Shutta Crum

 
A friend informed me of the non-profit organization, The National Society of Arts and Letters. It seems they are hosting a contest for 2010 for young (18-33 yrs) unpublished writers. Maybe that is you! Head on over to their site for specifics. http://arts-nsal.org .  
Happy Writing!
Shutta

I just finished posting a blog entry for BIG UNIVERSE, about the imaginative play of my grandchildren titled: Coffee Shop Theater. If you are interested in peeking at a bit of the imaginative life of children take a trip to Big U.
In the meantime, enjoy the children in your life and these final days [...]

 
The schmooze this year was a lot of fun with some old familiar faces showing up as well as a lot of new ones. We had every chair filled in a circle—28 of us! There was lots of good food as well as good conversation. I saw groups standing in the shade by the food [...]

1. Let’s start out with something kids often wonder. How old were you when you first started seriously writing?
I was a grownup with a child of my own. (Now I have two very large sons!) I enjoyed writing as a child, and always received praise from my teachers, but somehow ended up a graphic [...]

 
Wow! When it rains, it pours. I just got word that the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books will be giving THUNDER-BOOMER! an “R*” in its September issue. (Recommended, and an asterisk for “exceptional.”)
A writer friend asked if I knew that this book (my tenth) would be exceptional? And how did it feel writing [...]

Several friends have sent links to this wonderful video of the song AFRICA. It starts with creating the sound effects of a rain storm. Click here or on the sidebar. I can just see doing this with a whole group of kids! Music teachers?
The rock band Toto scored their biggest hit with this song in [...]

 
I have a wonderful little thunder stick I take with me when I visit schools. Many teachers and families have asked about where to get one. Below are some links and photos. I like getting a nice array of instruments together to make storm sounds and then read THUNDER-BOOMER! I point to each child to [...]

I was reminded that the 2009 Bulwer-Lytton winners had recently been announced. I always enjoy these each year. This is the annual contest for the worst opening line (since 1983). It is named after Edward George Bulwer-Lytton who wrote the famous opening phrase that Snoopy used so often: “It was a dark and stormy night [...]

 
Congratulations to my friend Jacqui Robbins who was feted and cheered by an audience of cupcake smeared admirers. (The cupcakes were good!) But her second book, TWO OF A KIND (Illustrated by Matt Phelan. Published by Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2009), is even better than bright blue and green cupcakes! It has just taken its [...]

 
I kept this link to pass on to others. It’s Writer’s Digest annual listing of the 101 best websites for writers. Check it out! This listing/edition of the magazine is always one of my favorites.
I often find handy sites and apps to use, including Windows Live Writer–the software I am using at the moment. I [...]