Character

While I was on vacation in the Smoky Mountains this summer, I met an unusual lady. We sipped on soft drinks as our families zip-lined through the hills.  In a conversation which lasted over an hour, we learned about our hometowns, family histories, and likes and dislikes.  We discovered that we enjoyed doing the daily word jumble, we both knew brothers named Kenneth and Edward (friends of my family and her son's names), and both of us had a scare with cancer (her's far more serious than mine).

That afternoon, she shared a deep secret.  She revealed that she had lost one of her sons in a tragic car accident.  But the strange thing was, even though she grieved for him, she never shed a tear.  Her revelation surprised me and this sad moment touched the writer in me.  It made me wonder what behaviors we expect of others in a given situation.  What other occasions do people act in unexpected ways? Our chance meeting taught me that character is more complex than what meets the eye.  

If you want to create complex characters, then one thing you can try is to allow your characters to act in unexpected ways.  You can polish this skill by talking to others. Strike up a conversation while you wait in a grocery check-out line or at a doctor's office. Get to know others at sporting events or at after school activities. Listen well.  You'll see things from another’s point of view.  You'll learn how other people handle tough situations.  Later, you may find yourself weaving bits and pieces from these real conversations into a character for a story. 

My Smoky mountain acquaintance lives far north, many miles from me, but I am thankful that we were able to connect and share.  She had surely made an impact on my life, both personally and professionally.  She's made me think harder about developing richer, more complex characters. Though chances are unlikely that we’ll meet again, I will think of her often, knowing that we are both enjoying and unscrambling the daily word jumble.  

Rhythm and Rhyme

As few weeks ago, I “attended” this year’s Writeoncon conference.  One of the speakers was picture book author, Deborah Diesen.  She gave a short vlog on rhyme and rhythm and offered good pointers for crafting poetry for children. 

Deborah began by giving a definition:  the basic unit of rhythm is a metrical foot.  Then she presented four examples:

Iamb—an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, like the word, away

Trochee—a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable, like the word, happy

Dactyl—a stressed syllable followed by 2 unstressed syllables, like the word, joyfully

Anapest—2 unstressed syllables followed by a stressed syllable, like the word, seventeen

The kind of foot and the number of feet per line makes up the meter or the rhythm of a poem. Deborah reminds us to stay true to that rhythm.

She also pointed out that a poem is more than matching the last syllable—a rhyme has to rhyme rhythmically.  Deborah said, "Rhyme the last stressed syllable from the vowel sound on and everything that comes after the last stressed syllable."  The word “today” rhymes with “away.”  But “chickadee” and “playfully” don’t rhyme perfectly, even though they end in “e.” 

It takes practice writing poetry for children.  There are plenty of rules to follow.  And some editors insist that authors strictly adhere to those rules.  Deborah suggests buying a rhyming dictionary.  In addition, you can study rhythm and rhyme in her book: The Pout-Pout Fish, a New York Times bestseller, or check out other rhyming books such as Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown , Wild about Books by Judy Sierra, or and Time for Bed by Mem Fox.    

Deliver a Powerful Punch

Recently, I received a promising story for the Kid's Imagination Train magazine.  The author kicked off the piece with conflict:  the main character tells a friend that a monster lurks in their neighborhood. Great!  The story was off to a good start. Throughout the piece, the tension was successfully created.  But unfortunately, the ending was a letdown. Quite frankly, the monster was not all that scary.

This ending might have worked better if the monster was:

* large in size, that is, something a kid can’t squish with his foot or,

* something amazingly detestable for a kid to encounter or,

* a believable, yet unexpected surprise

When you write a scary story, close it with a strong ending—something that is icky or would give kids the goose bumps.  That’s what you’re aiming for.  Resist the urge to slip in a scientific fact to clarify the ending. It will come across as being too didactic.  The last thing children want to read at the end of a suspenseful story is an explanation (even if it’s one sentence).  An explanation may slow the action and weigh the ending down.   

When you spend time developing characters, creating conflict, and building suspense, you should make the ending as worthy of the tension that has been set-up.  Think of it this way:  you have gained the trust of your readers by promising them something big is going to happen; therefore, don’t disappoint.  They’re invested in your story.  If you’re writing a piece that intends to frighten, be sure the ending delivers a powerful punch.

Conflict

KIT receives more fiction than nonfiction.  I guessing authors believe it’s easier to write and to get published.  But that’s not necessarily true.  If authors fail to incorporate believable conflict in their fiction, they will probably have a harder time finding a market for their work.  

