My husband bought me a Kindle for my birthday ( which hasn't happened quite yet), and neither has the Kindle :) By that, I mean it hasn't arrived. He bought one, then discovered the next day that they were bringing out a brand new model, same price, on August 27th. So he cancelled the first one and ordered the new one...which still hasn't arrived.
This whole rigamarole got me to thinking: what is the Kindle and others like it going to do to traditional print books? Is it going to have any effect on them? My answer is Yes. But I think the UNanswerable question is, what kind of effect and how much of one. ( Okay, okay, I know that's two questions! )
In searching through the Kindle bookstore on Amazon, I found many of the classics that could be electronically transmitted to your Kindle. Classics like Tom Sawyer, Little Women, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and many many others. Classics which have become e-books; classics that you no longer have to hold in your hand, smell the print, touch the covers. I don't know, but for me, there are some books that should never see the light of day as e-books, and classics number highly among those. And...many of those classics are free.
Now which would you rather do...go to an antique books store, and rummage around all those wonderful old books until you find just the right one...maybe even with a LEATHER cover...OR...pick up an electronic gadget and read it there? What about the smell of old books? Isn't there something to be said for the smell of old books when you go into that antique store? You know, to me, those smells conjure up all kinds of images of days past...young women in hoop skirts with long curls swirling over their shoulders while they sit in their parlors reading by gas lamps; a young man in a 3 piece suit bending over a young woman's slim hand, while holding a beautifully wrapped book behind his back to surprise her with...so much more dignity and graciousness in those days than in our world today. And it all begins with books. Printed books. Sigh. But that was yesteryear.
Enough reminiscing. Back to the present and future. So...will e-books hurt the traditional publishing? Some editors and publishers say yes, eventually, some say no, not at all. I had a conversation with a friend recently who is also a writer. She seems to think that having a manuscript turned into an e-book, rather than going the traditional publishing way, is similar to, but better than, self-publishing. Our discussion centered around someone we both know who is having her first manuscript published as an e-book. Yet this person, whom we both think very highly of, is just not ready to have a book published. In any form. It hasn't been critiqued, there are a few SPAG errors still in it, but the main problem is the plot and characterizations. But the editor seems to think it's fine, so it will be published in e-book form.
I think this will diminish her as a writer if she decides to go the traditional route with another book. She will add the e-book to her writing credits, and if the editor or assistant editor or first reader decides to check it out...hmm...that will not be a good thing. So another question becomes: will publishing as an e-book harm credibility if the author decides to go the traditional way? Especially if the author is newly published?
Another way to look at e-books is all of the multiple-published authors ( in the adult field) whose books are now being published as e-books: authors like James Patterson, Lisa Jackson, John Grisham. These are among my favorites, and all have multiple books published by traditional publishers. I'm sure you'll find your favorite authors published electronically, also.
But the difference is: these authors have been published in print for years and years. Their books are still being put on book shelves as print books, so now being published as e-books is just another venue for them. I doubt that any will forego print for electronic.
Then there are first-time authors like my friend and me. I don't think I would consider publishing first as an e-book...in fact, I'm sure I wouldn't. But IF I did, would that lessen my credibility for print publishing? I don't know. Some people who supposedly know say that self-publishing lessens credibility, but we all know famous authors who self-published their first book, and look where they are today.
I guess this is one of those things where the best answer is: wait and see. E-books are here to stay, there's no doubt about that. I think one thing we need to seriously consider, as children's and YA writers, is another question: how many kids, even teens or at least, young teens, are going to have Kindles or its equivilent? If you had an 8 year old, or 10, 12 or even 15 year old, would you trust them with an expensive electronic devise such as a Kindle? Many parents would not, and probably rightly so. Kids of any age just don't take care of their expensive "toys" the way we'd like them to, so why pay $200 - $500 for a Kindle which might not last them more than a month or two? And if they don't have Kindles...they don't have e-books, do they? !
So if you're like me, and you are writing for kids of any age, I would suggest taking the traditional route to publishing...no matter how long it takes or how frustrating it becomes.
Of course, there's always that chance that by the time we get published in print, Kindles will be down to $20 and all e-books are $4.99 ! Oh well...nobody said being a writer was a bed of roses.
Until next time, that's a wrap.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Editing and Revision, Part 2
Back to the fun process of editing! Did you know that if you use Microsoft Word, you can utilize the "find" function to find all the everyday words you've used, and probably shouldn't have? I'm going to list a few of those words, so you'll see what I mean:
And, but, that, just, that ( when you mean who ), few, many, nearly, anyway, only, then, felt or feel, really, almost, because, begin or began, very. To name a few.
Now these are perfectly good words, words we use in both speaking and writing all the time. But ( one of those we shouldn't use much) sometimes we overuse them in writing when we don't have to. Take the word "that." How many times do you use "that" in a sentence like this: I thought that he was coming, too. Or here is one I took right out of our local paper: The design that he is going to create was inspired by the Salinas River.
Now try reading it this way: I thought he was coming, too. And: The design he is going to create was inspired by the Salinas River. Has the meaning of either sentence changed because I took out "that"? No, it hasn't. However, each sentence reads more smoothly, and...you're eliminating two words in your word count. So here is one word in particular that you can usually get rid of without changing the meaning of your sentences or paragraphs, and all it does is to lower your word count. On the other hand...if you are using that word excessively, as well as some of the others listed, to boost your word count, then you have a problem!
