Wednesday, December 05, 2018

The Insecure Writer's Support Group, WEP, and Otter Tales 2

It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

Today’s option question:
What are five objects we'd find in your writing space?

A DKnight wireless boom box.
Several notebooks of publishing and schedule info.
My to-do list.
My reading glasses. (The evils of getting older.)
Of course, I’m surrounded by Minions in the Minion shrine.

Since I just read two entries from people with fans in their writing area, I'm going to mention the most wonderful little space heater in mine. It's winter here and we keep the house at 68 degrees during the day. Without that space heater, I would freeze. (Never ask a skinny woman if she's cold because the answer's always YES!)


This month, we have another WEP Challenge:

Here are the WEP Challenges for 2019:


Every year, I do a special project with a local school or two. I do a characterization session with the kids and then they write stories based on their characters. The best ones are published in an anthology - children writing stories for children.

Yesterday, Otter Tales Volume 2 was released.

Otter Tales Volume2
Edited by Michelle Rutledge and Lorie Tillman
Print ISBN 9781939844583
EBook ISBN 9781939844590
Juvenile Fiction

It’s an Otterly Amazing Adventure!

Don your armor and prepare for adventure!
From the far reaches of space to the North Pole, you’ll set off on a quest filled with the exploits of princesses, heroes, and real life journeys.
From the imagination of children, these stories will delight and inspire with their originality, courage, and heart.
Speak with animals. Fly on a robotic dog. Shift into a unicorn. And even battle some zombies along the way!

Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo


Holiday Specials

See Dancing Lemur Press for a list of available titles.

To redeem and conditions:
Purchase a print, audio, or eBook from any retailer and send a copy of your receipt, less payment information and shipping, to inquiries @ dancinglemurpressllc.com State the free eBook or audio book you wish to receive.
Books purchased directly from our site will automatically get swag and a free book shipped.
(Free eBook cannot be over $2.99. CassaSeries audio book excluded in the free giveaway.)
Offer good until December 15, 2018. Delivery of print books not guaranteed by Christmas after December 10, 2018.


What’s in your writing space? Are you giving books for Christmas?

Thank you to all who visited my post two weeks ago covering What Does a Publisher Do?

86 comments:

nashvillecats2 said...

There is much going on Diane I must in the future take part in some. Loved the post. Enjoy your day.

Yvonne.

Erika Beebe said...

I had no idea you were such a minion fan :) Great picture. That's so true about skinny girls and being cold. I'm lucky this year. My new coworker is always cold too so I get to turn the heat up. I also have a space heater. The anthology for kids sounds wonderful. I will have to purchase that book for my son. I want to inspire my kids to go for their dreams and to show them hard work eventually brings success. Thank you :)

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I write in the den, so it's den stuff. Right now, a Christmas tree. :) I'm giving 3 books for Christmas...one for 6 year old nephew, one for my sister, one for my mother in law.

Love the Otter Tales cover!

RO said...

Can I just tell you how impressed I am with the Minions Den? What a fun and great way to celebrate their celebrity! Hugs...RO

Jennifer Hawes said...

Yes, I'm giving books for Christmas gifts!! Those minions are awesome. I agree with the heater. I keep a wonderfully soft blanket close by and cats. lol

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Congratulations on Otter Tales.
That's a lot of Minions...

The Cynical Sailor said...

I love the idea of an anthology of stories written by children for children! Love all of those Minions :-)

Nick Wilford said...

That's an impressive shrine! We give our kids books for Christmas. Other things too, but there are always books in there.

Christine Rains said...

Congrats on Otter Tales release! Wow... a ton of Minions! We keep the house at 68 during the day too. It's the perfect temperature for me wearing slippers and fleece. If it goes to 67, my hands start getting really cold while typing.

Beverly Stowe McClure said...

Those "to do" lists are essential. I'd never remember without mine. The Otter Tales sounds like fun. It's great that the students write the stories. I bet they're excited.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Diane, Otter Tales looks good. And I like the idea of keeping my To-do list on my desk/writing space. I'll do the same. I'll also visit your previous post.

Juneta key said...

I love your Minions. I really them too. Here is a gif for you. https://media.giphy.com/media/9w475hDWEPVlu/giphy.gif

Michael Di Gesu said...

WOW, that is quite a shrine! I See those cute little guys often when I visit Universal Studios.... at least one a week! They really are fun.

Congrats on the new release of Otter Tales 2... they are certainly mischievously cute critters!

Happy Holidays to you and your hubby!

cleemckenzie said...

Yes, to the space heater. I forgot to mention that in my post. I guess that's because it's UNDER my desk and easily forgotten unless it's not operating.

