Getting to Know your Characters

When you create characters for your stories, what kinds of traits do they have? What do they look like physically?  What are their personalities like?  What are their relations to others?  

Some writers know everything about their protagonists before they begin writing a new story. It was the opposite for me.  In my upcoming book Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell, the story took off well before I knew what the protagonist Maggie looked like. I had some idea about her personality.  

It seems strange to me that I didn't picture Maggie before I first set out to tell her story. However, halfway into the plot that all changed. The moment Maggie faced a huge problem, her personality solidified and her appearance became apparent, red hair and all.

These are some words that describe Maggie:                                                   

a curly-haired redhead

a first-grader

a student in Ms. Madison's class

a classmate of Emma, Sara, Ally, and Freddie

a woe-is-me, Charlie Brown-like character 

a sister and daughter

a dreamer 

a dog owner

imaginative 

spunky

quirky

determined

loving and lovable

a kid with a big school problem

Every writer has a different approach to creating characters.  So, don't worry that you may not know what your main character looks like when you first start off to write your story.  Be patient.  By the time you have developed the conflict, you will begin to picture the physical traits of your protagonist, get to know her personality and understand her relationships with others.

For more on Maggie, check out:
www.themaggieproject.blogspot.com and www.randilynnmrvos.com

Guest Blog: Tips on Writing a Series

Children's Writer's World warmly welcomes author Rita Monette.

How is writing a series different than writing a stand alone book? 
If you don’t know ahead of time you are going to create a series, it can catch you off guard. You will find yourself researching your own books for information.

When I wrote The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, book one in the Nikki Landry Swamp Legend Series, I didn’t intend to write a series. I merely wanted to write a story about my childhood growing up in the Louisiana bayous. Then it became about a legend my father used to tell. When I got to the end, I began thinking about other legends I could have my characters involved in. But that’s a far as it got. That was until some of my readers began asking for more.

As I began book two in the series,The Curse at Pirate’s Cove, I realized that writing the second book wasn’t going to be easy, when I thought it would be a piece of cake. Little did I know how difficult it would be to keep track of all the characters and their physical traits, voice, and mannerisms a whole year after writing the first book.

It wasn’t until I started compiling book three of my series, The Secret in Mossy Swamp, that I decided to create a notebook with a page for each character mentioned in books one and two. Something as small as eye color, or as complicated as a secondary character’s parents’  occupation, can send you scurrying when it comes up again.

Another problem I’ve found with a series is that, if you don’t want to drag a character, or pet, through many books, and you can’t bear to kill them off, think twice about putting them in to begin with. So now I have to tell my hero NO when she asks for another pet.

Still, there is the issue of a reader reading your books out of sequence. I’ve stumbled upon the problem of revealing the mystery in book one, by bringing to life a character in book two that was suspected as dead in the beginning of book one. Thank goodness for second editions.

You can visit Rita's blog at: 
http://ritamonette.blogspot.com  

https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Ghost-Dog-Island/dp/0994749090/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440004616&sr=1-1&keywords=Rita+Monette

https://www.amazon.com/Curse-Pirates-Nikki-Landry-Legends-ebook/dp/B016JC8LVM

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Mossy-Swamp-Rita-Monette/dp/1987976169

Guest Blog: Writing a Review

Children's Writer's World warmly welcomes book reviewer Elizabeth Tipping.

I’m delighted to be writing a guest post for Children’s Writer’s World! I regularly post book reviews on my blog, 2 Cooks Crafting Books:  https://2cookscraftingbooks.wordpress.com/author/2cookcraftingbooks/ 
I’d like to share my process for reviewing and the style of review you’ll find on my blog.

My first step is to identify the book I want to review. Since my goal is to share “great books,” I am picky about what I include on the blog. This means I do A LOT of reading! Fortunately, my kids would rather read with me than do almost anything else, so we do a fair amount of reading in my house. Plus, I love reading on my own.

