One or two spaces after a period?

I know this sounds mundane, but hey, ever wondered why we are now asked to space once after a period? When I was learning how to type a million years ago, the rule was to space twice after each period. When I worked for a local newspaper a while back, I was told that the reason was that it saved space in the final printed text.

 

Well, here is a brief article by Brian Klems, online editor blogger for Writer’s Digest . He explains why the big mystery about that extra space in his article, “How Many Spaces After a Period?”

California

 

Well, now you know. It took me a while to get used to this. I wanted to hit that space bar twice every time I ended with a period. I still do sometimes, so every once in a while, I run the Find and Replace All feature on Word. That gets rid of those pesky spaces.

 

"I like the idea that magic can be hidden under the surface of everyday life." -- Trina Schart Hyman

Literacy Program

Only two days left: Giveaway on Cynsations: Career Builder & Giveaway: Lupe Ruiz-Flores. Scroll down to the bottom where you can enter to win a “giveaway prize package” from me. That giveaway includes an autographed copy of my latest bilingual picture book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las aguas frescas de Alicia, plus other goodies. But hurry. U.S. only. Good luck!

Yesterday I did a reading of my latest bilingual picture book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las aguas frescas de Alicia, in support of H-E-B’s Read 3 Program: Open a Book and a Child’s Mind,  to promote literacy. The event was held at an H-E-B in Corpus Christi, Texas. After the reading, H-E-B gave away copies of my book to some lucky winners.

 

One of the highlights was that the staff at H-E-B prepared aguas frescas for the people who attended the reading. The fruity drinks were delicious. At my table are the healthy fruit drinks, aguas frescas of watermelon and pineapple. Yum. Yum.

Different flavors of aguas frescas

 

The Read 3 Program encourages families to read to young children and through in-store activities increases awareness of literacy and books through community outreach. If you would like to donate any new or gently-used books for this project, please take them to any H-E-B during September 12^th -25^th.

 

“Children are the hope of humanity. If they are going to change the world, they have to start off optimistically. I wouldn’t consider writing a depressing book for children.” – William Steig

Cynsations: Career Builder and Giveaway

The Giveaway

I had the honor of being interviewed by award-winning author, Cynthia Leitich Smith, on her blog, Cynsations. Her blog is one of the best for writers everywhere. Check it out.

 

Read the entire interview,  Cynsations: Career Builder & Giveaway: Lupe Ruiz-Flores, and then scroll down to the bottom where you can enter to win a “giveaway prize package” from me. That giveaway includes an autographed copy of my latest bilingual picture book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las aguas frescas de Alicia, plus other goodies. But hurry. The deadline for entries is over in a few short days. U.S. only. Good luck!

SCBWI Regional Writer's Conference - Sept. 15, 2012

If you’re serious about writing and want to get inspired, here’s your chance to learn more about the process. Whether you write fiction, nonfiction, middle grade, young adult, picture books, adult, historical fiction, etc., this writing conference is for you.

 

The San Antonio, Texas, chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators is hosting a one-day conference at the University of Incarnate Word on Saturday, September 15, 2012. Your tuition includes attending a keynote session, general sessions with agents and editors, intensive breakout sessions with published authors and illustrators, a buffet lunch, a silent auction, and a networking social.

Vineyards

 The topics/sessions conducted by published authors and illustrators, agents, and editors:

 The Importance of First Pages

 Character Development
 Finding Your Hook, and Reeling in an Editor or Agent
Cooking Up a Proposal
Mechanics of a Picture Book
Getting to Point B (Or How to Survive in Publishing by Learning from My Mistakes)
Illustration Basics
Plot Building

 If you’re in the San Antonio or outlying area, don’t miss this opportunity to learn and network with other authors and illustrators who are just as passionate about their work as you are. Come join us! Click here for a link to details and registration.

Writing Scenes

Do you have trouble writing scenes in your story? Writers are always told that scenes should propel the story forward. Just how does a writer know if that’s really happening? In an interview on the Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL) blog, author Chris Eboch goes into comprehensive detail on the topic of scenes.

 

In her interview, “Scenes and Chapters,” Eboch mentions that scenes are “…an important thing to keep in mind -- a summary of events is not a scene. Scenes are written out in detail, shown, not told, so we see, hear, and feel the action. They often have dialog, thoughts and feelings, and sensory description, as well as action.”

 

In her discussion with Jan Fields, web editor of the ICL web site, Eboch further elaborates on just how to write a scene, what to include, and how to end it. This is an excellent read that any writer will appreciate. See for yourself.



Grapes in California Vineyard

“Refrain from editorializing in descriptions of your work. An agent or editor shouldn’t have to be told your story is thrilling or heartbreaking; your description should show or reflect these qualities.” – Writing tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Diversity in Children's Books

“Every librarian is looking for multicultural books all of the time,” Wisconsin librarian Dahl said. “By and large you see children choosing books that reflect themselves. We need more.”

 This quote was posted by Matthew DeFour on the Wisconsin State Journal blog. You might find DeFour’s article, “Books fail to accurately represent our increasingly diverse world,” about diversity in books or the lack thereof very interesting.  

 

While at the SCBWI-LA conference, I attended an outstanding writing session by Deborah Halverson, author of Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies. She’s also the founder of DearEditor.com blog. She’s offering a free edit of a manuscript. Deadline for entering is August 28, 2012. So hurry!

 

"Professionalism is an attitude. For a writer, this means professional presentation of queries and manuscripts, a thorough study of the market, and the ability to deliver assigned work on time." -- Writer's Digest Weekly Planner

Laredo Book Festival

Just returned from the Laredo Book Festival where several local and out-of-town authors celebrated “The Best of Texas and Beyond.” As authors, we did readings and served on different panels throughout the day.  

I served on an afternoon panel plus I did a morning reading of my latest book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks. It was great meeting some of the local authors. I got to meet the 2012 Texas Poet Laureate, Jan Seale, and I eagerly bought one of her books of poetry, The Wonder Is, which she graciously autographed for me. She lives in the Rio Grande Valley.

The librarians at the Laredo Public Library where the event was held, did an outstanding job of coordinating a full day’s worth of book activities. The public was invited and it was a pleasure interacting with the locals, both grownups and children, on the subject of books.

I hadn’t been to Laredo, Texas, since I was a child. When I saw the St. Augustine Church in the small plaza across from the hotel, it brought back memories of when my abuela used to take me to Sunday Mass there whenever I visited. The church is as majestic as ever. It was a nostalgic trip for me as well as a writer’s event.

While in Laredo, I met a bear. Yep! I kid you not! Here’s the pic. Is the bear real or not? You be the judge!