All of the words listed above are valid words, and there are times when it is necessary for the flow of your paragraph or dialogue for you to use them. But a good rule is to go through your manuscript sentence by sentence and see if you can eliminate them...especially "that!"
Another type of word to avoid whenever possible are the adverbs...all "ly" tell something instead of showing it. For example: She walked angrily into her bedroom and shut the door. This sentence is telling the reader that the character is angry. What about this sentence: She stomped into her bedroom and slammed the door so hard all her pictures rattled and swayed on their hangers. A longer sentence, true, but doesn't that give the reader a clearer picture of how she was feeling? Doesn't it show the reader her feelings rather then telling how she is feeling? Showing rather than telling usually does add words, but it is a much more active way of drawing the reader into the story, rather than just telling the reader everything.
Other than specific words, a couple of other important points to conside when reviding and editing are chapter openings and endings, and the story ending.
Chapter Openings and Endings:
Be sure that all of your chapters open and close differently. Don't have them all open at the same time of day or evening, or with dialogue, or with exposition or backstory. Vary each one, so the reader doesn't know what to expect each time she begins a new chapter.
The same with your chapter endings. Do they end with a cliff-hanger? With some kind of unresolved tension or conflict? Do they end in such a was as to keep your reader turning the pages? Every chapter can't always end in conflict or tension, we all know that. But you should read through each chapter carefully, and make sure that you have at least left the reader wondering what might happen on the next page. Sometimes that means splitting a chapter in a way that you hadn't intended, but if it adds to the overall suspense in terms of emotional tension, a dramatic scene, or perhaps a physical conflict or confrontation left unsolved until the next chapter, then it is the right thing to do.
Story Ending:
The final ending is very important. Make sure that you haven't left any loose ends hanging. For example: Taylor (MC) and Allyson ( secondary MC) had a big fight in Chapter 12 over a boy that both of them liked. Some harsh words were exchanged that Taylor finds hard to forgive. In Chapter 13, the two girls make up. Chapter 15 is the end of the novel...have those harsh words that Taylor couldn't forgive in Chapter 12 been taken care of? Did the girls make up, but no mention of those words was made? Would that leave Taylor still unforgiving towards Allyson as far as what she said? Don't leave loose ends unresolved, however seemingly minor. Kids will be sure to pick up on that one point, and ask, well, what happened about this Make sure as you go back through all your chapters during your edit, that everything said and done has some kind of conclusion.
That's not to say that every novel has to have a happy ending. They don't, but the ending at least has to satisfy kids that everything that should have happened, did, in one way or another. Sometimes, if a series is going to occur, you may want to leave one minor little detail...umm, not hanging, exactly, but not resolved completely, with the idea that maybe someday something else is going to happen in another book.
Editing and revision is a long, drawn out process, but a very necessary one. The bright side of that process is that often, we find ways to make each page, each chapter more interesting and more exciting to the reader. The end result is almost always a better novel. Just remember, perfection is beyond us mere mortals, so don't strive for that. Strive to produce a story that agents and editors are going to be happy with, and kids are going to fall in love with!
Until next time, that's a wrap.
And, but, that, just, that ( when you mean who ), few, many, nearly, anyway, only, then, felt or feel, really, almost, because, begin or began, very. To name a few.
Now these are perfectly good words, words we use in both speaking and writing all the time. But ( one of those we shouldn't use much) sometimes we overuse them in writing when we don't have to. Take the word "that." How many times do you use "that" in a sentence like this: I thought that he was coming, too. Or here is one I took right out of our local paper: The design that he is going to create was inspired by the Salinas River.
Now try reading it this way: I thought he was coming, too. And: The design he is going to create was inspired by the Salinas River. Has the meaning of either sentence changed because I took out "that"? No, it hasn't. However, each sentence reads more smoothly, and...you're eliminating two words in your word count. So here is one word in particular that you can usually get rid of without changing the meaning of your sentences or paragraphs, and all it does is to lower your word count. On the other hand...if you are using that word excessively, as well as some of the others listed, to boost your word count, then you have a problem!
All of the words listed above are valid words, and there are times when it is necessary for the flow of your paragraph or dialogue for you to use them. But a good rule is to go through your manuscript sentence by sentence and see if you can eliminate them...especially "that!"
Another type of word to avoid whenever possible are the adverbs...all "ly" tell something instead of showing it. For example: She walked angrily into her bedroom and shut the door. This sentence is telling the reader that the character is angry. What about this sentence: She stomped into her bedroom and slammed the door so hard all her pictures rattled and swayed on their hangers. A longer sentence, true, but doesn't that give the reader a clearer picture of how she was feeling? Doesn't it show the reader her feelings rather then telling how she is feeling? Showing rather than telling usually does add words, but it is a much more active way of drawing the reader into the story, rather than just telling the reader everything.
Other than specific words, a couple of other important points to conside when reviding and editing are chapter openings and endings, and the story ending.
