Lori Ries

Autumn is filled with color and I love driving country roads where the trees are filled with crimson, gold, and autumn hues.

So much has changed along with the scenery. This past year I became the mother in law of a darling girl that married our eldest son, a grandmother of the cutest little baby girl you ever did see, and just learned I'm to be a grandma again! There is lots of excitement happening up here on the mountain!

I also started going back to school, and I'm loving the opportunity to expand my mind and writing skills. it's wonderful to get to explore the world from a student point of view again. I've always been passionate about learning so this has been great fun.

Of course, with all these changes, I'm also still writing. It's been an amazing year with Good Dog Aggie, receiving the Maryland Blue Crab Award, and Aggie the Brave becoming an Oregon Spirit Award Honor Book. I look back and I am just so amazed at this journey, and am so, so grateful for my writing life.

Wishing Everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Take pleasure in the words and worlds all around you.

Warm Wishes,
Lori

May brought three back to back travel writing events. It was exciting,

First, I visited Chemeketa Community College of Salem. The drive was lovely, about an hour, and I got to see charming farm county and learn where St. Paul is. It was fun to arrive and see all the children ready for an exciting campus field trip. I loved their happy energy.

My first day at Chemeketa I was asked to simply share and talk about my books. It was a wonderful audience of writers, and future educators, and parents. That Saturday I returned to give a focused four hour writing workshop. We had great fun.The school provided our workshop group with a smorgasboard of pizza, salad, snacks and beverage.

Following this event, I dashed home to leave the next morning for Maryland. We took our daughter for a crash course in living history, and also attend the Maryland Library Associations Conference where I received the Blue Crab Young Readers Award for GOOD DOG, AGGIE. I found the group to be welcoming, warm, and just wonderful, as they treated my family to dinner and they were a great audience as I had the honor of sharing where Aggie came from.

After this, I went to Cottage Grove where the kind principal hosted me during a wonderful two day school visit. I was delighted to learn that an Aggie coloring contest was held and that for two days I would get to have lunch with the contest winners. The student body was filled with excited energy and I met one quite talented third grade writer. We enjoyed creating story ideas, and we actually made it rain fish! Cottage Grove really knows how to welcome a visiting author. Aggie coloring pages became entry and office wall paper! They were gracious, filled with hospitality, and I loved that whole experience. What great kids.

As we spring into summer, more fun lies ahead. Writing From the heart is just two weeks away, and I love that special week with writers. Then, I get to come home and welcome the sweet girl coming from France to learn what an American family and culture is like. We've already made contact with our exchange student and are excited to have this opportunity to host her.

In July I'm off to my birthplace, Chautauqua, where I was reborn a writer. Joy Cowley, who I love, will be honored, and I can't miss this. She was my mentor at Writing From the heart, before I was asked to follow her in leading the very retreat that grew me. With over 600 works to her name, it will be such a sweet joy to share in the honoring of this good friend and literary master. Two weeks, from today, I'll be on a plane headed for Writing from the Heart in beautiful Boyds Mills. I cannot wait. This place breathes serenity, friendship, and inspiration- climate perfect for story.

Good things are afoot for the start of 2011.

The Aggie Series is beginning to grow in visibility and it's exciting to watch. Aggie has a new book coming out this next spring, AGGIE GETS LOST. In May I'll have the pleasure of flying to Maryland to receive the Maryland Blue Crab Young Readers Award from the Maryland Library Association for GOOD DOG AGGIE, and I'll also be honored to speak at their wonderful MLA conference.

It's fun to learn, grow, and experience life in every facet. Learning is a never ending process and growth is an unrelenting desire. As a writer, I'm always seeking for keys to stronger writing, opportunities for greater giving, and moments for personal perspective. This journey is amazing. I love how we grow and learn through each other.

Recently, I've been receiving mail asking for writer advice so I'll also share here.

This is my favorite writing truth learned through experience so far: If you want to write, write. Don't let the fear of failure stop you. Self doubt and fear can cripple any desire. Just believe in yourself and act on that desire. There is no such thing as a magic wand. The magic is within you. I've learned in this journey, that the only way to truly fail, is to quit.

There are so many wonderful opportunities to learn about and improve in your craft. Highlights Foundation's workshops, SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conferences, there are individual state local workshops, some in residence writers run workshops from home. There's the Institute of Children's Literature, Community College opportunities the list is endless for learning opportunities.

Life sometimes happens and gets in the way of strict scheduled daily writing time. If you're realizing you're not writing every day, or have trouble getting in that zone, don't beat yourself up. Just write. If you fall off for awhile, don't should on yourself listing all you should be doing, and quit. Write.

Write through the off seasons, as you can, keeping priorities where they call at the time and keep balance strong. Write for the love of writing, for the wondrous creation of it all, and embrace the joy of craft. In time the writing and writing period will return to it's original strength. Just write through till life settles in demand and pushes writing back into place.

Worrying about publishing just stunts and takes away the energy and flow. It can discourage. It's the writing that makes a writer, not the publication. Write for the sheer love of writing, and good will come.

Write, submit, then write on...

Summer is here and so much has happened.

Our family moved, switched houses, cities, and landscape. Now we live in the country. It's quiet, beautiful, and critter happy. The views here breathe serenity. It's inspiring, my personal writer's paradise.

Another Highlights Writing From the Heart retreat is come and gone, (more…)

I love new beginnings, fresh starts, new goals, new challenges, new growth.

2010 has gotten off to a great start. The year ahead feels good! (more…)

One of the most amazing opportunities I have ever had, is in being the mother of a missionary son. My eldest child, for the past two years has been with the good people of Germany. It's been a wonderful thing to share in his growth and experiences. Sunday nights, my writing time was spent writing to him, and it was sweet.

We recently returned with him back to Germany to share in the adventure! We met the people he came to love, and experienced their rich culture. Germany has an amazing history that stems far back beyond imaginings. The people are wonderful. The food is amazing. There is nothing like Germany at Christmastime. (more…)

As one chapter ends, a new one begins. This autumn starts with renewal of health, a return of a missionary son, and the marriage of a daughter. (more…)

Another "Writing From the Heart" writing retreat has come and gone and another bouquet of Red Rover Writing friends are on their way to creating great works with their time and talents.
Who are the Red Rover Writers? (more…)

Please consider supporting your local bookstores, and the publishing industry by choosing to give gifts of imagination, play, entertainment, and full on brain power fun. A gift card from the bookstore is a great gift where a child can choose his or her own book. Characters can't wait to be brought home by the child who brings them to life, and gives them a place to dwell in their heart. That's much more fun than sitting in a dark, closed book.

Sometimes a book can be a child's best friend. Please help our book industry survive this falling economy by giving books as gifts.

"She isn't even reading yet, so how can she be ready for Kindergarten?" "He hates the book the class is reading. I think he hates reading period!"

With frustrated voice, friends through the ages have asked me about their kid's readiness for literacy and or future success outlooks. I don't own a crystal ball. But most worry, I do know, is without cause. Kids grow at their own pace, and reading readiness while it can be influenced, should never be forced.
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