Diana Scimone

A Kid's Book That Will Help Stop Child Trafficking

 
It's been a great week for The Born2Fly Project!  We completed 2 milestones on the road to publishing our picture book to help stop child trafficking. 

Early in the week, artist Leah Wiedemer finished the last illustration for the book.  You can read about that here and see some photos of the day.

On Wednesday, Leah and I worked with the great staff at Eurografix, who took digital images of the illustrations.

Here's photographer Marnie Burkett setting up for the photo shoot:

It took a while to photograph the first illustration, of course, as Marnie made sure the lighting and settings were right.

Once we were all happy with it, the 3 of us went into action.  First, Leah handed Marnie an illustration...

 

which Marnie carefully tacked up on the wall.  Leah used soft pastels, which are very fragile; we joked about dropping one of the illustrations and watching all the chalk fall off. Thankfully that didn't happen.

As soon as Marnie shot one illustration, she gingerly removed it from its perch on the wall, handed it to me to put back into the box, and took the next one from Leah's waiting hands. It took about 2 hours to shoot all 75 illustrations. 

The next day, Marnie popped the memory card into her computer and color-corrected every illustration, making sure it was as close to the original as possible.

Late this afternoon I picked up a DVD with all the illustrations and gave it to graphic designer Cathleen Kwas, who'll now turn everything into a book.  

I'll have more photos for you next week as we continue to document the process of producing this book that will keep many, many kids from being lured into child sex slavery. 

Our goal is to reach kids before the traffickers do, so we want to print truckloads of these books and the companion curriculum to teach kids about the lies that traffickers use. The more funds we have, the more books we can print.

You can donate by clicking the orange Chip-in button at the top right or here and donate safely by credit card or PayPal. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to help stop child trafficking. Thank you for partnering with us to make this happen.

* * *

Donations are still coming in from the 09-09-09 fundraiser for The Born2Fly Project--thanks, everyone!  Here are the latest totals:

     Total donors:                            595

     Donations via Chip-in:   $12,396.46  

     Donations via check:        3,457.99    

     TOTAL:                           $15,854.45    (as of 10/3)

How to donate: Click the orange Chip-in button at the top right or here and donate safely by credit card or PayPal. All funds go to The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.

 

Finished!

Today was a big day for Born to Fly International. Artist Leah Wiedemer finished the final drawing for the wordless picture book that is the centerpiece of The Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking. Can you hear us celebrating?

Now, you may ask, "How in the world can a wordless book keep kids from getting trafficked?"

Good question.

Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they don’t know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. Wherever awareness training takes place, the rate of trafficking plummets. There’s just not enough, nor is it available in the languages of most at-risk kids.

The B2F Project is a strategic plan to educate kids, parents, and teachers about the dangers of child trafficking—with the ultimate goal of ending it.  Our goal is to reach kids before the traffickers do--and we'll do it with a wordless book.

Why wordless? So we don't have to translate it into a million languages.

Leah did a brilliant job of taking my storyline and retelling it completely in pictures--no words. All in all, she did 75 pages, each with 4, 5, or even 6 individual illustrations.

I have to tell you I had tears in my eyes as I looked at the last illustration. I've worked on this project for 4 long years, including 2 trips to Thailand to research it.

Tomorrow Leah and I have digital images taken of all 75 illustrations. Then the baton passes from Leah to designer Cathleen Kwas, who'll take all those images and turn them into a book.  (OK, so we didn't have a baton, but we used one of Leah's paintbrushes.)

By November, we'll be ready to print. How many books will we print?  Right now we have funds to print about 400. That's not nearly enough. We want to blanket the globe with these strategic books and the companion curriculum.  Remember, our goal is to reach kids before the traffickers do.  That means printing a lot of books (at least 100,000).

If you'd like to partner with us to do that, just click the orange Chip-in button at the top right or here, and donate safely by credit card or PayPal. Born to Fly International is a 501c3 non-profit organization and your contribution is tax deductible.

