"Warm Up Exercise for Your Next Writing Session," by Donna McDine

Getting your body ready for your exercise routine or sporting activity is imperative. Stretching of the body and keeping it hydrated helps maintain a healthy level of activity. How does this relate to writing you may be asking by now? When you settle in for your writing session do you have difficulty getting out of the starting gate? Why not “warm up” first? Hey wait a minute I don’t need to stretch my body before writing it’s not strenuous. It may not be on the body, but it certainly is on the mind.

To get your creative juices flowing, don’t focus on your current work-in-progress, edits or research. Rather… journal about your day, an issue or concern you may be experiencing, your hopes and dreams for the future, you name it any topic is game. Through my daily journaling I often times come away with clarity on a particular matter in my life, which then frees up my mind for the creativity to flow. Once you experience the benefits of journaling it will most likely become a habit that you look forward to completing each day. It doesn’t have to take a lot of your time. 15-20 minutes of journaling works well for me.

You will be surprised how energetic you will approach your current writing project once you clear your mind.

I’d enjoy hearing about how you prepare for your writing sessions.

Wishing you successful writing sessions through journal exercising!

-------------------------------------

Donna McDine is an award-winning children’s author, Honorable Mention in the 77^th and two Honorable Mentions in the 78^th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions, Literary Classics Silver Award & Seal of Approval Recipient Picture Book Early Reader, Readers Favorite 2012 International Book Awards Honorable Mention, Global eBook Awards Finalist Children’s Picture Book fiction, and Preditor & Editors Readers Poll 2010 Top Ten Children’s Book ~The Golden Pathway.

Her stories, articles and book reviews have been published in over 100 print and online publications. Her interest in American History resulted in writing and publishing The Golden Pathway. Donna’s recent releases of Powder Monkey and Hockey Agony will be joined by two more books to be published by Guardian Angel Publishing, A Sandy Grave, and Dee and Deb, Off They Go. She writes, moms and is a personal assistant from her home in the historical hamlet Tappan, NY. McDine is a member of the SCBWI, Children’s Literature Network and Family Reading Partnership.

You can find out more about Donna McDine, her books and World of Ink Author/Book Tour at http://tinyurl.com/3tv4jgf

To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit http://worldofinknetwork.com   

Title: Hockey Agony

Category: Chapbooks for Tweens

Author: Donna McDine http://www.donnamcdine.com

Artist: Julie Hammond http://www.juliehammondart.com

Paperback ISBN: 9781616333607; 161633360X

eBook ISBN: 9781616333614; 1616333618

Price: $9.95 paperback / $5.00 e-book

Publishers: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. 

SYNOPSIS:

Peer Pressure and Honesty many times go hand-in-hand.  What is Larry to do when his teammate asks him to cheat when he is given the responsibility to run the clock during the big hockey game?  Outwardly, it may seem he will follow suit, but his conscious tells him otherwise at the moment of truth.

Title: Powder Monkey

Category: Academic Wings

Author: Donna McDine http://www.donnamcdine.com

Artist: KC Snider www.KCSniderart.com

Hardcover ISBN: 9781616333843; 1616333847

Paperback ISBN: 9781616333850; 1616333853

eBook ISBN: 9781616333867; 1616333863

Price: $19.95 hard cover / $9.95 paperback / $5.00 e-book

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

SYNOPSIS:

Forced into a life at sea by the Royal Navy Press Gangs, 12-year-old Tommy Kitt finds himself in a floating sea of misery. Poor living conditions and beatings occur daily. Despite his small size, Tommy must summon the courage and physical ability to prevail in a situation he cannot escape.