, The Writer's Edge is a manuscript screening service that reviews proposals for Christian publishers www.writersedgeservice.com

Moody Publishing www.moodypublishers.com will not review non-fiction unless it is submitted by a professional literary agent, but I got some good information from them.
1. Develop a name by writing for smaller publishers or magazines. A portfolio of magazine articles can get you attention for your book proposal.
2. If you know a published author, ask him or her to recommend you.
3. Join a writer's group in your area. This should bring you closer to other published writers and may find you a sponsoring author.

Multnomoah Publishers www.multnomahbooks.com accept queries at writer's conferences.

Smyth & Helwys www.helwys.com/about/directory.html suggests contacting Trafford Publishing www.trafford.com (this is a self-publisher)

Revel Publishers www.revellbooks.com suggest www.ChristianManuscriptSubmissions.com a writing service they subscribe to

Bethany House Publishers www.bethanyhouse.com accepts one-page queries sent by fax 952-996-1304

Thomas Nelson Publishers www.thomasnelson.com suggests finding additional information about literary agents and guideline for submitting manuscripts through Bowker's Literary MarketPlace at www.LiteraryMarketPlace.com

YIKES--This is exciting, but my list of things to research keeps getting longer and I am sick of seeing we don't accept unsolicited manuscripts.

New focus question--How do I get an agent?

Frustration

Today I did a lot of research, but I am very frustrated! A lot of "we don't accept manuscripts" from individuals we only accept work from agents. How do I get an agent? Obviously this is a very important question for research.

I did e-mail a piece I wrote about a high school experience to Chicken soup for the Teenage Soul--who knows?

Supposedly--when sending a manuscript it is important to have a "resume"--so a piece published anywhere is good?

Webbing

. . . after contacting a few publishers the most helpful one at this point has been Focus on the Family. They suggested that many periodicals welcome free-lance articles submitted on a speculation basis. For guidance in selecting a suitable target for my writing, they suggest I consult the current edition of Writer's Market, a handbook of all North American publications including Christian magazines. Writer's Market is available in most local bookstores and public libraries . . . generally Christian publications are listed in the "Religion" section of this helpful reference work. They also suggested consulting Sally Stuart's A Christian Writer's Market Guide. This book is available at a cost of $33.50 (including postage), and may be ordered by contacting the author at 1647 S.W. Pheasant Drive, Aloha, OR 97006-3811. They also suggested contacting my local library about writers' clubs and support groups in my area. This gives me a bit of direction and a place to start looking. Off to search I go!

Topic Considerations/Wondering Questions

How did I choose my topic? I am a busy working mom and I tried to think of things I wanted to accomplish anyway or people I wanted to help. My first thought was--could I research something for my husband--for work--he said no. Is their something I could research for my own work--I thought about grants, library educational tools, lesson plan guides etc. I wasn't really excited about that. Then--I thought of something I have always wanted to do--publish a book, but how do I do that?

Wondering--Questions
Is my work good enough to get published?
How do I get it published?
Do I need an agent?
How do I get one?
What is the proper format to start?
Do I need copywrite?
Is a "poor man's copywrite" enough?
What should I do first?
Do I need to start with a time line?
Should I just start sending my work out?

Focus for the project--discover the proper steps necessary to get my first book published.

Watching

I started thinking about my writing, what I have written, what I enjoy writing, and what can actually be put in a publishable format. Looking over the Indiana academic standards I am going to focus on English/Language Arts Standards--Standard 4: The writing process includes pre-writing, drafting, editing, and revising. Students progress through these stages to write clear, coherent, and focused paragraphs and essays. Standard 5: Through the exploration of different types of writing and the characteristics of each, students become proficient at narrative (stories), expository (informational), descriptive (sensory), persuasive (emotional appeal), argumentative (logical defense), and technical writing. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing. Standard 6 English Language Conventions include the grade-level-appropriate mechanics of writing, such as penmanship, spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation, sentence structure, and manuscript form.

As I do some more research and develop a format for my possible mother's devotional book--I will look at my work from these standards.

