My Word Playground

Author Perspective/A Visit with Lucine Kasbarian & The Greedy Sparrow

2011-04-20T05:32:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for asking me to submit an item to you for your blog in honor of the publication of my latest book, The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale (Marshall Cavendish, April 2011). I enjoy reading your blog a great deal and think you're providing a wonderful haven for readers and writers alike.

This folk tale has been handed down orally through the generations of my family and has also existed in the greater Armenian oral tradition for centuries. It has been gratifying to put this time-honored story to paper for posterity. I’m also very pleased that the book is releasing in April, which among other things, is genocide memorial month. For me (and many others), this symbolic release date signifies that in spite of genocide, a culture survives.

I trust that I'll not be touching upon a hackneyed subject by sharing a few thoughts with you and your readers regarding prompts for beating writer’s block and procrastination. It’s an issue that plagues me from time to time, and so I’ve compiled five ways to meet it head-on. I hope that at least one tip is new and useful to you and yours!

1) Most often, my writing blocks occur because I have to confront something and don’t realize it yet. Is there something about the project or assignment that’s bothering you? Is there an inconsistency about the plot or character? Is the deadline you’ve set for yourself unrealistic? Once you "name it and claim it," you can resolve it.

2) Once too often, with a whole day ahead of me, I’ve sat at the computer and started out well, only to take a breather and launch the Internet -- which often results in letting precious hours slip by. A timer, in my opinion, is the best way to make use of what would have otherwise been unstructured writing time. When I have a large parcel of time or am feeling reluctant to write, I set our kitchen timer for 15 minutes and write until the bell rings. If those 15 minutes successfully put me into the groove, I continue writing. If not, I hopefully got in a good 15 minutes of creative work. Either way, the timer can spur writing discipline.

3) One of my most effective tools has been to write down random word groupings that please the ear or palate. I also jot down aphorisms, fragmented thoughts, interesting episodes I’ve witnessed, dreams, and real conversations shared or overheard. These can and will come in handy in future writings. So that ideas don’t escape documentation, consider outfitting each room of the house (including the bathroom) with notepads. When you feel blocked, re-read what you've written on these notepads to conjure up ideas.

4) I read as much as I can by authors I admire. Sometimes I’m moved by the cadence of their word groupings, or the sensitivity with which a topic is addressed, or the flow of the narrative. The point is not so much to emulate other authors, but to be inspired by them. Many times I’ve read something so wonderful, it has conjured up a memory or emotion that has put me to work on a writing project almost immediately.

5) My most effective prompt for writing is to pretend I’m writing a letter to a close, trusted confidant. The language I use is nearly always more descriptive and intimate, and the product need not be sent (but sometimes is)!

Kindest regards,

Lucine Kasbarian, author

The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale (Marshall Cavendish, 2011)

The Armenian-Americans (Cobblestone magazine/ Carus Publishing, 2000)

Armenia: A Rugged Land, an Enduring People (Dillon Press/ Simon & Schuster, 1998)

www.lucinekasbarian.com

Blurb about newest book:

The Greedy Sparrow: An Armenian Tale is from the ancient Armenian oral tradition and culture, which was nearly obliterated during the Turkish genocide of the Armenians, Assyrians and Greeks in 1915. The author learned the tale from her father, editor and columnist C.K. Garabed, who would recite it to her at bedtime. He had learned it from his own grandmother, a celebrated storyteller from the Old Country. The tale was first put to paper by Armenian poet Hovhannes Toumanian at the turn of the 20th century. The Greedy Sparrow is the first time this tale has been presented in the English language as a children’s picture book. The story begins in old Armenia with a sparrow who catches a thorn in his foot. As he asks for help, he sets off an intriguing cycle of action that transports him through the Armenian countryside, encountering people engaged in traditional folkways. The Greedy Sparrow ends with a surprising twist and conveys moral messages about greed, selfishness and using one’s judgment. To address the ethical and human components of the tale, a discussion and activity guide has been prepared and can be accessed here:

http://www.lucinekasbarian.com/activities.html

Writing Tip / Celebrate Poetry Month with Leslie Bulion

2011-04-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

Four Poetry Writing Tips from Leslie Bulion

1. Read reams of poems. Learn which ones move your heart, tickle your funny bone, or sing in your ear. Do you like rhyme? Meter? Certain rhythms? Free verse? Shape poems? Your most successful poems will be those you’d love to read.

2. If you’re working with a known form of poetry, learn the rules (see Tip #1). Be strict with yourself as you practice working within the rules. Once you fully understand how that particular poetry form works, you’ll know how to bend the rules (whee!) without compromising the integrity of the poem. For example, check out this great description of my favorite form, the double dactyl: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-term.html?term=Double%20dactyl then try one yourself—they’re addictive, tricksy fun! How to be sure your six-syllable double dactylic word in line 6 has never been used in another double dactyl? (See Tip #3.)

3. Make up words! If you’re writing funny poetry, have at it—play with your language. How often have you read a clever article or poem where the author’s invention of a word adds juice, humor and new meaning to the writing? I might have had my fill of ice storms, but I thoroughly enjoyed all of the “snowcabulary” invented in honor of the winter of 2011. Of course, there is a caveat to making up words and it is this: every single reader has to be able to infer exactly what your word means on first read.

4. Read your poem out loud at least a million times. How does it sound? Do you trip over your tongue? Do you have to hurry to fit a word into your established meter? Does your free verse pause and flow at the places you want it to? Do your rhymes rhyme? Now give your poem to a million friends and ask them to read it out loud. Did each friend put the emPHAasis on the right syLLAbles? If the answer is yes, then BRAVO! Your poem is done!

ABOUT AT THE SEA FLOOR CAFE Odd Ocean Critter Poems:

This clever collection of poems describes the devious and sometimes surprising methods ocean denizens use to forage for food, capture prey, trick predators, and protect their young. The poems swim effortlessly from page to page, leading us from the snail shell home of the jeweled anemone crab on the ocean floor to a violet snail hanging upside down in its bubble house on the sea’s surface. At the Sea Floor Cafe includes science notes with details about each animal's behavior, a glossary, and an appendix explaining the forms of poetry that appear on each spread. Striking linoleum prints round out this title, which can be used across the curriculum.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Leslie Bulion teams a life-long love of poetry and her oceanography background in At the Sea Floor Café (Peachtree 2011), her second collection of science poetry. The first, Hey There, Stink Bug! (Charlesbridge 2006), is an award-winning book of gruesomely humorous insect poems. Leslie’s other books include the Bank Street Best Books 2007 middle-grade novel Uncharted Waters (Peachtree 2006), The Trouble With Rules (Peachtree 2008), and the Children’s Africana Book Award Best Picture Book winner, Fatuma’s New Cloth (Moon Mountain 2002). A former school social worker, Leslie has written and edited books in the education market and has been a regular contributing writer in national magazines and on the Internet. She gives writing workshops and presentations to students, educators and writers throughout the US. Visit Leslie’s website at www.lesliebulion.com.

At the Sea Floor Café

ISBN: 978-1-56145-565-2

Total Pages: 48

Author: Leslie Bulion www.lesliebulion.com

Illustrator: Leslie Evans www.seadogpress.com

Peachtree Publishers www.peachtree-online.com

April 1, 2011

In honor of National Poetry Month, Peachtree Publishers is inviting educators to post students' poetry on their facebook page. At the end of the month, Peachtree will hold a drawing. One winner will receive a skype visit with me, and five others will win a copy of AT THE SEA FLOOR CAFE.

Here's a link to the contest rules:

http://library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1103596296500-87/Sea+Floor+Cafe+officialrules.pdf

The Lovely Blog Award

2011-03-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

I'd like to thank Gayle Krause of The Storyteller's Scroll (http://www.thestorytellersscroll.blogspot.com/) for the Lovely Blog Award. I am pleased to accept this award from Gayle, the author of Rock Star Santa (Scholastic).

For those of you I nominate, please accept the award, post it to your blog and nominate 5 other blogs that you enjoy or have just found.

In paying it forward I have nominated the following blogs:

Author Rob Sanders

http://www.robsanderswrites.com/
The Visual Storyteller's Studio (of Lisa J. Michaels)
http://vstorytellersstudio.blogspot.com/

The Yellow Brick Road (of Lisa J. Michaels)
http://www.welcometoybr.blogspot.com/

From the Mixed-up Files of Jennifer Bertman

http://writerjenn.blogspot.com/
Deborah Cuneo Illustration
http://deborahcuneo.blogspot.com/

Thanks again, Gayle, for the nomination. Happy blogging, everyone!

Lynne Marie

Illustration Tip/Keeping it Real with Mary Peterson

2011-02-20T10:27:00.000-08:00

Keeping It Real (Or At Least Full of Life)!

by Mary Peterson

My favorite picture books to illustrate are full of action and expression. The two little piglets in PIGGIES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH race around the farm, make a mess, get into trouble, jump, run, and skid. They are happy, startled, scared, mad and finally, exhausted.

Here's the problem--I'm a very tedious drawer. I tend to get bogged down in details so keeping the action fresh and lively is a challenge. If you love your sketches (as I do) but find the finished art looks over worked and static (as I did), try this: quick sketch from life. Go to places where there's lots of commotion, a swimming pool, train station, construction site, basketball game or dog park and draw as fast as you can. Sketch what you see on the television. Keep a small notebook with you to capture unexpected action. At first capturing the chaos will be frustrating but keep at it. Over time you will hold the memory of those quick responses in your hand and eye and learn to trust their authenticity. Of course, old habits die hard---so if you get bogged down in the studio, YOU be the mover! I keep a jump rope close by for when I need a little action.

Mary Peterson was born and raised in Iowa on a small farm surrounded by cornfields and lots of animals. Those early years in the company of critters large and small continue to provide inspiration for her art. These days she lives in Los Angeles with her husband.

Mary is the co-author and illustrator of PIGGIES IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH (Charlesbridge), which was included in the 2010 Society of Illustrators Original Art Show. She is the illustrator of OCEAN SOUP (Charlesbridge) and WIGGLE AND WAGGLE (Charlesbridge), a Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year and recipient of the Early Childhood News Directors Choice Award. Mary's other illustration credits include NO TIME TO NAP (Heyday Books) and CAT ON WHEELS (Boyds Mills Press).

mary peterson
--------------------marypeterson.com
facebook.com/marypeterson.illo

Writing & Illustrating Prompt/Animal Math with Illustrator Will Strong

2011-02-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

My Writing Tip by Will Strong:

When speaking with both children and adults, the question I am most often asked about writing and illustrating is, "Where do you get your ideas?" People are sometimes shocked when I answer them. I tell them there is nothing magical about new ideas. Ideas don't just happen; they don't just pop into your head unbidden. Ideas are created and cultivated.

When I talk to kids about making stories I try to focus on simple concepts. One concept that can work for pretty much everybody is what I call "Animal Math." You take any boring old animal and add something new to it.

Animal + Object = An Interesting Idea

It can be that simple.

And it's not just animals. You can take any two dissimilar things and put them together to come up with a new idea. Take a caveman and put him in space. Take an ordinary bath time and add an invasion of sea creatures. Take a hippopotamus and put him on a bicycle.

Not all of your ideas are going to be brilliant but that's okay. I create terrible ideas all the time. Though I know that if I keep brainstorming and tweaking things around I will eventually come up with something great.

So, that's where I get my ideas. Once I have an idea that I'm really psyched about then it's time to get down to the tough stuff. It's time to actually write the thing.

So, remember to make it fun (for you and the kids.)

My name is Will Strong. I'm a recent graduate from the BYU Illustration Program. I'm currently illustrating my first picture book. It's a collaboration with author Rick Walton called "I'm Not Afraid of Bunnies." It will be released as an e-book this summer.

I also run a non-profit website for teachers (and everybody else) called http://www.creativekidcentral.com/. Creative Kid Central is dedicated to making creativity a part of children's lives. My favorite part of C.K.C. is the Creative Writing Prompts section. It's full of open-ended stories and other ideas to get kids to enjoy writing.

My motto in all the work I do is "Make It Fun." When you are working with kids, fun is always the key element.

My websites:

http://www.willstrongart.com/

willstrongart.blogspot.com

http://www.creativekidcentral.com/

Writing & Illustrating Tip/Developing Character with Leslie Helakoski

2011-02-17T05:58:00.000-08:00

"We like this story, but we don't like the art." I heard this comment for years. Each time I sold a picture book, I held out hope that I would be able to illustrate my own work. I knew I could draw, so what was the problem?

The problem was that good design and execution are not the same thing as good children's book illustrations. For me, the answer lay in better character development.

Just as we strive to develop strong characters when we write, we must develop them even further when we illustrate. We have to do more than show what the text is saying, we have to show something extra about the character than can be seen visually.

Authors often fill out character trait forms to get to 'know' their characters. I do the same sort of thing when I start drawing. I make many rough sketches until I start noticing specific character traits that come out as I work. Here are some questions I ask myself when I start
sketching a character:

1. How is this character different from others of his species. (What physical traits make him/her stand out? Big feet, nose size, crazy hair? Bowlegged?)
2. What does the character's stall/home look like? (Neat, messy, extravagant?)

3. What does she love/hate to eat?
4. What does she look like as he moves? (Graceful, clumsy, joyous? This can lead to showing her tripping in a scene or maybe wearing toe shoes and mooning over pictures of ballerinas)
5. What is the predominant emotion in each scene?
6. What fears/strengths does she have? (Does she shrink back from others? Tower over them? Have a nervous tick?)
7. Show attitude!
8. Will I know something personal about this character just by looking at her in this scene or is she a generic space filler?
9. Can I emphasize emotion from the way I place her on the page? If she's feeling uplifted, should I show her high up on the page? If she's feeling left out, maybe I can show her far from the others in the spread? Or,
using perspective, show her small and other characters large to emphasize how she feels?
10. Is she intentionally doing something contrary to what the text says?
11. Do I show different view points and vary the size of the characters?
12. Are there any bigger than life characters I can compare mine to, that help me amp up my character? (Is my wanna-be beauty more of a Zsa Zsa Gabor or more of a Phyllis Diller?)
13. Can I exaggerate a point or understate it?
14. Does something about my character change over the course of the story?

When I finally started developing my characters more on the drawing board, my art was picked up along with my text.

Of course, I also spent a lot of time viewing other's illustrations and learning just by absorbing--which sometimes just takes time. But I did find that as an illustrator, I have to do all the things I do as a writer.
Revise, develop strong characters, show changes, show humor and emotion. Include more information than you see at first glance. And I thought all I had to do was draw.

ABOUT LESLIE: Leslie Helakoski writes humorous picture books and sometimes (but not always) illustrates them. She lives in Michigan with her husband, three large (as opposed to small) children, and one literally small dog. Her latest book, Fair Cow, is about a dairy cow who dreams of winning blue ribbons at the state fair. She gets beauty advice from a pig but finds something is wrong with her shape, her hair, her hooves and even her walk. How can she compete?

