On Tour with Story Sprouts! and a New Year Writercize

Hey there writercizers!

Hope you all had fabulous holidays. I'm returning to the real world today after six blissful weeks of shirking responsibility - gallivanting halfway around the world in Benin, West Africa with the President and Founder of Build a Better Benin followed by a lovely holiday break with my family. 

It's been an amazing month and a half, but sooner or later, it's always time to return to life. (Oh, and for what it's worth - that trip to Benin was a research trip for a book, so technically I can chalk it up to a work-related life experience. More on that later ...)

So - what better way to return to the real world than a good bit of writing fun? Remember that Story Sprouts book I announced a couple of months ago? The one with 19 authors, 38 stories, 10 writing exercises and loads of writing tips?

My co-editor Nutschell Anne Windsor from The Writing Nut and I are on a (virtual) whirlwind tour around the globe promoting the book and sharing what we learned from the process with bloggers and writers. Very exciting stuff!

As a BONUS - we are donating 50% of the proceeds from November through January to Philippine Relief Efforts. It's a great cause that is very close to our Children's Book Writers of Los Angeles board's hearts.

Check out Nutschell's intro post, then visit our first two stops - Michael di Gesu In Time where Nutschell shares her thoughts on the many, many hats of self-publishing, and Karen Strong's Musings of a Novelista where Nutschell ruminates on using quotes in her writing.

I'll be back tomorrow with a link to my first stop on the tour, as well as highlight Nutschell's evening visit to Mooderino tonight.

And, for a brief writercize, why not share your New Year resolution as a comment here ... or give one to each character in your WIP? A great way to delve into the mind of your character!