That's Another Story

Tricks to Speed Up Novel Pacing

2012-02-15T05:55:00.070-05:00

Pacing, the momentum that pulls us through the story, can be hard to get right. Too slow and the reader loses interest. Too fast and the story can get confusing.

I tend to err on the side of too slow. [Writers of children's books tend to worry about getting the reader's attention.] Probably most writers have places where the story starts to slow down (aka the sagging middle). When you’re writing, it’s easy to get wrapped up in adding unnecessary descriptive details or including events that don’t relate to the character's goal. Some tricks to speed up your novel pacing:

Cut down on transitional scenes. Does your novel have scenes or sentences where all you're doing is moving the character from one place to another? Consider cutting or reducing them. Transitions are boring and don’t need much detail.

Start the story later. After the hook brings us into the story, we still need something to keep us reading. Starting part way into the story, or at the place where we meet the story problem can give the beginning of the story some momentum.

Pare down backstory. Backstory can make the story drag. It may be interesting to you, but not your reader. Take agent Kristin’s advice (and the advice of practically every other agent and editor) and use only little bits.

Summarize. We always hear about the dangers of “telling” instead of “showing”, but a little bit of telling can be effective too. I sometimes use it to give a reader a piece of information that may help with flow of the story, without taking up the space of an entire scene. Just make sure it’s not something crucial to the plot.

A few other things you can do to help speed up the story:

Intensify beginnings and endings. Scene or chapter beginnings and endings should be compelling. Sometimes, we worry about this early in the novel and forget in the middle section. For kid readers, any hint that it might be boring can mean they don’t finish the book. Why risk losing their attention?

Shorten chapter length. Short, snappy chapters can keep the story flowing, especially in children’s books. Kids also get tricked into thinking there isn’t so much to read, if there are short chapters and lots of white space.

Cut unnecessary explanatory phrases. Check out agent Mary Kole’s post on eliminating the frame. You might not even realize you're doing this.

Use shorter words. If I need a dictionary every paragraph or two, there are probably too many interesting words.

Do you have any tricks for speeding up the story pacing?

Links

*As usual, if you come across any useful resources on this topic, let me know and I’ll add them to this resource.

April Henry points out two ways to improve pacing.

Lisa Gail Green talks about pacing for pantsers. Be sure to read the comments on this one, because they are full of great insights.

Agent Kristin Nelson talks about pacing in her vlog: Why Page Length for YA or MG Novel Is The Wrong Question.

Consider these techniques to establish pacing, from the Writer’s Store.

Patrick Schultz lets us in on some great secrets for speeding up novel pacing (also available as a podcast)

Over at Dark Angel’s Fiction Writing Tools, romance author Roz Denny Fox writes about pacing your novel.

At Janice Hardy’s blog, guest author Jana DeLeon shares some thoughts on slow pacing at the beginning of a novel.

Jess at Falling Leaflets suggests you consider timing and transitions in pacing your novel.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Ghost Messages

2012-02-13T06:01:00.024-05:00

Today’s pick: Ghost Messages by Jacqueline Guest

Cocteau Books, 2011

From the Book Jacket:

Thirteen year-old Ailish, a feisty Irish fortune-teller, is about to become part of history. She becomes trapped on the mighty Great Eastern just as the ship sets off on its voyage to lay the very first trans-Atlantic telegraph cable. Escape is impossible! Ailish must pretend to be a boy to keep from being pitched into the ocean by the superstitious sailors, while dodging a dangerous ruffian who has stolen her golden treasure. She frequently gets help from a pale young boy named Davy, who seems to know everything about the Great Eastern, but won't ever come up on deck. Will Ailish's wits, her determination, and her friendships help her to survive the trip, find her treasure and solve the mystery of her young companion?

My Take:

I love all the action in this story, as Ailish tries to keep her identity hidden on the ship while looking for her Dad’s treasure. Even though there is a picture of a girl prominently on the cover, I think both boys and girls would enjoy this story with all its details about life on the ship and possible sabotage of the cable.

This novel opened my eyes to a piece of history I’d never given much thought to before – how cable was laid under the ocean to make it possible for people to quickly communicate between North America and Europe, without having to wait weeks for messages by boat. I appreciated the author’s notes about how she became interested in this part of our past and how she used historical facts in writing this story. As a writer, it’s interesting to see how the author uses words and expressions to convey the time period without making the story too stiff and distant to connect with contemporary readers.

Other Info:

This book is nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading in the Silver Birch (Fiction) category for 2012. If you aren’t familiar with the Forest of Reading program, here’s how it works: Professionals from schools and public libraries nominate a selection of books in a specific category, students from all over the province read them all and then in April they vote for their favourite. Here’s my writing buddy Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s take on last year’s celebration.

In case you didn’t catch it, last week I profiled Undergrounders by David Skuy, another one of the nominated books.

Other books by this author include:

War Games (James Lorimer and Company, 2008)
Dream Race (James Lorimer and Company, 2006)
Secret Signs (Orca Book Publishers, 2006)
Wild Ride (James Lorimer and Company, 2005)
Racing Fear (James Lorimer and Company, 2004)
At Risk (James Lorimer and Company, 2004)
Belle of Batoche (Orca Book Publishers, 2004)
Soccer Star! (James Lorimer and Company, 2003)
A Goal In Sight (James Lorimer and Company, 2002)
Rink Rivals (James Lorimer and Company, 2001)
Rookie Season (James Lorimer and Company, 2000)
Lightning Rider (James Lorimer and Company, 2000)
Free Throw (James Lorimer and Company, 1999)
Triple Threat (James Lorimer and Company, 1999)
Hat Trick (James Lorimer and Company, 1997)

For more, go to Jacqueline Guest’s website.

