On January 20th (2015), please join me in wishing a Hoppy Book Birthday to The Story Catcher (Anaiah Press) by Donna L. Martin and illustrated by Alyson Peterson. Donna hopped by Frog on a Blog today to share three relatable traits she discovered in Elsa from the wildly popular Disney movie Frozen that taught her (and can teach you too) to be a stronger writer. But before we hear from Donna, let’s learn more about The Story Catcher.

Summary

Addie comes from a long line of readers, or “story catchers”, as her family likes to call themselves. Every time Addie tries to catch a story on her own, though, the words play tricks on her. Addie tries everything she can think of to corral those wiggly letters, but it will take a little faith to become the next STORY CATCHER.

Trailer

Where to Purchase

Fan Club

Story Catcher Fan Club membership includes:

Membership Certificate

Bi-monthly Newsletter full of mazes, puzzles, games, news and other goodies

Reading log for earning Story Catcher Award

Short story starring YOU!

Click Here For The Fan Club

How The Movie Frozen Taught Me To Be A Stronger Writer

By Donna L Martin

I may be one of the few people left in the world that has NOT seen the movie Frozen. It’s not because I don’t want to…it’s more a case of not having had the time to stop and watch it. A couple of weeks ago, I sat down with my best friend’s daughter and began watching it. We managed to get through about half of it before other commitments pulled me in another direction. But in the small amount of time I was able to watch this wonderful Disney movie, I discovered three traits in Elsa that could teach me how to become a stronger writer.

FACING THE UNKNOWN

When Elsa first discovers her magical powers, she is afraid of the unknown. Where does this power come from? How will it affect her life and the lives of those around her? How will she learn to use these new skills of hers?

New writers, and established ones like myself, can be unsure of the unknown. There is so much publishing information to sift through at first and the learning curve is high where mistakes happen quite often. Professional writing is not for the faint of heart or thin of skin and newbie writers should not be afraid to take a leap of faith into the writing abyss.

CELEBRATING THE UNIQUE

Once Elsa decides to embrace the things making her stand out from the rest of the world, she feels empowered to celebrate the unique. Who wants to be mediocre when you can be the ruler of your own ice castle?

Writers should strive to discover the uniqueness hiding within themselves. While it’s great to study the skills of the masters, it’s the new voices of tomorrow who create the new magic readers will enjoy for years to come.

CONQUERING NEW WORLDS

I haven’t seen the whole Frozen movie yet, but I’ve watched enough to know Anna won’t be swayed by the opinions of others when it comes to her sister. She knows Elsa is no monster and all she wants is to reunite with her sister so they can conquer their world together.

The publishing world is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It’s a new world I’m trying to conquer and I know I can’t do it alone. Writers need mentors showing them ways to overcome the obstacles on their path to publication, colleagues to help strengthen their stories, and friends to commiserate with when those rejections come along. It takes a village to conquer these new worlds and like Elsa, I will embrace my writerly power and use it for the future good of readers everywhere…

Author Bio

By day, Donna L. Martin is a Fourth Degree TaeKwonDo Black Belt; by night, she is a self-proclaimed “ninja author” of picture books, middle grade chapter books, and young adult novels. Somewhere amidst all this excitement, she also created the Free Author Promotion event that takes place every May during the Children’s Festival of Reading. Donna loves laughter, snuggling with her cat, and reading good books. To get a sneak peek of what it was like growing up among the swamps of southern Louisiana, check out Tales from the Bayou on her blog at www.DonnaLMartin.com.

Giveaway

Anaiah Press will give away a $20 iTunes Gift Card to one lucky winner.

Donna L. Martin will give away a beautiful journal.

Click Here For Rafflecopter Giveaway