Watch this space for more photos as The Born2Fly Project prepares to take flight.

Day 9: A Word or 2 (or 3 or 4) About Child Trafficking

Our countdown to 09-09-09 is now in the single digits. It's just 9 days until the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser to stop child trafficking. 

Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on 09-09-09. So far we have nearly $1,400 in advance donations. All funds go to the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.

We'll give away lots of great prizes on September 9, and everyone who donates on the day or ahead of time is eligible. Here are some great books andCDs we'll give away.

1.  Adventures With PawPaw children's book series, written by Diana Scimone and illustrated by Leah Wiedemer (@DianaScimone and @RoamingArtist)

Adventures With PawPaw is a series about a little dog who travels to a different country in each book, introducing young children to other countries and cultures. We'll give away 2 sets of all 3 books in the series--China, France, and Costa Rica--which will be signed by yours truly (the author) and illustrator LeahWiedemer (who's illustrating the Born to Fly books for the B2F Project).  (Retail value $25 per set)

2. 3 books by Dr. John Stanko (@JohnStanko) Unlocking the Power of Your Purpose; I Wrote This Book on Purpose So You Can Know Yours; and Beyond Purpose: Keys to Unlocking a Life of Productivity and Fulfillment

John is my own personal purpose coach and serves on the board of directors of Born to Fly.  His excellent books will help you know your purpose and then move beyond that to actually do something about it.  We'll award the 3 books to 3 separate winners. (Total retail value of all 3 books $34)

3. 2 books by Ed Folino (@mypittsburghedf) Long Time Coming and My Pittsburgh

Ed is known as the Pittsburgh Poet. After he retired a few years ago working as an office products dealer  in the Steel City, he realized a life-long dream: to publish the poetry he'd been writing for years. He's already published 2 books, which we'll give away on 09-09-09 (1 book each to 2 winners). (Total retail value $29.90)

4. Slave Hunter: One Man's Global Quest to Free Victims of Human Trafficking, by Aaron Cohen and Christine Buckley (@AaronCohen777 and @ChristiBuckley)

There's nothing like tweeting with someone who posts riveting updates such as, "We're about to break into a brothel in Cambodia to rescue trafficking victims." Aaron Cohen and co-author Christine Buckley have brought that immediacy to their brand-new book, which is already #75 on Amazon's list of human rights books. We'll give away a copy on 09-09-09. (Retail value $24.99)

5. Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust, by Chris Brogan and Julian Smith (@ChrisBrogan and @Julien)

I already posted about this hot-off-the-press book a few weeks ago, but wanted to include it in our book giveaway list. You can read that post here. BTW, kudos to Chris and Julien because Trust Agents is now #13 on the NY Times best-seller list. (Retail value $24.95)

6. How to Write a Book: 7 Steps to Help You Write the Book You've Always Dreamed of Writing, by Diana Scimone (e-book)

This book by yours truly will help you write the book that's inside you. It's practical, motivating, and encouraging, and will show you how to move your book from dream to reality (which every author on this page had to do).  This is an e-book, and if you win, I'll send you instructions to download it free. (Retail value $14.95)

7. The Quiet Place, by Nancy Scimone (music CD)

Nancy is my sister, and I'm a little miffed that she got all the singing genes in the family. She graciously left me some of the writing genes--but she can write, too.  In fact, she wrote all the gorgeous songs on this CD, which is a collection of favorite psalms set to jazz and classical (both of which Nancy does beautifully). It's one of the most relaxingCDs you'll ever hear--and you could win it on 09-09-09. (Retail value $11)

You could win one of these great prizes on 09-09-09 simply by donating to our fundraiser to stop child trafficking. Just click the orange Chip-in button at the top right (or here), and donate safely and securely by credit card or PayPal.

Remember, all the funds go to the Born2Fly Project to help stop child trafficking, and will help us print and distribute these strategic materials to at-risk kids and their parents all over the world.