Cool Blog Quote

2012-02-12T06:12:00.002-05:00

"...I came to an understanding of what I think write what you know means. To me, it means taking the emotions you’ve felt through your real life experiences and transposing those onto your fictional characters."

Catherine McKenzie, author of Spin, at Writer Unboxed, Have You Been to Rehab? February 10, 2012

5 Reasons to Look Back at Old Writing Journals

2012-02-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

I just got to the last page of another one of my writing notebooks - that makes 22 of them now.

I've been writing ideas, collecting bits of advice and inspiration, and working out story events and happenings for many years - some years only have 1 or part of a notebook/journal, others have more than one. Sometimes when I read some great writing tips or a new perspective on a writing-related topic, I copy it and paste it in my notebook (with source info). In the past year, I've gone through probably 3 notebooks. I do read over some parts of them, while they are still current, but once they are full and up on my shelf, I don't go back to them very often. But I do think it's useful to look at them sometimes.

Some reasons to look back:

1) Some story ideas seem to resurface again and again, in slightly different ways. Usually when that happens, I know I need to write that story.

2) I like to see how far I've come and how my skill has developed.

3) All the tips and advice that I've collected are like a "mini" writing course.

4) Re-reading the inspirational bits and pieces is a great boost since they seem fresh and interesting again.

5) When I'm stuck or not sure about what direction to take in my writing, looking through my old notebooks reminds me of all the great ideas I had, and often gets me thinking of more.

Do you ever revisit your old notebooks or journals?

Getting Back to a Writing Project

2012-02-08T05:58:00.010-05:00

Getting back to a writing project after you’ve been away from it for a few months is so hard! (I took a break to revise another novel.) I’ve been trying out a lot of different strategies:

1) Warm-up writing in my journal

2) Reading through what I’ve done already to get back into the story and characters

3) Reviewing plot notes and my outline, so I remember where the story is going (as if I could forget, I've spent a couple of years on this thing)

4) Reading other people's strategies -- see Nathan Bradford's post on Monday: How to Return to Writing After a Long Break

5) Telling myself it doesn’t matter if I write crap since I can always delete it

What I need to do is just start writing.

My best strategy is to start with one tiny bit. A paragraph. A sentence. (Yes, I've had days where all I've written is a sentence. It was a darn good sentence, too). It's the same way I tackled my revisions. Even though it seems like a snail-like process, writing a small amount every day eventually amounts to something. I'm hoping it will start a snowball effect where I just can't not write.

Do you have any good tips for getting back into the writing flow?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Undergrounders

2012-02-06T06:01:00.018-05:00

Today’s pick: Undergrounders by David Skuy

Scholastic Canada, 2011

From the Book Jacket:

Ever since his mom died, Jonathon has been on his own, living on the streets. The Underground gives him a place to sleep, but it’s not like having a real home or being a regular kid. That seems like an impossible dream . . .

Summary:

Jonathon has been living on the streets ever since his Mom died. He survives by earning a little money panhandling and running errands for tough guy Lewis. He shelters from the cold in an abandoned shopping mall, hanging out with a group of street kids called the “Undergrounders”. Then, while playing hockey with some stolen gear, Jonathon makes friends with some regular kids. It seems like a dream come true when they invite him to join their team. But now Jonathon has to find a way to keep his homelessness a secret so he can keep his place on the team.

My Take:

This is a fast-paced story with lots of authentic hockey action. I’m not even a big hockey fan, but I got totally hooked by the strong voice and the details about Jonathon’s life as a street kid. I think boys will especially enjoy this book. Although I found the story a little predictable, I liked the way it made me think about a different way of life. From a writing perspective, I’d look more closely at this one to study how to create a believable first person voice. The way the author wove in Jonathon’s thoughts and emotions helped me lose myself in his story.

Other Info:

This book is nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading in the Silver Birch (Fiction) category for 2012. If you aren’t familiar with the Forest of Reading program, here’s how it works: Professionals from schools and public libraries nominate a selection of books in a specific category, students from all over the province read them all and then in April they vote for their favourite. Here’s my writing buddy Debbie Ridpath Ohi’s take on last year’s celebration.

Other books by this author include:

Off the Crossbar (Game Time #1)
Rebel Power Play (Game Time #2)
Making the Cut (Game Time #3)
Overtime (Game Time #4)

For more, go to David Skuy’s website.

Words for Describing Smells

2012-02-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

Since my latest character has a finely-tuned sense of smell, I’ve been using a lot of smell-related words and descriptions in my writing. As I wracked my brain, thinking of unique ways to sprinkle descriptors into my writing, I compiled this list of smell related words – I’m sharing in case it helps someone else out.

Words Describing Different Smells

acidy

acrid

antiseptic

aromatic

balmy

biting

bitter

briny

burnt

citrusy

comforting

corky

damp

dank

distinctive

earthy

fishy

flowery

fragrant

fresh

fruity

gamy

gaseous

heavy

lemony

medicinal

metallic

mildewed

minty

moldy

musky

musty

odorless

peppery

perfumed

piney

pungent

putrid

reek

rose

rotten

savoury

scented

sharp

sickly

skunky

smoky

sour

spicy

spoiled

stagnant

stench

stinking

sulphur

sweaty

sweet

tart

tempting

vinegary

woody

yeasty

Marvelous MG Monday: Emma on Thin Icing

2012-01-30T06:02:00.000-05:00

Today’s pick: Emma on Thin Icing (Cupcake Diaries #3) by Coco Simon

Published by Simon Spotlight, 2011

Summary:

Emma is invited to be a bridesmaid in her friend Mia’s mother’s wedding. The problem is, Emma isn’t sure she can afford to buy the dress. She doesn’t want to ask her parents, since they are having enough problems with her Mom losing her job. So Emma tries to manage earning the extra money on her own, by trying to fit babysitting her brother, dog-walking, and more business (extra baking) for the Cupcake Club into her already busy schedule of school and flute lessons. Can she handle the stress?

