Orange Monster

Not only did I have a show case for my ‘normal’ poetry (if I say adult it sounds dodgy!) but I also ended filling in for a missing poet with my childrens poetry in Waterstones. I have already read my children’s poetry in the Cheltenham Waterstones and ended up on the radio and in the local newspaper with it - as part of a publicity thing the week before the festival began. Then I had my two childrens workshops as well.

Here are the photos of me running my events

I had a fantastic time I really did

May is descending on us fast and that can mean only one thing - it is time to attempt to write seven picture books in seven days ie its NaPoWriWee again

As I have ten stories I would like to write for the Olympic Book I am going to extend the challenge to at least ten I hope to basically spend the whole of May working on this project so that it is ready in time

This is my third year doing this challenge and it is just so good at kick starting me

Ok so I am running two childrens workshops at Cheltenham Poetry Festival this weekend, I have the Monster Writing Game on Saturday and the Poetry Bees and their Story Tree on Sunday (check out the programme my stuff is free!).

The Monster Writing Game even has it’s own bag:

to carry the monster cards within These are A4 in size.

Here is the Poetry Bees and the Story Tree

I have also illustrated some writing sheets for the children for the Poetry Bee workshop

Do to the copy right stuff with using olympic stuff I doubt The Olympic Book of Poetry, Prose and Projects will be a sellable book - or not unless I get permission etc… but that isn’t the point - the first step is getting it ready for my little girls

It does however now have a subtitle The Big Book of Sports, Hobbies and Activities.

I am currently attempting to write poems on all things to do with sports, activities and hobbies. I have also hit on the idea of 10 stories mainly about animals and robots and the like. Obviously the Olympic Games are here in the UK this year so me and my little girl are getting very excited and doing lots of things with an Olympic theme.

This includes knitting our own Olympics and a blanket made of squares showing different sports and things so I think a book of poetry had to be done!

I know I said I would stick to the hundred titles but when this idea occured to me I just couldn’t resist it My little girls great grand mother won a gold in the Olympics for running - something my little girl is keen on and good at so the poetry will hopefully help encourage this. I have already done the poems for The Little Book of Olympic Poetry and quiet a few others (Poem a Day challenges etc…), I am including general activities such as hiking, knitting etc…. and think I might actually have a goodly number ready for when we are sitting down watching the events in the summer

I would also like to have 10 stories for it and have already started brain storming for these

I will also makes some word searches and thing for my little ones to do and I love designing childrens craft projects the instructions will be in there Stuff to again do whilst watching the events

So things have moved along so much with the writing and workshop and drawing thing that I decided it was time to get myself some business cards - I have been waiting for Moo to get a round corner cutter ever since I saw someone had bought one and done all their own cards individually. I just love the look - it makes the cards seem more fun.

I have selected alot of my artwork and illustrations for the cards and people keep photographing them at events

I have produced an audio book which I am selling to raise money to buy books for Jean’s School Library (they get the profit). The disc contains The Little Book of Easter Poetry, The Little Chicken Song and the story Ester Rabbit - there is even me playing the recorder It costs £5 with £1 p&p. There will be an online order form eventually but you can send cheques made payable to Sarah Snell-Pym

50 Newton Avenue

Gloucester

Glos

GL4 4NU

There will be a download version soon too (it will be £3) - there is currently no print version of this and probably wont be until next year. I managed to buy two books with the taking from The Little Book of Festive Poetry which the school are very happy with but they do basically need to restock their whole library.

Obviously if you are going to see me before/around Easter just pre-order what you want

And if anyone has a shop or anything that wants to stock a couple then let me know

I feel that with this number of poems I should be looking at grouping some of the Little Books of Poetry into larger collections. About 100 poems would be The Big Book of Poetry and Stories. A Mega book would be 1000 poems plus stories, fact files and craft activities.

It is just something that occured to me as I put together The Little Book of Festive Poetry at Christmas. I have enough poems written to produce a Big Book already and it is editing, illustrations and the like that is slowing me down

I am selling these books primarily to raise money for my children’s school library which is in desperate need of new books - I managed a few tomes for them at Christmas.

I plan to produce an audio book of The Little Book of Easter Poetry - complete with song and story as bonus material!

Anyway wish me luck!