Chapter Openings and Endings:
Be sure that all of your chapters open and close differently. Don't have them all open at the same time of day or evening, or with dialogue, or with exposition or backstory. Vary each one, so the reader doesn't know what to expect each time she begins a new chapter.
The same with your chapter endings. Do they end with a cliff-hanger? With some kind of unresolved tension or conflict? Do they end in such a was as to keep your reader turning the pages? Every chapter can't always end in conflict or tension, we all know that. But you should read through each chapter carefully, and make sure that you have at least left the reader wondering what might happen on the next page. Sometimes that means splitting a chapter in a way that you hadn't intended, but if it adds to the overall suspense in terms of emotional tension, a dramatic scene, or perhaps a physical conflict or confrontation left unsolved until the next chapter, then it is the right thing to do.
Story Ending:
The final ending is very important. Make sure that you haven't left any loose ends hanging. For example: Taylor (MC) and Allyson ( secondary MC) had a big fight in Chapter 12 over a boy that both of them liked. Some harsh words were exchanged that Taylor finds hard to forgive. In Chapter 13, the two girls make up. Chapter 15 is the end of the novel...have those harsh words that Taylor couldn't forgive in Chapter 12 been taken care of? Did the girls make up, but no mention of those words was made? Would that leave Taylor still unforgiving towards Allyson as far as what she said? Don't leave loose ends unresolved, however seemingly minor. Kids will be sure to pick up on that one point, and ask, well, what happened about this Make sure as you go back through all your chapters during your edit, that everything said and done has some kind of conclusion.
That's not to say that every novel has to have a happy ending. They don't, but the ending at least has to satisfy kids that everything that should have happened, did, in one way or another. Sometimes, if a series is going to occur, you may want to leave one minor little detail...umm, not hanging, exactly, but not resolved completely, with the idea that maybe someday something else is going to happen in another book.
Editing and revision is a long, drawn out process, but a very necessary one. The bright side of that process is that often, we find ways to make each page, each chapter more interesting and more exciting to the reader. The end result is almost always a better novel. Just remember, perfection is beyond us mere mortals, so don't strive for that. Strive to produce a story that agents and editors are going to be happy with, and kids are going to fall in love with!
Until next time, that's a wrap.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
The Process of Editing and Revision
If you're like most writers I know, including myself, the editing and revison process can be a nightmare. I think we all hate it, yet we know that it has to be done. We can't submit a manuscript without doing a mountainous amount of editing and revising. If we did, that would be like going bowling butt naked! Even if your team consisted of only women, it's still not the best way to present your...er...striking position, is it?
I'm now editing and revising AJ's story for the last time. I mean it. The absolutely, positively, definitely LAST time...at least, until an agent or editor asks for something else.
Right now, AJ is not cooperating at all. She's the little gal who woke me up in the middle of the night, demanding to have her story told. Which I have done...over...and over...and over...and over. Each time she has more or less agreed with me, but now she is a sulky little witch, pouting and telling me I am NOT getting it right. She has become demanding and obnoxious. I am sure if she could come out of the computer, she'd be standing over me with eyes glaring and fists on her hips. Neverthe less...
We all do revisions differently. Some people are very organized, have a system that they follow, and others, like me, start with the first sentence and go on from there. But there are a few things I believe we all need to be aware of as we go along. These are:
First Five Pages: How do we get started? Do we begin with dialogue, backstory ( always a bugaboo), narration? However we begin, will those first few paragraphs grab the reader's attention, and keep them reading through the next four pages? Do we start with some kind of action, or does it take more than five pages to really get into the meat of the story? ( If the answer is yes, that's bad news.)
The Main Character: Will the reader know what the MC is all about within those first five pages? Will the MC display enough of his/her characteristics to cause the reader to bond with her? Is she someone who changes and grows in some way be the end of the story? What about her will make the reader want her to succeed: is she a heroine in some way; someone who is the underdog but overcomes it; someone who is funny and sarcastic; someone who knows what she wants and how to get it, and lets nothing stand in her way? In other words, do YOU know this character well enough for her to know herself, AND the reader to fall in love with her? or even, Love to Hate her?
Conflict: Is there more than one conflict? Is the MC engaging in this conflict emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually, or any combination of those? Is the conflict believable for the MC's age? Is there more than one conflict, and if so, are you weaving them together concisely and believably, or do you have a loose end somewhere? Is the conflict one that your reader can relate to, in terms of both age and experience?
Voice and POV: Both are difficult, but I think voice is probably the hardest for all of us. First, we have our own voices, the way we write, the style we use. Then we have to consider the voice of each of our characters. We can't have a 13 year old girl sounding like a 6 year old child, or a 30 year old woman. Not only do we have to have a realistic voice for our MC, but the voices for each of the characters must be different, too. If the MC is a 13 year old girl, she shouldn't sound like her 16 year old brother. If we have 10 year old twins, they can't sound like their sister, brother, or mother. ( In case you're wondering, AJ is the 13 year old, with a 16 year old brother and 10 year old twin sisters.)
So finding the right voice, in terms of vocabulary, how she or he speak, the phrases and words they use...all the elements that go into having a distinct voice for each character...are all very important. They are definitely things to edit closely.