My Take:

This book caught my attention because I love baking and eating cupcakes! It was an easy and fun book to read, with believable situations and characters. I think 8 to 12-year-old girls would really enjoy this. Emma’s problems were easy to relate to and the baking details made me hungry! From a writing perspective, I’d look at more books in this series if I wanted to write a contemporary series for girls or a model for how to craft a basic plot with increasing complications. It’s interesting to see how to handle conversations with a group of characters at once, since that can be challenging to write.

Other Info:

In the Cupcake Diaries series, four girls in middle school have small business making cupcakes, and each of the different books is told from a different character’s perspective. Although “Coco Simon” is named as the author on the Simon and Schuster website, it’s not clear whether she is a real person.

Other books by this author include:

Katie and the Cupcake War (August 2012)
Alexis, Cool as a Cupcake (June 2012)
Emma, All Stirred Up (April 2012)
Mia, Baker’s Dozen (February 2012)
Katie, Batter Up (December 2011)
Alexis and the Perfect Recipe (October 2011)
Emma on Thin Icing (August 2011)
Mia in the Mix (May 2011)
Katie and the Cupcake Cure (May 2011)

For more, go to The Cupcake Diaries website.

Learning from Revision

2012-01-27T09:07:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday! I'm especially happy this week because I finally got through the first part of my revisions! It was the hard part, the part where I re-envison the story, adding in completely new scenes to keep up the tension and cutting out scenes that slowed the story down (or were confusing to anyone but me).

I haven’t done much to celebrate yet, besides eating a gooey chocolate dessert and planning a night of doing nothing but napping and watching T.V. My family said, “Napping? You don’t nap.” Ha! I do if I’ve spent every waking moment (plus some when I should have been sleeping) on revising my novel.

So, after that nap, I’m moving on to the next part of my revision process, where I work on revising for consistency. If you want to read more about that, I've blogged about it over at MiG Writers today.

Some things I discovered during my revision:

1. Doing a little work on the book every day does eventually get me to the end.

2. Making big changes and taking risks leads to a ~~much~~ stronger story. Every time you write something, you're setting up a limitation or constraint that will affect the rest of the story. For example, in my earlier version, one of my characters was kept in a guarded room for some of the story. Re-visioning this situation to give her a bit more freedom opened up so many possibilities.

3. I use words like "much", "just", and "but" way too often.

4. Goat cheese and walnut ravioli

I hope you had a great week too!

Ten Non-Food Ways to Use Taste in Writing

2012-01-25T06:01:00.009-05:00

Descriptions that draw on the senses of sight or hearing sometimes seem to come more naturally than some of the other senses, such as taste. Even though taste can evoke powerful memories and associations, it's usually only related to eating and food (as follower Marcia Hoehne pointed out in commenting on an earlier post about writing with the five senses). That got me thinking.

Are there other situations for using the sense of taste that aren't related to food? Here's what I've come up with from my perspective as a children's writer:

1. Snow

2. Medicines

3. Wind/air/dust blown into your mouth

4. Swimming in a pool

5. Swimming in the ocean

6. Nervous behaviour - Some kids chew on clothing, pencils, Lego bricks, and other non-food substances.

7. Blood, sweat or other body substances

8. Dirt (e.g., eaten on a dare or randomly during play)

9. Toothpaste, dental tools and substances

10. Shampoo, soap or other stuff that accidentally gets in your mouth

Can you think of any others? (Keep it clean, kids may read this blog.)

Use Smells and Tastes for Powerful Writing

2012-01-18T06:02:00.003-05:00

Most writers have heard how important it is to use all the senses to make a story come alive. But sometimes it's difficult to find the right words, especially when it comes to describing smells or tastes. Here are some tips for using smells and tastes in your writing:

Write what comes naturally. Trying to put smell and taste in every situation will seem unnatural. Some settings lend themselves to describing tastes or smells more than others. Use it where it fits -- to introduce a memory, to add richness to a setting or situation, to bring out character.

Use the emotion. Smells and tastes are strongly connected to experiences and feelings -- the cinnamon scent of grandma's cookies, the faint smell of your boyfriend's scent on a pillow, the antiseptic smell of the hospital where Dad was sick. Tying smells and tastes to feelings in your writing can strengthen the emotion.

Make comparisons. There really aren't that many words to describe smells or tastes compared to vision, so it's often useful to compare an unfamiliar smell or taste to a familiar (and interesting) one.

Be specific. Using a specific descriptor always creates a sharper image than a vague one. Think about the word "stink". "The stink of wet dog" evokes a totally different sensation than "smelly sock stink" or "onion breath stink".

More considerations when using smells and tastes in writing for children:

Character reactions. Reactions to smells and tastes reveal character. A fussy kid is bothered by strong tastes and smells. Some people are "supertasters" and react to even a hint of a taste. You can give your character an interesting quirk by giving him a specific smell or by having her always react strongly to a particular taste.

Background and range of experience. Here I go again, talking about filtering everything through the main character's perspective. But it's so important for using tastes and smells effectively. Your character's background affects the way they experience the world. The expression "sour as a lemon" only works if your character has seen or eaten a lemon. Since I write MG, the smells and tastes I include need to be relevant to the age group of my readers - think "bubble gum" vs. "fine wine."