Love the minions, but I'd feel like I was being watched all the time with so many round-eyed wonders.

Congratulation on the newly released book! Have a wonderful end of 2018 and beginning of 2019.

Meka James said...

I keep a space heater by my desk for the same reason. The other half keeps the house at 68 so I'm forever cold.

Love the minion shrine!

emaginette said...

I love your minions. I have a bobble head Groot as a cheerleader. hehehe

Anna from elements of emaginette

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I have so many Minions now, it looks like a store. And I am so thankful for that heater.

J.H. Moncrieff said...

Wow, that is quite the collection of minions! Impressive.

That's a really nice project you do with school children each year. I'm sure it means the world to them.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Thank you. What's scary is that's not all of them.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Christine, mine too.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Michael, I had SO much fun visiting Universal for my 50th birthday a couple years ago. I cleaned out the Minion gift shop.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I have a couple Groots, too!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

It does!

David Powers King said...

Since my main writing space is in the basement, a good space heater is required for survival. Totally hear you on that one. Hope you have a safe and wonderful Holidays! :)

H. R. Sinclair said...

😄 I'm not surprised by the shrine! I don't have a space heater but I do have a blanket!

Jean Davis said...

That is quite the minion collection! Don't feel bad about the reading glasses. I have seven pairs floating around the house and I still often don't have them when I need them.

Arlee Bird said...

My glasses rarely leave my face other than when I sleep or take a shower. I wonder if I wore my glasses to bed if I could see my dreams clearer.

I've been thinking about getting a small space heater to tote around my house. Despite living in the sublime climate of Los Angeles, it sure does feel cold during the winter months. In actuality it's not all that cold compared to other parts of the country, but below 70 degrees gets me chilled.

Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations to all the anthology writers!!!
I give books at Christmas and birthdays so my nieces, nephews, and kids always know what to expect. :0
Happy December!

Jemi Fraser said...

Yay for the Otters!
Love the shrine! :)

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,
My house is not at 68 degrees but my office is because I write better when I'm cold and I sleep better in a cold bedroom, and I'm not skinny. :-)
Have a nice Christmas.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G

M.J. Fifield said...

Wow! That is quite the minion shrine!

Love the cover of the Otter book. So cool!

Liz A. said...

Oh wow, what a great idea, to publish a kids' book with the kids writing. I bet they get a kick out of that.

Tonja Drecker said...

That's quite the Minion collection! I'm trying to get my family to agree to my Christmas wish this year—a portable bar/bistro table. We keep the house even cooler than 68. So, I plant myself in front of the fireplace to write, and since I like to stand while working, I need that table! :)

Julie Flanders said...

Oh my gosh the Otter Tales look so cute! I love otters and that's such a great idea.
Love the minions too! What a cool work space.

Anonymous said...

What a terrific idea to do the Otter Tales! And your minion shrine is so cool - it's definitely a happy space.

Anonymous said...

My husband would love all of those minions. He's a kid at heart. :)

68 degrees? I'd die. Okay, not die, but I'd complain a lot more than I already do. And that's a lot. We keep it at 70, then I bump it up to 71, drop it down to 70, raise it again, yeah, it's a whole thing. haha

Elsie

Shannon Lawrence said...

I love the minions! And the idea to publish the childrens' stories.

J E Oneil said...

Several notebooks? I guess that makes sense since you work in publishing, but wow. That's a lot.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I never remember to take them when I leave the house. You should see me trying to read menus.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

The one we have now is wonderful. Has a toggle on the bottom so if it gets knocked over, it shuts off.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I sleep good when it's cold, too. We keep it at 64 degrees at night.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

They do and it's so neat to see.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I would love a table like that.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I've gotten to where I just dress in layers. Sometimes that includes a coat, too.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

My big one has information on every book we publish. I have another with events and online stuff. Another one holds all of the colleges, libraries, and bookstores in my area. (And it's a wide area.) Finally I have one with notes on all of the seminars I teach.

Pat Hatt said...

Sure no shortage of minions at your sea. Have a space heater here too.

Adrienne Reiter said...

I am the book giving auntie. I keep multiple notebooks, a guitar and a dog that has to always be touching me at my side while I write. (In this month's post I show pictures to prove it.) Happy Holidays!

Doreen McGettigan said...

Oh the minions! I'm with you I love my space heater. Happy Holidays, see you next year.

KJ Scrim, Writer said...

I'm a part of the "Skinny People Freeze" club. I too have a wonderful little space heater. OMG...the MINIONS! Love them!!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Glad you're staying warm with your space heater. Wow! That's a lot of minions.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yep, that's a Minion shrine. I LOVE it!!!