POV is another sticky wicket. I love to write in 1st person past tense, but this is not the easiest thing to do, and I sometimes slip up. For one thing, it's hard to carry 1st person through a whole novel, because nothing can happen in the novel that your MC is not privy to. She has to be with the other characters in every scene, or she has to be in some place where she can see and hear but not be seen or heard. None of the other characters can think about something, because she would not be able to know their thoughts. They can't have "looks" come over their faces, or "feel" something, because the MC can't do that for them.
Most writers use 3rd person past tense, and write from the MC's POV. But even that can cause problems, if you're not careful.
We'll talk more about some of the other pitfalls of editing next time. In the meantime, when you begin your edit, pay close attention to the things we've talked about here.
Until next time, that's a wrap.
I'm now editing and revising AJ's story for the last time. I mean it. The absolutely, positively, definitely LAST time...at least, until an agent or editor asks for something else.
Right now, AJ is not cooperating at all. She's the little gal who woke me up in the middle of the night, demanding to have her story told. Which I have done...over...and over...and over...and over. Each time she has more or less agreed with me, but now she is a sulky little witch, pouting and telling me I am NOT getting it right. She has become demanding and obnoxious. I am sure if she could come out of the computer, she'd be standing over me with eyes glaring and fists on her hips. Neverthe less...
We all do revisions differently. Some people are very organized, have a system that they follow, and others, like me, start with the first sentence and go on from there. But there are a few things I believe we all need to be aware of as we go along. These are:
First Five Pages: How do we get started? Do we begin with dialogue, backstory ( always a bugaboo), narration? However we begin, will those first few paragraphs grab the reader's attention, and keep them reading through the next four pages? Do we start with some kind of action, or does it take more than five pages to really get into the meat of the story? ( If the answer is yes, that's bad news.)
The Main Character: Will the reader know what the MC is all about within those first five pages? Will the MC display enough of his/her characteristics to cause the reader to bond with her? Is she someone who changes and grows in some way be the end of the story? What about her will make the reader want her to succeed: is she a heroine in some way; someone who is the underdog but overcomes it; someone who is funny and sarcastic; someone who knows what she wants and how to get it, and lets nothing stand in her way? In other words, do YOU know this character well enough for her to know herself, AND the reader to fall in love with her? or even, Love to Hate her?
Conflict: Is there more than one conflict? Is the MC engaging in this conflict emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually, or any combination of those? Is the conflict believable for the MC's age? Is there more than one conflict, and if so, are you weaving them together concisely and believably, or do you have a loose end somewhere? Is the conflict one that your reader can relate to, in terms of both age and experience?
Voice and POV: Both are difficult, but I think voice is probably the hardest for all of us. First, we have our own voices, the way we write, the style we use. Then we have to consider the voice of each of our characters. We can't have a 13 year old girl sounding like a 6 year old child, or a 30 year old woman. Not only do we have to have a realistic voice for our MC, but the voices for each of the characters must be different, too. If the MC is a 13 year old girl, she shouldn't sound like her 16 year old brother. If we have 10 year old twins, they can't sound like their sister, brother, or mother. ( In case you're wondering, AJ is the 13 year old, with a 16 year old brother and 10 year old twin sisters.)
So finding the right voice, in terms of vocabulary, how she or he speak, the phrases and words they use...all the elements that go into having a distinct voice for each character...are all very important. They are definitely things to edit closely.
POV is another sticky wicket. I love to write in 1st person past tense, but this is not the easiest thing to do, and I sometimes slip up. For one thing, it's hard to carry 1st person through a whole novel, because nothing can happen in the novel that your MC is not privy to. She has to be with the other characters in every scene, or she has to be in some place where she can see and hear but not be seen or heard. None of the other characters can think about something, because she would not be able to know their thoughts. They can't have "looks" come over their faces, or "feel" something, because the MC can't do that for them.
Most writers use 3rd person past tense, and write from the MC's POV. But even that can cause problems, if you're not careful.
We'll talk more about some of the other pitfalls of editing next time. In the meantime, when you begin your edit, pay close attention to the things we've talked about here.
Until next time, that's a wrap.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Good Intentions
Good intentions gone awry! I had every intention of posting here at least twice a week, after my last post which was in July. And as you can see, that was almost a month ago.
Worst part is, I have no excuses. Except: let's see, I was busy working on getting my assignment finished; I had 6 chapters to do an almost complete rewrite on; I had three query letters I've been working on ( one is harder to write than an entire novel, let alone three different ones); I had a three-day conference to attend ( okay, okay, so it was online, I still had to be there, didn't I?); and then, well, there's just life in general getting in the way.
Besides all that, I'm still mulling over what one of my favorite agents said ( no, she's not my agent, but she's at the top of my list) about blogging in general. She said that there is really no good reason for an unpublished writer to have a blog or a website. According to her, the main purpose for either is to promote our books, and if we don't have one published yet, we don't really need to take time away from writing to work on a blog or website. Although, she did say that if blogging was just something you really loved, you should stay with it...but don't allow it to take away from your real writing time.
I agree with her a lot, but not entirely. However, this is just one of those times when one reputable agent says one thing, and another one says the opposite. I've also read agents say how important it is for a beginning writer to have a presence or a platform for themselves on the Internet.