If I’ve read a book with one (or both) of my kids, one of the things I look for in deciding whether it should be featured is how my child responded to it. My kids will sit through a technical manual if it is being read out loud, so I want to see something more than attention from them.

Last night, for example, my daughter and I read the fantastic BOB, NOT BOB! by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick. BOB, NOT BOB! is “To be read as though you have the worst cold ever” since that is the condition that poor Little Louie finds himself in. So, although we were at a restaurant, I read the appropriate passages as though I had “the worst cold ever.” Once my daughter got control of her laughter, she kept stopping me so that she could call across the table to her older brother to listen to the book. That’s a hit, for sure!

In my review, I provide a bit about the story—without ever giving away too much about what happens. In BOB, NOT BOB!, Little Louie’s cold is making him have a “weird, all-wrong, stuffed-up voice.” Every time he calls for his mom, it comes out “BOB!” Louie’s family also has a dog named Bob, who comes running when Louie calls.

When Bob (the dog) arrives, Louie shouts, in his stuffed-up voice: “NO! I wan by BOB, not BOB! BOB! BOB! BOB!” Although I can’t replicate it here, when Louie shouts BOB! and means his mom, the O has a heart in the middle. When it is BOB! the dog, it is a normal O. It’s a lovely way to help young readers figure out which BOB! Louie really means.

When I’m done describing the book (which may also include such things as character, point of view, or illustrations), I take some time to research the author. I always try to give a little information about the book’s author, and occasionally the illustrator. This section also includes the address for the author’s website or blog, and why someone might want to check out the author’s website (if there’s something extra offered, such as activities or teaching guides).

BOB, NOT BOB! has two authors: Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick. Ms. Scanlon’s website is www.lizgartonscanlon.com. There, she has teachers’ guides for all of her books (some of the guides have crosswords, games, and crafts included!). Ms Vernick’s website is www.audreyvernick.com and it includes a link to her blog.

Finally, I conclude every review by asking for recommendations of other great books to read. We are all enriched by sharing great books with one another!

School Career Day

Recently, I had been invited by an instructor at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Lexington, Kentucky to participate in the school's career day program. It's exciting to think that a presentation just might give middle-graders some insight into becoming a writer.

Since I haven't any experience with this kind of event, I goggled how to give a career day presentation.  There are quite a few websites that offer excellent ideas and instruction. This one got me started:  https://www.mcwt.org/files/mcwt2012/1/file/foundation/MCWTF%20Parents%20and%20Teachers%20Docs/Career%20Day%20Speaker%20Tips_Oct2013.pdf  

Most speakers begin with a brief introduction, their job title and how they ended up choosing their career.  Next, presenters reveal what a typical day is like and then relate the skills they use each day to the school subjects students take.  A good chunk of the presentation centers on the positive aspects of a career and why the career matters, and closes with the career paths kids can follow.  

I’m thinking about the kinds of props that will be needed to make the presentation lively, attractive and intriguing to students. Bringing things from my desk might do the trick: colorful notebooks, my red laptop, post-it notes, writing technique books, and an artsy desk lamp.  

There’s still a lot to do in the next two weeks (memorizing and practicing) and I am hopeful everything will turn out fine.  In the meantime, if any of you have ever done a career day or if you have suggestions that would make an interesting presentation for middle graders, I would love to hear from you.  

Three Tips to Help Your Picture Book Come to Life

Illustrator Alison Lyne has amazing advice for picture book writers. 

Add in Action Words

One of the first things I look for, when I'm reading a PB manuscript is “action” words.  I look to see just what the main character is actually doing....even if I don't know what that character actually looks like...yet. Based on those action words, I begin to  sketch out  that character. This sheet is a sample of my process for Little Things Aren't Little When You're Little.