Cliches. Be aware of whether your sensory comparisons for taste and smell are cliched. Sometimes you want them to be. "Sour as a lemon" evokes a specific taste and can get a point across quickly. On the other hand, using too many cliched expressions could make your writing seem stale or ordinary.

Sensory overload. A choice word here or there can sometimes be more powerful than a long description. When writing for kids, go for a word or phrase with a strong image and leave out the wordy descriptions. How much detail do you need for each sense? Do you need to include all the senses in every description?

Do you have any tips on using smell and taste in your writing? Have you read any children's books that are good examples of how to write with smells or tastes?

Links:
*If you know of any other useful links about using the senses, let me know and I'll include them.

Feed Your Senses and some ways to use Common Senses at Paranormal Point of View.

Karen Strong has some great examples of effective scenes that use smell and taste.

Some strategies for getting in touch with your senses at Adventures in Children's Publishing.

Over at the Do It Yourself Degree in Creative Writing, you'll find some tips on using each of the senses in Writing Through the Senses.

The Language of the Senses makes some interesting points about how the senses are handled differently in writing.

Jess at the Falling Leaflets talks about writing with the five senses.

Faith Hunter discusses ways for writing with taste and smell.

Check out this in-depth article on writing with the sense of smell by Chip Scanlan.

At The Bookshelf Muse, you'll find an invaluable resource for describing emotions, textures, weather, and settings.

See also my posts on Words for Describing Smells and Ten Non-Food Ways to Use Taste in Writing.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Ivy Ever After

2012-01-16T06:01:00.001-05:00

Today’s pick: Ivy Ever After by Dawn Lairamore

Published by Holiday House, 2010

Summary:

According to the Dragon Treaty, Princess Ivy of Ardendale must be locked in a tower on her 14^th birthday, a tower guarded by a fierce dragon. She’s supposed to wait to be rescued by a handsome prince. But she doesn’t want to be rescued, and Eldridge, the dragon, isn’t cut out for guarding towers. Instead, they join forces on an adventure to search for Ivy’s fairy godmother in troll-infested mountains.

My Take:

This book was such a fun read! To me, it seemed perfect for 9 to 11 year old girls who enjoy fantasy and fairytales. It was great to see how the author blended humour and adventure in this story. This novel has a very definite and consistent voice, created through the fairy tale elements and the humorous writing style. There are a lot of descriptive, sensory details that worked to create a good sense of setting. I’d re-read this story to study how the author used adjectives and actions to develop character.

Other Info:

There is a sequel to this book called Ivy and The Meanstalk.

For more, go to Dawn Lairamore’s website.

Friday Fun: Stuff I've Found This Week

2012-01-12T07:49:00.035-05:00

Is it me or did this week seem to drag on longer than usual? I think one of the hardest weeks of the year is the first week back after the holiday break. Here are a few interesting things I came across this week:

1. In an interview for the Globe and Mail, Daniel Handler, author of Why We Broke Up and the Lemony Snicket series, says he thinks adults have always found children's literature appealing. "What happened with Harry Potter is that people started to admit it."

But maybe it depends on the book format (see the comments on Adults Reading Children's Books?) Commenter Karen Strong says, "This is why I love reading on my e-reader because now people don't know!"

2. Have you heard these podcasts by Katie Davis? I just discovered them! Now I have something else to listen to while I'm mopping the floors. I'm always looking for more good writing or children's lit related podcasts.

3. Snow! After a weirdly rainy winter so far, we finally got a little snow. My kids were hoping for a snow day, but the grass isn't even covered yet.

4. Dog duvets that let you recycle old blankets -- I'm definitely getting one of these for my dog!

Hope you had a great (and productive) week!

Writing With All of Your Senses

2012-01-11T09:18:00.000-05:00

When I write, I tend to rely on vision, touch and hearing.

This helps me conceptualize the world my character experiences. I imagine the hazy sky as she tramps through the woods in the early morning and the way the long grass brushes against her legs as she walks. I can almost hear the rustling of her clothing and the birds calling to each other in the distance. By imagining myself in the situation, it's usually easy to find ways to describe sounds, sights and what my character feels.

I find I'm less likely to think about tastes and smells without remembering to work at it. This surprises me, since smells and tastes are a huge part of my life. I'm usually the first in my household to notice the reek of the garbage or the soured milk.

Have you ever examined your writing to see which of the five senses you include the most when you write? Which one(s) do you have to work at?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Tomorrow Girls

2012-01-09T07:08:00.001-05:00

Today’s Pick: Behind the Gates (Tomorrow Girls Book #1) by Eva Gray

Published by Scholastic, 2011

Summary:

It’s sometime in the future and the United States is at war with the Alliance. Louisa and her best friend Maddie (posing as Louisa’s twin sister) are lucky to have a place at an elite boarding school that will keep them safe. The school isn’t perfect. They have to surrender all electronic devices, jewelry, and their personal identification bracelets. They have strictly regimented chores and they’re not allowed to talk to the boys at the school across the lake. But Louisa enjoys the canoeing, archery, and other survival skills they are learning, especially when she discovers she’s a crack shot. Too bad her roommate Evelyn is so suspicious about the school’s true purpose. Then Maddie starts to get suspicious too. After Maddie gets in trouble, Louisa finds some hints about what is really going on. The four roommates will need to depend on each other if they’re going to survive.