* * *

Here's the answer to Friday's question:

Q: A young girl named Rosa testified before Congress about how she was smuggled into the US. What country was she from, and what US city did she end up in?

A: Rosa was from Mexico, trafficked into the US, and brought to Orlando, where she was held in a trailer and raped for profit many times throughout the day and night, until she finally escaped. She told her story before Congress, which you can read about here.

Today's question is:

Q: What does the travel industry have to do with child sex slavery?

Watch this space tomorrow for the answer--along with another prize in the 31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 fundraiser to stop child trafficking. We've got some pretty big prizes coming up this week!

Day 22: Agents of Trust

We're well into the 31-day countdown to the 09-09-09 1-day fundraiser for the Born2Fly Project to stop child trafficking.  Our goal is 9,000 people each giving $9 on September 9.

Here's another one of the prizes we'll give away on September 9 to a lucky donor: Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust.  It's a brand-new book by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith based on the premise that trust is the key to building online relationships:

Trust agents aren't necessarily marketers or salespeople; they're the digitally savvy people who use the web to humanize businesses using transparency, honesty, and genuine relationships.

As a result, they wield enough online influence to build up or bring down a business's reputation. This book will show you how to build profitable relationships with trust agents, or become one yourself.

Trust Agents isn't even officially on the market yet (it debuts August 24)--and it's already #43 on Amazon's best-seller list.  Amazing, huh?  I know Chris from Twitter (@ChrisBrogan) and read his blog and newsletter a lot. If his book is anything like his daily writings, you're in for a treat.

Yes, Chris and Julien will sign it for you if you win.

BTW, one of the best tools in the fight against human trafficking is being a trust agent. For too long, kids and parents have been held hostage by traffickers who act like they have the children's best interest in mind, but have anything but. Talk about needing trust agents.

* * *

Here's the answer to yesterday's question:

Q: Which 3 countries improved their efforts to stop human trafficking within their borders and were moved off Tier 3 this year?

A: Algeria, Moldova, and Qatar all moved to the watchlist on the 2009 TIP List. This means they've made improvement, but are still in danger of moving back to Tier 3 if they don't keep it up. 

Today's question:

Q: Police recently broke up a human trafficking ring in Botswana. What country were most of the people headed to, had they not been rescued?

Answer tomorrow...along with another prize we'll give away on 09-09-09.

Take a Look At My Inbox

I have a stack of emails from people around the world who work with kids at risk for trafficking.  They've heard about the Born to Fly Project to stop child trafficking--and they all have one question:

"When will the wordless book for your B2F awareness program be available? We could use it for our work with kids in eastern Europe."
--Holland

"I plan to start teaching human trafficking prevention to the Roma (gypsies) in some of the poorest villages.  Many have little education and may not be aware of what human trafficking is, making them easy targets. I'm interested in learning more about the B2F curriculum you've written. I could translate into Bulgarian."
--Bulgaria

"We are establishing an Advocate Centre to help victims of trafficking in rural areas. I will be very pleased to know how you may collaborate with us to help end child trafficking."
--Ghana

"How can I obtain some of the B2F material for young children? I'm starting a daycare and think it would be good to have."
--USA

Pretty cool, huh?  We have similar opportunities in Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Germany, Indonesia, Thailand, Sierra Leone, Papua New Guinea, and elsewhere.

Right now, artist Leah Wiedemer is taking the B2F book I've written and turning it into a wordless picture book to reach kids and adults alike. Why wordless? So we don't have to translate it into umpteen languages.

Leah has finished about half the illustrations (and is doing a brilliant job).  Meanwhile I'm writing the companion curriculum.

Remember: Wherever awareness training takes place, the rate of trafficking plummets. There's just not enough nor is it available to kids in most high-risk areas. That's the hole that B2F is designed to fill. 