I must be made but the little books seem to be moving on of their own pace and I have actually ended doing readings and workshops around them

1) The Little Book of Spoogy Poetry

2) The Little Book of Festive Poetry

3) The Little Book of Sparky Poetry

4) The Little Book of Easter Poetry

5) The Little Book of New Baby Poetry

6) The Little Book of Wedding Poetry

7) The Little Book of Birthday Poetry

The Little Book of School Time Poetry

9) The Little Book of Feasts and What Not Poetry

10) The Little Book of Holiday Poetry

11) The Little Book of Harvest Poetry

12) The Little Book of New Year Poetry

13) The Little Book of Yule Tide Poetry

14) The Little Book of Aminal Poetry

15) The Little Book of Adventure Poetry

16) The Little Book of Summer Poetry

17) The Little Book of Winter Poetry

18) The Little Book of Spring Time Poetry

19) The Little Book of Autumn Poetry

20) The Little Book of Pet Poetry

21) The Little Book of Seaside Poetry

22) The Little Book of Mountain Poetry

23) The Little Book of Woodland Poetry

24) The Little Book of Rainy Day Poetry

25) The Little Book of Sports Poetry

26) The Little Book of Science Poetry

27) The Little Book of Nature Poetry

28) The Little Book of History Poetry

29) The Little Book of Weather Poetry

30) The Little Book of Dinolicious Poetry

31) The Little Book of Ugg Poetry

32) The Little Book of Rock Poetry

33) The Little Book of Traveling Poetry

34) The Little Book of Oceanic Poetry

35) The Little Book of Icy Poetry

36) The Little Book of Electric Poetry

37) The Little Book of Farm Poetry

39) The Little Book of Flying Poetry

40) The Little Book of Space Poetry

41) The Little Book of Iron Poetry

42) The Little Book of Bronze Poetry

43) The Little Book of Zoo Poetry

44) The Little Book of Circus Poetry

45) The Little Book of Fairy Tale Poetry

46) The Little Book of Cooking Poetry

47) The Little Book of Insect Poetry

48) The Little Book of Bird Poetry

49) The Little Book of Flower Poetry

50) The Little Book of Reptile Poetry

51) The Little Book of ‘Shroom Poetry

52) The Little Book of Fairy Poetry

53) The Little Book of Dragon Poetry

54) The Little Book of Mermaid Poetry

55) The Little Book of Troll Poetry

56) The Little Book of Wizard Poetry

57) The Little Book of Magic Poetry

58) The Little Book of Witch Poetry

59) The Little Book of Mythic Poetry

60) The Little Book of Legends Poetry

61) The Little Book of Robin Hood Poetry

62) The Little Book of King Aurthur Poetry

63) The Little Book of Victorian Stuff Poetry

64) The Little Book of Tudor Stuff Poetry

65) The Little Book of Saxon Stuff Poetry

66) The Little Book of Norman Stuff Peotry

67) The Little Book of Viking Stuff Poetry

68) The Little Book of Museum Poetry

69) The Little Book of Rainbow Poetry

70) The Little Book of Jungle Poetry

71) The Little Book of Rainforest Poetry

72) The Little Book of Desert Poetry

73) The Little Book of Desserts Poetry

74) The Little Book of Foodie Poetry

75) The Little Book of Arctic Poetry

76) The Little Book of Savanna Poetry

77) The Little Book of Yellow Poetry

78) The Little Book of Red Poetry

79) The Little Book of Blue Poetry

80) The Little Book of Green Poetry

81) The Little Book of Pink Poetry

82) The Little Book of White Poetry

83) The Little Book of Black Poetry

84) The Little Book of Grey Poetry

85) The Little Book of Brown Poetry

86) The Little Book of Orange Poetry

87) The Little Book of Purple Poetry

88) The Little Book of Tree Poetry

89) The Little Book of Colour Poetry

90) The Little Boo of Fruity Poetry

91) The Little Book of Toy Poetry

92) The Little Book of Teddy Bear Poetry

93) The Little Book of Dog Poetry

94) The Little Book of Amphibian Poetry

95) The Little Book of Medievil Stuff Poetry

96) The Little Book of Bed Time Poetry

97) The Little Book of Playtime Poetry

98) The Little Book of Music Poetry

99) The Little Book of Garden Poetry

100) The Little Book of Vegitable Poetry

I have brain stormed away and could probably keep going but there is no point - I have 100 titles and concept for Little Books of Poetry and I really want to get these written before I even contemplate any more titles. As it is it will take me years to do this!

I mean if you look at it another way it is almost 1000 poems! I say almost as I have already doubled up in some of the books I’ve already compiled. Poems that are themed to both or a poem I’d already written that fits etc.. but that is still a lot of poems and would take more than ten years even if I focused all the poem a day challenges I take part in on them!

This is a bit duaghnting so I am not thinking of it like that - instead I will carry on producing a few a year primarily for my own family.