My Take:

This is the first book in a four-book adventure, and a good introduction to the series problem and characters. I enjoyed the fast pace of the novel, the dystopian elements and the interactions between the four girl characters. A strength of this novel is the clean, spare writing – a good model for how to write MG without a lot of description cluttering the story. This novel has been described as like The Hunger Games but lighter. Like The Hunger Games, this novel is written from a first person POV, in present tense. If I were planning to write using this style for MG, I’d definitely study this novel. I like the way the main character’s thoughts and feelings are integral to the entire story. The ending of this book leaves you hanging though and you need to read the other books to get the complete story.

Other Books by This Author:

Run for Cover (Tomorrow Girls Book #2)
With the Enemy (Tomorrow Girls Book #3)
Set Me Free (Tomorrow Girls Book #4)

Other Info:

I couldn’t find an author website or blog, other than a basic list of the books at Scholastic’s site.

Looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday? Try here:

Shannon O'Donnell

Shannon Messenger
Joanne Fritz

Barbara Watson

Pam Torres

Ruth Donnelly

Akossiwa Ketoglo

Karen Yingling

Jennifer Rumberger

Gabrielle Prendergast
Brooke Favero
Gina Carey

Adults Reading Children's Books?

2012-01-06T06:02:00.005-05:00

One of the things I plan to continue with in 2012 is my 100 Book Challenge, where I challenge myself to read 100 YA and MG books in a year. This year, I actually read more MG than YA.

Along with finding some really great books, keeping track of what I read has benefits, especially when people ask me for book recommendations for those age groups. The more MG and YA fiction I read, the more I realize how much I enjoy it. The stories are faster paced and usually always emotionally satisfying. There are so many good children's writers, I never feel that I'm missing something by not reading more books for adults.

The biggest problem I have is when other adults ask what I'm reading or look at me funny when they see I'm reading a "children's book". I usually mumble something and quickly change the subject, as though there's something wrong with what I'm reading, when in fact, these are some of the best books I've ever read. This year, I'm going to work on being less self-conscious and start verbalizing more about why I'm reading the book and why I'm enjoying it.

In case you were wondering, I do read some books written for adults too -- mysteries, chick lit, The Night Circus, cookbooks, nonfiction about health and food, and now, books that I can get on my Kindle (it hasn't replaced what I read in paper, just provided another way for me to find books to read).

What do you say when another adult asks you about the children's book you're reading? Any advice?

Goals and Wishes for 2012

2012-01-04T06:04:00.001-05:00

Even though I don't obsess over whether I've accomplished my goals for the year (see my post on Jan 1), I do like to have a few simple, doable goals to help guide me when I sit down to write, otherwise I can sit there feeling lost and directionless. So for this year, here's what I plan to do:

1. Finish my latest round of revisions for Novel #4 (The Grand Chef's Apprentice).

2. Finish the big revision I started of Novel #3 (Wild Genius). I have a great outline waiting -- I just need the time and energy to do it.

3. Start something new. It seems like for the last couple of years, I've been working on the same old projects. Good for them, because they just keep getting stronger. I've learned a lot. But I still have a huge collection of story ideas growing in my notebook that I never have enough time for.

When I look back on my goals for 2011, I see that #2 and #3 are pretty much the same as what I included last year. Aack! I think part of the problem is that I'm always revising something - the revisions never seem to stop. Oh well, that means I did accomplish one of my goals - writing more regularly.

What are your writing goals for 2012? Did you accomplish what you set out to do in 2011 or did you have some unexpected surprises along the way?

A New Year = New Realizations

2012-01-01T10:03:00.000-05:00

At the beginning of a new year, I always wonder what new challenges lie ahead. I'm almost afraid to look back on my accomplishments for the past year, thinking it will be depressing when I discover I haven't met any of my goals.

What looking back does do is remind me of all the interesting things I've done and learned, which might be even more valuable than analyzing those goals that I have (or haven't) completed. The most important thing I've learned for my writing this year is this:

The plot is nothing until the main character's experiences and thoughts make it come alive.

Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but one of the things that has happened in my writing this year is that I've gained a deeper appreciation for how critical the main character's perspective is to the story (thanks to Mary Kole, Cheryl Klein, the Plot Whisperer, countless blogs I've read, and working hard on my own writing). It seems like something obvious and basic, but the more I think and work on this, the harder and more challenging it becomes.

Now, if only I could stop obsessing over whether each individual word fits the way the character thinks or acts, I might actually make some progress.

What important thing did you learn about your writing in 2011? What aspect of writing do you hope to get some insight into in 2012?

Revision Tip: Take a Holiday!

2011-12-23T09:11:00.000-05:00

Today's Tip:

One of the most commonly repeated pieces of advice for revising is to take some time between writing your draft and working on revisions.

What I usually do is set a story aside for a couple of months while I write the first draft of another project (because there are always more stories waiting for me to write). I don't like to rush. Revisions require incubating time as well as writing time.

Useful link: Jessica over at Bookends Literary Agency gives an agent's perspective on taking time for revisions.

Happy Holidays! This is my last revision tip for the month -- I'll be back in January (well-rested and with a good chunk of my novel revision done).

Revision Tip: Choose the Right Details

2011-12-19T05:55:00.000-05:00

Today's Tip:

Details add sparkle to the story (and can sometimes cut down your word count).

It's a little weird to think that putting in details can actually make a story shorter. But one of the things I’ve noticed while revising is that sometimes a carefully selected word or phrase can replace an entire sentence.

I think it’s important to make sure the details you choose are ones your main character would notice. For example, my current novel has a lot of smell-related details since my main character has a keen sense of smell.

Watch for:

- sentences where the main purpose is to state a description (often starting with "It was..."). These can sometimes be eliminated by using a descriptive phrase or by showing how the character reacts to the description.

- sensory details that are vague, rather than specific. For example, It smelled delicious vs. It smelled like the gingerbread cookies her grandmother used to bake.