Gwen Gardner said...

Minions-ha! How fun. I just watched Despicable Me the other day. So fun!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Wow. I knew you loved Minions but I never imagined that. I used to use a space heater for the same reasons. Now that my granddaughter is here every day, we turn the heat up to 72 for her sake so I'm not usually cold.

Diane Burton said...

We keep our house at 68, too. I'm always warm, but Hubs is often cold. We layer up or strip down (but only so far LOL). Loved the Minions. My grandkids love them.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

I adore your minion shrine. I don't think I'd accomplish any writing in it, with all eyes on me.

Denise Covey said...

Hmm. I hardly know what a space heater is, Diane. Phew. It's about keeping cool Down Under.

Sandra Cox said...

Look at those Minions!
A wireless boombox. I gotta get me one.
I LOVE the cover of Otter Tales.

kimlajevardi.com said...

I love your minion shrine!

Michelle Wallace said...

A marvellous Minion space!
I need to finish my WEP story and post it later on this week.
I love giving... and receiving books all year round! The more the merrier! LOL
Happy Holidays, Diane!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

We have no insulation!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That picture is many months old - I need to take a new one. I'll wait until after Christmas though.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

And that's not even all of them.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

That is the thing about being too hot. You can only get so naked, but if you're cold, you can put on many layers.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Sandra, thank you - I'll let my illustrator know. The little boom box is wonderful - the sound can really fill a room.

Tanza Erlambang - Every Day Issues said...

lovely Minions.
have a great day

Loni Townsend said...

Great collection of minions!

I'm like you. If I was to sit at my desk to write, I'd definitely need a space heater. (Usually I end up in the bed, though, buried beneath several layers of blankets.)

Olga Godim said...

Your Minion shrine is terrific. Ans so it your annual children anthology. What a wonderful idea!

Chemist Ken said...

All those minions would drive my daughter crazy. She thinks they're a plot to take over the world. I sometimes have a portable heater going in my basement office. Without it, I'd never be able to write in my writing space. All I'd be able to do would be to imagine being under the blankets in a nice warm bed. Have a great Christmas!

Mason Canyon said...

You are such a busy lady. Portable heaters are an awesome thing to have around you!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

If I didn't think I'd just fall asleep, I'd write in bed.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

LOL - be sure to show her my picture then.

Yolanda Renée said...

Could us a portable heater today, that storm is fierce. Are you getting snow? We're just getting wind and rain.
So many minions, I can only imagine what all the chickens, I've collected would look like in one place.

Merry Christmas!

Chrys Fey said...

Oh my gosh. That's minion craziness. HAHA. I can't believe you have that many. That's so cool. :)

Cherie Reich said...

Wow, that's a lot of minions! I could use a little heater as I'm usually cold. That's one reason I keep the weight I have. If I was thinner, then I'd likely freeze to death. Heh.

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Mary Aalgaard said...

Those Minions will keep you in good company. They have such a great sense of humor. I also like doing writing workshops with kids. I did one last month and it lit a spark in me as well!

Sherry Ellis said...

I think it's a nice thing you do for the kids - to visit the schools and publish their stories. I bet bet they get so excited about that!

Sandra Cox said...

I love the fact that you do children's anthologies.

Stephen Tremp said...

Have to love those minions who Gru knows each and everyone by name. And I'm going to do the WEP Challenges this year they are on my calendar.

klahanie said...

Hi Diane,

Yep, I'm terribly late in arriving at your blog site. My oh my, many, many minions.

Awesome Otter cover!

Thank you for your kind comment on my blog, Diane.

Gary

Notes Along the Way with Mary Montague Sikes said...

You are amazing to have heat at 68. I am very cold-natured and would freeze. Merry Christmas!

J Lenni Dorner said...

Have a wonderful holiday season!
:snowflake:
Wishing you and your loved ones peace, health, happiness, and prosperity in the coming New Year. Thank you for your kindness and caring.

I love the minions. The otter book looks adorable. I did give some books for Christmas this year, in fact.

-J

Nicki Elson said...

What a cool project!

Ah yes, the reading glassses...I have a pair in my office, on the nightstand, in a kitchen drawer, and in my purse...and I think I need about 5 more pairs.

Sandra Cox said...

I'm back...or will be tomorrow:)
Hope your Christmas was glorious and your 2019 is filled with peace, love, good health and prosperity.

Yolanda Renée said...

I can't wait to read this one! Congratulations to everyone, and especially Laura. Such an amazing writer!