Leave a bit of Space in your PB Writing

One of the second things I look at in a manuscript is points in the story that I can add in my “take” on a story. In Petite Rouge, A Cajun Twist to an Old Tale, (a Little Red Riding Hood tale with a swamp instead of a woods and a gator instead of a wolf) I found a bit of “room” in story to inject my reasoning why a little girl wouldn't recognize that her grandma was a monster. My solution was the gator had bounced the near-sighted little girl's red glasses right off her nose. Petite Rouge just couldn't SEE the monster.

Check the Flow of your Story

Finally, I look at how the story flows. I do that with a book chart of the pages that are in a 32 page picture book. When you flip thru a picture book, you always have a two page spread open in front of you, at any given time. Those pages are shown linked together. Stagger your emphasis to encourage your reader to “turn that page”.

Try these three tips to help you visualize how your picture book story will come to life.

Dark Humor

When you write for children ages  3 - 6, the poem or story should entertain and delight. Fictional pieces should not frighten very young children, even if the piece is told in jest. Parents may appreciate the humor, but a child might get upset or be confused.

For instance, I received a story for Kid's Imagination Train about a young person who had invited a group of animals over for a play date.  This is a cute idea and the writer was off to a good start. The piece was lively and amusing.  But towards the end of the story, the mood got dark.  The more ferocious animals began to eye the other harmless animals. Do you see where this is going?  Yep, the vicious animals ate the defenseless animals—bones, fur, scales and wings and all. 

If handled delicately, dark humor may work for young kids.  However, this kind of humor is usually better suited for an older audience.  If you want to write a piece like this, you should find a publication whose audience ranges from 8 - 12 years old.  You can find out if an editor publishes this kind of humor by reading some back issues of the magazine. And, you can query the editor to find out if she would be interested in such a story before you submit it.  

Always remember your audience when you are writing for kids.  If you want to write for very young children, keep the writing lighthearted and playful. But if you want to create scary, then make sure these kinds of stories end up in the hands of older readers.

The Five Senses at the Tennis Club

f work out three times a week at the Lexington Tennis Club.  The gym is upstairs and looks down on rows of tennis courts, so while working out you can watch people play matches or take lessons.

Each one of my workouts begins with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise followed by weight-lifting machines and hand weights.  The best time to go is right before lunch when the gym is the least crowded and I don't have much food on my stomach. When I get back it is time for lunch and then on to writing.


Here are the five senses at the Lexington Tennis Club before I come home to write.

I hear:  the whirl of a rowing machine
             the clunk of weights
             the squeaky wheels of an exercise bike
             boys grunting (I never hear this from the gals)
             music from my ipod
             the thud of an occasional tennis ball hitting the glass wall of the gym

I feel:    my tee shirt clinging to my back
             my hair damp against my neck
             my palms sweating on the handles of the bike
             the breeze of a ceiling fan cooling my skin
             my muscles tensing when I work out with weights
             a stiff white towel when I mop my face

I smell:  a strong Clorox-y clean gym towel
              a clean-smelling antiseptic spray used to wipe down machines
           
I taste:  an icy cool drink of water
             sweet peppermint gum

I see:   smiling friends that I know at the desk
            five brightly lit indoor tennis courts
            a young gal chatting on a cellphone while on a treadmill
            kids dressed in colorful tennis outfits horsing around and doing drills on a court
            a young guy with sock monkeys tattooed on both of his calves          
            rows of bikes, weight-lifting machines, hand weights, blue mats, a scale
            men and women playing some serious tennis matches
       

Remember you can read the latest news about Maggie and the Summer Vacation Show and Tell on the Maggie Project http://www.themaggieproject.blogspot.com 

Formatting a Bibliography

You've written an outstanding article and you're ready to submit it to a children's magazine. Have you included a bibliography?  You should.  A bibliography assures an editor that the information presented is reliable and accurate.  It lists all of the sources used to research the article.  A bibliography may contain as few as three sources or as many as twenty depending on the requirements of the publication. 

