If you want to meet Jack Canfield and myself, we are doing book signings both in St. Catharines and Toronto!
My Canadian Friends: Jack does not often make the trip up north! This is a GREAT opportunity to meet him. Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul® books and a NYT best-seller many times over. His best-selling book, The Success Principles, is a self-improvement classic.
The Big, Bad Bully is being released on October 29th, so this is your chance to get it a little early, if you don't want to wait for a pre-order to be delivered, AND, of course, you can get it signed.
For those of you planning to participate in the virtual book reading on October 30th, you can have your book to follow along with for the LIVE event!
BOOK SIGNING SCHEDULE
ST. CATHARINES, ON Chapters, Fairview Mall Oct. 24 7:30 pm TORONTO, ON Indigo, Etobicoke West Mall Oct. 25 7:00 pm
Have you ever read a book and found the characters unrealistic or one-dimensional? When characters in a book lack depth, the reader is not able to connect with the story and become fully immersed. The last thing you want is your readers to lose interest because they can’t relate to the main characters. So, how do you write characters that ring true? How do you create characters that will win the reader over and draw them in? It’s simple.
Just like getting to know a real person, you need to “get to know” your characters.
You get to know your characters when you can describe a wide range of details about them. Think about the people you know well in your own life. You know where they are from, what they like, and what their interests are. You know a little bit about their family, maybe a lot. If you have known them long enough, you may know some of their strengths and weaknesses.
Here are some details that I worked through when I was writing I CAN Beleive in Myself and I CAN Be Me:
Molly ( I CAN Believe in Myself) She is Artsy. She’s a little bit different. Wears different coloured socks. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Creative.
Maria (I CAN Make a Difference)
She is a 1st generation immigrant and speaks a different language at home. She is always prim and proper. Everything is in its place.
Flesh Out Your Character Exercise
When you are creating a character write down as many details as you can, even if it won’t show up in the story. This will breathe life into them. Some authors find this easiest when thinking of a person they already know. You may not want your character to share ALL of the characteristics of the person you have in mind, but they can inspire you.
Questions to get you started:
Write down the following about your character: Name: Birthday: Last Name: Personality: How many siblings? Are their parents together? What language do they speak at home? What don’t they like? What do they really like? What is their favourite food? What is their favourite music? What are their hobbies? Favourite words? Physical attributes (eyes, hair):
Publishing Tip: If you are self-publishing and working with the illustrator you can tell them exactly how you picture your characters. If you are being published traditionally, the publisher chooses the illustrations etc.)
Do you have a children’s book you want to publish?
Laundry Books is accepting applications for children’s books. Deadline November 20, 2019 I will be taking 6 aspiring authors through the ins and outs of perfecting their stories, teaching them marketing and at the end of our time together – I will publish their books!
As a mom of four, I have always been aware of how important my children’s mental health is. I listen to what they say to themselves, and how they talk to others. It is a great indicator of what is going on inside. One day, I heard my daughter, in front of the mirror, talking. She was in Grade 6 at the time.
Well, she wasn’t so much talking as complaining.
“Mommy, why does my hair have to be so frizzy?”
“Why are my legs so short”
“It’s not fair! Why do I have so many pimples on my face?”
Nothing I would say would make her stop. All the nice things I was pointing out about her were completely ignored. It wasn’t until I went up to her, grabbed her by the shoulders, looked into her eyes, and said “You are bullying yourself!” that she stopped.
But, she didn’t just stop. I saw clarity in her eyes that she understood.
Why did this make such an impact? She listens to everything that is taught to her at school. She has listened to many anti-bully talks, and the last thing she wants to do is be “the bully.”
The thought that she was bullying herself was enough to get her to stop.
That was one of those rare moments when the hair on my arm stood up. I knew I was on to something big. From there I went straight upstairs and started writing the first draft of The Big, Bad Bully.
A lot of us are our biggest bullies. The words and thoughts we think about impact us dramatically. Our thoughts can either enrich us, or do us harm. Our thoughts can either bring us happiness, or bring us a lot of pain.
So, how do you change negative self-talk into something positive? Something that works FOR you instead of against you?
I remembered the mirror exercise that Jack Canfield taught to us at one of his training seminars and I used it to help her change the inner dialogue. Instead of criticism, to focus on positive things.
I truly feel this is a message that every child needs to hear. The first step to stopping negative self-talk is to be aware that it is even happening in the first place! I’ve got some resources below that can help with bringing that awareness to your children.
Hugs!
Miriam
Self-Esteem Resources
Pro Tip: download and print The Mirror Exercise and the HOW TO : Tape it to your mirror and do it with your children daily.
Self-Esteem expert Jack Canfield and noted educational speaker Miriam Laundry reveal that the biggest bully in a child’s world is not lurking around the corner but living inside her head.
