Ivy Crenshaw

Congrats to everyone who submitted to #PBParty this year.

Submitting is its own win, and I feel proud of both you and me for doing it.

Now don’t just wait, keep writing and putting yourself out there!

"Slow Chats" on Bluesky, and how to attend - Debbie Ridpath Ohi - Obsidian Publish How to attend a "slow chat" on Bluesky Also see Bluesky Events. Cover-SlowChats-v2-800.jpg What is a "slow chat?" One fun way to connect with others in a topic-focused Bluesky community is participat…

For those who have never attended a "slow chat" like tonight's #KidLitChat, here are some tips: publish.obsidian.md/debbieohi/ho...

For PB, would it be acceptable to submit two or three manuscripts that meet your MSWL? (Did not see this in Tobias submission FAQs)

If yes, would you prefer to receive as one or separate submissions?

Hello blank page, my old friend,
I’ve come to talk to you again…

2024 was a heck of a year for me and mine.
Dropped out of writing and the community to hang on for dear life.
Finally just getting back to mucking about in the ink.

Hello again, writing community. It’s been a while.

Welcome Ashley!
I hope you find good community here.
Thanks for putting your color and joy into the world.

Writing into the dark is a method I’ve been exploring to avoid treading that muck again.
Discovery write an 80/20 draft (80% results from 20% effort), by writing one scene, stop after and assess the plot so far and end goal, outline the next scene, then write forward.
This can prevent major rewrites

For MG, I work to ensure the stage is set ASAP, then follow the motivations of the characters in play and their setting, making sure something is always being actively pursued by someone. Instinct, not structure.
For PB, it is either string-of-pearls or a natural logic order dictated by the story.

Thrilled for this week’s seminar session and to personally meet other members of the writing tribe I’ve been inducted into.

Best of all? Doing is as a threesome with my sisters.

These modern day Brontes are ready to rock some ink!

List of authors appearing at Booksravaganza, including Jim Butcher, Jonathan Mayberry, Gail Carrier, and Kevin J Anderson. Antlers Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Want to meet some amazing bestselling and local authors? There's a free event Feb 7th in Colorado Springs.

Photo of art whose text reads "I want to read all the books" with illustration of woman with long flowing blue hair reading a book. Also in the photo, we see a black Pentel Pocket brush and two Caran D'Ache colored pencils.

Woohoo! Sent in final art for my solo picture bk w/Simon & Schuster, I WANT TO READ *ALL* THE BOOKS. In celebration, I'm giving away original art!

POLL: Do YOU want to read all the books? #CommunityPolls

To enter the giveaway, share this post. Randomly picked winner announced Thu. Jan. 25th.

😂

Thanks for this, Brian. Algorithmic feeds are so baked into everything else these days that I hadn’t stopped to wonder yet how Bsky functions.

Now I know!

Illustration of long-haired girl in red clock on flower-filled green hillside, looking up into the blue sky. In the sky, we see a few fluffy clouds along with some white skywriting that spellings the word "bluesky."

Do you know a kidlit/YA person new to Bluesky? Here are starting resources that might help, pls see full thread 👇🏼

My take on social media
Quick tips + templates
My Bluesky how-to videos
KidLit Authors & Illustrators On Bluesky
Kate Messner's KidLit Community list

cont'd

Scrolling through these memorials of Authors & Illustrators who passed away in 2023 was bittersweet.

Thank you for the light that you put into the world. You are missed, but your work lives on.

Works that entered the US Public Domain on January 1st 2024
web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicd...

Interesting additions to the US Public Domain, this year. Noteworthy KidLit items include Millions of Cats (oldest PB still in print), House at Pooh Corner, and Steamboat Willie. You can check out the list as well as articles on how this works at the link I’ve included in the comments.

They are here, they are here!! The Finalists for #CYBILS2023

www.cybils.com/2024/...

PS - and happy new year.!

#cybils2023 📚👍🏼

Text reads "Bluesky List: KidLit & YA Agents" - List maintained by Debbie Ridpath Ohi (Bluesky: @debbieohi.com).

I have a list of Kidlit/YA agents at bsky.app/profile/did:... (click POSTS to view posts in the feed, ABOUT to see a list of users).

You can find my other lists by going to my LISTS tab under my profile. Hope this helps!

Happy Science Fiction Day!

‘Tis Asimov’s birthday.
My favorite of his anthologies is Robot Dreams (but I haven’t really drawn any robots, so you get a sleeping dragon, instead).

Saw this answered by a number of pros, recently. In novel land, somewhere between 1 and 3 (in different stages) seems to be the norm.
PB writers reported somewhere between 4-16.
The big thing seems to be utilizing your daily different mental energies for different stages, without losing priorities.

Including it as a follow-up comment or in your bio (or both!) is best, anyway. On most social media sites, the algorithm suppresses posts including links because it draws people away from the social site.