In a recent fiction submission, conflict was present, but misplaced.  The main character, a young boy, didn’t face a problem.  Instead, he learns of a tragedy through his parents.  After listening to his folk’s plan to help the victims, he too, decides to assist.  The young boy acts nobly, which sends a terrific message to readers.  But since true conflict is missing, the ending becomes predictable.

For fiction, conflict must touch the main character in a meaningful way.  Consequently, the stakes are raised and we care about the main character.  In this story, the author could have placed the child closer to the tragedy and had him personally affected.  This would have helped readers become more emotionally connected to the young boy as he learns to tackle the problem.  

Whether the story is for children or adults, all fiction must contain conflict.  Below is a conflict check list when writing for kids:

Present the conflict early in the story to hook your readers.

Create a meaningful conflict which directly affects the main character. 

Choose a conflict that kids can relate to.  

Build on conflict to create tension and suspense.

Have main characters solve the conflict themselves without any help from adults.

When you have provided a deeply personal conflict for the main character, then you have hit on advancing the plot and creating an emotional connection to your story.  Editors are keenly aware of the necessity and the prospects of good conflict.  When it is properly crafted, they won’t reach for a rejection slip.  They’ll be eager to keep on reading.  

Homework

As editor of the Kid's Imagination Train, I receive a good amount of stories, but very few poems.  So when a poetry submission awaited in the inbox, I was thrilled.  This piece might make a nice addition to KIT. 

But after reading the poem, I found that it wasn't quite right for KIT.  This writer failed to do her homework.  Homework is easy and consists of the following three "assignments."

1.  Study the magazine.  Get a feel for the kind of pieces that are published.  KIT leans to whimsical, funny, or sweet poems that tell a story and have the potential for illustration. 

2.  Edit your work.  Read it out loud.  Poetry must have perfect rhyme and spot-on meter or beats—not just matching the number of syllables in each line, but having the correct emphasis on those syllables. 

3.  Read the writer's guidelines.  Learn how submissions should be formatted in terms of font and spacing.  Discover what is expected in the subject of your email.

Most editors will tell you that these three homework assignments are expected to be completed before submitting.  This includes nonfiction as well as writers of fiction and poetry.  However, when writers fail to do their homework, they are not only wasting their time, they are wasting the time of an editor.  

When writers read the guidelines, study the magazine, and edit their pieces, they show editors that they care about their work.  They want their submissions to be seriously considered. And because of their efforts, they'll have a better chance of seeing their work in print. Editors know these writers have done their homework well.

Teaming up for Revision

When fiction is submitted to the Kid’s Imagination Train magazine, word count is the first thing that is checked.  If the piece is within our word range, the submission is eagerly read. If it exceeds word count, the submission is still read, but it may be rejected because shorter pieces are preferred.

Next, the piece must appeal to children.  Lastly, the submission should have the potential to be easily illustrated.  That’s the beauty of KIT.  Children have the opportunity to illustrate their favorite features. 

If the story meets word count, appeals to children and can be illustrated, but tells instead of shows, is negative, or portrays an unlikable character, a revision is required.  Some editors would reject a story at this point.  But if the piece has promise, I contact the author about editing the manuscript.

When revising submissions for KIT, I work with the authors and allow them to participate in the editing process.  We may focus on creating a kid-friendly character, finding better word choices, or strengthening dialogue.  Upon receiving my suggestions which aim at keeping the plot intact, the author may wish to use all of the ideas or use some of them, or totally rewrite the story.  Then the author sends me her revision. This goes on like a tennis match sometimes, batting ideas back and forth until we are both satisfied.

In my experience, very few submissions are instantly ready for publication.  Revision is part of the writing process.  Having a second reader can be beneficial in getting feedback about the manuscript.  But ultimately, the piece must pass the editor's standards.  Working with an editor helps writers to understand what is expected.  They learn specifically how to identify and then rectify the problematic parts of their story. During the process, patience and dedication is required.  But in the end, revision pays off.  When editor and writer work together, they give a manuscript the loving attention it rightfully deserves.    

Thank you

Two simple words—thank you—carry a lot of weight.  Writers should use them often. How often do you thank someone? 

Here are some (and of course there are many more) occasions in which writers can put those two words to work:    

*when a friend agrees to critique your work

*when people tell you they like your blog or writing

*when a publisher sends you a complementary copy

*when a writer guest blogs for you   

*when a follower leaves a comment for your blog

*when an expert offers to review your work

*when an expert agrees to an interview 

*when an editor has accepted a piece for publication

*when an editor has rejected a piece, but has offered ways to revise

*when an agent provides feedback on a manuscript

These two simple words cost nothing, I repeat, nothing.  So use them sincerely and often. Know that when you say “thanks,” you have brightened someone else’s day.

Image courtesy: Clipart