We had a little mishap at our house on Labor Day, which is why there was no Sensibility and Sense blog post last week.
People who know my family well know that we seem to attract drama and it almost always happens on or around a holiday. And this holiday’s offering was a doozy! My husband was working on our boat and the boat trailer (with the boat on it) slipped out of the locked position and landed on his foot. Six hours, one urgent care, one X-Ray, one ER, several stitches and a lot of blood later, we were home. Not exactly the leisurely day we had expected on the last day before the start of school. Yes, his toe is broken, but it could have been so much worse, so we are very thankful!
You’re probably asking what an unexpected turn of events, waiting, dashed expectations, more waiting and a mixed bag of news has to do with writing. Well for me, the day was all about resources (and miracles, but that’s for another post). And when I talk about resources, this is what I mean:
- If the urgent care hadn’t been open, we’d have had a much longer wait when we got to the ER. Because we went there first, the urgent care doc was able to call ahead and get us seen faster.
- If my husband had not had the presence of mind to move his other foot as the boat trailer came down, the accident would have been much worse.
- If the orthopedic surgeon had not been performing a hip surgery that morning, he would not have been there to take care of my husband’s foot and the care he received would not have been as good.
- If the McDonald’s drive through was not on the way to the hospital from the urgent care, we would have gone all day without eating.
Resources, like your home medicine cabinet filled with peroxide, bandages, tape, gauze and all those other goodies you need in times of emergency, can make the difference when it comes to outcomes. Resources that inspire, teach, correct and instruct you as a writer, can make the difference between periods of writers block and inspiration, and times of flat characters and those that jump off of the page.
So I’ve compiled a list of some of the go-to resources that I think are must-haves for any writer’s emergency supply list. This list will continue to grow as I rediscover some resources I haven’t used in a while, and will become its own page here at Sensibility and Sense. I hope they inspire you to start collecting your own emergency writer supplies for those moments when you need a little (or a lot) of encouragement!
Resources for Writers
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators- SCBWI is the international professional organization for writers and illustrators of children’s books.
The Mitten Blog- The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Michigan Chapter blog. A resource for writers and a forum for conversation about the best in kidlit.
Children’s Book Insider– Is designed to help people start and build successful careers as writers for children.
Publishers Weekly- Writer’s source for publishing healines, deals, trends, awards and all other publishing-related news.
Writer Unboxed- A blog about the craft and business of writing. Join discussions about current titles and all other things craft-related.
Literary Rambles- Spotlights children’s books, authors, agents and general publishing news.
PW Children’s Bookshelf– Publisher’s Weekly supplement specific to the children’s writer market.
This Picture Book Life– A blog about picture books, what they are, how to recognize great ones and an ongoing discussion about the picture-book-writing craft.
And stay tuned for more…
Sensibility- Life is all about surprises. How we react to them determines whether we keep moving forward or freeze like a deer in headlights.
Sense- The smartest writers know the value of having a wealth of resources at their finger tips.
What are some of your go-to resources when it comes to your writing?
Another thoughtful post, Patti. And I sometimes ignore those resources. It’s time to take another look.
Thanks Ann! It was a good reminder to me as well when I realized that I hadn’t used some of these in a while. And look, I can see your post! LOL!