Book trailer for Fair Cow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Ok7haxPWw
Book trailer for Big Chickens: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RStUVypk4gQ
Website: helakoskibooks.com

Previous books:
Woolbur (Harper Collins, illustrated by Lee Harper) Nominated for 9 state
book awards.
Big Chickens (Dutton, illustrated by Henry Cole) Michigan Reads Award,
Great Lakes Great Books Award
Big Chickens Fly the Coop, 3 state book awards
Big Chickens Go to Town
The Smushy Bus

PERSONAL NOTE FROM LYNNE MARIE: I had known Leslie previously from an online critique group, but you can imagine what a pleasure it was to meet her in person at the Highlights Foundation Writer's Workshop at Chautauqua in 2001. Just another example of the fabulous(!), talented(!) people you can meet at those spectacular(!) writing retreats, which you have noticed, I cannot say enough about (LOL).

ILLUSTRATION TIP/Capturing Action & Emotion with Layne Johnson

2011-02-16T04:23:00.000-08:00

LAYNE JOHNSON, on Illustrating Action

Well I just found out my book OFF LIKE THE WIND! The First Ride of the Pony Express, written by author Michael Spradlin, won this year’s Western Heritage Award from The National Cowboy Hall Of Fame and Museum in Oklahoma City. How exciting! When I think back to working on that book, I recall certain ideas I had as I first read the manuscript, and later as I was designing each spread for the art. The first thing that made me really want to illustrate the story was a biggy. It had loads of ACTION. How many times have authors been told, “Give the artist something to illustrate!” What illustrators hate to see in picture book manuscripts are the dreaded “talking heads.” Or no change of location. With OLTW, that was definitely not a problem! The action varied from location to location with various perilous interactions. When I paginate a manuscript the question is what to illustrate on each spread or page. It was especially challenging but fun with OLTW, because there was so MUCH to choose from.

When faced with this most exciting phase of a book, I must look at what or what not to illustrate. A picture book doesn’t have the luxury of video where multiple thing can be acted out. I must choose that wonderfully magic “moment” which can relay the essence of the scene. Am I asking the reader to think, react, or simply be a part of a scene? Do I illustrate what’s about to happen, what’s happening now, or what just happened, i.e. anticipation, excitement, or reaction. These are all valid things to paint, but must be balanced throughout the book. This is where the true art comes in . . . pacing.

I don’t believe in talking or writing down to children. They are smarter than we give them credit for. And they aren’t delicate flowers, though we try to make them that at times, usually for our own overprotective reasons. The children of yesteryear knew more about life because they grew up with it. And the children of today deserve to know what the past was really like. Knowledge is strength.

Once I decide what to illustrate, I then look at how to build tension, create empathy, make a scene explode, or the opposite – how to create a resting point, something serene. Ultimately I want to make a child feel like he or she is there. Empathy is everything. Panoramic skies can make you feel like you’re really in an expansive environment. Dangerous critters or weather may threaten. There may be hostile people. This is GREAT! Stories must overcome real obstacles; otherwise it can be a boring read.

So look at the scenes below with these things in mind. Also, watch for point of view, perspective, directional elements that guide to focal points, color, etc. They aren’t accidental, but hopefully somewhat invisible. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!”

Visit my website at http://www.laynejohnson.com/

See my book trailers on YouTube!

COMING SOON....

ON A PERSONAL NOTE FROM LYNNE MARIE:

Bottom Row: L to R, Layne Johnson, Jennifer Ward, Me!

I think one of the best things about the Highlights Foundation Writer's Workshop at Chautauqua (besides the fabulous mentors, invaluable learning experiences, wonderful opportunities, absolutely delightful staff and beautiful, quaint & relaxing location) is the people.

At Chautauqua 2002, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Layne Johnson, Jennifer Ward and Matt Faulkner (not pictured) as attendees and becoming pals for the week.

Here were are, admiring one of Layne's projects at the Welcome Center. I am still a great fan of his remarkable work and am pleased to be able to showcase it here.

Writing Prompt/Pondering Possibilities with PB Writer Samantha Vamos

2011-02-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

Ask "What If?" by Samantha R. Vamos

I have an extremely simple “What if” writing exercise, which I typically perform several times a day. Almost every day, I hear a little voice in my head pose the question, “What if _________” in response to a situation. Here’s an example. The other day I peered out my front door and discovered a box. I neither recognized the labeling, nor the sender’s name, and the idea occurred to me – instead of opening the box to find an item I had ordered online, what if all that I found inside was a mysterious code and a cryptic note from a friend, or a telephone number and a photo of a friend in a setting I did not recognize? Sometimes I answer my “What if” questions by writing my imagined responses and evaluating whether any of the answers evolve into threads that may be sewn together as a storyline.

The idea for The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred occurred to me after performing my “What if” exercise. I was in the kitchen gathering ingredients to make pancakes and realized I lacked both milk and eggs. At the time, my husband and I lived in Chicago, Illinois and did not own a car. That morning was bitter cold with gusty winds and the prospect of walking to the subway or waiting for a bus to the nearest grocery store was not appealing. Suddenly, I thought what if I lived on a farm and I could simply call one of my animal “neighbors” for a pail of milk or a basket of fresh eggs? Envisioning myself a farm maiden, I smiled and my story took off from there. I never finished making pancakes that morning, but I did manage to write a first draft of our story!

One more thing: there is a recipe at the end of The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred, but it’s not for pancakes!

Samantha’s Picture Books:

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (Viking, 2009, illustrated by Santiago Cohen)

2010 Washington State Book Award for Picture Book

“Best for Babies” - Parents Magazine

The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred (Charlesbridge, 2011, illustrated by Rafael López)

Alphabet Trucks (Charlesbridge, Fall 2013)

Website:

www.samanthavamos.com

Book Trailers:

The Cazuela That The Farm Maiden Stirred

http://samanthavamos.com/books-trailers-cazuela.aspx

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor

http://samanthavamos.com/books-trailers-bywh.aspx

Book Contest:

http://samanthavamos.com/contest.aspx

More About Samantha and Her Books:

Samantha attended Georgetown University Law Center, and once upon a time, practiced law in Washington, D.C. and Chicago, Illinois. Now she’s a full-time mom and part-time writer, who, upon moving to the Pacific Northwest, has added coffee to her already significant chocolate addiction!

Before You Were Here, Mi Amor (Viking, 2009), her first children’s picture book, won the 2010 Washington State Book Award for Picture Book and was featured as “Best for Babies” by Parents Magazine (May 2009). Samantha’s second picture book, The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred (Charlesbridge, 2011, illustrated by Rafael López) released February 1, and is an amusing tale of five farm animals, their farmer, and a farm girl. From the book jacket:

"When a farm girl starts cooking, all the animals want to help. The cow contributes milk, the hen offers eggs, and even the duck makes a special trip to the market. While the pot is bubbling merrily on the stove, everyone dances and sings - but who is watching the cazuela? Samantha R. Vamos and Rafael López serve up a spicy tribute to the classic nursery rhyme "The House That Jack Built" in this bilingual celebration of community and food.”

In The Cazuela That the Farm Maiden Stirred, as the action builds, the Spanish words repeat. At the book's end, a glossary with pronunciation and recipe are provided.

Picture Book Marathon Update: Day Thirteen & Fourteen

2011-02-14T18:15:00.000-08:00

My Picture Book Marathon tally spelled out "Sweet" success as I handed in my count of 7 completed picture book drafts on Sunday for the week, a total of 12 since the Marathon started on February 1st! It hasn't always easy to find the time to write a complete draft each day. I have given up some of my favorite t.v. shows, checked Facebook less, and as Lora and Jean recommended, made it a daily task to ponder and list three possible ideas to work on the next day. I have noticed myself finding a rhythm, and more and more, doing productive work on my writing and storytelling has become part of my daily routine.

I think being in the holiday spirit got my creative juices flowing, as a holiday book poured out of me on Sunday, but it wasn't a Valentine's Day book! Of the 14 picture book drafts I've written, there are 7 that I consider worth pursuing with more revisions, and this one is definitely one of them.

One of Lora and Jean's recent blogposts discussed writing what you know. Monday's picture book draft was inspired by my little one, who has neurological tics and makes humming noises or perhaps something else, when the tic shifts over time. It's about a little hippo who blinks, hums and flicks his tongue and his attempt to convince the other animals to let him play with them in the watering hole. I am happy that even in the first draft I feel it has humor, compassion, tension, and ultimately, understanding. I hope that after much thought and many revisions, it will one day be a GOOD story. Read on, to see what I mean...

This weekend, I asked my 6-year old daughter (who has been reading picture books and chapter books unassisted for some time) what topics she liked to read about in picture books. She replied, "Well, just about anything that's good." I asked her what she meant by good, and tried to get her to pick some topics in particular. She titled her head and said, "Didn't you understand? Anything that's GOOD!" She gave me examples...FLORA'S VERY WINDY DAY (by Jeanne Birdsall), DESERT ROSE AND THE HIGHFALUTIN' HOG (by Alison Jackson), JULIUS, BABY OF THE WORLD (by Kevin Henkes), SUCH A SILLY BABY (by Steffanie and Richard Long). All these books are extremely different in style and topic, but I think I know what she means. A good story, well-told!

So keep on writing those drafts every day -- you're stretching your creative muscles, exploring new things (situations, characters, voices, places, conflicts). You're on the right path to creating that good story, well told!

Writing Advice from Illustrator Will Terry/How Not to Kill 'Em with Color

2011-02-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

Ok -- I admit it. I am an author who is a wanna-be illustrator. I study art and pictures probably just as much as I study words and text. You might not even know that about me, so maybe I am a "closet" wanna-be illustrator. Then, one of my favorite picture book illustrators, Will Terry, releases his video series "How to Illustrate Children's Books" and "Digital Painting in Photoshop" and I tell myself I must have him Guest Blog over at my blog pond so that other writers who are closet wanna-be illustrators can come out and stretch their wings along with me. But does sweet, humble Will mention it in the following post? No. So here's the link. Enjoy the creative process (and the color aspect - but in moderation, of course)! http://www.willterry.com/store.php

And without further to-do, here are some enlightening anecdotes from Will Terry:

I feel like the brother of three sisters all over again sneaking into their bedroom with one mission – get to the barbie dolls, rip as many heads off as possible before their screams forced me to run and hide. Part of me feels that I don't belong here. I got horrible grades in school. I'll bet that most of you did well in school. I'll bet that most of you enjoyed writing as a child – I didn't. I'll bet most of you have no trouble with reading comprehension – I did and still do. I lived in the shadow of an older sister who over-achieved in school. Why am I confessing all this? Because it's part of who I am and I feel lucky to have found what I'm good at. It pains me to realize that the world is littered with souls like mine but who never found themselves or were never rewarded for their talents. I grew up feeling inferior to those who excelled in reading, writing, and math. I was afraid of you guys.

Ok, that was a very heavy way to start out but I feel I owe it to my counterparts to push this message whenever I can for awareness. The public school system is broken – it looks to strip mine a few skills from those who posses them while leaving the rest feeling unwanted and discarded.

I thought I would talk about a very important lesson I learned a few years ago. It was very painful but I'm so glad I allowed myself the opportunity to open up to new possibilities. Often we get to a comfortable place in our craft and we don't want to receive criticism – we stop practicing what we preach. I'm in a critique group called Brotique (a bunch of guys trying to write picture books) and I have no trouble accepting criticism on my writing. I think it's because I have very few hours writing in relation to the time I have spent refining my illustration style.

A few years ago I met David Small (caldecott winner for So You Want to Be President? ) at a writing conference out here in Utah. I had the chance to go to dinner with him after the conference and he started talking about professional critiques. He said most professionals don't really want an honest critique. I gulped because I realized that I was in that camp. Why would I want a professional critique? After all I'm a professional right? I know what's good about my work and I don't need anyone telling me different. As he talked I thought about it and one thing I learned early in life is that whenever you're confronted with an opportunity that seems painful or difficult it usually is followed by growth. Also life is too short to say “no” to new experiences – I know too many “no” people and they're boring – I don't ever want to be accused of being boring.

So I found myself volunteering for his critique – almost like I was hearing my voice from across the table. Mr. Small then looked through me - “Ok, but let me warn you.” Uh oh. “I'm too old and I've wasted my breath telling artists what they want to hear to long to sugar coat my feelings any more – in other words I'll tell you exactly what I think of your work.” GULP - ok. What had I got myself into?! Luckily he didn't do it right at the table so everyone could see me melt into my chair. “I want you to send me the book you're most proud of and I'll look it over and get back to you.” Sheesh – what a relief – I could still back out gracefully – at least nobody at the table would know that I chickened out.

This would be a boring story if I had chickened out so of course I didn't. That which does not kill me makes me stronger – so after a trip to the post office (I sent him “The Frog with the Big Mouth”) I waited to hear from David. A few weeks later I summoned the courage to call him and take my flogging. After the small talk I said so what did you think of my book? His response came with another disclaimer. “Ok, but there are illustrators I've lost touch with after I've commented on their work – some people can't handle criticism.” I assured him I was well prepped and ready for my lashes – not in those words but you get the point.

Anyway quite simply he said that I have beautiful illustrations but I don't give the reader any rest from my fully illustrated color spreads. He went on to ask, “Are you trying to kill your audience with color and visuals?” “Not everything is as important as you're making it.” “In order to have a crescendo you have to have rest – a place to build from.”

WOW! He was right. I was trying to kill the viewer with color. How did he see through me so easily. In fact I remembered looking at picture-books in college wondering why every illustration wasn't treated with equal value? I remember thinking that most books were lacking a consistency in image quality. But I was making a horrible mistake. I wasn't looking at the book as a project but more as an excuse to showcase artwork. I felt silly. Was I trying to kill the viewer with fully illustrated color spreads? I was trying to wipe out the planet with my color! “I wanted to blow the viewer off their chair with color – If you gaze upon my work I'll burn your retinas kind of color – and the funny thing is that I can't stand movies that have 20 min action scenes where the story fall apart. Talk about blind.

So I thank you David Small – I have to admit that it took me a few months to fully accept your gift but it has changed me in a good way. I'm trying to be more sensitive to the story. Ask myself more questions. What can I do to enhance the plot, characters, etc. When should I underplay the illustrations? When should I unleash my powers?

What did the author intend? Will the reader understand the text better if I put this or that in the pictures?

In the end I now look at each manuscript as the first half of the completed project. And I'm happy to share this experience with you – perhaps you too can improve your craft if you let go a little and allow for the fact that you just might not know it all.

I'm now working on another book (Senorita Gordita) for Albert Whitman by Helen Ketteman (a total sweetheart) and this time I'm going to get it right – or as right as I can with my current skills.

http://willterry.blogspot.com/

http://willterry.com/

Picture Book Marathon Day Twelve / On the Twelfth Day of Marathon...

2011-02-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

On the 12th Day of Marathon, my true love (my little sweetheart Kayla) gave to me...another great idea to pursue <3

And, to be truthful, I think this one is one of the winners!

Lora and Jean mentioned in their Day 11 Marathon Post that Katherine Paterson recommends to "Write what you know," or "would like to know." At the recent SCBWI NY11, Newbery award-winning author Lois Lowry gave similar advice. "Things that happened way back when. Then told and shaped, and told again." And "What if? What if? Alway there. So many answers. Be aware." Another snippet included: "a phrase and little more -- imagination, take wings, soar!"

