Tree spirit

Tree Spirit Series

Tree Spirit Series

Wind Whisperer Keychain by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna for sale GREAT GIFT!

Wind Whisperer Key Chains

MAKES A GREAT GIFT!

Wind Whisperer

watercolor tree series

ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING FROM ARTIST: NATA ROMEO ARTISTADONNA

Key Chain

Set your keys apart with a custom keychain.  The sturdy clasp keeps keys together securely, and holds up well through daily wear-and-tear.

• Printed on 100% Recycled Paper.
• Covered with scratch- and UV-resistant Mylar.
• 2.25" in diameter – the perfect size for purses and pockets.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150528707304&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

Writing and Illustrating

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Revising Your Book? Check This

Posted: 23 Oct 2010 09:07 PM PDT

Here is a list of things to consider when you start to revise your manuscript. 
Remember what Anita Nolan says, “The end is just the beginning.”  It is so true. 
Force yourself to cut, tighten and throw away even things you love if it doesn’t move the story forward.
Give your yourself the time to let your manuscript mature.  Using this list can go a long way towards helping you send out a polished submission.
1.  Telling instead of showing.
Show a character’s feelings by creating pictures. Think how a movie would portray someone’s mood.
2.  Keep it Fresh
Write as though it’s happening now, not as though you’re telling the past.
Are you using trite phrases, cliches, or deliberately unusual words? You’d better have a very good reason for doing so.
3.  Weak characters.
The villain in your story must be a worthy opponent of the hero.
4.  Check the point of view…
Write from the view point of the most involved character, not an onlooker.
5.  Mood and sentence length.
Keep sentences short to portray tension, longer for relaxation.
6.  Do any sentences begin with the words “There” or “It”?
They can almost certainly benefit from revision.
Instead of: There were three gunmen who had sworn to kill him. It was hard to believe. 
Write: Three gunmen had sworn to kill him. He couldn’t believe it.
7.  Passive voice.
Instead of:  ‘He is being watched by the children’
Write:  ‘the children watch him’.
8.  Complex past..
Where possible, keep past tense simple.
Instead of:  ‘he had gone’
Write:  ‘he went’.
9.  Author intrusion.
Are you as narrator intruding on the story through witticisms, editorializing, or self-consciously, inappropriately “fine” writing?
Instead of:  ‘He wondered if she would leave, and considered apologizing’
Write:  ‘Would she leave? Perhaps he should apologize.’
Publishers want to read a story, not read the author telling a story. Keep out of it.
10. Check sequence.
Instead of:  ‘She fell to the floor when David hit her’
Write:  ‘David hit her. She fell to the floor.’
11. Avoid naming in dialogue
To avoid speech tags some writers fall into using names in dialogue, which isn’t natural.
Instead of:  ‘Don’t hit me, David’
                     ‘Mary, you’re asking for it.’
Write:  ‘Don’t hit me.’ Mary shrank away from him.
               ‘You’re asking for it.’ His fists clenched.
These are action tags.
12.  Look for unnecessary words and terms.
Instead of:  ‘Suddenly she noticed his presence. His figure stood out in the crowd.’
Write:  ‘Suddenly she noticed him. He stood out in the crowd.’
Note: Minimise the amount of ‘ly’ words.
13. Simultaneous Actions.
Instead of:  ‘She packed her bag and went to the car’,
Write:  ‘She packed her bag then went to the car.’
14. When actions are simultaneous keep verbs in agreement.
Instead of:  ‘As she drove tears were rolling down her face,’
Write:  ‘As she drove tears rolled down her face.’
15. Check for places where a sentence could be read wrong.
Instead of:  ‘her eye fell on a piece of paper’
Write:  ‘her gaze fell on a piece of paper’.
16. Are you grammatically correct? Is your spelling and punctuation correct? This is not mere detail work.  It is basic craft. I run into writers who say, “Well, if the editor likes it, they’ll work with me on the grammar.”  Good luck with that.
17. Is the prose fluent, varied in rhythm, and suitable in tone to the type of story you’re telling?
18. Check to see if you are repeating what you’ve already told your readers? Are you telegraphing your punches?
19. Look at your manuscript.  Is there enough white space? Are there any long passages of text? Fine a way to break them up.
20. Let your manuscript sit.  You will find it easier to look at it with fresh eyes.
21.  Before submitting read your manuscript aloud.  Mark any places where you stumble.  If you can find a friend who is willing to read it to you, that is another way to pick up on things.
Hope this list helps. Remember this is just to get you started. You’ll still want to do all the other things we have discussed about revising.
Talk tomorrow,
Kathy
http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/