If you'd like to help us, you can donate to B2F here. (We're a 501c3 non-profit organization so your donation is tax deductible.)

You're helping to make B2F a reality so we can get the materials to kids in Ghana, Bulgaria, and the rest of the world. On behalf of the many children who'll never be trafficked because of B2F, thank you.

UPDATE:  Got another email--from the Philippines!

Thanks, Mommy Blogs!

A big shout-out to 2 mommy blogs for giving my Adventures With PawPaw children's books great reviews! 

Mommy blogs are a force to be reckoned with (and if you don't believe me, just ask Motrin). So it's great to have their blessing.  

All American Mommy endorsed the PawPaw books in their holiday children's books mega-review, and gave us their top award:

 

The super-fun Traveling Mamas, whom I've gotten to know on Twitter, also gave us a great review, saying they "highly recommend" the books.  Thanks, Mamas! 

 

If you haven't met PawPaw, he's waiting to meet you. Charming, fluffy, and, well, adventuresome, he travels the world introducing young children to other countries and cultures.  So far he's been to China, France, and Costa Rica--and he's packing his bags for upcoming trips to Italy, Israel, Kenya, Egypt, and other spots around the globe.

A portion of all sales goes to Born to Fly International to help fight global trafficking.

Books are $8.95 each or a special price of $25 for a set of all 3 countries.  They're available at www.adventureswithpawpaw.com. (PawPaw says they make paw-fect Christmas and Hanukkah gifts.)

Order a set for the little travelers on your holiday gift list.  I think the mommy blogs would approve.

90 Days to Go

So how's that book coming?  You know, the one you promised yourself way back on January 1that you'd write in 2008?

No guilt, no pressure, but just to let you know, you've got about 90 days to get started. You don't have to finish your book in 2008, but wouldn't you like to start it?  Here's a painless way to begin--two don'ts and one do:

Don't just sit down and begin writing chapter 1.  

That's the surest way to never finish.  How can you write your book when you don't know what to say--or how you're going to say it?  You may be bubbling over with info, but please do not just sit down and start writing.  Trust me on this.

Do brainstorm. 

Grab a piece of paper or a blank document on your computer--and start brainstorming.  Make a list of everything you'd like to cover in your book. Every thought, every quote, every example, every topic. Make it as long as you like.  Spend a couple of weeks on it.

Don't edit your list.  

Don't hit the delete button or erase a thing.  You're just brainstorming and you have to allow your brain the liberty to think without restraints.  There will be plenty of time to edit your list later.

If you can do that one step, you'll be on your way to writing your book.  Meanwhile, if you need help, direction, and focus, I have two tools for you:

1. How to Write a Book
2. Personalized one-on-one writer's coaching

So what's kept you from writing your book?  Share it with the rest of us.  The more we can understand the blocks to writing, the more we can overcome them.  Just click "comments" below (or go to my blog site and click on "comments" at the end of this post). Let the rest of us know the writer's blocks you face--and how you overcome them.

 

Heroes

Great article by Nicholas Kristof in this morning's New York Times about Somaly Mam, a Cambodian woman who rescues kids from brothels.  She knows cuz she was one.  Somaly is a real hero.  Can't wait to read her book.

How to Write a Book

If I had a dime for everyone who's told me they want to write a book, I'd be a rich woman. 

I can't tell you how many people over the years have said they've always dreamed of writing a book--yet don't know how to do it or where to begin.

That's why I wrote a practical and information-packed e-book called How to Write a Book.  I made it motivating and encouraging, and filled it with useful information to help you write the book that's inside you. 

In 7 practical steps, it sets out a do-able plan to help you:

• Move your book from dream to reality.
• Overcome the pitfalls every writer faces.
• Organize your thoughts and research.
• Plan what to include in your book (and what to leave out).
• Fit book-writing into your already busy schedule.
• Keep yourself motivated and moving forward. 

That's a lot of information for the cost of a few visits to Starbucks--just $14.95. 