So, be aware!

In my own writing, I often include overlay imaginative fiction upon factual events. Events that happen in my life. In my son's life. In my daughter's life. School events. This day's draft was no exception. In a left-handed way, the basis for my inspiration came from making Valentines for my daughter's First Grade Class. Of course, realizing that so many books exist about Valentine's Day, I found a way to approach the school celebration from a different angle, focus on a learning aspect, add some fiction and fun and hopefully learn more about snails in the process! Got you intrigued? Hopefully it will be a book someday and you will get to read first hand what I am talking about.

But my point is that you can use real-life for inspiration and write about day-to-day things without really writing about those tired topics. Just be aware of the parts that work, then push the box a little further, and think outside of it.

So, go ahead, write what you know or what you want to know, and give it a twist <3

Picture Book Marathon Day Eleven / Sowing Your Story Seeds All in a Row (Structure)

2011-02-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

For Friday, I discussed my top ten methods for finding inspiration. My idea for Picture Book Marathon Day 11 came from reading the fun and fabulous book, JACK OF ALL TAILS, written by a former critique group partner, Kim Norman. Please visit her at her website: http://www.kimnormanbooks.com/.

Of course, my idea really has nothing to do with this wonderful book, in which "Members of the Kibbleman family take on jobs training people to live with their pets, wallowing in mud like the Munson's pot-bellied pig or lying in front of the television and passing gas like Mrs. Philpott's dearly-departed boxer dog MacTavish." That's the beauty of it!

Just one little detail, if you will, sent my mind flying off in a different direction, to a different place, with a different character and a different situation, and voila -- my story was born! But I digress (and of course wanted to share the title of a thoroughly enjoyable book)...

Here's where the sowing comes in. Just like every day is different, so is every idea or seed for each story. Some practically grow on their own, some require lots of sun light and water. Others might make you roll up your sleeves, put your arms deep down into mucky earth and pull them out by their roots. The point is, you have to do what it takes.

With Manuscript #11, a structured format worked easily. I had my flawed but engaging character, setting, situation and problem in my head. All I had to do is let them loose for the fun and frivolity to begin. From there, my character made three aggravated and humorous attempts to solve her problem and finally, when it seemed that all hope was lost, she came up with an unexpected solution -- just like in so many of the books we know and love <3 Structure! It worked for me today, and at the end of it all, I had tapped out a promising first draft.

Please come back and visit my blog for more Picture Book Marathon Updates and other techniques for letting your ideas turn into drafts (as well as tips, thoughts and tricks from other Published Authors and Illustrators).

Lynne Marie is the author of HEDGEHOG GOES TO KINDERGARTEN, Scholastic, April 2011
visit http://www.hedgehoggoestokindergarten.blogspot.com/ for updates

Writing Advice/Opening Doors with Ruth Spiro

2011-02-13T05:07:00.000-08:00

My bubble is about to burst (grin) as I happily introduce to you Picture Book Author and Bubble Gum Day (a FUNdraising holiday) Founder, Ruth Spiro!

*.*.*.*

The “Door Opener” - Your Ticket Out of the Slush Pile
By Ruth Spiro

One of my favorite picture book manuscripts has made its way through a long list of publishing houses, and it’s been rejected by all of them. But I don’t hide my rejection letters in a drawer. Instead, they’re displayed on a bulletin board above my desk, so I can read the delightful notes hand-written at the bottom:

“You’re welcome to send other manuscripts…”

“Please do consider us for future submissions!”

“Got anything else up your sleeve?”

Did you hear that?

Click.

It’s the sound of a door opening.

I’ve received nearly a dozen “good” rejections to this one manuscript – personal letters from editors passing on it, but inviting me to submit others. I think of the letters not as rejections, but as invitations. So, although it remains unsold, I fondly consider this manuscript my Door Opener.

My first picture book, Lester Fizz: Bubble-Gum Artist, was the first manuscript I ever submitted, and it was acquired by the first editor who read it. (Yes, that’s a lot of “firsts!”) Unfortunately, subsequent sales haven’t come as easily. That picture book editor is now focusing on YA at another house, and since I don’t have an agent, my submissions to other publishers usually landed in the slush pile.

But, my Door Opener became my golden ticket out of that pile. Now I have invitations to send my work directly to those editors, and replies come quicker, sometimes even with helpful comments.

A Door Opener is not a sub-standard manuscript. It’s the very best representation of your writing ability. That means a flawless, intriguing cover letter atop a well-targeted, well-written manuscript. Anything less and you’ll probably find yourself with just another form rejection.

Of course, I still hold out hope for finding my favorite manuscript a home. I’m told that editors sometimes pass on a manuscript for reasons that have little to do with the story or the quality of writing. Perhaps the market will change, or a new editor will see its publishing potential. But even if that doesn’t happen, this manuscript has served an important purpose in my writing career by opening doors that may lead to future sales.

Submit your best work, and then listen for the click.

Maybe doors will open for you, too!

Your assignment: Create a Wish List for your manuscript.

1) Print your favorite manuscript and hold it in your hands. Close your eyes.

(On second thought, read these questions and then close your eyes!)

2) Imagine you’re holding, not a stack of papers, but a finished book. Feel the weight of it.

3) As yourself these questions:

What does the cover look like?

Can you see your name? What color is it? How big is it?

In what style are the illustrations?

Soft and soothing? Bright and bold? Realistic? Playful?

What size is your book?

Is it tall? Wide?

With that image in your head, visit the bookstore and the library to find books similar to yours. Note the names of the authors, illustrators and the publishers. If you plan to seek representation, go the authors’ websites to find the names of their agents. Otherwise, compare your list of ideal publishers against the Children’s Writers & Illustrator’s Market or the SCBWI Market Survey (www.scbwi.org) to check submissions policies.

Create your Wish List, and start submitting!

ABOUT RUTH SPIRO:

Ruth Spiro’s first picture book, Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist, is published by Dutton. Her essays and articles have appeared in FamilyFun, Child, Woman’s World, and several Chicken Soup for the Soul titles. Her web site is www.ruthspiro.com.

Ruth frequently speaks at schools and conferences, and is the founder of Bubble Gum Day, a FUNdraising holiday. Read about it at www.bubblegumday.com.

Ruth Spiro Children’s Book Author & Freelance Writer Writing Ruth never imagined she’d be a writer - until she tried it. Now she writes books for children, including the award-winning Lester Fizz, Bubble-Gum Artist. Her articles and essays have been published in CHILD, Disney’s FamilyFun, The Writer, and Chicago Parent. Ruth’s stories have also been included in popular anthologies, notably The Right Words at the Right Time, edited by Marlo Thomas, and several Chicken Soup for the Soul titles.
Speaking Students are surprised to hear that as a writer, Ruth trolls the beach for seashells and story ideas, and also plays with toys so she can write reviews about them! Because of her wide range of
publishing experience, Ruth is uniquely qualified to discuss the many “jobs” a writer can have. Her presentations combine a real-life example of the writing process with a discussion of creativity,
individuality, and artistic expression. Ruth’s previous appearances include the Chicago Tribune Printer’s Row Book Fair, Millennium Park Family Fun Festival, Illinois Young Authors Conference, Illinois Art Education Association, Illinois School Library Media Association and the VA Festival of the Book. She has presented programs and writing workshops for students of all ages, and also developed the Writing for Moms™ program.

Background: Ruth graduated with a B.S. in Communications from the University of Illinois and worked for advertising agencies in both account management and broadcast production. She earned an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago, and coordinated several large-scale research studies, including a grant from the National Institutes of Health. Ruth has attended the Highlights Writer’s Workshop at Chautauqua and the Iowa Summer Writer’s Workshop. Her writing has earned awards from Writer’s Digest magazine, Willamette Writers, Half-Price Books, and Byline Magazine.
Contact:" ruth@ruthspiro.com http://www.ruthspiro.com/

Picture Book Marathon Day Ten / Top Ten Places to Get Ideas

2011-02-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

Due to planning an extremely last-minute vacation which my little one sorely needs, I am behind with my agenda, so please pardon me while I play catch up with Marathon Updates and Guest Author Blogposts. Thanks!

*.*.*.*

On this Tenth day of Picture Book Marathon, I thought it might be good to throw some kindling wood on the fire (for anyone who is struggling for ideas) and discuss my Top Ten Places to Get Ideas.

I'll begin by discussing "Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten," which will be my first published picture book from Scholastic (coming April 2011). This idea for this book was inspired by the real experience of my son going to school and being worried about having someone to sit with on the bus, and owning hedgehogs. Hedgehogs tend to be very nervous if they don't feel safe, and, they spike up if they are jostled or hear loud noises, so this fact added further tension to my plot, and provided the perfect main character. Thankfully, I was able to add a lot of other fun and favorite things in this book. Please visit http://www.hedgehoggoestokindergarten.blogspot.com/ in April to find out more about it!

So, back to discussing the places where I often get my ideas:

1. Real life problems and experiences

*Like in "Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten" above

2. Talking to people I know / Listening to Conversations

*I got my idea for "Tooth Truth" from a story my sister told my daughter about something my niece and

nephew did when they lost their teeth

3. Reading Non-Fiction Books

*I got the idea for "Pig for President" when I read some factual information about how smart pigs are!

4. Real-life Pets

*"Jump" was inspired by an African bullfrogs we raised from an egg in a kit

5. Holidays

*"Woodchuck Woes" was in part inspired by Groundhog Day

6. Reading Classics

*I tried my hand at rewriting "There Was an Old ____" with my own unique spin on it!

7. Giving stories to Characters in other Books

*Chomp the Crocodile, who quietly appears in "Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten," has her own story to

tell in "Chomp's Picture Day Countdown."

8. Sequel

Spike the Hedgehog gets off the bus and enjoys Kindergarten in "Hedgehog's 100th Day

of School" and other stories

9. Sometimes, I just put words (characters, props, actions, dialogue snippets, settings) on little

slips of paper and put them into a fish bowl. I'll draw them out one at a time, and build a story

from them gets its own momentum. You would be surprised how it works. And you can always

cheat a little if you have to!

10. The ideas just pop into my head! Sometimes I play around with them, sometimes, I let them simmer.

Bonus: Take a walk, read a magazine, do some yoga, exercise, soak in the tub! You would be surprised at what ideas can sneak up on you when you relax your mind and aren't looking!

I hope you all find this helpful. Please feel free to leave your comments and share any other ideas you may have.

Lynne Marie

Picture Book Marathon Day Nine/A Cat Has Nine Lives!

2011-02-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

Because today was Picture Book Marathon, Day Nine (and the fact that Cats have nine lives), I took a leap and worked on an idea that had been niggling at me but had never amounted to more than an image. After about an hour and a half, I landed on my feet, with a completed (albeit rough) draft!

Now my little cat MC is no longer standing out in the rain and cold, all alone -- he has a home on paper!

I am finding the Marathon to be a valuable and productive tool in moving toward my goals and helping me push past points that I might have just stopped at in the past. This process reminds reminds me of a quote that I would like to share:

"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." Jack London

And though I leave you today, knowing that my little cat likely has at least eight more drafts in him before he's finished, at least he has begun to live his life!

Happy Creating!

Picture Book Marathon Day Eight/I Wish I Were an Octopus!

2011-02-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

It's days like today - Picture Book Marathon, Day 8 - that I wish I were an Octopus with 8 arms! Everytime I turned around, someone was knockin', the phone was ringin', or something needed doin'!

Since I started today with a blank canvas, I figured there must be a message in the invocation of an octopus image. So I took what life had to offer me today, and while I answered the door, spoke on the phone and did what needed doing, I let the seeds take root for a picture book manuscript about -- you guessed it: An Octopus.

At present this draft may not be as polished or as brilliant as Kevin Sherry's I'm the Best Artist in the Ocean (as a wanna be illustrator, too, I LOVE that book), and it certainly isn't about an octopus in the way that you might expect, but it's a picture book that has an octopus in it. And, even though I first sat down to accomplish this task at 9:05 A.M. and it's now 4:05 P.M. -- I can finally say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED <3

Here's a quote that speaks to those manuscripts that we may never end up using:
"Start early and work hard. A writer's apprenticeship usually involves writing a million words (which are then discarded) before he's almost ready to begin. That takes a while." David Eddings
So write, write, write, and enjoy the process. Don't worry about which drafts you will ultimately choose and use. That will come later.

Lynne Marie

Picture Book Marathon Day Six and Seven/The Good, the Bad & The Ugly!

2011-02-08T06:51:00.000-08:00

Children's Author Lynne Marie and Son Kevin (Now 22)

Of course, we each want to be a superhero in this Picture Book Marathon, crossing the finish line first, with a satchel of twenty-six publishable picture book manuscripts strapped on our back.

Rather than get discouraged if looks like things are not going according to that plan, I think it's important to remember that in life, there's the good, the bad and the ugly. It's all part of the process.

Taking a look at my manuscripts for the past week, I would say that's EXACTLY what I have in the mix: Good, Bad & just plain Ugly. But I am a glass is half full person, and I must admit that two of my manuscripts drafts are rather darn good and I don't think they would have come out if it weren't for this process. It's like a clogged drain. Unclog it and see what comes out, be it good, bad or ugly. Again, process. You can't fight with it, just let it flow!

And don't be hard on yourself. Andrea Brown Literary Agent Mary Kole said in last Thursday's Writer's Digest webinar that usually only one in every ten picture book manuscripts is saleable, so you have to get your creative juices flowing, write those drafts, and then develop the most promising and publishable of the bunch. Again, that's part of the process. So just flow with it and enjoy it -- all of it, the good, bad and the ugly!

By the way, anyone who even writes one publishable picture book manuscript is a superhero in my book!

Writing Tips/Food for Thought from MG Author Rose Kent

2011-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sweet Inspirations by Rose Kent

Both of my middle-grade novels, Kimchi & Calamari (HarperCollins) and Rocky Road (Knopf Books), have titles & themes related to food. There is quite a bit of food references & symbolism in my stories too. Kimchi & Calamari refers to not only foods from my character Joseph's Korean birth and Italian adopted family cultures, but how he jokes about himself as an ethnic combo platter. My second book, Rocky Road, about Tess, whose family opens up an ice cream shop in the dead of winter, also captures Tess's spirit coping with her mom's mental health challenges.

I tend to see myself as a foodie -- not necessarily a gourmet cook, but someone who appreciates good food & how food nurtures our spirits. And as a writer I think food is a great tool for "showing" rather than "telling" about my characters' lives.

So of course, I come back to food when the writing gets tough. When I struggle in figuring out what comes next in my story, I tell myself it's snack time. By that I mean I walk

away from my work-in-progress, put the tea kettle on, and make myself a tasty snack. Then I return to the computer, open a fresh document, and begin an interview with my character as I munch. You know, Q&A, italics for my questions, bold-faced text for my characters' response. I let the questions come naturally, not scripted. This technique relaxes me and doesn't feel as hard work as the writing.