There are specific ways to format a bibliography.  Most magazine editors make their preferences known in the writer's guidelines.  Some editors prefer the Chicago Style.  The University of Chicago Press created the Chicago Manual of Style, which provides guidelines for citing sources as well as for formatting papers.  Other editors like the MLA Style (the Modern Language Association) which is used primarily for subjects related to the humanities and liberal arts, such as literature, mass communications, and media studies.

Regardless of which formatting style you use, the bibliography should be arranged in alphabetical order.  A compilation of book titles in random order (and I've seen this in submissions) is not acceptable. 

If you're not sure how to format a bibliography visit https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/  or http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html 

With a little practice, you will be able to master formatting all kinds of sources—books, newspaper articles, emails and more.  Refer to the links listed above whenever in doubt.
When you format your bibliography correctly, an editor will take note.     

Resources for PB Writers

Today, Children's Writer's World brings writers of picture books some more great resources.  This list is reproduced from http://www./kidlit411.com/2014/01/picture-books.html#more   

For those of you just beginning to write for children, check out these websites for tips on creating a picture book.  For writers who have already written manuscripts, take a look at the resources before you submit to agents and editors.  

DEBBIE RIDPATH OHI'S FREE PICTURE BOOK TEMPLATES

7 WAYS TO STRUCTURE YOUR PICTURE BOOK

WRITING IS REWRITING

CHECKLIST FOR PICTURE BOOKS

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A PICTURE BOOK?

6 TIPS ON WRITING PICTURE BOOKS (THAT MAY JUST WARM YOUR HEART)

THETEN COMMANDMENTS OF PICTURE BOOK WRITING 

HOW TO FORMAT YOUR PICTURE BOOK   


Children's Writer's World wishes you, your family, and friends a happy New Year!

The Story that You Love

Have you written a picture book story that you love?  Have you submitted it to agents, but it’s been rejected? I can’t begin to count all of the times that's happened to me.  And then...  

Over the summer I re-read a 1000-word picture book manuscript that I had written five years ago.  I loved this story, but it was rejected time after time.  I finally figured out that the piece was too long.  So 500 words were cut.  Afterward, the story was critiqued and revised and revised.  A compelling query letter was crafted and the much shorter story was submitted. About a month later a handful of agents rejected it, but a publisher sent me an exciting note.  She texted me that she liked the book!  I screamed and jumped up and down like a maniac.  She sent me a book contract, something I've been dreaming about and working toward for many, many years.

It's exciting to find someone who loves the book as much as I do.  So based on my experience, I'd like to offer picture book writers some tips to help you get your work published.  

1.  Put the manuscript that you love on hold for a couple of months.  In the meantime go online or to the library and read current picture books.  Find one that speaks to your heart.  Analyze it.  Is it the voice, the theme, or the character that draw you to the story  Use this book as inspiration or even as a model to guide you when it's time to revise your work.

2.  Return to the story that you've written (and love) and get ready to edit it.  Read your story out loud.  Do you stumble on some words?  Work on improving the flow.  Consider word choice.  Use a thesaurus to find words that are better fits.  

3.  Cut words.  Today, publishers want stories under 500 words.  You may feel that you will not be able to tell the whole story with fewer words, but lowering the word count will challenge you to tell a concise story. 

4.  Have a second reader have a look.  Consider the suggestions and revise.  Start writing the hook and the synopsis.  Believe me, this will help you find areas in your picture book that may need editing.    

How do you like the story now?  Even better, I’m sure.  Now re-write your query (no gimmicks, just a professional letter) and send it to agents especially open to picture books.  If you get emails from agents that say your story has potential or the project sounds interesting, you’re on the right track.  These positive comments are saying you’re getting closer to publication.  You’re getting closer to finding someone who will fall in love with your work.

10 Tips for Writing Nonfiction for Kids

There's no way around it—writing nonfiction for children is a challenging task.  It’s difficult trying to compose a piece that’s factual and entertaining.  Facts can be dry and boring. So, writers must find creative ways to keep children engaged.  