If you're ready to learn how to write the book that's inside you, just click here to order.  You can pay by credit card or PayPal, and in about 5 minutes How to Write a Book will be in your in-box--and you'll be on your way to writing the book you’ve always dreamed of writing.

I can't wait to read what you write.

The Writer's Workshop: Another Book Trend

Yesterday I mentioned one of the trends I saw at the annual ICRS show was an increase in the number of fiction books.

Here's another trend: more self-published books than ever before. One of the largest booths was a publisher I had never heard of--WinePress.  They do "custom" publishing as well as print on demand; I'm not sure what the difference is, but you can check the various packages on their website.  WinePress had 4 book signings going on at once.  The covers were very nice and the print quality was excellent. 

There are plenty of other POD publishers in both the Christian and secular market.  Just Google "print on demand" and you'll see what I mean.

If you're considering a POD publisher, always ask for samples of their work and references from other authors they've worked with.  Read Writer Beware on SFWA's website; their warnings tend to be a little negative, but they're good to read so that you consider the advantages and disadvantages of POD.  The site also includes links to more articles and resources.

If you missed yesterday's post, click here for two great resources to help you find an agent when you're ready for that step.

Happy writing.  I can't wait to read your book.

Books, Books, and More Books

Yesterday I joined about 13,500 other people at the annual International Christian Retailing Show (formerly known as Christian Booksellers Association) in Orlando, Florida.  There were three highlights--only one of which had to do with books:

1.  I attended a book signing for my brother-in-law, John Stanko, who just published his 9th book, The Faith Files.  (You'll soon be able to download the e-book version on John's website.  In the meantime, take the free assessment on the site to find out your PQ--Purpose Assessment.)

 

 

 

   

   

2.  I met Ben Stein, whose documentary Expelled premiered earlier this year and is about to come out on DVD.  (He was signing posters for the film.) (No, he wasn't wearing his signature schoolboy shorts.)

Expelled exposed the prejudice against scientists who reject Darwinian thinking.  It took in almost $8 million at the box office earlier this year, making it the 12th most successful documentary of all time.

 

3.  I met Roy and Melanie Fields and Lindell Cooley.  Roy leads worship at the Florida Outpouring, the 4-day event that is now in its 105th day with no end in sight; I've gone to the meetings many times and loved them all.  Lindell led worship for years at the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Florida.  Here we are all acting goofy:

One trend I noticed at ICRS this year was the huge amount of fiction books.  So if you're writing a novel, this is your year. 

And if you've finished your novel, here are two great resources to help you find an agent: Query Tracker and Agent Query.  Who knows, maybe your book will be at ICRS next year and you'll be doing a book signing. 

The Writer's Workshop: Got Books?

Here's an interesting trend in book publishing:

Last year the production of traditional books rose only 1%, but the output of print-on-demand (POD) and other non-traditional books soared--from 21,936 in 2006 to 134,773 in 2007!

You can read the full R.R. Bowker report here.  There's more in Publisher's Weekly and The Book Marketing Expert newsletter.

This is good news for not-yet-noticed authors who haven't been able to interest a traditional publisher in their books.  Self publishing is getting easier and cheaper year by year.

Remember, you can't publish what you haven't written.  If you need help writing your book, I offer personalized writer's coaching anywhere in the world. I'll even pay for the call--via phone or Skype.

There's a book inside you and if you need someone to help you pull it out and get it on paper, a personalized coaching session can do wonders. 

Want more info?  It's here or email me at coaching@peapodpublishing.com.

And You're Not Working on Your Book Because....?

When I read about the 5 men who co-authored a new book, Lost Innocence, I knew the rest of us have no excuse for not writing our own books. 

The authors are convicted murderers serving time in prison.  They decided to band together to write a book that could help young people avoid the same mistakes they made. 

After they wrote it, they pooled their own money with help from their families to pay for an initial printing of 200 books, which they want to donate to schools, libraries, and juvenile facilities. 