This starts out simple, even silly, with my character commenting on the weather or his favorite cookies as I eat mine. But like every good conversation, the interview moves about and ultimately returns to the story. More often than not, this foodie break I have given myself results in a breakthrough in my story with my character revealing something gets me unstuck. Of course this can be over done with too much snacking and too little writing, so I try to use this technique only occasionally.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rose Kent is a former naval officer who now happily writes for children. She has four children & two stepchildren. She is from Long Island, like MOI, and although she no longer lives here, you can never take the Long Island out of the girl! You can learn more about Rose at http://www.rosekent.com/ (there is a link to her blog there, as well) and you can view her trailer for Rocky Road here:

http://vimeo.com/11357915

Enjoy!

Writing Prompt/Interviewing Your MG Character with Kat Yeh

2011-02-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

On our writing journey, we are often blessed to travel the path and sit a while with many fine spirits. For me, one of them is Kat Yeh, who I am always glad to catch up with, although sometimes she soars quickly on her flying dragon with her magic brush!

Here is her wonderful contribution to my blog, for which I am thankful.

MG Novel Writing Prompt from Kat Yeh:

In the midst of a writing frenzy the other day, a strange thing occurred. The protagonist of my middle-grade novel did something I did not plan. Reacted in a way I hadn't expected. I couldn't decide how to feel about this. Betrayed? Pleased? Or simply puzzled? It made me wonder how well I really knew her. She had always been a decidedly complex and secretive little thing, but I realized there was one way I could at least begin to figure her out. I would interview her.

Ah, but the catch is: I would do it twice.

The first time, I would ask my questions and write down her off the cuff responses.

Then (please don't judge me!) when she wasn't looking, I'd slip her a serious dose of Truth Serum, wait for it to take effect, and then see how her answers changed…

We all have several levels of The Truth within us. Things we reveal to anyone - a reporter, a stranger.

Things we reveal only to some - like family and friends. And things that would only see the light of day if a very liberal amount of Truth Serum were to be administered.

These were some of the questions for my character -- based on what I needed to find out about her…what would you ask yours?

1) What is your biggest dream?

2) What are you most afraid of people finding out about you?

3) Who are you closest to?

4) What is your deepest, darkest secret?

5) Who would you tell this to?

6) Describe your family and your relationship.

7) If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be? What about your family?

Kat Yeh Biography

Kat grew up reading, doodling and scribbling in Westtown, Pennsylvania. She worked for many years in advertising and sports marketing -- while writing for herself in the wee hours of the night. She currently lives on Long Island where she can see water everyday and explore all the bay and harbor beaches with her family. She is the author of children's books You're Lovable to Me (Random House) and The Magic Brush (Bloomsbury).

About The Magic Brush:

Combining a heartwarming family story, a magical adventure, and a multilingual primer on Chinese language, The Magic Brush tells the story of Jasmine, a young girl who learns Chinese calligraphy from her Agong, or grandfather. As Jasmine learns how to paint the characters for dragon, fish, horse, friend, and more, she and Agong are magically transported to the wondrous world they are creating. The Magic Brush, beautifully rendered in traditional cut-paper, is perfect for young readers and their parents to share, steeped in Chinese traditions and full of magical adventure.

Picture Book Marathon Day Five!

2011-02-05T05:10:00.000-08:00

With four picture book manuscripts under my belt, I'm excited to begin Day Five of the Marathon.

I woke up with a terrible, terrible migraine and had to take medicine that makes me woozy and now can't go to my Saturday morning ice skating lessons (RATS!), but I am not going to let that stop me from my using my brain muscles today. I'm eager to press on and make the best of my day!

I have a whole stash of great ideas from the PIBOIDMO, but I'm feeling a bit antsy from being steered off my course, so I wanted something new to chew on today. So I headed over to the Picture Book Marathon Blog to re-read the posts and found just what I was looking for, buried under all the snow...

Of course, I always have had an affinity for little scurrying creatures!

No matter what obstacles befall you today, I hope you all can write on...

And be sure to check out previous posts from this blog for some fabulous writing prompts and inspirations from picture book writers like Lisa Wheeler, Tammi Sauer, Kelly DiPucchio and more!

UPDATE: I am pleased to say that despite headache and medicine I have completed PB#5 based upon the afore-mentioned inspiration. So far, it is the most promising of the bunch. This proves that you never know when the good ones are going to pop up (if you are paying attention that is a little pun)! And, at Lora and Jean's recommendation, I have generated three ideas to choose from for tomorrow.

Feel free to guess what my picture book is about.

Lynne Marie

Writing Advice/Taking Over the World with Janice Hardy

2011-02-04T18:17:00.000-08:00

How to Take Over the World

by Janice Hardy

Since I write fantasy, my worlds are one of the first things I create, sometimes even before I flesh out the characters. But it can be hard to create an entire world from scratch. One thing that saves me a lot of time, is to base my worlds on an existing culture or geographic area. This gives me a fully developed locale that offers ready to go details when I need them.

I change things to suit my story of course, but having that real-world base means I’ll know what the climate is, the types of flora and fauna, how people in that area make a living. If my protag orders a meal, I know what food she’ll most likely find. If she has to climb a tree, I’ll know if it’s a palm tree or a redwood. Best of all, since the details all come from a real place I know that I won’t accidentally have animals living somewhere they don’t naturally live, so the world works together as a whole. And every time, I discover some really interesting detail I can use in the story I never would have thought of on my own, because it’s unique to that area.

So the next time you need a world – real or imagined – consider looking at places that already exist and making them your own.

Bio

A long-time fantasy reader, Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel. You can visit her online at www.janicehardy.com or chat with her about writing on her blog, The Other Side of the Story.

Book Info

Fifteen-year-old Nya is an orphan struggling for survival in a city crippled by war. She is also a Taker—with her touch, she can heal injuries, pulling pain from another person and storing it inside her own body. But unlike her sister Tali and the other Takers who become Healer’s League apprentices, Nya’s skill is flawed: she can’t push that pain into pynvium, the enchanted metal used to store it. All she can do is shift it from person to person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from forces occupying her city. If discovered, she’d be used as a human weapon against her own people.

Rumors of another war make Nya’s life harder, forcing her to take desperate risks just to find work and food. She pushes her luck too far and exposes her secret to a pain merchant eager to use her shifting ability for his own sinister purpose. At first, Nya refuses, but when Tali and other League Healers mysteriously disappear, she’s faced with some difficult choices. As her father used to say, principles are a bargain at any price, but how many will Nya have to sell to get Tali back alive?

Writing Inspiration / Picture Book Marathon

2011-02-03T17:55:00.000-08:00

Having just landed from a four-day whirlwind of creative inspiration called NY11 SCBWI, I am thrilled to be a part of the 2011 Picture Book Marathon. This is my very first Picture Book Marathon, in which my goal is to write one complete draft of a picture book for twenty-six days in the month of February. I'm going for the gold (all 26)!

Even with just one day falling between the NY11 SCBWI and the Picture Book Marathon, I am pleased to share that I am on track with three (3) picture book manuscript drafts completed so far! My very first picture book draft, A LETTER TO BEAR, was inspired by my little one and the little lovey she carries around. Although bear friends are often overdone, hopefully I found a way to make this idea fresh! I guess we'll see...

I wanted to share something I ask myself when things (like perhaps writing twenty-six picture book manuscripts in one month, or even something else) feels overwhelming.
QUESTION: How do you eat an elephant? ANSWER: One bite at a time!

Hope you can see the wisdom in this and that it helps you work your way toward your goal in times of stress.

Have a great day, and good luck to all who are participating in the Picture Book Marathon!

Lynne Marie
http://www.hedgehoggoestokindergarten.blogspot.com/

Writing Prompt - Inside Your Character's Head with 2010 National Book Award Winner Kathryn Erskine

2011-01-19T19:00:00.000-08:00

It is my privilege to share a writing tip from the 2010 National Book Award Winner Kathryn Erskine. In addition, recent announcements reveal that Mockingbird made the 2011 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List and the 2011 ALA Notable Children's Books List!

☆•*¨*•.¸¸❤CONGRATULATIONS❤¸.•*¨*•☆ Kathryn, on these well-deserved honors!

GETTING INSIDE YOUR CHARACTER'S HEAD

by Kathryn Erskine

How well do you know your characters? I mean, really know them? Have you been inside their shoes, their skin? To write truly authentic characters you want to experience the world through their eyes. That means being your character and knowing him or her inside out. So go all the way (short of illegal activities, that is!). Does your character get crammed in a locker? Try it out! How does it feel? Where does it hurt? What does it look like, sound like, from inside that locker? What about the smells? If there are things you can’t or won’t experience (I will never try skydiving, for example) talk with those who have.

So here’s my challenge: Be your character for a day. Try walking and talking like your characters and wearing those character’s clothes. Even if you can’t use the language your character uses while you’re at school or at work, ask yourself what, exactly, would my character say/do in this situation? Listen to the music your character listens to. Eat the food and drink the beverage he or she does. What are the mannerisms and nervous habits? What are your characters dreams and hopes? And at the end of the day, ask yourself (i.e., your character) the key question: What do you really want?

Kathryn Erskine, a lawyer-turned-author, grew up in six countries, an experience that helps her view life, and her writing, from different perspectives. Her novels include Mockingbird (Philomel 2010), the 2010 National Book Award Winner for Young People’s Literature, Quaking (Philomel 2007), an American Library Association Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and upcoming, The Absolute Value of Mike (Philomel, June 2011), described as Cannery Row meets Seedfolks. While covering weighty topics, her books have warmth and humor, making difficult issues approachable. She is a writing instructor and frequent workshop presenter.

For More About Kathryn, visit:

Website: http://www.kathrynerskine.com/

Blog: http://kathyerskine.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kathy.erskine

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/KathyErskine

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As a fellow alumnus of the Highlights Foundation Workshop at Chautauqua, I wanted to share the following press release from the Highlights Foundation regarding Kathryn Erskine:

If you've heard about the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, it's likely you heard from a fellow writer who has attended and is urging you to go. Our writers celebrate us and we celebrate them in return! This year we're celebrating with Kathryn Erskine, whose amazing novel Mockingbird was the 2010 National Book Award winner for Young People's Literature.

Here's what Kathy has to say about her experience attending our Chautauqua writers workshop.

"Chautauqua is a launching point for your writing career. You'll join a community of authors and editors who want to help you get to the next level. They'll meet you wherever you are and encourage you, challenge you, cajole you to step it up. Soak up as much as you can and don't worry about processing it all in that one week. You'll find what you've learned coming out in your writing–in your own voice–and you'll realize that you carry their wisdom with you long after you leave.

. . . I will always be grateful to the Highlights family for giving me my start with those wonderful Founders Workshops and Chautauqua."

–Kathryn Erskine, 2010 National Book Award winner, Young People's Literature for Mockingbird.

This summer, things will come full-circle for Kathy as she joins Patricia Lee Gauch–one of her Mockingbird editors–as a faculty member for the 27th Annual Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, July 16-23, 2011. For twenty-six years, the Highlights Foundation has been helping children's writers and illustrators like you to reach their goals. We invite you to join us this summer for an unforgettable workshop experience.

For more information, visit our Web site or contact Jo Lloyd, toll free, at 1-877-512-8365.

Please feel free to share this e-mail with others who might have an interest or to include the information in blog posts or through other social networking forums.

Highlights Foundation, Inc.
814 Court Street
Honesdale, PA 18431
Phone: (570) 251-4500
E-mail: contact@highlightsfoundation.org
http://tracking.highlightsfoundation.org/t?r=4&c=41456&l=663&ctl=38019:41A0316BCCAE8A52801C0FF120A2A8B4&

Writing Goal: Counting to 100, One Book at a Time

2010-12-31T18:43:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about New Year is that it gives me the opportunity to reflect and redirect so that I can cut out some of the things I wasted time and effort on, and make certain to squeeze in the things I didn't make enough time for.

Reading more this year is among the things at the top of my list. My reading list for last year consists of the Hunger Games Trilogy and that's it!

So you can imagine how thrilled I was to come across a challenge on Home Girl's Book Blog to read 100 books!

Audio, Re-reads, eBooks, YA, Manga, Graphic Novels, Library books, Novellas, Young Reader, Nonfiction – as long as the book has an ISBN or equivalent or can be purchased as such, the book counts.

So, I can't wait to start tomorrow! I will update this page with my progress, and hopefully will have a 100 booksl by the end of the year.

Who will join me?

Here's my list so far...
1. FATAL ATTRACTION: THE GODDESS APHRODITE'S TALE by Alicia Fields
2. REAL MERMAIDS DON'T WEAR TOE RINGS by Helene Boudreau
3. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis (Currently Reading)

Run for those Hills/Not Exactly A Writing Tip by Diane Mayr

2010-12-28T06:33:00.000-08:00

I recently finished reading The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr. It confirmed for me what I've seen in my own life, the internet is changing the way I read and comprehend. The Shallows is an interesting read. The implications for the future--what we write, and how we write it--are enormous.

One point Carr made, came as a surprise to me, although it shouldn't have:

A series of psychological studies over the past twenty years has revealed that after spending time in a quiet rural setting, close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and generally improved cognition. Their brains become calmer and sharper. The reason, according to attention restoration theory, or ART, is that when people aren't being bombarded by external stimuli, their brains can, in effect, relax. They no longer have to tax their working memories by processing a stream of bottom-up distractions. The resulting state of contemplativeness strengthens their ability to control their mind. (p. 219)

I've found myself increasingly involved in writing haiku. Haiku, traditionally has been about the natural world. Has my interest in haiku been as a result of an unexpressed need to be out in, and observant of, the natural world? I've become more attentive to nature. I go for walks and bring along my camera. I feel good, both in mind and body. Then I come home to renewed creativity. I win all around!

The need for nature in the lives of our children has long been recognized in books such as Sharing Nature with Children by Joseph Cornell and Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv. Louv says, in his introduction,

This book explores the increasing divide between the young and the natural world, and the environmental, social, psychological, and spiritual implications of that change. It also describes the accumulating research that reveals the necessity of contact with nature for healthy child--and adult--development.

I know I'm the last person on earth to be offering advice about getting away from the computer--between work and home, I spend more hours on the computer than I do sleeping and eating! But perhaps, by making you more aware of what can happen when you do get a dose of nature, you will be able to act on it and save yourself, and your children.

Here's a haiga that resulted from one of my too infrequent ventures outdoors:

Personal info:

Diane Mayr has been a public librarian for nearly 25 years. She spent about 10 of those years in children's services, which explains her origins as a writer for children.

Diane has three picture books to her credit, the latest being, Run, Turkey, Run!, which was illustrated by Laura Rader (Walker Books, 2007). Her first book was nonfiction, The Everything Kids Money Book (Adams Media, 2000).

The "America's Notable Women" series from Apprentice Shop Books quenches her thirst for research, and she gets to profile some amazing women. Diane also devotes much of her time to blogging through her library blog, Kurious Kitty's Kurio Kabinet, a quote blog, Kurious K's Kwotes, and her personal blog, Random Noodling. She also shares a blog with long-time writing buddies, The Write Sisters and maintains the Reads-To-Go blog for New Hampshire book discussion groups.