I'm still not sure what a platform is all about. But a presence? I can go along with that. Then, of course, comes another question and differences of opinion. The question is: who are you writing your blog for? Kids? Teens? Teachers/librarians? Other writers? Or even, none of the above? For me, the answer would be, other writers, especially those just beginning. I try very hard to post some good information and/or tips about writing that I have learned through courses, books, conferences, and other experienced writers.
Kids don't read blogs. Teens don't either, unless they are by some favorite/fabulous author like Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling. And I'm not sure what teachers and/or librarians would be looking for in a blog, so I concentrate on putting out something that will ( hopefully) benefit less experienced writers.
The agents' grapevine also says it is a good thing to talk about your writing: the ups and downs ( not necessarily rejections), how your ideas come to you, how you go about putting those ideas into action, and even posting exerpts occasionally from some of your work.
So stay tuned. This week I am for sure/absolutely/positively going to have some new stuff on my blog...and it may even surprise you!
Until then, that's a wrap.
Worst part is, I have no excuses. Except: let's see, I was busy working on getting my assignment finished; I had 6 chapters to do an almost complete rewrite on; I had three query letters I've been working on ( one is harder to write than an entire novel, let alone three different ones); I had a three-day conference to attend ( okay, okay, so it was online, I still had to be there, didn't I?); and then, well, there's just life in general getting in the way.
Besides all that, I'm still mulling over what one of my favorite agents said ( no, she's not my agent, but she's at the top of my list) about blogging in general. She said that there is really no good reason for an unpublished writer to have a blog or a website. According to her, the main purpose for either is to promote our books, and if we don't have one published yet, we don't really need to take time away from writing to work on a blog or website. Although, she did say that if blogging was just something you really loved, you should stay with it...but don't allow it to take away from your real writing time.
I agree with her a lot, but not entirely. However, this is just one of those times when one reputable agent says one thing, and another one says the opposite. I've also read agents say how important it is for a beginning writer to have a presence or a platform for themselves on the Internet.
I'm still not sure what a platform is all about. But a presence? I can go along with that. Then, of course, comes another question and differences of opinion. The question is: who are you writing your blog for? Kids? Teens? Teachers/librarians? Other writers? Or even, none of the above? For me, the answer would be, other writers, especially those just beginning. I try very hard to post some good information and/or tips about writing that I have learned through courses, books, conferences, and other experienced writers.
Kids don't read blogs. Teens don't either, unless they are by some favorite/fabulous author like Stephanie Meyer or JK Rowling. And I'm not sure what teachers and/or librarians would be looking for in a blog, so I concentrate on putting out something that will ( hopefully) benefit less experienced writers.
The agents' grapevine also says it is a good thing to talk about your writing: the ups and downs ( not necessarily rejections), how your ideas come to you, how you go about putting those ideas into action, and even posting exerpts occasionally from some of your work.
So stay tuned. This week I am for sure/absolutely/positively going to have some new stuff on my blog...and it may even surprise you!
Until then, that's a wrap.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Monday Musings
Hello again, I'm back! I've been so involved in getting my middle six chapters finished for my historical novel, that I'm near hysterical. Anyway, I don't know where the time has gone, but I guess I was having too much fun to remember about my blog...NOT.
I've got so much on my mind these days that i seem to be turning in circles without finding an exit. I'm doing research on both agents and editors, but I think I am going to try to find representation rather than going straight to a publishing house. You know what that means? Mostly it means my head is spinning, to be cliche-ish.
For one thing, I have yet to figure out what "juvenile" means in terms of genre for agents. I have spent 4 hours going through the 2011 edition of Guide to Literary Agents, and all it has gotten me is confusion. Some agents specify that they represent MG and/or YA books. Some say children's books but do not specify what age limit, other than perhaps saying they don't want Picture Books. And then...we have those who ONLY specify "juvenile." That's a new one for me. If you know what "juvenile" means in terms of...PBs, early reader,
chapter books, MG or YA, would you please post a comment and let me know?
Seriously.
Then there is my first novel that I am once again...and hopefully for the very last time...editing. I had a professional critique of my first three chapters, which I was very glad to receive. The lady who did it was complimentary, but also very clear in what she thought should be changed, eliminated, or reworded entirely. A lot of work to be done on those first chapters, but now I've begun going through every page of the remaining 15 chapters to apply the suggestions and comments she made to everywhere that it would be pertinent. It's a lot of work, and I'm not even half way through the 18 chapters, but in the long run, I feel it will make the manuscript better.
Speaking of that novel...how did you come by the ideas for the stories or novels you write or have written? My main character, AJ, woke me up in the middle of the night. Now my husband...non-writer that he is...insists I merely dreamed the whold thing. But...even he cannot explain the hand-written, only partially legible notes that I found on my desk the following moring. And considering my handwriting these days, after so many years on the computer, those notes could only have been written when I was only half awake!
So...AJ wakes me up and says I need to write her story about cheerleading. Excuse me? Cheerleading? What I know about that subject you could write on the head of a pin. But she was SO insistent. The next morning, I went to the library and checked out 7 books on cheerleading, 6 were fiction and 1 was NF. I spent days and weeks reading and doing research on the Internet about cheerleading. When I told my daughter, she thought I'd really lost it. She hadn't even wanted to be a cheerer ( is that a word? ) when she was in school, and thought the girls who were were all a bunch of snobs.
