Laurie's Writing Meditation and Winners Announced

Dear Readers,

A special treat is in store for you today, even if your name wasn't chosen by random.org! In addition to the two autographed books Laurie donated as a giveaway, she's graciously shared her writing meditation, because so many of you asked about it! Here it is:

Author Laurie Calkhoven

Laurie says . . .  Thanks for the interest in my meditations. I'm putting together a workshop and would love to present it at SCBWI retreats. The meditations themselves are pretty simple -- I relax, breathe deeply, and envision my character coming near me and eventually taking over.

Then I turn over a card on my desk and freewrite to prompts like -- who named your character and how does he/she feel about the name? Your character is having a strong memory involving a parent--what is it? Your character can't sleep because he's obsessing about something -- what?

The element of surprise is important, so the prompts are face down. The first few are based on the Stanislavsky acting method, and I've added more over the years -- like what's in your character's treasure box? Read more about Laurie and her books: www.lauriecalkhoven.com

 You'll also want to check out Laurie's excellent biography of George Washington. It's perfect for middle grade readers and the paperback sells for a mere $5.95!  Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Biographies-George-Washington-American/dp/1402735464/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300794895&sr=1-4 
 Book description from amazon.com

“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen”—and first in the minds of schoolchildren, who learn about George Washington as soon as they begin studying American history. From Washington’s Virginia childhood, through his days as a soldier and general, to his inauguration as the first President of the brand-new United States, and into retirement, this biography captures the full breadth and achievements of his life. It covers both the personal and the private, reveals his views on everything from governmental power to the abolition of slavery, and separates fascinating truth from well-worn legend—including that infamous, but false, tale about chopping down the cherry tree.

Now it's time to announce the TWO winners of the comment contest! And the winners are:

First name/number drawn: Irishoma of Donna's Book Blog. Donna, you get to choose whichever title you'd like--Daniel at the Siege of Boston, 1776 or the new, just released Will at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863. E-mail your chosen title along with your name and mailing address to: claragillowclark(@)gmail(dot)com and the book will be on its way asap! ***Congratulations, Donna!***

The second name/number drawn was Susie Foote. Susie please e-mail me with your home mailing address and Laurie's autographed book will be on its way soon! ***Congratulations, Susie!***


Readers, please leave a comment about the meditations or tell us if you have a special writing prompt or ritual to jump start your writing!  And don't forget--the winner might be you, next time! We love to hear from you.

Next week we'll be moving forward in time to the 1940's on the homefront. Award winning author, Joyce Moyer Hostetter will be here to talk about her books, her research, and writing process. Stay Tuned!