Tree Goddess Series A-7 ACEO

Tree Goddess Series A-6 ACEO

Tree Goddess Series A-4 ACEO

Tree Goddess Series A-3 ACEO

Tree Goddess Series A-2 ACEO

Tree Goddess Series A-1 ACEO

Aceo Tree Series 91

Aceo Tree Series # 90

http://writeoncon.com/

http://writeoncon.com/


Hey everyone!
Hopefully you’ve been reading the recent posts about how this conference will work, how to participate in the panels and live workshops. If not, PLEASE read those posts (scroll down or click here and here).
I’m posting the schedule for the first day of the conference, and while the second and third days are in still in the final confirmation stage, you can expect a very similar schedule for them.
Without further adieu, here’s what you can expect on Tuesday, August 10 (all times EST):
Tuesday, August 10, 2010:
6:00 AM: Keynote Vlog Address by author Josh Berk
7:00 AM: Refining Your Craft with Each Book by author Janette Rallison
8:00 AM: Making the Most of Your Advance (no matter its size) by literary agent Michelle Wolfson
9:00 AM: Myths and Misconceptions by literary agent Holly Root, and editors Molly O’Neill and Martha Mihalick
10:00 AM: Illustrating Children’s Books by J.H. Everett and studio
11:00 AM: Bringing the Funny by author Rachel Hawkins
12:00 PM: Becoming a Career Author by literary agent Catherine Drayton
1:00 PM: Writing Middle Grade by author Jon Lewis
2:00 PM: Voice by literary agent Elana Roth
3:00 PM: Writing a Query Letter by author Jodi Meadows
4:00 PM: Author Branding by author Shelli Wells
5:00 PM: Questions to Ask Yourself Before a Revision by editor Kendra Levin
6:00 PM: Pizza in the Face (how characters react to situations) by author Rosemary Clement-Moore
9:00 PM: Panel of Professionals (Elana Roth, Kathleen Ortiz, Dan Ehrenhaft, Martha Mihalick)
TOPIC: Online platform
10:30 PM: Working with Agents and Editors, a live Workshop with literary agent Mark McVeigh

I hope you see something you like, and this is only Day One!

John's Sailboat by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna

childrensbook13@aol.com

oil 

9 x 12 on canvas

I 'm the featured artist on the SCBWI Society of Children's Book Writers & illustrators

Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna I am so excited I am the featured artist for the SCBWI Society of Children's Book Writers & illustrators ....please stop by and take a peak :-) http://www.scbwiepa.org/

Childrens Book Illustrator NEW BLOG

this is my new blog for children's book illustrations...please follow me here also :-)

http://nataromeoartistadonna.blogspot.com/

I 'm the featured artist on the Daily Painters National Gallery

http://dailypaintersinternationalgallerynews.blogspot.com/2010/07/featured-artist-nata-romeo.html

http://ramblingsofawannabescribe.blogspot.com/

Rainforest Cake Illustration 3 by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna

 

Grumph! Grumph!

What could that be? Follow me!

Rainforest Cake Illustration 3 by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna

 

Grumph! Grumph!

Who could it be? Follow me!

Rainforest Cake Illustration 3 by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna

 

I finished the watercolor and now I will add the pen and ink

Rainforest Cake book Layout

 

Rainforest Cake Illustration 2 by Nata Romeo ArtistaDonna

 

Baby Jaguar and Mama Jaguar pounce on the forest floor