Creative Leaps

Famous Writers’ Sleep Habits vs. Literary Productivity, Visualized “In both writing and sleeping,”  Stephen King observed in his excellent meditation on  the art of “creative sleep” and wakeful dreaming,   “we learn to be physically still at the same time we are encouraging our minds to unlock from the humdrum rational thinking of our daytime lives.” Click here to blog on to Brain Pickings for more  on Famous Writer's Sleep Habits. From About Brain Pickings: " Brain Pickings  is the brain child of  Maria Popova , an interestingness hunter-gatherer and curious mind at large, who has also written for  Wired  UK,  The New York Times , Harvard’s Nieman Journalism Lab, and  The Atlantic , among others, and is an MIT Futures of Entertainment Fellow.  Brain Pickings   is a human-powered discovery engine for interestingness, a subjective lens on what matters in the world and why, bringing you things you didn’t know you were int...

Article Link: Broader, Better Conversations for Caribbean Children's Literature Featured on as a part of a, Anansesem round table discussion, I comment on the theme by noting the top eleven things I think editors can do to have broader, better conversations that will positively influence Caribbean Children's Literature through publishing. # 3... stop trying to motivate publishing and/or sales by lording a sense of moral duty towards readers who share, or don’t share our genre, culture, gender or ethnicity. # 9. Understand our Caribbean markets are made up of reluctant readers of all ages, and determine to address cultural change in that regard; looking to the value of high concept, low text density and writing that conveys potency with brevity. Blog on for more: Anansesem  is a biannual (formerly triannual), "online-only" children's magazine. It was established in 2010 to encourage the writing and illustration of Caribbean literature for and by childre...

Island Fiction available - Montego Bay, Jamaica (thanks for sharing this pic "Billy Elm" author of Delroy) Island Fiction makes for an unexpected gift/ stocking stuffer for kids, 9 to 15. The series is designed to appeal to both boys and girls and will captivate even reluctant readers. Each title makes for great family read aloud moments and the grown ups may sneak off to enjoy these page turners when the kids are done. Delroy in the Marog Kingdom and Legend of the Swan Children are a great IF start for readers on the younger end of the range.  As they leave behind the world of picture books, and aren't yet ready for some of the 'big books' out there, these titles strike a happy balance between reading skill and high interest level content, without sacrificing any entertainment value. Follow with The Chalice Project, and then graduate to Escape from Silk Cotton Forest, Night of the Indigo and Time Swimmer. If you've got a boy who's a reluctant r...

20 Quotes on Writing: George Orwell  from www.azevedosreviews.com Luis Azevedo started Azevedo's Reviews since the beginning of 2012, covering his interests in film, literature, writing, directing and stand-up comedy. Excerpted: George Orwell (1903 – 1950) 1.  “If people cannot write well, they cannot think well, and if they cannot think well, others will do their thinking for them.” 13.  ”Good novels are written by people who are not frightened.” 17.  ”The actual writing would be easy. All he had to do was to transfer to paper the interminable restless monologue that had been running inside his head, literally for years.” 18. “ A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”

BUY NOW: Wishing for Wings, Debbie Jacob If you haven't purchased this book yet, please do. Gift others with it as well. This book is so worthy of your investment. Don't borrow it. BUY IT. This is my Amazon review for Debbie Jacob's  WISHING FOR WINGS published by  Ian Randle Publishers in Jamaica:   I am at once Silenced, and full. , December 1, 2013 By  Joanne Johnson This review is from:  Wishing for Wings (Kindle Edition) I am reluctant to write anything about Wishing, simply because I am stunned and humbly in awe of the work. If I could wish something for the author and her young charges, I would wish for this to be a bestseller at home in the Caribbean, and especially in Trinidad and Tobago. On completing it, I am at once silenced and full. It is not without flaws. Yet is is emotionally flawless. (e.g. I wished the chapter "Decisions" was an introduction that assured me before diving in. I did worry...