Studio Streamlining

With the kids back to school, I have been amazingly organized and on-task in my studio. I started out Tuesday developing a typed "to do" list that has all my magazine articles, poems, picture books, non-fiction, agents to query and novels. (I have quite a bit.) I jotted down two or three places each piece needed to go, and interesting quotes from specific editors/agents. This was relatively easy after a summer of reading Children's Writer, SCBWI market notes, and the new CWIMarket. (Yay again! to Cindy Lord for her article in the Market Guide.) The list has made my days more streamlined. I wave good-bye to my lovely, genius children and run home to my studio. I have a good two hours straight now on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. (Some of you may be laughing at how little time I have to work, but this is like heaven compared to the writing-in-the-cracks-of-life method I've been using.) Anyway, Tuesday I sent out a picture book manuscript. Today I sent out a poem with a sketch to Spider and a picture book manuscript to Kar-Ben. Perhaps by the time I get through the list I will be receiving the rejections that require me to start from the beginning again. That's okay. The next envelopes are ready to go!