Four Friends

We were the best,
We were one of a kind,
Four friends like us,
Will be hard to find.

It started one day,
We got along well,
Four excellent writers,
Now wasn’t that swell?

With our brains all a turning,
We critiqued all our work,
Our partners were friends,
A wonderful perk!

How do groups fall,
And grow far apart?
Won’t happen to ours,
‘Twas made from the heart.

But alas the day came,
When words were mistaken,
Members had bailed,
Were they just faking?

How ‘d ones so close,
Allow such a rift?
Instead of close by,
Our hearts are adrift.

We’re not really sure,
of all that has happened,
We’ll try to move on,
Though our souls are saddened.

We'll miss our dear friend,
And all that could be,
Instead of four members,
We’re now down to three.

We were the best,
We were one of a kind,
Four friends like us,
Will be hard to find.

******************************************************************************

This poem is about a member of my group that needed to move on. We'll miss her !

The Humor Factor

I recently read a story, If You Can't Sleep, to my children. It was written by a member of my critique group. It's not published yet, but it's such a sensational story, that I'm sure it will be soon. My girls loved it. They want to hear it over and over again. Which makes me wonder: What about it makes the story successful?

Is it the topic? All kids an relate to not sleeping.

Is it the furry, friendly, lovable sheep? It could be. Children love soft and cuddly things.

Could it be both of these things? Probably, but I think it's what I call "The Humor Factor". The girls' favorite part of the story was the flying sheep. I won't say much else about the story. I'm sure it will be published, and I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Was the story great on its own? Absolutely. It had a problem, which, deepened as the story went on. It became an instant hit, however, the first time the sheep flew through the air. It landed in a way that made the girls laugh so hard, they fell out of bed! Yes, really.

Add a little humor to the ingredients of a good story: action, conflict, problems, and you may have a recipe for a favorite bedtime story.

I've Entered the World of Blogging

My husband walked into my office, stared at my computer screen, and shook his head. What could invoke such a reaction from him? He saw that I was starting a blog.

"Isn't that for kids?" he asked.

I wasn't offended. In fact, I saw it as a compliment. I am a children's author, after all.
As an author, I love writing and anything that involves writing. Each new creative process is another welcome challenge for me. Blogs are fairly new to me. I'm usually glued to my word processor typing out another adventure.

I accepted the blogging challenge recently. Who knows? I might stumble upon another story or article. Blogging allows my thoughts to flow the way free writing does. Many times, this type of writing introduces me to my next character. I couldn't let readers miss out on that.

With that in mind I turned to my husband.

"I know what I'm doing," I said and continued to set up my blog. I have now entered the world of blogging.