Catching colds, making turkey and lists.

As the winter rolls into Prague and both Turkey day and PiBoMonth end on a great note, I’m still fighting a lingering cold. During my foggy days of DayQuil and various over the counter products purchased at the pharmacy here, I’ve spent my time listening to webinars, researching issues relating to my picture book MS, and reading blogs. 

I’m ready to get back into revising my latest revision of THE picture book. This is the one I’ll be scattering at the intensive on the Friday before the start of the SCBWI conference in NYC. 

I seem to always struggle with rolling up my sleeves and rummaging with words, but once I get going it will go on for days. I can tell that this next revision will be good, I can feel it in my bones (that might also be the cold forcing its way through the door near my desk) for a couple of reasons.

Uno: Before stepping away from my MS (due to cold and flu symptoms) it was critiqued by my critique group. They were able to provide me with some helpful thoughts- if they understood that my character was an elephant (whoops, my fault for not including that!) Duo: I recently signed up for the PRO membership at rateyourstory.org (RYS)! I’m feeling rather proud of this decision! 

My to do list before February conference: 

*Polish and finalize MS 

*Submit to RYS 

*Create a website ( I don’t know what I’ll really put on there, recommendations?) 

*Create and print business cards (yikes) 

*Revise based on critique 

* Submit for review, possibly, again to Esther

 *Find out if I’m missing anything that I’ll need for the conference (recommendations?) 

*Ready a query and cover letter for the conference 

*Work off all holiday cheer (i.e. do more exercise) 

*Research editors and agents (so much to learn so little time) 

YIKES! I doubt I’ll be sleeping tonight with worry of getting all of this done in time!