Just Thinking

Somehow I missed the blog deadlines? All I see is the October 8th due date for Project 1. I have a lot to do . . . When my daughter Olivia was a toddler I started writing down little things she said--things that were funny or heartwarming--things I thought I could use in a book. Lately I have been thinking a mother's devotional book. Is this even realistic? That is what I am going to try and find out. I found a web site today that should be helpful--it has a list of Christian Book Publishers http://wcg.org/lit/links/publishers.htm

Topic

Yeah, I have found a topic. Publishing--I have always wanted to write a book. I have published a few small things--a piece in Authentic Voices by Taylor University press in 2005, "Reading Needs in High School Communication Classes," Indiana Reading Journal 1996, and high school and college literary magazines. Taylor was looking for T.U. alumni--they posted for specific stories in the alumni magazine. A professor wanted to use work from a paper I wrote for class and completed the article in the IRJ. And anyone can submit for literary magazines. A full-blown--real book--I have so many questions. How do I get a publisher? Where do I start? What format would be best for me? There is a lot to look into and inquire about.

My May blogs were an assignment from L401. Basically ignore those.

Wendy

May 30, 2007

I spent a lot of time today searching Librarian's Internet Index. I found a wonderful site for Shakespeare teaching supplements. This site provides access to major texts of the English Renaissance in their original versions. Multimedia tutorials (which move swiftly) "present viewers with background and contextual material" for plays such as "Romeo and Juliet," "Merchant of Venice," "Richard III," and "King Lear." It also includes tutorials on book production during the time period, with sections on "Folios, Quartos, and Publishing," and "Editing and Unediting." http://dewey.library.upenn.edu/sceti/furness/eric/

The English Renaissance in Context (ERIC) is a NEH-funded project designed to provide scholars and students at a variety of levels with access to major texts of the English Renaissance in their original versions. ERIC grows out of both contemporary critical tendencies in the field of English Renaissance studies and a commitment to providing broad access to original source materials that would otherwise be out of reach for many. ERIC takes advantage of the NEH "Teaching with Technology" initiative to fashion some fresh approaches to familiar texts and issues. ERIC uses the desktop to supplement the classroom and the library.
ERIC comprises two separate but integrated units: a set of tutorials on some of Shakespeare's plays and on the making and selling of books during the Early Modern period; and a database of scanned texts from Penn's Furness Shakespeare Library. When used in combination, these two units can provide students with a rich introduction to English Renaissance literature in its historical and artifactual context.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/ll/
This web site has a wonderful list of recommended literature: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve is a collection of outstanding literature for children and adolescents. The recommended titles reflect the quality and the complexity of the types of material students should be reading at school and outside of class.

May 29, 2007

I find myself really frustrated with the blogs today. I am blocked from connecting to any of the blogs from school. I can’t help but think how useful will these actually be to me—if I will have trouble letting my students connect to them.

I am unable to go to http://www.bloglines.com at school so I have spent more time linking directly to the three blogs I chose.

I find it really interesting who About.com list as the 10 best novels. I have been teaching high school English since 1996 and have never taught any of them. I need to do some reading this summer!

The Librarian’s Internet Index is amazing. I found so many wonderful resources for units in my English classroom. I can’t believe I have never used this site before.

I am unable to get anywhere with The Shifted Librarians—everything is BLOCKED! YUCK!!

O.K.—back at home—much more productive
http://www.iasl-slo.org/linksiasl.html
I found this site today on The Librarians’ Internet Index it is great. It is called School Librarian’s Online sponsored by the International Association of School Librarianship . . . lots of cool information about conferences, happenings, publications, awards, research etc.

The Shifted Librarian is very random, but I will definitely do some more searching on her recommended reading list. I always read the most in the summer. . . . more later . . .

May 28, 2007

My mind has been opened up to a whole new world. I use RSS all the time, but had no idea that is what it is called. The only time I have viewed blogs was out of curiosity or a friend sent me to theirs. I have never used them for research, student projects, news etc. I have found so many exciting sites/feeds: The Shifted Librarian, Librarian's Internet Index, About Literature Contemporary etc. etc. There are so many different blogs from famous people ranting about their show experiences, marketing ploys, networking etc. etc.

Some other blogs I have found that look really interesting: http://www.worthingtonlibraries.org/teen/blog/ this blog is sponsored by a library and is a really great way to get teens involved in the library,
http://khslibrary.motime.com/ A Daily Journal of Library Information for Students and Staff—to aide students and teachers in research, studies, and basic information,
http://librarywebchic.net/wordpress/ This site is meant to be a resources for librarians (and maybe others) who are interested in the application of web design and technologies in libraries.

This makes me think a lot--I am always telling my students that any Joe Blow can get on the internet and pretend to be an expert on a topic. I always encourage my students to use academic sources that are reliable. If I want to implement blogs, feed, chat rooms etc. how do I protect my students and myself?