tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62316486281822009282024-03-15T18:12:14.095-07:00Wade Bradford's BlogBooks and Plays by Wade Bradford; Plays for children - comedic monologue - comedic female monologues - drama resources - creative writing class - scbwi members - publishing business - how to be a children's book author - middle grade novel - fantasy novels - writing prompts Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.comBlogger917125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-91194125955051118162023-12-16T14:35:00.000-08:002023-12-16T14:35:29.597-08:00Tinkering with Stephen King Videos... Well, I guess you could say I've gone ALL-IN on my Stephen King YouTube channel... It has absorbed most of my creative energies for about a year now... This is in no small part due to the fact that the videos are popular (in comparison to my Wade Bradford channel)... and the money has started to trickle in each month, just about enough to make a monthly payment on the kids' student loans.&Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-60026012360485058092023-10-29T22:18:00.000-07:002023-10-29T22:18:02.972-07:00Happy Halloween! 2023 Wow -- it has been a little while, blog. Sorry I've been away so long!Here's a fun video promo for Horton Hears a Boo! It's in so many bookstores, even Barnes and Noble is carrying it. A big thank you to anyone and everyone who reads these blogposts. As 2023 winds down, I'm not sure what I'll be working on next, but I can't wait to find out. Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-20726075828505927442023-07-19T10:55:00.003-07:002023-07-19T10:55:38.765-07:00Horton Has Arrived! Yesterday, I received my author copies of Horton Hears a Boo! Needless to say, we're having a Who-bilation here at the Bradford house. It arrives in bookstores this August!Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-23828217517754320432023-06-15T19:14:00.005-07:002023-06-15T19:14:57.706-07:00Working on a New Stephen King Video... And I've been playing with crayons... Can you guess which Stephen King story I'll be bringing to life? Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-16125949505281071942023-06-02T10:02:00.000-07:002023-06-02T10:02:03.968-07:00Horton Hears a Boo! This blog is way overdue for a cover reveal of my latest book: To say writing a new Dr. Seuss book is a "dream come true" is an understatement. I still can't believe I was chosen to write a new Horton story... like millions of other children, I learned to read, thanks to Dr. Seuss. I fell in love with books because of Dr. Seuss. It's hard to say just how much this artist's shaped my Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-15863206816882318872023-05-30T17:11:00.001-07:002023-05-30T17:11:23.619-07:00Today's Project: New Video for Stephen King's THE STAND Spent the last couple of days tinkering on a new video for the Stephen King Book Club channel... It think it turned out pretty well... Mackenzie and her family said farewell and spent about 24 hours on the road back to Texas. I miss them already. Settling into summer break; trying to stay productive. My agent and I went over some final (?) editorial notes on the Middle Grade book.Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-30548820627833522362023-05-26T15:45:00.002-07:002023-05-26T15:45:28.288-07:00The Power of Being a Brat I've been working on a new picture book (as mentioned in a previous post). I thought the draft was good enough to send to Abi... but now I'm thinking it needs to cook some more. The Second Act needs work. Still... I think there's a cool turn of events in this one... I know lots of bratty characters have been in children's lit before... but this one feels new since it explores not just Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-72966592200256910272023-05-24T18:38:00.002-07:002023-05-24T18:38:25.757-07:00CJ Graduates College! I've been away from the keyboard for a number of days... Mainly because we traveled up to Oregon to watch CJ earn their Bachelors in Science (Physics... with a minor in Theater!)Of the hundreds of photos we took, this is one of my favorites. Now that we're back home, and recovered from our road trip, today is the first day of summer break that I've felt I could relax... so what did I Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-70344494749840676882023-05-15T19:41:00.002-07:002023-05-15T19:41:08.464-07:00Working on a New Picture Book Thanks to my visiting grand-daughter (and her folks, of course) I've been inspired to write a funny little family poem... Maybe it's something that could become a picture book. We'll see. I finished the first and second draft today, and then sent it off to my agent. Keep your fingers crossed! Today's Progress: -- Wrote a new poem / story ( 6 / 8 PICTURE BOOKS ) Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-37639088354891635072023-05-12T22:29:00.002-07:002023-05-12T22:29:20.549-07:00Summer Break 2023 Let it begin! I'm not finished grading essays... but I am finished with classes... and so it feels like Summer Break has begun! And best of all, the kids are here... with my granddaughter! So, we have a week of visiting ahead of us. And then, very soon, we'll be traveling up to Oregon see CJ graduate. Not sure what I'll be working on as far as my writing... But I have been Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-73533696476835023322023-05-02T11:39:00.003-07:002023-05-02T11:39:59.243-07:00My DODO BOOK is in GERMAN! Ach zu liebe! I'm so excited to present the cover of the newly translated: There's a Dodo on the Wdding Cake... translated into German! It's always a delight and an honor whenever my books travel overseas... I took German back in high school... but I've forgotten most of the vocabulary. Maybe I need to start some DuoLingo lessons, just in case I need to do a book reading in Berlin?&Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-50828859931852887682023-04-27T16:24:00.003-07:002023-04-28T13:09:37.201-07:00Finished reading: THE INSTITUTE Another fun read from Stephen King... this book features some of my favorite aspects of his work: the troubles and triumphs of children. Sure, it's more trouble than triumph... but I always love it when the kids give the bad guy characters' their comeuppance! Other King news: I recorded a reading of one of his early stories: "Night Surf." It's already received a lot of views, in just aWadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-31768564802354443402023-04-23T17:05:00.002-07:002023-04-28T13:08:06.993-07:00Cowboy Festival Howdy! I volunteered at a beer tent at the Cowboy Festival for Nancy Lantis’ non-profit theater (Eclipse Theatre LA). Got to spend time with Nancy, Abi, the Engs, and the Zumstegs (all theater folks). Fun was had by y'all...In completely different news, here's my latest Stephen King video, a comedic help wanted ad inspired by creepy short story "Graveyard Shift." Today's Progress:Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-11671582769608566242023-04-18T15:11:00.003-07:002023-04-23T16:51:55.660-07:00My In-Between Day I have an awesome schedule this semester. On online class... and the rest of my courses are on the Moorpark campus, but only on Mondays and Wednesdays. That means my Tuesdays are in-between days. i have the day off... but I often spend much of the day either grading, prepping, or attending meetings. Today I went to the campus to attend a one-hour curriculum meeting. This Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-43755121581060543772023-04-13T14:11:00.006-07:002023-04-23T16:50:30.195-07:00Today's Project: New Stephen King Video & De-Cluttering Well, today's the first free day I've had in a long time... I've had time off work, of course; spring break was only a few days ago. But I did so much traveling and visiting, they didn't really feel like free days. So, today, I finally finished my little video inspired by Stephen king's short story "Jerusalem's Lot." (A prequel to 'salem's Lot). This took me a lot longer to finishWadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-30858113850211507312023-04-11T10:35:00.002-07:002023-04-11T10:35:51.961-07:00A Visit to Texas I've been away from the blog for two reasons... a visit to Texas (as my blog title suggests) and a whole lot of essays to grade.I flew out to San Antonio, and met my Mom (who flew from Washington). We met up at an AirBnb within walking distance from the kids. We had a wonderful visit from Monday until Thursday... Lots of time with that granddaughter of mine! As I may have mentioned, Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-69125755426634609252023-03-28T22:11:00.002-07:002023-03-28T22:11:13.626-07:00Easing Back into Essays Well, I've been enjoying a few weeks of productivity... but that may change for a little while. I have three batches of essays that have arrived in my in-box. So, it might be a little while until I can get back into creative stuff. Maybe... we'll see. My general rule is to grade 6 essays each day, that way I still have some energy left over for my projects. Speaking of which, Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-60160185701257445522023-03-26T11:50:00.003-07:002023-03-26T11:51:39.669-07:00Today's Project: Revising My Middle Grade Novel (Part Three) I've surprised myself by finishing this revision early. Again, one of the reasons it went so smoothly is basically because of my agent. Abi has provide clear notes -- and for the most part I just followed her suggestions. I did need to add two little additional moments into the beginning and end... but that didn't take long. So, I might give it one more skim... at least re-read Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-8005296387976761012023-03-25T12:56:00.006-07:002023-03-25T12:58:17.957-07:00Today's Project: Revising My Middle Grade Novel (Part Two) More progress on Day Two. I finished revising the first one hundred pages, and I've figured out where to add two little vignettes within existing scenes to include a character who appears in the new opening chapters. Abi's notes are keen, and make the revision process (so far) quite easy. Knock on wood. I shifted gears in the late afternoon and read the Stephen King short story: "Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-64403775860415035892023-03-23T17:27:00.002-07:002023-03-23T17:27:23.771-07:00Today's Project: Revising my Middle Grade Novel Yesterday was a typical Wednesday. I was at Moorpark all day (not just teaching -- my class and I watched The Tempest!) But it was typical in the sense that by the time I arrived home, I was tired and lazy. Cheri had a meeting, so it was just me and the dogs. I wasn't quite tired enough to take a nap, but I was too worn-out to do anything but sit, eat, and watch TV. Kinda pathetic... Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-60273528878439607292023-03-21T21:52:00.005-07:002023-03-21T22:01:05.705-07:00I Love a Rainy Night It's raining right now.It's been raining most of the day, and I love it! Today is my in-between day. I worked all day yesterday, and came home lazy and tired, as I tend to be on Monday evenings. And I'm sure, after work tomorrow, I'll feel just as worn out... but today, after a slow, leisurely morning... I managed to be a bit productive. I drew a little bit... These are the Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-21103620505118408202023-03-18T22:07:00.003-07:002023-03-18T22:07:45.033-07:00Today's Project: Script for Chapter Book Notice I called it a script instead of a text or chapter? That's because I'm imagining a chapter book that's basically a comic. (Think Captain Underpants.) Sat outside today (nice weather) and wrote the dialogue in my journal. Then, whilst we watched the last few episodes of 1883 (sad yet beautiful), I typed up the pages onto Google Docs. Seven pages of script... but that's only Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-41828301024330639282023-03-17T20:26:00.001-07:002023-03-17T20:26:11.207-07:00Baby Steps into New Chapter Book Not much done today... but some good things in the works... My agent gave me the latest feedback on my middle grade novel... and she's very positive about it. In family news, my Mom and I will be visiting Mackenzie in April... and CJ was accepted into Grad School! (They might take a year off before diving back into physics). I sat outside writing (in our new backyard chairs)... and Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-2774025695414855412023-03-14T14:24:00.000-07:002023-03-14T14:24:01.922-07:00Oscar Picks 2023 Didn't win, but fun was had by all. :) This Oscar season reminded me more of the good ol' days, when they actually focused on the movies and the performances. Hopefully they'll keep that going in years to come. Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6231648628182200928.post-65498906542538356422023-03-11T18:35:00.002-08:002023-03-11T18:39:45.420-08:00This Weekend's Project: "What is Jack Torrance Actually Writing?" Whew... Well that little 12 minute video sure took a long time! I started brainstorming it about a week ago, right? Well, I just finished three days of work on it, and it's finally done. Definitely a labor of love these videos, because they might be a little too slow, somber, and on the amateurish side to ever go viral. But we'll see. I'm hoping I at least get to connect with Wadehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11740022212557715792noreply@blogger.com0