Cool Quote: “Description does nothing to move a story forward on its own. It’s how it interacts with the characters that makes or breaks it.” Janice Hardy, Description 101: Is Your Description Helping Your Story or Holding It Back? The Other Side of the Story, April 21, 2011

Over at Chocolate for Inspiration, my critique buddy Christina Farley talks about her revision process – she has one phase of revision that's just for getting the details right.

Revision Tip: Experiment, But Save It

2011-12-14T06:01:00.005-05:00

Today's Tip:

Make good use of your technology.

Since I’m writing on a computer, I easily can make as many drafts as I like and no one will see them. That gives me the freedom to try things out in a different way to see if that makes for a stronger story. I can cut out a character, add new chapters etc. Sometimes I save separate paragraphs of bits of the story that I liked but didn’t fit with my new vision. Then if I need to, I can go back to them or use them somewhere else.

Watch for:

- save different versions of the file under a different name

- backing up files is critical

Cool Quote: “…unless you make big changes, a revision isn’t worth doing. If you go out on a submission round and get roundly rejected, you’re not going to solve your problem by going back to the page to tweak a few words here and there.”

Mary Kole, Big Revision, December 7,2011

Revision Tip: Scenes as Building Blocks

2011-12-12T06:01:00.013-05:00

Today's Tip:

Each scene is a step towards the final big event that happens at the end of the story.

Can you tell I’ve been learning from The Plot Whisperer? One of the things I do as I revise is to check my story, scene by scene, to make sure each scene has a purpose.

I also think about the characters in each scene, what their goals are for that scene and how the scene contributes to their overall goal. I’ve been noticing some interesting ways my character’s goals interact, leading to scenes that have more than one purpose in the story. Watch for:

- scenes with no apparent purpose: they need to be cut or amped up (even if the writing is amazing)

- scenes where too much is happening: sometimes they need to be broken up

- scenes that repeat in terms of the pattern of events or structure

Cool Quote:

“…it wasn’t until I learned to see scenes on a micro level—as needing goals, obstacles and turning points of their own—that I became a publishable writer.”

Lena Coakley,Some Thoughts on Scene Structure, posted on her blog November 30, 2011.

Paying It Forward

2011-12-09T06:38:00.000-05:00

How is your December going? So far, my revisions are coming along (slow but steady). People I care about are getting all kinds of good news. My Christmas shopping is well underway. My younger daughter is actually cleaning out her closet without being asked (I'm stunned). And I won a Kindle!

Yesterday, I received my brand new Kindle in the mail, courtesy of Karen Strong. She has an awesome blog for writers (and I'm not just saying that because I won her giveaway). Karen's generosity has inspired me to be more giving too, so in addition to the charity donations I already do at this time of year, I decided to make a donation to First Book, an organization that helps connect books with kids who need them.

Then I saw that Six Teaching Authors (another great blog) are donating to First Book too. Wow! It's great to see all this kindness and caring in our world.

P.S. My daughters are both very excited about the Kindle, and now we're shopping for some good reads. Any suggestions?

Revision Tip: Working on Structure

2011-12-07T05:55:00.004-05:00

For the month of December, I really need to concentrate on my novel revisions. So instead of my usual Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and ABCs of Writing Middle Grade Fiction I'll be posting short revision tips from various sources.

Today's Tip:

Learning about book structure from reading and analyzing published books in your genre can be really helpful. I find I get the most out of this process if I do it myself, but there are some great ones out there on writer blogs (for example, see Laura Pauling's Plot Busters posts). When I get stuck on a plot issue, I often turn to one of my novel analyses to see how other writers manage to get their plots to fit together.

Cool Quote: "Analyzing a book through dissection turned out to be one of the most concrete and most helpful revision strategies I tried...the power of the dissection process was that I came to these same conclusions on my own by analyzing how writers I admire created books that I love."

Katherine Schlick Noe, Revision: Turning Spilled Milk Into Ice Cream blogging at From the Mixed Up Files on August 5, 2011.

Revision Tip: Telling in Dialogue

2011-12-05T06:01:00.002-05:00

For the month of December, I really need to concentrate on my novel revisions. So instead of my usual Marvelous Middle Grade Monday and ABCs of Writing Middle Grade Fiction I'll be posting short revision tips from various sources.

Today's Tip:

It's easy to hide telling in dialogue. It can also create situations where your dialogue feels off, because you are telling something in your dialogue that doesn't match with what is being shown in the story. Watch for:

- adjectives that explain character emotions, e.g. she said in surprise

- attributions that explain dialogue, e.g. he barked

Cool Quote: "Every time you insert an explanation into dialogue, you're cheating your readers of a little bit of one of your characters. Do it often enough, and none of your characters ever comes to life on the page."

Renni Browne and Dave King, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Physical Description and Character

2011-11-30T06:00:00.006-05:00

As I work on my novel revision, one of the things I'm trying to do is to create stronger characters. There are a lot of elements that go into this, but one of the things I noticed is that I have almost no physical descriptions of my characters in my writing (though I do have a lot of scenes showing physical reactions and what they are doing). Does it matter?

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne & King advises me to include only enough physical description to help readers picture a character. As a reader, I tend to agree. I actually don't like reading too much about a character's appearance. I find it easier to put myself in the character's shoes if I don't have to keep noticing our physical dissimilarities (or put effort into ignoring them). And since I write MG fiction, I'm always being careful not to include too much of any kind of description. For the tiny amount that I do include I'm thinking about:

1. Using other characters. I like having other characters refer to details about the main character (or another character). Of course, these details need to be blended in where they fit with the story, not mentioned just for the sake of mentioning them. (The cliched device of having the character looking in a mirror to describe herself springs to mind.)