Recently, Diane, a closet poet for many years, has started submitting her short form poems for publication. She has haiku, tanka, and haiga (illustrated haiku/tanka) in recent issues of frogpond, The Heron's Nest, Notes from the Gean, haijinx, Berry Blue Haiku (for children) and Sketchbook. She posts a haiga each Sunday, and a haiku each Tuesday, at Random Noodling, too.

WRITING TIPS: Pruning Your Prose with Jane Sutton

2010-12-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

I’d like to make a plug for revision. Not only does revision enhance the characters you create, but it fights the writer’s biggest enemy: the blank page. Staring at the blank page (or computer screen), a writer’s inner conversation goes something like, “I don’t know what to write, I don’t know how to start, whatever I write will be stupid or has been done before, in fact done much better than I could write it if I ever get started…” etc., which may morph into “I need to steam clean the living room carpet.”

But knowing you’ll be revising—rewording, adding, tweaking, reordering, and deleting—frees you to start. Remind yourself that not every word needs to be perfect. In fact, it shouldn’t be. If you spend too much time on a draft, you will develop a crush on it and be reluctant to change even one comma.

When you read over your draft (aloud!), look for ways to show characters’ personalities and emotions more clearly. Could you add or rewrite dialogue, thoughts, actions, or descriptions to make characters more vivid? Could you add another character’s reactions to make the main character’s traits stand out? See if verbs, in particular, can be more evocative (“walk” might be “strut” or “sidle”; “said” could be “roared” or “whispered”; “eat” can be “gobble” or “picked at.”). Even in the limited-word format of a picture book, carefully inserted adverbs or adjectives (not too many, though) can help convey character.

As you revise, look for spots where you can add sensual language…No, I don’t mean that kind of sensual. I mean, use your senses to help your reader see, hear, etc. what you’re describing and to make your piece more interesting to read.

Oh, and remember to prune. Cut anything that will confuse or bore your reader. If there’s a passage you know is extraneous but can’t shake your crush on, save it for some other project it might be perfect for.

--Jane Sutton

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Jane's latest book, DON'T CALL ME SIDNEY (Dial 2010, illustrated by Renata Gallio) is a picture book about an earnest, big-hearted pig named Sidney, who writes a birthday poem for his friend and decides he has "a way with words." His quest to be a poet is stymied when he realizes that his own name lacks a suitable rhyme. When he changes his name to the more rhymeable Joe, humorous consequences ensue, and he eventually comes up with a crowd-pleasing compromise. School Library Journal called the book an “…amusing story about a poetic pig's search for his true identity…” Booklist commented, “After reading or hearing this, young readers may enjoy trying to come up with rhymes for their own and their friends' names.”

To learn more about Jane, visit: http://www.jane-sutton.com/

WRITING PROMPT: Playing Around with Memories by Brandi Dougherty

2010-12-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

Writing Prompt: School Plays!

The idea for my new picture book, The Littlest Christmas Star, came from remembering my school Christmas play in first grade. I was one of the stars in the night sky hoping to lead Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. I had one line in the play and I was so shy and scared to say my line. But, rather than writing a story about a shy kid who doesn’t want to be in the play, I decided to write about a very outgoing boy who not only wants to be in the play, but he wants to be the STAR of the show!

So, here is your writing prompt: think about a school play you were in as a child. Or if you weren’t in a play, think of one your own child, niece, nephew, sibling, or friend was in instead. Think about the theme of that play and the role you or your loved one had. Is there a story behind the story? Maybe everything went wrong on opening day. Or maybe the lead forgot her lines.

Or, is there a new story to tell that spins off from the plot of the play itself? What about the character you portrayed - can you imagine what his or her life was like outside of the play? Or, what happened after the play was over (either in the life of the character, or in a continuation of the play’s story)?

So many fun picture book scenarios can spring from this. Now get busy! J

Bio: In addition to The Littlest Christmas Star, Brandi Dougherty is the author of the New York Times Best Seller The Littlest Pilgrim (Cartwheel Books 2008), and three middle grade novels: Miss Fortune (Scholastic, 2010), The Friendship Experiment (Scholastic, 2009), and The Valentine’s Day Disaster (Scholastic, 2008). She lives in San Francisco with her boyfriend and their dog.

Visit her at www.brandidougherty.com

WRITING PROMPT: A Sense of Place with Bethany Hegedus

2010-12-06T18:46:00.000-08:00

Writing Prompt/Superb Settings by Bethany Hegedus

My first two novels, Between Us Baxters (WestSide Books, 2009) and Truth with a Capital T (Delacorte, 2010) are both southern novels—one set in the civil rights era South and one contemporary—as in the present day—the events in the book could be taking place today, at this very moment. This one. Now. Or whatever moment the reader picks up the book and delves into Maebelle and Isaac’s story.

Both books are set in fictional Georgia towns. Between Us Baxters takes place in Holcolmb County, Georgia in 1959 and Truth with a Capital T takes place in Tweedle, Georgia. (AKA: Twiddle-Your-Thumbs-Georgia, as there is not a lot to do.) I choose both to be in fictional towns rather than real-life towns as I like to be influenced by reality but not be tied to it. But, when it comes to setting aren’t we supposed to be portraying something real? After all, I write historical and contemporary fiction—not fantasy.

Well, for me, to produce realistic and vibrant settings I like to call upon a place, but to not stay tied to that place. For Between Us Baxters, I imagined Holcolmb County as Burke County, Georgia—a county not far from Augusta, Georgia where I taught high school in the mid-1990’s. I called upon the pine trees I loved, the willow I would sit under as a girl, and the scent of rain as it transformed red, cracked Georgia clay into mud. I used my senses—calling upon real details—the way a windshield fogs in the South from the inside out due to humidity, the way a tree can not only shade you but welcome you, and the way a trip into the woods alone can turn from feeling freeing to daunting in a matter of minutes as the sun goes down.

For Truth with a Capital T, I drew on the small town of Halleyville, Alabama where my grandpa and grandma Bell lived. My last trip to Halleyville, Alabama was when my grandpa died. But, I do remember being in the car, signing Kenny Rodgers songs on the trip from Chicago, and crossing over a bridge on the way into town. The bridge was just an itty, bitty thing. It went up and and then down—kind of the shape of a slinky (Yes, I am a 70’s kid) and before we knew it we were on the other side of the bridge. That bridge had a nickname and I am a sucker for nicknames: The Kiss-Me-Quick Bridge, because if you were going to kiss someone as you went over it better be quick. That bridge and its nickname worked its way into Truth with a Capital T. It is an integral part of the plot. Many a scene takes place under the bridge, in the muddy waters below and it is a place of great significance as Maebelle explores her family’s history and their mysterious past.

Writer Prompt/Creating Superb Settings

Think of a place that you love. That feels familiar to you. It can be a large scale, like an entire town, or small scale, like a tree or a bridge. Imagine being there. What do you see? What can you hear? How does the air smell? Brisk? Clean? Are you indoors or outside? Now, picture your main character in this spot. How does he/she think or feel about this place? Is it special to them or is it common place? Does your character have the same feelings about the place as you do or are they different, how so and why?

Have your character move around this place. Are they walking? Jumping? Sitting? Standing? Caressing worn upholstery? Kneading dough on a hard counter? Are they wading through a stream? Turning the pages of a book? Facing an enormous crowd? Watching a sunrise? Is anyone with them? If so, who? Is this person friend or foe? Does your character need to hide or does your character welcome this new guest? Are the quarters cramped or expansive?

Is this place currently in your work-in-progress? Could it be? Should it be?

When creating settings we have much to think about. We need to think about character, about the time and place of the story, but we can also spend some time not thinking, but imagining. For me, the magic happens when I plumb my own memories, combine those memories with who I know my main character to be, and then and only then do my settings come close to being superb.

Books by Bethany Hegedus:
Grandfather Gandhi (forthcoming Atheneum Books)
Truth with a Capital T (Delacorte Press, releases Oct. 12th!)
Between Us Baxters (WestSide Books/09)

Co-Editor, Hunger Mountain Young Adult & Children's
www.hungermtn.org/
readergirlz Austin Host
www.readergirlz.com/

For more about Bethany, visit her website at:
http://www.bethanyhegedus.com/

BOOK REVIEW: Josephine Nobisso's Show; Don't Tell!

2010-12-03T15:00:00.000-08:00

In this season of sharing and caring, I wanted to share my review of a fabulous picture book that is perfect gift for a child, or even an adult who writes or wants to write well (I personally LOVE it)!

This 40-page literary treasure chest unlocks the secrets of writing with the help of five folksy, but humorously drawn animals created by the talented Eva Montanari: Peguin, Duck, Rat, Cow and Lion. Together, they take the reader on a marvelous adventure in which he/she is an integral character who touches, sees, smells, hears, sees, ponders and learns.

Each illustrative spread proves informative and challenging, and can be easily used on many levels, in fiction or non-fiction, or by a child or an adult who is reviewing writing principles or revising a piece of writing.

For example, in addition to the all important mantra "Show; Don't Tell," another piece of advice that I personally loved is the idea that a good noun is more important than an adjective. There's even a supporting experiment. This book is chock-full of tips and advice to teach writing skills and/or bring your skills to the next level. It's a wonderful tool with captivating illustrations, and I can easily see why it has won so many awards, including: CBC Children's Choices Award, 2006 Global Learning Initiative Award, Parent's Choice Foundation Award, Foreward Magazine Book of the Year Award Finalist, Book Sense 76 Pick, and Nappa Parenting Publications Nappa Gold Award.

The cover, although beautiful, only gives a hint at the vivaciouness and color of Eva Montanari's gorgeous acrylic and pencil-on canvas that lies beyond. The pages are vivid, filled with texture and movement. My daughter and I could look at them again and again -- and that's what picture books are truly about!

Wait, there's more! Just wait until you discover the little surprises that Josephine Nobisso and her designer/daughter Maria Nicotra has tucked inside this inspiring, interactive book! It's truly a rare treasure.

About the Author: Josephine Nobisso is the award-winning author of over 40 books for children. She received teaching certification from the State University of New York at New Paltz, and studied languages in Urbino, Italy, and in France and Austria. She has home-schooled her daughter Maria, who now worked with her as the Art Director of Gingerbread House, which they founded together.

Her website is:

http://www.josephinenobisso.com/Josephine_Nobisso_Site/Welcome.html

Eva Montanari graduated with high honors from both the State Institute of Applied Arts and from The European Institute of Design in Milan. Her paintings have been exhibited on three continents, and she has worked with some of the most important agencies and magazines in Italy. Besides having illustrated several books, Eva has many covers to her credit, and has also written texts for her own picture books. Ms. Montanari lives in Rimini, Italy, where she was born in 1977. Show; Don’t Tell!, Secrets of Writing is Eva’s first book with Gingerbread House.

For more about the author Josephine Nobisso, check out:

http://tinyurl.com/joinobisso

For more about Gingerbread House check out:

http://tinyurl.com/GingerbreadBooksFor more about Eva Montanari, check out:

http://www.evamontanari.com/book2.html

To order autographed copies of this book, please contact:

http://www.gingerbreadbooks.com/Gingerbread_House_Site/Ordering_Autographed_Books.html

WRITING TIP: Give the Dog A Bone by Lynne Marie

2010-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

Two days ago, PiBoIdMo ended. I achieved my goal of 30 ideas in 30 days! It was so much fun and so productive, but now I really miss it. The daily goals, the inspirational blog posts in my in-box, the comments from fellow authors, illustrators and writers. I'm already going through withdrawals. Unfortunately, I haven't been yet been able to sink my teeth into my delicious ideas, but that time is coming soon. Still, I loved having those daily goals hanging over my head. And for the rest of you who did too, I want to throw you a bone, and give you something to chew on over the next month.

The Picture Book Marathon is coming February, with training in January. Sign-ups should be posted in early December: http://site.picturebookmarathon.org/About.html

So start gearing up for the race. Stretch those muscles and practice your craft! Good luck you you!

WRITING TIP: Dream Small(er) with Lisa Yee

2010-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

I am one of those people who people who believe that there's an aspect of Christmas that is a spirit, kind of like happiness. With that in mind, I've decided to celebrate the whole month! So join me to celebrate you, me, the big and the small. Whatever it is, find something to celebrate and be joyous about each day of this holiday season.

For today, I have something wonderful to celebrate! My Guest Blogger is one of my favorite authors, who's signed with one of my favorite editors (Arthur A. Levine) with one of my MOST favorite publishing houses (Scholastic). So tonight, while those visions of sugar plums dance in your head, Lisa reminds us that the sugar plums don't have to be big, small is just fine!

WRITING TIP: Dream Small(er) by Lisa Yee

If you go into this business (and yes, let's be honest, it is a business) with the dream of writing a mega bestseller, you might as well just quit right now. Sure, there are the HARRY POTTER books, and the TWILIGHT books, and even the WIMPY KID books, but those are anomalies.

Instead, tell yourself straight up, "I'm not going to be atop the New York Times Bestseller list."

Phew! Don't you feel better already? Because with that weight off your shoulders, you can get on with the craft of writing.

We all want to sell well, but you can't do that until you write well. (Okay, wait. I take that back. If you are a celebrity, you can get on the bestseller list.) So then, focus on writing that solid sentence, that coherent paragraph, that good page, and then see where you can go from there.

*.*.*.*

Lisa Yee is the author of:

Millicent Min, Girl Genius

Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time

So-Totally Emily Ebers

Good Luck, Ivy

Absolutely Maybe

Bobby vs. the Girls (Accidentally)

Anthologies

Geektastic

The Year We Missed My Birthday

You can learn more about Lisa Yee at: http://www.lisayee.com/, as well as follow her on her fabulous adventures at: http://lisayee.livejournal.com/

WRITING ADVICE FROM DOWN UNDER: Bumbled Verse, Nothing's Worse!

2010-11-24T10:21:00.000-08:00

I've reached across the globe to Australia to introduce you to my long-time cyber crit friend Jackie Hosking. She's always proved a great help with rhyme, rhythm and meter when members of our little group needed it. I'm pleased to share her fun and helpful advice here today.

“Rhyme & Meter; nothing’s sweeter

Bumbled Verse; nothing’s worse.”

by Jackie Hosking

As a children’s writer and editor of rhyming stories and poetry I spend much of my time de-bumbling verse. If you think of your readers as passengers you’ll find that most feel comfortable when they can trust that their journey will be a smooth one. So the question is what are the factors that make for a bumpy ride?

Dori Chaconas, in an early post, told us about the importance of story, rhythm and rhyme (in that order) so I won’t go into that so much here. Instead I would like to expand on what it is we mean by the word ‘rhythm’.

Rhythm or meter, is the smoothinator. It takes the speed humps and the pot holes off the road. Novice rhymers, in my experience, tend to focus on the end rhymes and rush over the rhythm often forcing words into spaces where they do not fit. When reread, by the writer, we can liken it to a driver who is driving along a very familiar piece of road, they can pretty much do it with their eyes closed. When a new reader is put into the driver’s seat, they will not know to dodge the hidden pot holes and will inevitably fall into them. So how do we avoid this? Well like all good drivers, we must follow the rules.

