Oreo stole my sleeping spot!

Shortest. Blog. EVER. It’s almost midnight PST and I just got home after having dinner with our NaPiBoWriWee Guest Author/Artist Erin Eitter Kono (her blog here: http://paulayoo.com/napi/?p=55).

My main thought is – during NaPiBoWriWee or any time you are busy in your writing batcave, it helps to have a writing buddy! Someone you can pitch ideas to or ask to read/critique your work, and vice versa. A writing buddy is a great safety net and lifeline, especially when you are feeling frustrated with your writing and/or suffering from writer’s block or self-doubt. So my Bedtime Blog advice is that you should find a writing buddy that you can bond with – either via emails or phone calls or fun get-together events like dinner or brunch etc. – because writing can be too lonely at times.

So the next time you’re stuck on a book or having trouble writing, set up some time to hang out with a writing buddy to rejuvenate your enthusiasm and get you excited again about writing. I had a blast hanging out with Erin. Our conversation helped re-ignite my excitement to write! Today (Day 5) was not a good writing day for me because I had a long and busy day at work but hanging out with Erin got me excited so I’m now about to write. Meanwhile, Oreo my cat (pictured above) took advantage of my absence and stole my spot on the bed. LOL!

So that’s my quick bedtime advice. For the comments section of this blog, I’m curious… do you have a writing partner or writing buddy who cheers you on? Do you meet with a writing group online or in real life? How do writing buddies help you with your writing?

For Day 6, stay tuned for the daily 9 PM (PST) Good Morning blog with some writing craft tips, plus TWO guest author blogs. Stay tuned for a 12 PM (PST) Guest Author/Artist blog with Don Tate and a 5 PM (PST) Guest Author blog with Carolyn Crimi!

Until then… Happy Writing! WRITE LIKE YOU MEAN IT!

Good morning NaPiBoWriWee peeps!

What? We’re already at Day 5? We’re more than halfway through National Picture Book Writing Week? Pinch me! Time is going by so quickly!

Is everyone surviving? Are people indulging in too much caffeine and sugar? Are you snapping at your loved ones because you’re cranky and tired from all this writing? LOL! Hang in there! Imagine how PROUD and HAPPY you will feel once you write Picture Book No. 5 today! (Or play catch-up on Books 1-4 if you’ve fallen behind due to work and family schedules!)

Well, since the Good Morning blogs have all focused on writing craft issues – First Drafts, Plot Structure, Theme, Hero’s Journey – let’s continue with today’s writing craft topic… POINT OF VIEW.

Normally Point of View isn’t such a big deal in picture books, which tend to be told from either a 3rd person limited POV or an omniscient narrator. But more and more modern picture books are using first person or a mix of perspectives. What’s a picture book writer to do?

(Keep reading after the jump to find out more about Point of View…)

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