Scarlett can't wait for you to see her coming attraction video about her new book, That Scarlett Bacon.

Grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy!

Hi Everyone,

I just completed the most amazing master class with Judy Blume. I previously read some of Judy's books such as Superfudge, Tales of Fourth Grade Nothing and Blubber. I knew of her reputation as a talented writer of dialogue so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to take an online class with her. I have taken a load of online classes over the past 1 1/2 years and they all have something in common; it is a lot of information sharing and how-to advice. That was my expectation for Judy's class. Instead what I experienced was transformational. She is one of the most authentic, honest and generous of people. She started in the second lesson sharing her life story and her lifelong dedication to writing. By the time she was closing the class in lesson 24, I felt like I was part of an emotional journey filled with unconditional sharing of personal experiences and wisdom. My personal take away is the importance of making your life story a part of what you write. I have begun keeping a journal of the places I have been, my own journey that I can share in my scripts. It has been an awakening. Instead of a certificate of completion I ended up with a friend. I am also reading her novel, In the Unlikely Event. Here is the website to refer to, I recommend this so highly as I do the book.
https://www.masterclass.com/classes/judy-blume

Mark

I am excited to introduce you to my muse, I couldn't do what I do without him.

II   I am excited to introduce you to my new         se.  I could not do what I do w           

Launch Day

We have launched the new book Oscar The Loveable Seagull.  We did not use champagne but instead used France's Evian bottled water. There was no glass to clean up and no headache the next day. Getting Oscar to publication has been a long journey and I am glad that it has taken this time. It afforded me the opportunity to get to know him well and to enjoy the benefits from knowing anyone you like for a long time. At seagull school his teachers see him as cheerful, thoughtful, cooperative, inquisitive, helpful and one who takes initiative. He continues to show improvement in the areas of gross and fine motor skills. He may be the last to finish a race but he always finishes. 

Sarah Gledhill illustrated this book for me and we both hope you enjoy Oscar as much as we do. We hate to leave him so we decided to come back with a sequel now in progress.

Oscar is available on Amazon as an eBook and a paperback. He is available in iBooks as an eBook.

Enjoy and please give us feedback on the story. We are anxious to improve our craft.

Mark

P. S.  Please visit the Oscar video in our Video Galaxy (tab at top of homepage).

Happiness

   😁       

       Happiness           

I had this thought recently. What we create for the reading public is a source of happiness for them. These works escort them through fantasy worlds, mysteries, tales of crime, tragedies, melodramas, and romances. They will experience powerful emotions, face disappointment during the twists and turns but in the end the hero could be someone they think of as a friend. The essential element of this whole process is that a reader is happy. I suddenly felt a responsibility for the finished product in a compelling way. I began to see myself as the reader and remembered the pleasure I experience by being a part of the story telling of so many amazing authors. I will keep this in mind during my writing process for what is possible. 

This short video, titled Happiness, is for the reader and author alike.

Enjoy,

 Welcome to the Carnival

      I am your host, Mark Johnson, and I am excited to be able to spend time with you. My hope is that when the dust settles we will have shared with each other, learned from each other and become friends. I have spent the past year and a half absorbing as much as I could from the experiences and advice of the writing community. I am in awe of the knowledge, talent and generosity of everyone I have come across. I aspire to be in a position to pay it forward some day. I am in the process of focusing on writing and publishing children books, collaborating with Sarah Gledhill who hails from Huddersfield, England. We have a number of new selections in the pipeline that we will be publishing. Soon I will be working on a chapter book whose plot is sketched out but is presently untitled. The next project is a YA novel that is in the research phase that I are really excited about. It is a story that needs to be told.  

So what can you expect to see in The Carnival? 

Creative Writing: I will share the good 

and the bad of my writing experiences. You will find "how to" posts and fascinating articles or stories. Recently I have started to read a number of screen plays. I find the format to be relevant to what I am trying to do with my writing albeit in book form. That is something I would like to explore more.  I will post writing prompts along with inspirational pictures, videos and musical snippets. Also you can look for notices for learning experiences that I would recommend. I am looking forward to posting recommendations for my favorite books across the children book continuum. 

                                                    

                 Children as readers: I spent 22 years of my life as a special education teacher, elementary school principal and special education director. It has been my privilege to work with so many incredible children and families. Too often reading was a struggle for my "kids" rather than a pleasure. I would like to share my insight, some of those experiences, supports, strategies, and success stories from time to time.


                                                   
               Musicals: When I considered titles for my blog I chose the word carnival because it denotes something that is exciting and fun. That is what writing is to me. It also has an open ended meaning. This gives me an opportunity to discuss and share things related to musical theater, another literary art form and another of my loves. I was hooked by it in NYC in 1968 at the Martin Beck Theater when I experienced Richard Kiley and the amazing cast of Man of LaMancha. So if this is an interest we can share with each other I would really enjoy that.    

Here is to posting and sharing,
Mark