2. Showing. The old show vs. tell comes up here again. It's easy to throw in an adjective to describe; much harder, but more effective, to show physical characteristics through what the character is doing or through reactions (e.g., brushing long hair out of their eyes to avoid answering a question).

3. Giving out details bit by bit. I try to avoid info dumps of any kind, including descriptive ones. As a reader, I like the way the character develops in my mind as a story moves along. Part of that is learning more about what they look like, or, even better, what is significant about the details of their appearance the author has chosen to include (e.g., their eyes are the same colour as their grandmother's).

4. Being specific. I figure that if I'm only mentioning a few physical details, they'd better be the most relevant ones. Something that will help readers remember my character and something that helps show their personality, without seeming too unnatural or contrived.

Do you have any tips for writing physical descriptions? How do they affect your reading?

Links:

I notice that The Bookshelf Muse has a great post on writing physical descriptions you might want to check out.

The Sharp Angle has some great advice and examples for describing physical appearance.

Darcy Pattison uses Chris Crutcher's Whale Talk to illustrate how to use interesting details to create characters.

Agent Mary Kole talks about character self-description, and you can find some great points discussed in the comments to the post.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Magic Thief

2011-11-28T06:03:00.002-05:00

Today’s pick: The Magic Thief Book 2: Lost by Sarah Prineas

Published by HarperCollins, 2009

Summary:

In the first book of The Magic Thief series, street thief Conn finangles his way into an apprenticeship with important wizard Nevery – who provides support as Conn searches for his “locus magicalus”, a special object that will allow him to talk to wizard magic. Conn’s search for his locus magicalus continues in The Magic Thief: Lost, (after having found it and lost it in Book 1) but since he doesn’t have it, he tries to use the power of explosions to communicate with the magic. After his explosive experiments cause some serious destruction, Conn ends up exiled from his city, Wellmet, but the magic leads him to join his friend Rowan on a journey to Desh to try to fight the mysterious Shadows that are turning the people of Wellmet to stone.

My Take:

If you’re looking to see how to develop a character and see the world through his perspective, this book is a great example. The writing has a good balance of description and action, and the story moves along well. I liked the way journal entries and letters bring in points of view of other characters in the series. This is clearly a middle grade novel, and I think it would be enjoyed by both boys and girls.

Other Info:

This book is part of The Magic Thief series. The author includes backstory to catch you up on what you’d missed, but I’d definitely recommend beginning with Book 1.

Other books by this author:

Winterling (coming in January 2012)

The Magic Thief

The Magic Thief: Found (Book 3)

For more info, visit Sarah Prineas’ website.

Revision Homework

2011-11-25T06:07:00.009-05:00

The other day I was working at my computer, brainstorming obstacles and problems to help strengthen my novel plot for the big revision I'm doing. My twelve-year-old walked in, looked at the screen and said, "That looks like homework."

Good thing I always kind of liked homework when I was kid.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Girl's Best Friend

2011-11-21T06:05:00.001-05:00

Today’s pick: Girl’s Best Friend by Leslie Margolis

Published by Bloomsbury, 2010.

Summary:

Twelve-year-old Maggie has a job walking dogs. (Ssh! Her parents don’t know about it). When Maggie's twin brother, Finn, gets stuck inviting Maggie's ex-best friend, Ivy, to their joint birthday party, Maggie catches Ivy stealing her dogsitting money. Then she finds out that Ivy's dog, Kermit, is being ransomed by a dognapper, and Maggie starts to investigate. Reluctantly, Ivy agrees to help (imagine working on a project with your ex-best friend). Things get even more complicated for Maggie when other dogs start disappearing and the boy she likes, Milo, seems to be involved.

My Take:

I always have a hard time finding middle grade mysteries for girls, so I was happy to find this book. Although, I thought the solution to the mystery was a little obvious, the author did a great job of including clues and twists, so maybe middle grade readers wouldn’t find it quite as predictable. The character of Maggie and her concerns and interests were very firmly middle grade and I liked it that she was an ordinary girl and not over the top silly or girly. Reading this book showed me how to use specific details to help create a believable character. (Plus, it includes dogs!)

Other Info:

This book is the first in the Maggie Brooklyn series. The second book, Vanishing Acts, comes out in December 2011.

Other books by this author include:

Everybody Bugs Out (MG)
Fix (YA)
Price of Admission (MG)
Boys Are Dogs (MG)
Girls Acting Catty (MG)

For more, go to the fun Maggie Brooklyn website.

Cool Blog Quote: Interactive Reading

2011-11-18T06:01:00.009-05:00

The process of reading (whether the book is digital or paper) is interactive. As we read, we make guesses and draw conclusions, work out implications and connect what we already know to what we're reading. One of the things I watch out for when I'm writing is to not over-explain or over-describe, so the reader has some space to bring their own experiences to the story.

Earlier this week, Patricia C.Wrede, author of The Thirteenth Child, discussed how you can make a strong impact in your writing by allowing the reader to fill in some of the missing details:

"...if the writer provides a few of the right visual details, plus some sounds, smells, and sensations, plus the viewpoint character’s reaction, the reader will generally fill in what’s missing with his/her own details…and the resulting image will be more powerful because it’s tailored to fit each reader by the readers themselves."

Patricia C. Wrede, Making an Impact.

F is for Fear: What Children's Writers Need to Know

2011-11-16T06:01:00.001-05:00

Whether you write scary stories or you just want to create a strong emotional experience for your reader, your character is likely to be afraid or anxious at some point in your story. What do children’s writers need to know about fear?