My 12 page booklet, ‘How to Write in Rhyme Like the Experts’ illustrates the rules in a very simple fashion. It takes you back to basics explaining the role of syllables, stressed and non-stressed, the common types of meter used in the English language, the iamb, the trochee, the spondee, the anapest and the dactyl and what it is we mean by the word ‘foot’.

Dr Seuss, for example was a keen user of the anapest. An anapest is a type of meter. It is made up of three syllables, two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable. Each group of these 3 syllables is called a foot and Dr Seuss liked to have 4 feet per line.

From ‘Horton Hears a Who’...

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4

As you can see each |foot| is made up of two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable and there are four |feet| to each line. You’ll note that there are also 4 stressed syllables. The story then, is written in anapaestic tetrameter, where tetrameter = four. Monometer = one, Dimeter = two, Trimeter = three etc.

Seuss is a brilliant metrical poet and I would recommend that you read as much of him as you can.

To finish up I would like to highlight what I’ve been talking about by bumbling Seuss’s verse.

On the twelfth of May deep in the Jungle of Nool

In the sweltering heat of the day inside the cool of the pool

Sorry Dr Seuss...

So what’s gone wrong? When I bold the stressed syllables you’ll see that the pattern of stressed to non-stressed syllables is no longer consistent. The meter is muddled, the verse is varied, the beat is bumbled and it just doesn’t make for a smooth ride.

On the twelfth of May deep in the Jungle of Nool

In the sweltering heat of the day inside the cool of the pool

If you write in rhyme and you are interested in learning a bit more about meter then you might like to get a hold of a copy of my booklet. For more information please visit my blog at http://jackiehoskingpoetry.wordpress.com/

WRITING ADVICE: Finding Your Way "Om" with Kelly DiPucchio

2010-11-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered Kelly DiPucchio's books during a run of reading books about pigs (Bed Hogs). I just adored those pigs, and returned to check out more of her books. Next, I met the delightful "Mrs. McBloom," the admirable "Grace" and the traveling "Liberty." I went out to buy my own Grace so that she could live with us! I'm working on getting Mrs. McBloom to come stay, too. I can't wait to discover more of the characters between the covers of Kelly DiPucchio's picture books. I'm very excited to have her here to share her insight with you today.

Writing Advice from Kelly DiPucchio/There’s No Place Like Om

My advice is to writers is simply this: Do Nothing! More importantly, think nothing. I realize that telling a writer not to think is kind of like telling a fish not to swim. We are wired to think and create. But what if there were a way to boost your thinking and creativity to a whole new level just by doing nothing? I’m talking about meditation. In some conservative circles of society, admitting that you practice meditation is kind of like admitting that you have a crystal ball and you practice levitation. At some point in our history, meditation became associated with the “New Age” movement. But there is nothing new about mediation. It has been practiced for thousands of years and with good reason. It works.

Most writers don’t have any trouble bringing their attention inward. In fact, we’re pretty much stuck in our heads all the time. And that’s the problem. For most of us, our chatty minds just won’t shut up. In addition to our real world mind chatter, we’re also bombarded by the chatter that comes from our make-believe worlds. We’re constantly plotting and planning while loud, impatient characters compete for our attention. It can be very hard to cultivate creativity when your mind is so cluttered and noisy.

Meditation quiets the monkey mind. Have you ever stopped to listen to silence? As strange as that sounds, silence has a frequency. When we can attune ourselves to that frequency; when we can leave our expectations, our anxieties, and our egos aside, we create a gap in our consciousness. This gap allows us to become aligned with the creative forces of the universe and we literally become a channel through which information can flow. When this exchange of energy occurs, some really interesting things begin to happen: Inspiration. Clarity. Wonderment. Unexpected opportunities. It’s pretty amazing. If you don’t believe me, give it a try. Namaste!

BIO:

Kelly DiPucchio is the award-winning author of several picture books, including New York Times bestseller, Grace For President. Her most recent children’s book, The Sandwich Swap, was co-authored with Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, and was featured on The Oprah Show and Good Morning America. Kelly lives with her family in southeastern Michigan. You can visit her on the web at: www.kellydipucchio.com

Kelly’s picture books:

Bed Hogs (Disney-Hyperion, 2004)

Liberty’s Journey (Disney-Hyperion, 2004)

What’s the Magic Word? (HarperCollins, 2005)

Dinosnores (HarperCollins, 2005)

Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom! (Disney-Hyperion, 2005)

Sipping Spiders Through A Straw (Scholastic, 2008)

Grace For President (Disney-Hyperion, 2008)

How To Potty Train Your Monster (Disney-Hyperion, 2009)

Alfred Zector, Book Collector (HarperCollins, 2010)

The Sandwich Swap (Disney-Hyperion, 2010)

Coming Soon!

Clink (HarperCollins, 2011)

Gilbert Goldfish Wants A Pet (Dial Books for Young Readers, 2011)

Zombie In Love (Simon & Schuster, 2011)

WRITING TIP No. 5: S'witching It Up With Author Wendy Wax

2010-11-15T18:24:00.000-08:00

I always love a good story. So it's always a treat when I get to hear the story behind the story, too!

Today fellow LICWI (Long Island Children's Writers and Illustrators) Member Wendy Wax has stopped by the Playground to share her real life inspiration that would become CITY WITCH, COUNTRY SWITCH!

Wendy Wax’s Writing Tip

I do my best to keep the writing process fun for ME. When I feel stuck, I know it’s time to inject the story with something quirky, magic, or unexpected. Something to re-inspire me.

I wrote City Witch, Country Switch after I had moved from NYC to Eastern Long Island. I had enjoyed going back and forth between the two places, but the thought of living in the country full-time horrified me. I made my situation more fun by writing my own version of Aesop’s classic The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse.

I personally couldn’t turn my country backyard into Central Park, but I wanted my characters to be free to whip up whatever their hearts’ desired. So I made them witches. When Mitzi, the city witch, is grossed out by swimming in a muddy pond, she magically turns it into a bubble bath. When Muffletump, the country witch, feels claustrophobic on a city bus, she casts a spell that turns the bus into a hayride.

I made lists of all things related to city and country, and came up with lots of magical spells. If I got bored with one, I’d grab another—or come up with a new one. I did the same with the rhyme stanzas—writing many different versions until I found the one with the most magic.

Bio

Wendy Wax has written many books for children including City Witch, Country Switch (Marshall Cavendish), Even Firefighters Go to the Potty (Little Simon), Arlo Makes a Friend, Arlo Gets Lost (both Sterling), Clara the Klutz (InnovativeKids), Empire Dreams (Silver Moon Press), Bus to Booville, You Can’t Scare Me (both Grosset & Dunlap), A Very Mice Christmas (HarperFestival), and Renoir and the Boy with the Long Hair (Barron's).

Wendy grew up in Michigan and graduated from The University of Michigan with a BFA in graphic design. She then worked as a children's book editor and a freelance illustrator.

Wendy's, vibrant photo-collages appear in many magazines and books, including three books she wrote and co-illustrated with her photographer husband Jon Holderer.

Feel free to visit www.wendywax.com or http://www.wendywaxblog.com/.

[WRITING TIP] Overcoming Fears with C. Hope Clark

2010-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Long ago, I wrote for practice and hadn't a publication credit to my name.

I wanted to slowly work my way up the ladder of publication success, but found the various Writer's Markets overwhelming. For many of my leads, I turned to a brand new e-newsletter called Funds for Writers edited by the resourceful and talented C. Hope Clark. Each week, I was able to peruse a few articles, and consider a handful of markets --

more my speed!

Now my resume spans many pages and includes magazine articles, children's magazine article, newspaper articles, book reviews, puzzles, games, poems, poetry and story contests, as well as my upcoming book with Scholastic. Thank you Hope, for helping me to build my resume and become the author I am today!

Eleven years later, Hope is still sharing her knowledge and expertise with other writers. I am honored to have her as my Guest Blogger at the Playground and to share her inspiration, as well as her sensitivity.

*.*.*.*

If I Wasn’t Afraid

by C. Hope Clark

When fear strikes, we usually let it lead, keeping it where we can see it, practically letting it grab us by the nose and pull us through out lives. Most people then dodge whatever it was that kindled the fear, thinking avoidance the best policy. That’s why we dodge book signings, presentations and even submissions. If we don’t go there, fear can’t find us.

The fear hasn’t gone anywhere. Because you drive around the pothole in the road you travel everyday doesn’t mean the hole isn’t there. Inevitably you’ll come back to it again unless you take an entirely different route or a longer way home, inconveniencing yourself.

But what if you weren’t afraid? Name one of your worries and reword it. For instance: What if I wasn’t afraid of rejection?

Think of this exercise as if you were placing yourself on the backside of the fear. Imagine stepping over it like a puddle, standing on the other side and describing what it’s like over there.

What if you weren’t afraid of rejection? You’d submit a story every week to an editor of a publication. Simple. Now look back at the concerns mentioned earlier.

· What if I wasn’t afraid of someone not liking me? I would smile and not get upset.

· What if I wasn’t afraid of forgetting what to say? I’d refer to my notes, collect my thoughts and continue speaking.

· What if I wasn’t afraid of tripping? I’d get up, brush off and keep walking. I’d joke about it with the crowd.

· What if I wasn’t afraid my voice would crack? I’d keep talking, drinking from a bottle of water as I went.

· What if I wasn’t afraid someone would walk out? I’d ignore the person leaving and keep presenting.

· What if I wasn’t afraid of talking too long? I’d have a final wrap-up sentence prepared and offer to speak to individuals once the session was over.

· What if I wasn’t afraid of low sales? I’d be researching how to make more sales.

Make a list of five fears. Write “I’m afraid of” before each one. Now come up with three answers for each one using the words “If I wasn’t afraid, I would…” Then the next time you are nervous or scared, mentally challenge yourself to address it in this manner.

At a conference in Florida, I suddenly learned I would be the after dinner speaker. Teaching small classes was one thing, but this was a room of two hundred writers including a few agents and editors from New York. I have night blindness, and as I stepped on the podium and laid out my notes, the lights went down leaving only a spot on me. I’d practiced the speech well, but not being able to readily read my notes left me rattled. I completed the motivational topic and stepped down feeling completely deflated, recognizing the episode as one of my lesser glories.

I asked myself, “What is so bad about this moment?” I was still greeted warmly by the crowd. None of these folks disliked me for the speech. I was perfectly fine. I’d stumbled through a presentation and come out in one piece, the world still rotating as usual. Now before I step up to speak, or stand to read an excerpt, I imagine “What if I wasn’t afraid of this moment?” and plow forward.

Soon you learn as I have that some of your fears are conquerable – as easy as stepping over a mud puddle.

=====

After eleven years of editing FundsforWriters.com, and ten years of Writer's Digest awarding FundsforWriters the 101 Best Websites for Writers recognition, you'd think public appearances prove no obstacle for me. Thirty-six thousand readers each week read my newsletters. Online I'm daring. Otherwise, however, I'm like most writers, nervous to appear in front of a room, anxious about what people think. To this day, I save the personal emails from readers until the end of my day, for fear one of them tells me I suck!

I penned The Shy Writer: An Introvert's Guide to Writing Success as a protest against the standard coaching of the day - speak up, make presentations, and act extraverted. What the general public doesn't realize is that a person fearful of public appearances might be confident in her own skin -smart, talented and amazingly intriguing. So I reached into my bag of personal experiences and drew out all the tools I'd used to cope in a world that misinterprets extraverted as intellectually bright, and I organized them in The Shy Writer, knowing so many writers need assistance to self-promote without coming unglued.

Using the mantra "Sell your words, not your soul," I hammered out this book in 2004 and self-published it through Booklocker. Editor Angela Hoy is a writer and reaches 75,000 writers with her own newsletter, Writers Weekly. The union worked, and the book sold well. In 2007, at the urging of readers, I prepared a second edition of The Shy Writer, and it still continues to sell. Once again, the pleas are coming through to create a sequel. Truth is, self-promotion is hard on the soul, but with groomed gimmicks, suggestions and tools, a writer can manager her way through the fracas and come out on top, looking like the professional she wants to be. Writing is only half the game. Marketing puts food on the table. Finding a way to face the population without sacrificing personality goes a long way to enforce confidence and subsequently make sales. www.fundsforwriters.com/shywriter.htm

By the way, purchasing the paperback version of The Shy Writer entitles the buyer to a free year's subscription to TOTAL FundsforWriters, our largest newsletters chocked with 75 contests, grants, markets, jobs, publishers and agents with calls for submissions. http://www.fundsforwriters.com/

C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters, http://www.fundsforwriters.com/
Writer's Digest 101 Best Web Sites for Writers - 2001-2010
A decade of recognized excellence
Blog - http://www.hopeclark.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/hopeclark
Facebook - www.facebook.com/chopeclark

[Writing Prompt] Mood Swings with Eric Luper

2010-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

I remember when I first met Eric Luper in 2005 at a writing conference at Vassar. He was stand-out, unique, insightful (and nice) and had the distinct air of talent and determination. I had no doubt he would be one of the ones who would make it!

Now, with three young adult novels under his belt (Big Slick 2007 -- nominated for Best Books for Young Adults, Bug Boy 2009, and Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto 2010) and a middle grade novel on its way (Jeremy Bender vs. The Cupcake Cadets 2011), I'm thrilled to have this prolific best-selling novelist here to share some tips on using details in your scene to convey emotion.

Mood and It's Effect on Setting
by Eric Luper

Everyone has seen a movie where, after some disappointment or defeat, the very sad protagonist walks alone through the rain. Usually this scene is accompanied by some sort of sad piano music and probably it all happens at night. As viewers, we know the guy is sad. As writers, we roll our eyes. Heavy-handed, yes, but it does get the point across.

So how does a writer convey mood using setting without being over the top or cliche? What we as observers notice is directly dependent upon our emotional state. As writers we can convey this very subtly.

Take a look out your window and pick a spot. I don't care if it's your backyard, a street corner or a park bench. Imagine your main character sitting there and pick an emotional state for him or her to be in. Elation, love, sadness, anger, whatever. Describe the scene with this emotional standpoint in mind (either from a 1st or 3rd person perspective) and try to bring in surrounding physical details that help convey it. You can use weather and time of day, but don't just rely on those things. Does your character notice the slush kicking up on the side of a passing bus? A woman pushing a baby carriage? Litter on the ground? Puffy clouds? Thin wispy ones that reflect the pink sunset?

Now, try doing the exact same thing using a different emotion. Notice what different details you use and the language you use to describe it.

About Eric Luper:

Eric Luper is the author of several young adult novels including Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto, Bug Boy and Big Slick. His forthcoming novel, his humorous middle-grade debut, is called Jeremy Bender vs the Cupcake Cadets and is due to hit shelves in Fall 2011.

Links:

website: http://www.ericluper.com/

blog: http://eluper.livejournal.com/

twitter: http://twitter.com/ericluper

You can also contact Eric via his website and ask to be signed up for his newsletter. Click the links below to order his fabulous books, available now!