Here are some tips to help you succeed at writing nonfiction for kids: 

*Choose a kid-friendly title.  Use a little alliteration.  This is your first chance to pique a kid's curiosity.

*Keep paragraphs focused on one fact only.  Too many unrelated facts in a single paragraph is distracting.  

*Keep the writing lively.  Imagine reading your article out loud to children.

*Keep the article positive.  Avoid using words like “don’t” and “this is not so.”

*Include questions a kid would want to know and then answer them.

*Use comparisons or similes when describing something unfamiliar to a kid. 

*Use vocabulary that kids understand.  

*Refer to the Flesch-Kincaid scale to check grade level. 

*Keep the word count to no more than 500 words.

*Tie the ending to the beginning of the piece.  This gives your readers a satisfactory conclusion.

Kids like to read and learn.  So, you job is to craft a piece that gets kids excited about reading nonfiction. Before you begin, read other articles to help you meet this challenge.  See how other authors succeeded in relaying information to kids. 

The Five Sense in New Orleans

Last week my husband and I vacationed in New Orleans.  Before dinner, there was some time to pen a few words.  Here are the five senses of NOLA before returning to the hotel to write.

I Hear: jazz music pouring out of bars, a guitar and violin duet on a street corner, brass bands blasting tunes, taxi drivers venting about politics, tour guides giving their spiels, a trumpeter playing outside Café du Monde

I Smell:  strong sewer odor and beer on Bourbon Street, chicken Creole, jambalaya, a fishy whiff of the Mississippi River

I See: musicians,artists, and fortune tellers in bustling Jackson Square, above-the-ground cemeteries (and Nicolas Cage's pyramidal tomb awaiting his demise), the crescent bend of the Mississippi River, old men playing chess on the sidewalk of Canal Street, tourists carrying drinks throughout the French Quarter, stately homes in the Garden District

I Taste:  rich tomato-based Creole, mouth-burning spicy etouffeé, warm sugar-dusted beignets, black coffee that needed no sugar, sweet brown sugar pralines, a Pat O’Brien virgin piña colada and a sip of a Hurricane

I Feel:  a vicioius bug bite while walking through the coarse grass of Chalmette Cemetery, the sun baking my bike helmet-covered head, chilly night time breeze during a carriage ride, uneven bricks on sidewalks, my husband’s hand in mine

Crafting a Cover Letter

When you query an editor, you must send a cover letter.  Some writers understand this important first step, and others…need a little help. 

Once I received a two-line cover letter.  The first sentence thanked me for considering the story.  The second sentence thanked me for being an inspiration to writers.  I'm not so sure about that, but this line came across as being insincere (and it did not belong in a cover letter).

A cover letter is usually one page and has about three to four paragraphs.  It should begin with a salutation to the editor.  Search the guidelines or contact page to find her name.  If you are unsuccessful, then use Dear Editor.  Addressing the salutation as:  Hello <insert magazine name> comes across as impersonal and I don't recommend it.

The first paragraph should start with the hook, an enticing one liner about the story or article. The following paragraph gives the title and word count and goes into a little more detail about the work. The final paragraph gives a short biography. Close by thanking the editor.

That’s all there is to it.  Your cover letter is critical.  It’s the first thing an editor reads.  Don’t ruin your chances of an acceptance by trying to be cute, clever, or insincere.  Make sure your cover letter is professional.  That way, an editor will be in the mood to consider your work.   

How to get published in KIT

If you are interested in submitting fiction to Kid's Imagination Train, you should ask yourself three questions. Is your story engaging?  Is it original?  Does it fit the feel of the magazine?  

Engaging
You can make your story engaging by creating a main character that children will care about.  To do that, the main character must have a problem kids can relate to and she must be able to solve that problem herself.  Children want to get behind the main character and root for her as she handles conflict. In addition to having a main character children will care for, the language of the story must resonate with kids.  Therefore, age-appropriate words are necessary as well as rhythm and flow.  