Nevertheless, after 2 weeks of straight research, I began the novel, Almost immediately, I decided I needed help, so I signed up for the ICL novel course. Over the next 16 months, I wrote, edited, revised, wrote, edited, revised, wrote...well, you know. As it turns out, AJ is a 13 year old girl who has a lot more going for her than she realizes. She becomes a cheerleader, although not the Senior Captain that she expected to be. And the reason for that comes in the form of the new girl in town, Celine, who for some strange reason is out to destroy all of AJ's friendships and ruin her chances to even be on the cheerleading squad. The story evolved into much more than a "cheerleading saga." Being a horse person, I could hardly be expected to write a novel without horses in it, so AJ lives in a western Colorado town, and has a championship mare. She fights ( literally) with Celine, learns that there is a mysterious connection between Celine ( who is not who or what she claims to be) and AJ's father, faces the death of one of her BFFs, learns that she will be getting a stepmother soon who has been in her father's life for much longer than she should have been, and...
Hopefully, before too much longer, you all will be able to read the entire novel by buying it from Amazon or your local bookstore!
And then, there's my hysterical...umm, I mean... historical...novel...but thats a story for another day.
Until next time, that's a wrap.
I've got so much on my mind these days that i seem to be turning in circles without finding an exit. I'm doing research on both agents and editors, but I think I am going to try to find representation rather than going straight to a publishing house. You know what that means? Mostly it means my head is spinning, to be cliche-ish.
For one thing, I have yet to figure out what "juvenile" means in terms of genre for agents. I have spent 4 hours going through the 2011 edition of Guide to Literary Agents, and all it has gotten me is confusion. Some agents specify that they represent MG and/or YA books. Some say children's books but do not specify what age limit, other than perhaps saying they don't want Picture Books. And then...we have those who ONLY specify "juvenile." That's a new one for me. If you know what "juvenile" means in terms of...PBs, early reader,
chapter books, MG or YA, would you please post a comment and let me know?
Seriously.
Then there is my first novel that I am once again...and hopefully for the very last time...editing. I had a professional critique of my first three chapters, which I was very glad to receive. The lady who did it was complimentary, but also very clear in what she thought should be changed, eliminated, or reworded entirely. A lot of work to be done on those first chapters, but now I've begun going through every page of the remaining 15 chapters to apply the suggestions and comments she made to everywhere that it would be pertinent. It's a lot of work, and I'm not even half way through the 18 chapters, but in the long run, I feel it will make the manuscript better.
Speaking of that novel...how did you come by the ideas for the stories or novels you write or have written? My main character, AJ, woke me up in the middle of the night. Now my husband...non-writer that he is...insists I merely dreamed the whold thing. But...even he cannot explain the hand-written, only partially legible notes that I found on my desk the following moring. And considering my handwriting these days, after so many years on the computer, those notes could only have been written when I was only half awake!
So...AJ wakes me up and says I need to write her story about cheerleading. Excuse me? Cheerleading? What I know about that subject you could write on the head of a pin. But she was SO insistent. The next morning, I went to the library and checked out 7 books on cheerleading, 6 were fiction and 1 was NF. I spent days and weeks reading and doing research on the Internet about cheerleading. When I told my daughter, she thought I'd really lost it. She hadn't even wanted to be a cheerer ( is that a word? ) when she was in school, and thought the girls who were were all a bunch of snobs.
Nevertheless, after 2 weeks of straight research, I began the novel, Almost immediately, I decided I needed help, so I signed up for the ICL novel course. Over the next 16 months, I wrote, edited, revised, wrote, edited, revised, wrote...well, you know. As it turns out, AJ is a 13 year old girl who has a lot more going for her than she realizes. She becomes a cheerleader, although not the Senior Captain that she expected to be. And the reason for that comes in the form of the new girl in town, Celine, who for some strange reason is out to destroy all of AJ's friendships and ruin her chances to even be on the cheerleading squad. The story evolved into much more than a "cheerleading saga." Being a horse person, I could hardly be expected to write a novel without horses in it, so AJ lives in a western Colorado town, and has a championship mare. She fights ( literally) with Celine, learns that there is a mysterious connection between Celine ( who is not who or what she claims to be) and AJ's father, faces the death of one of her BFFs, learns that she will be getting a stepmother soon who has been in her father's life for much longer than she should have been, and...
Hopefully, before too much longer, you all will be able to read the entire novel by buying it from Amazon or your local bookstore!
And then, there's my hysterical...umm, I mean... historical...novel...but thats a story for another day.
Until next time, that's a wrap.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Books, Books, and More Books
How many "how to write" books do you have? Writing for children, writing for adults, just writing in general?
The first writing books I had were sent to me by my daughter, with a note that basically said, Get off your butt and start writing! And those 5 books were actually what started me writing with the intention ( and hope) of someday being published.
The best of those books were Crafting Stories for Children, by Nancy Lamb, and The Children's Writer's Word Book, by Alijandra Mogilner. I've kinda gotten beyond the Writer's Word Book, but I still refer to Nancy Lamb's book.