[PB BOOK STUDY] Thinking Outside of the Toy Box with Shark Vs. Train

2010-11-11T18:57:00.000-08:00

In a comment on my last post, Holly asked, "Once you come up with an idea (because I'm constantly coming up with titles), how do you develop it and ensure there will be conflict and a satisfactory ending? It seems many good pbs have catchy endings." Thanks, Holly for the seeds to a wonderful topic and possible further discussion.

While it only answers the question in part, I thought the following book would prove a helpful example: SHARK vs. TRAIN by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld. <Beware of Plot Spoilers>

Summary: A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more.

While I do like to consider myself to be somewhat "psychic," I think it was easy to figure out the origin and development of this idea, without the benefit of any psychic ability.

IDEA/As inferred from the pictures (and the text, and the summary), while digging in a toy box, two little boys each select an object (one a shark and one a train) and have several contests. I think it's easy to see where this idea came from because it so closely resembles the imaginative play I have watched between children, or even a child playing with two objects.

CONFLICT/It's obvious that the author used the tried and true method of "What If?" which really worked in this case. For example, "What if the train had to fight shark underwater?" and "What if shark had to fight train on the railroad tracks?" This is clever because it not only provides conflict, but a fun opportunity for children to easily guess who would win. Other what if scenarios are equally as fun (and you can see the use of opposities, here as well). "What if...they're on a seesaw?" "...or a hot air balloon?" In a see saw, shark would loose and go flying into the air because he is too light, and in the hot air balloon, train would sink and lose because he is too heavy. Other examples are just plan silly, where train wins at running a lemonstand, because the lemonade at Shark's underwater lemonstand is too watery! LOL

You'll have to read the book to see all the other clever examples for yourself. I'm certain you'll agree that it's a simple idea, simply executed, and simply delightful!

ENDING/Like all good endings, this one touches upon the beginning. In this case, literally! Someone calls the boys for lunch and they toss Shark and Train back into the toy box where they began. Also, like good endings, the story doesn't feel ended. Speech bubbles show Shark saying "Next time, you're history, soot-spewer." Train replies, "Next time, you're sunk, squid-slurper." So the battle between Shark and Train and a world of possibilities continues beyond the last page.

Well, that's all for now. I hope this one example at least puts you on the right track.

[PiBoIdMo] November 8th/Where Did They Get Their Ideas?

2010-11-08T09:35:00.000-08:00

So far it's been a very odd month for me. I feel like I got catapulted into November and that I landed in a Wonderland where I'm operating both ahead and behind at the same time! I've started my Christmas shopping, taken my daughter for her picture with Santa, and even I've had our family holiday portraits taken!

This early seasonal checklist is part of gearing up for a "less is more" holiday and new year, with a focus on less stress and more output.

Today, I'm going to serve an important tip in writing (and life): If it doesn't serve a function in the story, get rid of it! And that's what I'm doing, little by little each day. Using it, or losing it!

So, to that end as I "eat" my way through the towering stack of library books which need to be read and returned, I'm going make them serve as food for my blog this morning.

Whether or not you're participating in Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo, if you're having trouble coming up with ideas, just take a look at how these published authors may or may not have come up with their ideas (of course, beware of plot spoilers):

WHEN GORILLA GOES WALKING by Nikkie Grimes, Illustrated by Shane Evans
Scholastic/Orchard, 2007
Summary: In this story told in a series of rhyming poems, Gorilla the cat enjoys answering the telephone, eating soul food, and sharing mischevious adventures with her young owner.

My comments: Sounds like the author got her idea by remembering getting a new cat as a child or an adult, or perhaps watching someone with a new cat. I think the unique factor her was that the story was written in poems, and had a soul flavor.

COWGIRL ROSIE AND HER FIVE BABY BISON by Stephen Gulbis
Little Brown, 2001
Summary: A cowgirl loses her five baby bison one by one while on a walk one day, only to discover then were stolen by outlaw Snakey Jake.

My comments: A clever twist on the five little ducklings story. The outlaw hides the bison in a flour sack which turns them white. When the cowgirl cries, the bison are revealed.

MOLE AND THE BABY BIRD by Marjorie Newman, Illustrated by Patrick Benson
Bloomsbury, 2002
Summary: Mole rescues a baby bird, cares for itand loves it until the day he realizes it is because he loves it that he must set it free.

My comments: This very well could have been inspired by the quote "If you love something set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't it never was." Or, just from finding a bird that has fallen out of a nest, and wanting to keep it.

I NEED MY MONSTER by Amanda Noll, Illustrated by Howard McWilliam

Flashlight Press, 2009

Summary: When a litte boy's monster under the bed goes fishing, several replacements just will not do!

My comments: This idea was an absolutely innovative twist on a monster under the bed keeping a child from sleeping, to just the right monster being necessary for a kid to go to sleep. Well done!

THE THREE SILLY BILLIES by Margie Palatini, Illustrated by Barry Moser
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005
Summary: Three billy goats, unable to cross a bridge because they cannot pay the toll, form a car pool with the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack of beanstalk fame to get past the rude Troll.

My comments: MP went further than the rest when dealing with the Norwegian Fairy Tale of the Billy Goats Gruff and the crossing of the troll bridge by combining several fairy tales and providing a twist. It's obvious where she got the ideas for her additional characters LOL!

I SAW AN ANT ON THE RAILROAD TRACK by Joshua Prince

Illustrated by Macky Pamintuan

Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2006

Summary: Jack, a railroad switchman, frantically tries to save an ant who is heading east on a westbound track, straight into the path of an oncoming freight train.

My comments: Well, I don't have to surmise about where the idea came for this cute book, because on the jacket flap it says: Joshua Prince lives in Wesport, Connecticut, but rides a train daily to his life as an advertising writer in New York. A brief encounter with an ant at his regular station inspired this story, which is his first book.

MOOSETACHE by Margie Palatini, Illustrated by Henry Cole

Hyperion, 2007
Summary: A moose's mustache is too big to control until he meets Ms. Moose who has her own hair problem. They conquer each other's hearts and their problems.

My comments: This is dedicated "To my dear with the five-o-clock shadow" so may have been inspired by an actual person with a long mustache or a lot of facial hair.

*.*.*.*

I hope you can see from the above random selections that the authors may or may not have been inspired by people, place, events and/or books they have read in their childhood. You can look to these same things and bring them to another level, add a cultural flavor and/or twist them to come up with your next winning idea. Good luck to you!

[Writing Prompt] Equations with Lisa (L.D.) Harkrader

2010-11-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Writing Prompt: Desire + Fear = Story

by Lisa Harkrader

When I first began writing, I kept hearing the old adage, “Plot springs from character.” I understood it on an intellectual level (I think), but I didn’t begin to understand it in my gut until I began asking my characters two things:

1. What do you want most in the world?

2. What are you most afraid of?

The answers to those two questions can give you a fine plot, driving the story from the inciting incident to the inevitable final crisis. I’ll use a few of my favorite movies as examples (don’t read this if you haven’t yet seen the movies, especially How to Train Your Dragon, which just came out on DVD; they’re too good for me to spoil for you here):

1. In Toy Story, Woody wants to keep Andy and all his toys safe and happy. He’s afraid he’ll be replaced as Andy’s favorite. In the end, by saving Buzz and risking the thing he fears most—being replaced—he’s able to restore the safe, happy order of the toys’ lives and claim his own more secure place in it.

2. In How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup wants to be a fearless, dragon-slaying Viking so that he can fit in on his island and make his father, the fearless Viking leader, proud. He’s afraid of his father’s disappointment and wrath. In the end, by saving his dragon and, therefore, risking losing his father’s love forever, he becomes a hero on his island, a Viking like no other.

3. In The Full Monty, each of the six main characters wants something and is afraid of something. The main character, Gaz, a divorced, unemployed steel worker, wants to be the kind of father his son, Nathan, can be proud of. He’s afraid he’ll lose joint custody of Nathan. In the end, by taking the risk of making his ex-wife angry enough to keep Nathan from him for good, he makes Nathan prouder of him than he’s ever been—and shows his wife he’s the kind of man who deserves custody of his son.

This isn’t the only way to construct a story, but I’ve found that when a character must overcome the thing she most fears to get the thing she most wants, I wind up with a plot that springs from character.

About Lisa Harkrader

L.D. Harkrader loved books from the minute she first held one in her hand. She loved bedtime stories and convinced her amazingly accomodating parents to read the same books to her over and over until she had memorized the stories and could recite them out loud even before she knew how to read.

Once she did learn to read, you couldn’t pry books from her hot little hands. In school, her favorite days were library day and the day her teacher passed out the Scholastic Book Club flyers.

In the third grade, she realized that somebody had to write all those books she loved to read, and decided that some day, one of those somebodies would be her. Now, nearly forty years later, she’s making that third-grade dream come true.

Her recent books include Airball: My Life in Briefs, about middle-grade boys who want to win so badly they end up playing basketball in their underwear, and Nocturne, about a foundling who must use her powerful magic to save her adopted uncle and her town from unspeakable evil. Her middle-grade novel, The Adventures of Beanboy, about a boy who loves comic books, will be released in 2011.

Find out more about Lisa at her website: http://www.ldharkrader.com/

You can click on these links to check out her books!

[WRITING TIP] Ways to Avoid the "Been There, Done That" Ideas

2010-11-04T18:52:00.000-07:00

If you've been following my blog this month, then you know I'm a proud participant of PiBoIdMo, which is the brain-child of Author Tara Lazar (The Monstore, Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, 2013). If you haven't, you might want to check it out.

The purpose of this fabulous event is to write down a picture book concept a day for each day during the month of November. You may or may not choose to develop any one, some or all of these ideas into manuscripts over the course of the month, but it's not required.

On October 31st, I attended the #pblitchat and participated in a discussion of where to get ideas. I admit I was preoccupied with trick-or-treaters coming to our door, so I've decided to share my thoughts here.

A successful writer whose name escapes me (it may have been Bruce Coville or Bruce Hale, but I don't want to misquote, so please comment if you know who it was) said one usually must sift through at least 20 ideas to get to a really good one. That's why I love this event. It forces us to plow past the first idea and get them all out before settling on one. We must consider other options, other possibilities, and not fall in love with and marry our FIRST idea, because it may not be our best. No love at first sight allowed here. Which, incidentally, is NOT usually a good idea.

So, let's say you've skipped ahead and already written down twenty ideas. You want to start working on one. They all sound great. After all, it's only day 4.

1. You pick your favorite to work on in the meantime and just let the rest stew. The good ideas will float to the top of the pot, the bad ideas will sink to the bottom.
2. You can join a critique group. A funny thing about critique group is that after a while you begin to see that often, people write strikingly similar stories about the same things. Then you can cross those off your list. Yikes!
3. You can do online searches and read editor interviews about topics that they feel are overdone or to be avoided. Okay, so I admit, I have a few farm animal pieces I have to keep putting to the bottom of my submission pile (grin).

Now, I must say that, over time, there have been new books published on overdone topics. But there is usually a reason. The book is absolutely outstanding, or the author has a following (and/or is a celebrity). Since you may or may not have any of those factors, you have to work on your best ideas and your best writing so an editor will pick up your idea and help you with the rest.

One way that I try to find books that will find a niche in the market is to cross-reference my topic in a library search (for example, fiction hedgehog books and school bus books), and to take out anything and everything to do with those topics in the entire county system and see if there is anything remotely like the book I am writing/want to write published. I write a list of all the books, the publishers and the publication dates. After a while I can see which publishers have similar books and which do not. I can also see if the is a "recently published" book similar to mine, that might be available in a book store that would present a potential problem.

Of course, this method isn't fool proof. It has worked, and then sometimes, the timing's bad, like when I submitted Palace Rat to Bloomsbury, and the editor wrote back to say that she loved the manuscript but had just accepted a book about a dog in Versailles. Still, I got a nice personal rejection, and knew I was in the ballpark!

I hope that these tips will give you some ideas as to what ideas to choose. You can also put your ideas on slips of paper and put them in a fishbowl. Then shake them up and pull two at a time. Combine them. Do the ideas sound any better, any fresher? If so, take the best parts. Good luck!

*.*.*.*

Lynne Marie is a Columnist for The Writer's Journal and

Author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten, Scholastic, May 2011

Illustrated by Anne Kennedy

[ANECDOTE] November 1st/Reading is for the Dogs!

2010-11-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

I had great plans for November with the 1st of the month being
National Author's Day and ALSO the kick-off of the 2010 Annual

PIBOIDMO. Picture Book Idea Month is a fabulous concept started by author Tara Lazar (The Monstore, Aladdin/Simon & Schuster 2013), where you pledge to write down (of course, you can do more) at least one new picture book concept a day for for each day of the month of November. I am participating, as well as many of my friends and the members of one of my critique groups (The Yellow Brick Road).

I would have liked to get to celebrate these fabulous events by harvesting ideas and writing, but life had other plans. So, instead of writing, I was a one person do-crew clean up for the after Halloween weekend mess. And then, it was off to pick up Kayla from school and take her to the Pediatric Eye Doctor for a thorough check up after failing the school's eye exam. Still, promoting good eyesight is definitely related to reading, so I felt like I was still doing my part toward the month's focus on books. And the day had just begun.

November 1st also kicked of Kayla's school's Parents As Reading Partners (PARP) program. This year's theme...Reading is Out of this World! So, after the Optomotrist, we rocketed straight toward the library and picked out books. We were able to snag lots of fun ones, like SHARK VS. TRAIN by Chris Barton, JEREMY DRAWS A MONSTER by Peter McCarty, ALWAYS LOTS OF HEINIES AT THE ZOO by Ayun Halliday, lots of Mo Willems books to get ready for the SCBWI Winter Nationals in January 2011, and MORE!

But that's not all (and here's where the dogs come finally in)! At 6:40 PM, Kayla was first to head-off a program called "Read to Rover," where children read to certified and trained therapy dogs from Therapy Dogs International. While this is a fun and exciting event for children like Kayla who love reading and dogs, it can prove helpful to reluctant readers, as the dogs are non-judgmental in their listening and can help improve literacy skills. This program was arranged by our fabulous children's librarian Katie at the Nesconset Library (http://www.smithlib.org/).

The children who participate in the program can read from a selection of books picked out by the librarian or bring in their own. Kayla brought a few books from home. Next week at Part 2 of the Program, Kayla will be reading two stories she has authored and illustrated.

Here, Kayla is pictured with Casey the Therapy Dog, who is a poodle mix.

First she read DESERT ROSE AND HER HIGHFALUTIN' HOG by Alison Jackson and illustrated by Keith Graves to Casey and his owner. This book is a family favorite, and is written by the same Alison Jackson who wrote that the fun book I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A PIE, which was illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner, which is available through the Scholastic Book Club!

After reading to Casey, Kayla wanted a chance to read to Lucy. We had picked out DEAR MRS. LARUE: LETTERS FROM OBEDIENCE SCHOOL, written and illustrated by Mark Teague (and published by Scholastic Press) to read next, but Kayla wanted to read DESERT ROSE again (!!!) which Lucy the Guide Dog and her owner enjoyed very much, perhaps even more than Casey did.