Original
I love original stories, and so do kids!  Let’s take this example.  Say you want to write about an ant that wants to fly.  This ant tries several different ways to fly, but fails. Eventually, it finds some feathers, waves them in the air, and soars away.  Okay, not bad, but not great.  How about this example?  Again we have an ant that wants to fly.  But in this story, the ant builds a flying machine with twigs and feathers and calls it his Birdplane.  Now this story is fascinating and original.  To be original it takes thinking outside the box, dreaming, and wondering...what if?

Fit the Feel
Lastly, you should get a feel of the magazine by reading a few back issues.  That way, you are familiar with the kinds of stories KIT likes to publish.  That said, here are more clues to what we like:  KIT publishes pieces that are lively and entertaining and have illustration potential.  We love magical and whimsical stories.  Overall, the mood must be uplifting and positive, not negative or scary. 

Editors have different tastes and it can be challenging to figure out what they are looking for.  But now you know what Kid's Imagination Train likes for when it comes to fiction. So, it's up to you.  Can you develop an engaging, original story that would be a good fit for KIT?

Resources for Picture Book Writers

Today, I thought writers of picture books would like to take a look at some awesome resources.  This list is reproduced from:  http://www.kidlit411.com/2014/01/picture-books.html#more

SCBWI - the Society for Children's Book Writers & Ilustrators, an organization that every children's writer and illustrator must join

LINDA ASHMAN author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books

CHILDREN'S BOOK HUB - a paid subscription service with information about children's books, led by Emma Walton Hamilton  

CHILDREN'S BOOK INSIDER - a paid subscription monthly newsletter with tips about publishers and agents, writing courses, and more 

MEM FOX and her fabulous list of 20 DO'S AND DON'TS OF PICTURE BOOK WRITING. Learn tips on how to read a story out loud: READ ALOUD LESSON 

DARCY PATTISON How to Write a Picture Book Resources

THE PURPLE CRAYON -  the website by Harold Underdown, author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books.  His site has resources and information, including an introductory article on the BASICS OF CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING

SUSAN UHLIG's link is full of resources from books to blog posts 

Writing Character

I wasn’t looking to create a character to use in my writing, but he came into my life unexpectedly.

While I was at the grocery store standing in line to check out, I waited behind a woman with a full cart of soft drinks, Tidy Cat Litter, and cans of Fancy Feast.  Ahead of her was a woman paying for a bouquet of yellow-orange sunflowers.  It was going to be a while before it would be my turn.  I politely asked a grocery store employee if she could find someone to open another register.  In less than two minutes, she found someone to open the adjacent register. 

The man in line behind me rushed to the register.  You would have thought it was a race and he was going to win a prize.  Wow—how can anybody be that impatient and rude?  

As he began to unload his cart, I noticed that he was a bald, thirty-something kind of guy who wore a white-shirt, plaid shorts, flip flops and black glasses.  He never offered or insisted to go before him.  No, as I reached to place a separator behind his groceries he snapped at me.  “I have a large order.”  Translation:  I’m first therefore, you must wait until I empty my entire cart.  Translation:  You are impinging on my space on the conveyor belt.  Translation:  It's my conveyer belt.

Nervy.  

I ignored his comment and pushed his items forward (taking care not to roll his watermelon onto the loaf of bread) so I could unload my basket.  I did not make eye contact.  I did not tell him what I thought of him.  But oh, how I wanted to.   (Past experiences have taught me not to open my mouth).  The checker commented on his behavior, which made me feel better. 

So obviously, this guy ruffled my feathers.  But I decided to take this negative encounter and turn it into something positive, something good for my writing:

He showed me how to create a setting with conflict.
He showed me what a discourteous character might physically look like.  
He showed me how one acts and what one might say.  
He showed me exactly how to portray a totally inconsiderate dude.