You can read more here.

Now, about those excuses you've been giving for not working on your book...

The Writer's Workshop: The Fatal Flaw

A few weeks ago I shared with you some of the writing lessons I've learned as I've worked on the first book for the Not For Sale project to stop child trafficking.  One of them is called the "I want" song.  The hero of your book (or film or musical) wants something--and what he or she wants is what the plot is all about. You can read more about the "I want" song here. 

Here's another powerful plot element--and what happens when it collides with the "I want" song.  This one is called the "fatal flaw."  Every hero needs a flaw.  As writers, we fall in love with our heroes and we tend to make them too perfect.  That also makes them unbelievable. 

No one--not even your hero--is perfect.  Every hero needs a fatal flaw.  That's what makes him human.  It's what we can relate to.  It's what gets her into all the trouble that carries the plot. By the end of the book, he's conquered it or it has conquered him.

Does your hero get angry too easily?  How about impatient?  Prejudiced?  Totally unorganized?  Late?  Controlling?  Codependent?  Narcissistic?  

You may be saying, "That sounds like the villain, not the hero!"  Your hero doesn't have to be possessed or totally controlled by his fatal flaw; it just has to be part of his character traits and his growth.  It's what he has to learn to overcome.  It's how she grows as she learns from her mistakes.

The fatal flaw gets the hero into trouble.  The "I want" song keeps him going in spite of it.  When those two elements collide, your plot begins to take shape.

For more on this, just Google "fatal flaw writing" and you'll come up with a lot of tips, such as this from Dara Marks, this from the "unknown screenwriter," and this from Jessica Morrell.

I have a third plot element to add to this collision and will share it with you in another post. 

Meanwhile, keep writing.  If your fatal flaw is procrastination, this is the time to take control of it. 

If you need someone to help you along, I provide personalized writer's coaching by phone from anywhere in the world and am happy to help you get your book out of you and on paper. You can email me for more information. 

Remember: You can't publish what you haven't written.  Take that first step and start writing what's inside you. The world is waiting to read it.

 

A Tip for Writers

One of my favorite free e-zines is the monthly Children's Writing Update, published by Writing4Kids.  For the next 13 days, they've got a great deal on e-books for writers (sale ends April 15).   

While most of the sale e-books are designed for children's writers, some have helpful info whether you're writing for kids or adults.  For example, Author to Editor: Query Letter Secrets of the Pros is great for all writers. (I've found it really helpful, and, yes, I paid full price :-( .)

Here are the other e-books on sale for the next 13 days:

• Improving the Odds: Insider Secrets to Getting Published
• Career Starter, The Beginner's Guide to Writing Children's Books
• The Children's Writer's Big Book of "How To"
• I've Written a Story. What Do I Do Now?
• In Their Own Words: The Best of CBI's Interviews
• CBI In-Depth: Plot Workshop
• CBI In-Depth: Character Workshop
• CBI In-Depth: Brainstorming Workshop

Click here for more info on the e-book sale. (Disclaimer: Yours truly gets a tiny percentage of your purchase price if you order anything from Writing4Kids by clicking through any of the links in this blog post.)

While you're on the Writing4Kids website, here are a few more resources for writers (most of them are free):

1.  Free e-books.  On the home page, click on "articles and tips" on the left side, then on "free e-books."  Scroll down to "free e-books," which you can download immediately. 

2.  Free how-to articles.  While you're on the same page, scroll through the list of dozens of helpful (and free) articles about how to write for children.

3.  Free monthly e-zine, Children's Writing Update.  There's a sign-up box on the home page.  You'll receive a free e-book for subscribing, Getting Started Writing Children's Picture Books.

4.  Children's Book Insider.  There's a charge for this one, but it's well worth the price.  Go to the home page and click "The Newsletter" in the upper left.

Remember, the sale on e-books ends April 15.  Happy reading (and writing)!