As sad as we were to say goodbye to our new friends, our fun this day did not end with the dogs.

We bundled up and went back into the cold New York air and headed to Barnes and Noble for Kayla's school's PARP kick-off fundraiser. The night promised several activities, including:

Readings from school teachers and the principal, a bookmark craft, a scavenger hunt, and a lighter wallet when all was said and done.

Kayla picked out several picture books, SQUIRREL'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION written by Pat Miller and illustrated by Kathi Ember; FANCY NANCY AND THE FASHION BOUTIQUE written by Jane O'Connor and Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser; A PIRATE'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS written by Phillip Yates and illustrated by Sebastia Serra; and THERE WAS A COYOTE WHO SWALLOWED A PIE written by my Highlights Chautauqua Pal Jennifer Ward, and illustrated by Steven Grey. I promptly bought all of these which hopefully will help stomp out the myth that people are not buying picture books! She also picked out a stuffed neck-pillow dog and named in Willie after the dog in A CHAIR FOR PETER by Ezra Jack Keats.

So all in all, I would say although pretty much most of the day went to the dogs and I got no writing done, it was a doggone good day, after all!

As to not being authorly on Author Day, at least it's nice to know that such a day exists! (If you have a moment, please comment in the comment section as to who YOUR favorite author is.)

Writing Prompt/Spirited Dialogue with Jo Ramsey

2010-10-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Halloween week is upon us, and in celebration, I am pleased to bring you this eerily perfect prompt by Young Adult Novelist Jo Ramsey. Book Two of her YA urban fantasy series Reality Shift, entitled Filtration System, is just released. Check it out!

Voices in Your (Character’s) Head

By Jo Ramsey

In my Reality Shift series of YA urban fantasy novels, the main characters, Jonah and Shanna, each have “guides,” disembodied beings who help them reason things through and offer advice. Since the guides are disembodied, they don’t speak with voices; instead, they speak directly into the minds of Jonah and Shanna. This led to some interesting attempts at formatting, since I needed to keep those conversations separate from Jonah’s and Shanna’s inner thoughts but also didn’t want to present them exactly like spoken dialogue. I ended up using italics, which seems fairly standard among some publishers to represent inner thoughts as well as telepathic communication.

According to Jonah in the books, every human has guides to help them through their lives, though not all humans are aware of or communicate with their guides. That means, if you believe Jonah, that you have them too. And so do your characters.

Write a dialogue between either yourself and one of your guides (perhaps your writing guide, a/k/a muse?) or between one of your characters and one of their guides.
Jo’s Bio

Jo Ramsey is a former special education teacher who has been writing since age five, when someone finally showed her how to move a pencil to make those little squiggles called letters. Before that, she told stories to her stuffed animals. Jo has always had a fascination with stories that show a “normal” child or teenager encountering magic, fighting evil, and so forth, and so that’s primarily what she writes.

Her YA urban fantasy series Reality Shift launched from Jupiter Gardens Press, www.jupitergardens.com, in January 2010. The first book, Connection, was made required reading in summer 2010 for all high school students in Jo’s hometown in eastern MA, in part because of a strong anti-bullying theme which runs throughout the series. Book 2 in the series, Filtration System, is just out, with books 3 and 4 slated for March and July 2011, respectively and six additional books planned. Reality Shift is about Shanna Bailey and Jonah Leighton, two high school students who use skills such as energy healing and channeling to banish demons, send malevolent dead spirits to “the Between,” and prevent our universe from being vaporized. Bridge, Book 1 in a new YA urban fantasy series called The Dark Lines, will be released in May 2011, also from Jupiter Gardens.

Jo lives in Massachusetts with her two daughters, her husband, and two cats, one of whom occasionally tries to help her write. You can learn more about her and her books on her website, http://www.joramsey.com/.

Article/Saving An Endangered Species with Rob Sanders

2010-10-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

How to Save the Newest Endangered Species—Picture Books

By Rob Sanders

Picture books are said to be on the endangered species list. As a child of the 60s I grew up hearing about endangered species. In fact, the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1967. The efforts of endangered species activists have saved many species and some species have even been removed from the endangered list. Yes, of course, some species have been lost, but far fewer than would have been lost without action.

But picture books endangered? Say it isn’t so. Evidently the economy coupled with children moving into chapter books at earlier and earlier ages are to blame. Of course, lack of sales of picture books is the bottom line threatening the species most.

Some of the same actions taken to protect endangered animal species could also be used to protect the endangered picture book.

1. Nurture them.

Talk about picture books. Use picture books in lessons, lectures, and sermons. Cherish and value them. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Be amazed at them. Tell others about them.

2. Protect their habitat

Picture books live with families and in schools, classrooms, and libraries.

You can help protect these habitats by:

· Giving picture books as gifts.

· Donating picture books to a school media center or public library.

· Sharing book lists (such as Caldecott or Golden Kite award-winning books) with parents, teachers, school media specialists, and public librarians.

· Become a volunteer in a media center and volunteer to read picture books to children.

· Develop lesson plans based on or using picture books. Share the lesson plans on a database, web site, or in other ways.

Another habitat for picture books is book stores—independent and the big-chain ones. Often the children’s buyer or the manager of a store would be open to a volunteer coming in to read picture books to children, setting up seasonal picture book displays, and conducting author visits and signings.

3. Remember—only the strongest and fittest will survive

Not every picture book can be saved. Just as in the wild, only the strong will survive. For picture books that means the best crafted and most unique books and the ones that resonant with the audience. By strongest and fittest I don’t mean rhyme over non-rhyme or fiction over non-fiction. I do mean quality over quantity.

4. Intervene to help newborns

Become the champion of new, talented picture book authors. Mentor those authors and refer them to others who can help launch and grow their careers. When you find a picture book that is exceptional, extraordinary, and a cut above the rest, spread the news. Write a column for your local newspaper, tell teachers and librarians, blog about them, feature them on your website, and visit your local book stores to encourage them to stock the books.

5. Join with others of like mind and let your voice be heard

Endangered species were rescued by the actions of many. The same could be true for picture books. When those of us who know the value of these colorful, carefully-crafted wonders unite to talk about them and when we encourage others to read and value them, we may be ensuring that this endangered species never becomes extinct.

Rob Sanders is a writer who teachers and a teacher who writes. He has just snagged a deal with Golden Books-Random House to publish Cowboy Christmas (available fall 2012). Visit him at his website at: http://www.robsanderswrites.com/

Writing Advice/Scene Shots with Novelist Selene Castrovilla

2010-10-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

It is with the utmost pleasure that I welcome today's Guest Blogger, young adult novelist and author Selene Castrovilla. She is not only one of my oldest and best writing friends, but a conference circuit chum with whom I have enjoyed adventures reaching as far as Madrid, Spain!

I think we could fill several novels with our escapades alone (including Revolutionary War research in Tappan, journeys to Chautauqua, SCBWI Spain and so much more). Perhaps we'll save one of those stories for a future blog!

To this day, Selene remains one of my favorite friends to sit and chat about writing with. I'm glad to be able to share some of her thoughts and inspiration with you here.

SCENE SHOTS with Selene Castrovilla

When I was in the MFA program at The New School, my biggest concern was that the scenes weren’t coming out perfectly. I was good at raw emotion, but setting the “behind the scenes” and filling in the sensory details seemed beyond daunting! Luckily, one of my teachers was the fantastic novelist Jacqueline Woodson. It is a great thing to be able to sit with an author and quiz them on the making of their book. This is what I go to do with If You Come Softly. Straight to the point, I said: “Wow, your sensory details are so beautiful in this book. Did they just come flowing out of you?” She answered: “Naw. I added them later.” This was so freeing, to know that I didn’t have to get the whole scene right in one shot. I loosened up, and before I knew it – I was a novelist!

Here are some things that I’ve done/still do to help keep rolling:

If you’re stuck: Take two of your characters who share some sort of tension and put them on an elevator together. Make the elevator break down. What happens next? (You can adjust this for any reader level – ie: two kids on the school elevator or assigned to detention. Any place where they’re confined.)

2. For general inspiration: Take a passage from your favorite book. What makes you love it? What did the author do to make you care? Did he or she use strong sensory details? Pick them out. Would the story affect you differently if the author used another character’s point of view? How so? Is the story in first or third person? What would it be like the other way? Now take out a passage of your own work and examine it. Does it move you? Why or why not? What can you do to make it stronger? The idea is to look at your own work critically rather than emotionally.

During the revision process: Do a “sensory detail” check on each scene. Did you incorporate as many sensory details into the scene as possible? Make a checklist for smells, sounds, etc. What would/could be going on in the background of your setting? Fill it up for a satisfying read!

4. Keep writing!!! Read Bird By Bird By Anne Lamott. I keep it by my bed. Do a little bit each day – but do it each day! Consistency is your best friend!!!

Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author. Her teen novels are Saved By the Music and The Girl Next Door. Her children’s books – both about little known events in the American Revolution – are By The Sword and Upon Secrecy. Selene holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with her two sons. Visit her website www.SeleneCastrovilla.com.

About The Girl Next Door (WestSide Books, 2010):

Samantha and Jesse have been best friends since they were toddlers. When Jesse gets a devastating diagnosis, their friendship becomes tighter – and then evolves into something more. This heartbreaking love story asks the question we all face: How do you cope in a world which at any moment may come crashing down?

Join Selene's Facebook pages:

Saved By the Music by Selene Castrovilla

& The Girl Next Door.

Friend Selene on Facebook: Selene Bayrack-Castrovilla.

Watch the Book Trailer for The Girl Next Door:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PT7_4LXotM

Writing Prompt/Mosquito Bites with Connie Goldsmith

2010-10-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

A Day With Mosquitoes

Buzzzz. Whine. Buzz. Slap! Bzzz, bzzz, ouch! Splat!

Have mosquitoes ever ruined your day? Do mosquitoes have any value to human society? Bees give us honey and pollinate our crops. Ladybugs eat aphids on our roses. Worms compost our soil. Dung beetles . . . well, you get the picture.

Mosquitoes are an important source of food for some animals. Bats eat 600 mosquitoes an hour. Birds, frogs, and fish get their fair share as well. But do mosquitoes do anything for people?

Today’s writing prompt has two paths. Pick one or both.

First, think about a day when mosquitoes drove you crazy. What were you doing? Who were you with? How would the day have been different if it had been mosquito-free? Write a paragraph about your memories of that day, maybe in a different setting or with a different person. It’s your day. Change it any way you want to.

The second path is to imagine what mosquitoes might do for people that would be beneficial. In a zoology class I once took, the teacher asked us to make up an entirely new creature. We had to imagine how it looked, what it ate, and how it reproduced. It was harder than it sounded. Try to think of three things mosquitoes might do for us – let your imagination run wild. Rebuild the insect if you want to so that it can do something useful!

Mosquitoes are more than just pests. They carry malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever. They even crossed the Atlantic to bring West Nile virus to our shores a few years back. My new book, “Battling Malaria: on the Front Lines Against a Global Killer,” may teach you a few things about mosquitoes and how they carry malaria to millions of people each year. You might look at mosquitoes in a whole new way.

Connie Goldsmith
www.conniegoldsmith.com
My new books from Lerner:
Battling Malaria: On the Front Lines Against a Global Killer
USA Today Health Reports: Hepatitis
USA Today Health Reports: Influenza
USA Today Health Reports: Skin Cancer

Check out Connie's Previous Writing Prompt Here:
http://mywordplayground.blogspot.com/2010/09/writing-prompthave-fun-thinking-sun.html

RANT: Up with Picture Books! by Lynne Marie

2010-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:00

I am a positive person with passion, dedication and determination. When I finally began submitting my picture book manuscripts (after many years of college-level classes, SCBWI conferences, ICL classes, critique groups, etc.), my rejections were positive and personal. And finally, after approximately twelve years (with a five-year hiatus during which I gave birth to my daughter, enjoyed her toddler years and got her off to kindergarten), I am having my first picture book HEDGEHOG GOES TO KINDERGARTEN published with Scholastic, with other picture books under consideration.

SO...
I am not going to let anyone rain on my parade.

Although I have heard the recent negative buzz about picture books and can gather the gist, I haven't read any of the articles, nor do I intend to.

AND....
I am not going to be one of those people who circulates depressing news about the decline of the picture books. Not only because I write them, but because I read them and LOVE them. Because my daughter reads them and LOVES them. Because I see them read in the class room. Because I see them read in the library. Because people love looking at beautiful pictures. Because picture books are absolutely wonderful, marvelous things that take on a life of their own!

ALSO...

Tthe NY Times has been wrong before. They CAN be wrong now.

And they WILL be wrong again.

WHAT I AM GOING TO DO...

is buy MORE picture books. Give them as gifts to teachers. Give them as gifts to friends. Birthday presents, holiday presents, just because presents! Give them as contest offerings on my blog.

Here's a quote for you: A Picture Book a day keeps DECLINE away!

SO I SAY...

Up with Picture Books! Rather than waste time and energy reading an article that will depress you, go out and buy a picture book today. That'll show 'em!

Here's the picture book I'm going to get today: Quackenstein Hatches a Family by my dear friend Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen.

Click Here to Enter This Month's Contest for a Fun Book from the

Scholastic Book Club <3

http://mywordplayground.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-contestscholastic-book-club.html

Fall Contest/Scholastic Book Club Memories

2010-10-10T11:02:00.000-07:00

Since school is back in session, my daughter and I have had great fun thumbing through the Scholastic FIREFLY (PreK-1), SEE SAW (K-1) and LUCKY (2-3) book club flyers and ordering new books and old favorites as well as book club originals.

This month, I even ordered some Christmas presents, as the Click! catalog allows you to order Nintendo DS games.

So I couldn't help myself but to order an extra copy of this Fall favorite to have for a give-away!

Both Kayla and I just LOVE any spin on the I KNOW AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY story. Who doesn't?

(For those who know me, did you notice that the little black dog looks like our beloved little Belgian Schipperke, Dante, may he rest in peace.)

And, for those who don't appreciate the "There was an Old Lady"stories, I have added NEVER TAKE A SHARK TO THE DENTIST by Judi Barrett (Author of CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS) as an alternate choice!

There are many ways to enter this contest (deadline October 31st):

1. Follow this blog:

http://www.mywordplayground.blogspot.com/ (AND/OR)

2. Follow On the Bus with Spike:

http://www.onthebuswithspike.blogspot.com/

AND

3. Comment on any post after October 1, 2010

4. Comment here on your favorite Scholastic Book Club book!

So to sum up the rules, you must follow this blog or Spike's Blog, and leave a comment with your contact e-mail to be a winner. Kayla will randomly select the winner on October 31st and I will contact you to get your mailing information.

You get an extra entry for following both blogs, and for commenting on your favorite Scholastic Book Club book!

BTW, if you order your Scholastic Book Club books online (http://www.scholastic.com/) your teacher will earn a free book for the classroom. Ask your child's teacher for his/her code.

BTW, I am sorry that I can only mail to the United States at this time due to postage costs.

Thanks so much and Good Luck!