Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime, When All You See is White?

The "white screen of death", I mean. On my lap top. Meaning I can no longer access my WIP until I have someone fix it. I'm very stressed. It worked fine the whole time I was at my retreat, and I didn't get all my chapters that I'd written onto Google docs. Just one. Out of four. Shame on me for being lazy, and now I'm reaping the rewards if it.
And then we went on vacation, and I didn't write. And now I'm getting kids ready for school and trying to dig out from the chaos of going through old clothes, toys, and random clutter so I can feel like we are attacking this school year head on.
So what does one do when faced with a computer shortage? I turn to pen and paper. Scary thing, that. But I like this notebook I have, filling with notes and ideas and possibilities for this story. I've realized I don't brainstorm or create outlines of any kind via the computer very well. The organic nature of pen and paper seems to appeal to my creative side. I'd never thought it would work for me, but it seems to be, at least this time.
There's something else I do in the summertime--mid August, in fact. It's call WriteOnCon. It is a FREE online writer's conference for children's writers and illustrators. So picture books through YA is the focus. And did I mention it was FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE? Go check it out. Tuesday and Wednesday, August 14-15. Authors, agents, and loads of crazy fun and info. In fact right now there is a contest being sponsored as part of it that with the first page (450 words) of your completed MG/YA, you could win $1000 and possible representation from Catherine Drayton. Did I mention it was free yet?

Go. Check. It. OUT. NOW.

WriteOnCon---Are Ya Doing It?

This post will be short because I am up to my eyeballs in a writer's conference. What writer's conference, you say?
THE FREE ONLINE ONE FOR KIDLIT. There. Was that big and bold enough for you? Am I yelling yet? (Sorry, I'm actually writing this around midnight and I'm kinda loopy. Don't recommend it.)
This is the second year for WriteOnCon. It's totally free, but they are asking for a few donations. But...it's just chock full of writers, agents, pubbed authors, the works. It's great fun. It goes through tomorrow (that's Thursday) and even after all the live sessions are over, all the info will be up online for the next year or millennia, so you can peruse the information at your leisure. I just like participating in the craziness. It's not quite as nuts as an in person conference, but who can beat sitting around in your PJs to pitch to agents?