Then there is Writing it Right by Sandy Asher, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King; Finding Your Voice by Les Edgerton; Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass; The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman; Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress; and last but certainly not least, Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers.
These all grace my bookshelves, as well as the requisite 2010 editions of Writer's Guide to 2010, The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, Book Markets for Children's Writers, Magazine Markets for Children's Writers, The Children's Writers' Guide ( 2009 edition), and just received, the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents. Whew!
Have I read all of these books, cover to cover? No, of course not. I probably should, but instead, I pick and choose the chapters that seem to be the most pertinent to my current WIP.
Now, all of these books are wonderful. Each offers something the others don't have. I think they should all be on every children' writer's desk or bookshelf. But! Do you realize how confused you can get by reading all these books? Each offers a different perspective to writing. It may differ only slightly from one or more of the others, but it is just enough to cause you ( me, anyway) to say HUH? But I just read something the opposite of this in Writing it Right !
One might say that exposition is necessary, another might say you should have very little. One might explain that backstory should be brought in early on in the story, another will say backstory should be dropped by bits and pieces throughout the story. One will say using adverbs is a BIG No No, another will say adverbs spice up the story if used judiciously. And on and on.
What to believe? How to write? Sometimes the books are more confusing than they are helpful! I'm in my third course with ICL, and one instructor has said my novel should begin with action, another has said no, let's establish the relationships first. Aaghh!
I suppose that all this confusion serves a purpose, however. First, if we follow all of these books, we will be doing a mountainous amount of writing and no story will be like another LOL Second, it does give us experience when we get to the point in writing that I'm in at the moment...looking for an agent. Because the truth of the matter is: there are no two agents in this entire universe who want exactly the same thing in a query letter ! !
Consequently, if you have experience in writing in different modes ( not genres, necessarily), you will have experience in writing a mulitude of query letters...and not any one will be anything like another.
All joking aside...umm, I wasn't entirely joking...the above mentioned books are a tremendous asset to any writer, and I seriously recommend them.
Until later, that's a wrap.
The first writing books I had were sent to me by my daughter, with a note that basically said, Get off your butt and start writing! And those 5 books were actually what started me writing with the intention ( and hope) of someday being published.
The best of those books were Crafting Stories for Children, by Nancy Lamb, and The Children's Writer's Word Book, by Alijandra Mogilner. I've kinda gotten beyond the Writer's Word Book, but I still refer to Nancy Lamb's book.
Then there is Writing it Right by Sandy Asher, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Brown and Dave King; Finding Your Voice by Les Edgerton; Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass; The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman; Characters, Emotion and Viewpoint by Nancy Kress; and last but certainly not least, Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers.
These all grace my bookshelves, as well as the requisite 2010 editions of Writer's Guide to 2010, The Children's Writers and Illustrators Market, Book Markets for Children's Writers, Magazine Markets for Children's Writers, The Children's Writers' Guide ( 2009 edition), and just received, the 2011 Guide to Literary Agents. Whew!
Have I read all of these books, cover to cover? No, of course not. I probably should, but instead, I pick and choose the chapters that seem to be the most pertinent to my current WIP.
Now, all of these books are wonderful. Each offers something the others don't have. I think they should all be on every children' writer's desk or bookshelf. But! Do you realize how confused you can get by reading all these books? Each offers a different perspective to writing. It may differ only slightly from one or more of the others, but it is just enough to cause you ( me, anyway) to say HUH? But I just read something the opposite of this in Writing it Right !
One might say that exposition is necessary, another might say you should have very little. One might explain that backstory should be brought in early on in the story, another will say backstory should be dropped by bits and pieces throughout the story. One will say using adverbs is a BIG No No, another will say adverbs spice up the story if used judiciously. And on and on.
What to believe? How to write? Sometimes the books are more confusing than they are helpful! I'm in my third course with ICL, and one instructor has said my novel should begin with action, another has said no, let's establish the relationships first. Aaghh!
I suppose that all this confusion serves a purpose, however. First, if we follow all of these books, we will be doing a mountainous amount of writing and no story will be like another LOL Second, it does give us experience when we get to the point in writing that I'm in at the moment...looking for an agent. Because the truth of the matter is: there are no two agents in this entire universe who want exactly the same thing in a query letter ! !
Consequently, if you have experience in writing in different modes ( not genres, necessarily), you will have experience in writing a mulitude of query letters...and not any one will be anything like another.
All joking aside...umm, I wasn't entirely joking...the above mentioned books are a tremendous asset to any writer, and I seriously recommend them.
Until later, that's a wrap.
Friday, June 18, 2010
The Three Paragraph Rule
Have you heard of the "3 paragraph" rule for queries? You know, where you're supposed to tell everything that's important about your manuscript and you in just 3 paragraphs? That's a laugh, isn't it !
I'm going to talk about what I've been taught about this rule. You might find it handy, or you might not. Anyway, supposedly the first paragraph is actually no more than a one or two sentence introduction. This is to try to make the reason why you're querying this particular agent a personal one, i.e. to let him know that you've done your homework and know something about him. For example, if you can start this first paragraph off by saying...I am seeking your representation because you represented TITLE OF BOOK by AUTHOR'S NAME, and I think my manuscript is similar. However, before you say this, you need to make sure you've read this book and your book actually IS similar. Nothing will put an agent off more than to ask for your manuscript based on this kind of statement in your query, and then find that your story doesn't even faintly resemble the one you mentioned.
The second paragraph should be a short and concise description of your plot/storyline. By short I mean only a few sentences, maybe 4 or 5. You don't want to try to work in subplots or characters' names. Although, not mentioning even the MC's name seems to be something that agents disagree on, because I've seen some agents who want to know right away who they will be reading about. So there seems to be some disagreement on that. What you do need is tight and concise writing: instead of "My novel is about a tragedy that happened at a high school," you should say "My novel is about the 12 students who were shot at XXX high school." The second thing you need is the location of your story. Not "It takes place in a large metropolitan city," but "It takes place in Chicago, Illinois." And the third thing is the time period.
If you are abiding by the "write tight and specific" rule, then you want your time period to be tight and specific too. Instead of saying "My novel takes place over a short span of time" you can say "My novel takes place during the month of August," or "over 10 days in December." This gives the agent some idea of the structure and time line of your work, and the knowledge that you've done your homework and the story isn't just something you've thrown together.
The third paragraph, which should be the final one in your query, is your biography. And this is also the one which probably causes the writer the most difficulty. People are always asking What should I put in my bio? How much is too much or not enough? Is it long enough, or short enough? Again, this paragraph needs to be short.
You don't need to, and probably shouldn't, mention "minor' credits, like being published in a local newspaper or magazine...anything that seems "amateurish" should be left out, even if you were delighted that you were published in something local. Anything major, like a children's national magazine, is a great publishing credit. Any major award, like the Newbury Honor Award, or the William C. Morris Debut Award, should of course be listed. Anything that tells the agent what accomplishments you already have behind you needs to be included. Any extra schooling related specifically to writing, such as an MFA or writing education courses, such as the Institute of Children's Literature, is a bonus.
Another couple of things not to do: Don't get personal, about how you started writing in middle school; what your hobbies are, how you write the office newsletter and everyone thinks you're great, and so on. Don't include information that simply is not relevant to your writing, just "talking to be talking." Don't embellish your bios by talking about how everyone thinks your writing is great, your daughter's 5th grade class loved your last story, and so on. Be specific, concise and relevant in all that you say.
That's a wrap. Let me know what you think.
I'm going to talk about what I've been taught about this rule. You might find it handy, or you might not. Anyway, supposedly the first paragraph is actually no more than a one or two sentence introduction. This is to try to make the reason why you're querying this particular agent a personal one, i.e. to let him know that you've done your homework and know something about him. For example, if you can start this first paragraph off by saying...I am seeking your representation because you represented TITLE OF BOOK by AUTHOR'S NAME, and I think my manuscript is similar. However, before you say this, you need to make sure you've read this book and your book actually IS similar. Nothing will put an agent off more than to ask for your manuscript based on this kind of statement in your query, and then find that your story doesn't even faintly resemble the one you mentioned.
The second paragraph should be a short and concise description of your plot/storyline. By short I mean only a few sentences, maybe 4 or 5. You don't want to try to work in subplots or characters' names. Although, not mentioning even the MC's name seems to be something that agents disagree on, because I've seen some agents who want to know right away who they will be reading about. So there seems to be some disagreement on that. What you do need is tight and concise writing: instead of "My novel is about a tragedy that happened at a high school," you should say "My novel is about the 12 students who were shot at XXX high school." The second thing you need is the location of your story. Not "It takes place in a large metropolitan city," but "It takes place in Chicago, Illinois." And the third thing is the time period.
If you are abiding by the "write tight and specific" rule, then you want your time period to be tight and specific too. Instead of saying "My novel takes place over a short span of time" you can say "My novel takes place during the month of August," or "over 10 days in December." This gives the agent some idea of the structure and time line of your work, and the knowledge that you've done your homework and the story isn't just something you've thrown together.
The third paragraph, which should be the final one in your query, is your biography. And this is also the one which probably causes the writer the most difficulty. People are always asking What should I put in my bio? How much is too much or not enough? Is it long enough, or short enough? Again, this paragraph needs to be short.
You don't need to, and probably shouldn't, mention "minor' credits, like being published in a local newspaper or magazine...anything that seems "amateurish" should be left out, even if you were delighted that you were published in something local. Anything major, like a children's national magazine, is a great publishing credit. Any major award, like the Newbury Honor Award, or the William C. Morris Debut Award, should of course be listed. Anything that tells the agent what accomplishments you already have behind you needs to be included. Any extra schooling related specifically to writing, such as an MFA or writing education courses, such as the Institute of Children's Literature, is a bonus.
Another couple of things not to do: Don't get personal, about how you started writing in middle school; what your hobbies are, how you write the office newsletter and everyone thinks you're great, and so on. Don't include information that simply is not relevant to your writing, just "talking to be talking." Don't embellish your bios by talking about how everyone thinks your writing is great, your daughter's 5th grade class loved your last story, and so on. Be specific, concise and relevant in all that you say.
That's a wrap. Let me know what you think.
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