Fears are different at different ages. The things that terrify a 5-year-old (e.g., loud noises, imaginary creatures) may be different than what scares an 8 to- 12-year old. Some common fears for middle grader readers include:

- nightmares or scary dreams

- violent weather, like tornados or hurricanes

- death

- war and terrorism

- speaking in front of a group

- someone breaking into the house

- being late for school or class

- divorce

Not all fears have the same intensity. Fearful reactions are linked to personality and past experiences. One kid might be only a little anxious about starting a new school while another might be really scared. Think about what past experiences your character might have had to create or develop the fear.

Fears can be unique. Even though some fears are common to many, some children have a specific, unusual fear that continues through childhood. For example, someone I know was afraid of automatic flush toilets for most of his childhood, after losing a coin in one as a young child.

Because everyone has experienced fear or anxiety at some point, including a character’s fears in your writing can help you connect with readers. Fear may also be a way to provide a flaw or problem your character needs to overcome, or to increase the tension in your story.

Some tips for including fear:

Show fear through actions. Behaviour is a big giveaway to fear, but beware of too much emphasis on physical reactions (there are only so many times a character can feel their heart pounding). In the real world, we often gauge our reactions through how other people react. If your secondary or minor characters act afraid, that can add to the reader’s fear for the main character.

Choose details carefully. Over-describing a scene might actually take away from the scariness of an experience because nothing is left for the reader to imagine. A little fearfulness can go a long way.

Add surprises and twists. Scary things sometimes burst out at us (like in a haunted house) or come at a moment when they aren’t expected.

Suspense. A slow build up of tension can create a feeling of “on the edge of your seat” or shared fear with the character. If you know the character is afraid of something, but not when he will encounter it, that can create suspense in a story.

Be clear on your purpose. Although parents often look for books to help children cope with fears, it’s an entirely different thing to create a story with fearful events for the purpose of entertainment. Readers of middle grade books may be looking for the thrill of reading something scary. Or maybe just to relate to a character because they share the same emotional experiences.

Have you read any good books where the writer has used fear effectively as an element in the story? Or, do you have any tips to share on using fear?

Links:

*As usual, if you know of any good links on this topic that would be helpful to writers, let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to this list of resources.

Teresa Frohock has some tips on Writing Creepy for Kids Without Scarring Them for Life

Sara Todd gives us some strategies for writing horror for kids.

Over at Paranormal Point of View, Lisa Gail Green gives us some ideas for how to create fear in the minds of readers.

At the Bookshelf Muse, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi have a comprehensive list of ways to describe fear in their Emotion Thesaurus.

For a list of some scary middle grade books, check out Stacy Whitman’s Grimoire – Scary Middle Grade Books.

And, for some background info on real kids:

At Kids Health, kids talk about feeling scared.

At Anxiety Care, there’s lots of info on kids fears and phobias.

Scholastic.com tells us some of the biggest fears for kids starting middle school.

If you’re struggling with the issue of whether to include something scary in your novel, Jennifer Neilsen of From the Mixed Up Files writes about whether scary stories are okay for children.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z

2011-11-14T06:01:00.002-05:00

Today’s Pick: The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z by Kate Messner

Published by Walker & Company, 2009

Summary:

If seventh-grader Gianna Zales doesn't finish her leaf collecting project in time, she will lose her chance to compete in the cross-country sectionals. She’s not the best at organizing or managing her time and she finds lots of excuses for starting it later. At the same time, she and her family are struggling to deal with her grandmother’s memory loss and confusion. And Zig, a boy who used to be her best friend is starting to think of her in a different way.

My Take:

Gianna’s character was what really pulled me along to finish this story. I loved it that she wasn’t super organized and got distracted like an ordinary kid. The issues she faces in the story seemed very real to me (though I got annoyed at her mother for not being more aware of the Alzheimer’s issue). As a MG writer, it’s great to see how a lot of different plot threads (e.g. boys, mean girls, family issues, school work issue) can be tied together in one story, because this is something that I find challenging in my own writing.

Other Info:

This is a stand alone novel. Along with being a writer, Kate Messner teaches English in middle school. She is active in the writing community, on Twitter @KateMessner.

Other books by this author include:

Sugar and Ice
Eye of the Storm (forthcoming, 2012)
Seamonster’s First Day (picture book)
Over and Under the Snow (picture book)

For more, go to Kate Messner’s website, http://www.katemessner.com/

If you're looking for more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts, here are a few places to check out:

Shannon O’Donnell
Joanne Fritz
Sherrie Petersen
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Anita Laydon Miller
Barbara Watson
Just Deb
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Pam Torres
Jennifer Rumberger

Are You Too Busy for a Journal?

2011-11-09T06:02:00.006-05:00

One of the things that I tend to ignore when I'm really busy with a writing project is journalling. But I think I'm making a mistake. Even though working on my story every day keeps it flowing and keeps me in the right frame of mind for writing, I think there's a lot to be said for taking a keeping a journal too.

For me, my journal is my idea space. It's where I ramble, write notes, collect ideas and ask myself questions. Even though I may be busy working on my writing, taking a few minutes to journal can help me clarify my thoughts. It also gives me a place to reflect on my progress. I can keep track of what I've accomplished so I know it and recognize it, even though it might not mean so much to someone else.

Do you keep a journal even when you're working on an intense writing project?

If you're struggling to find time to write, maybe the MiG Writers can help. This week, we're sharing some of our tips for making time for writing.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Spells & Sleeping Bags

2011-11-07T06:04:00.002-05:00

Today’s pick:

Spells & Sleeping Bags by Sarah Mlynowski

Published by Random House, 2007

Summary:

As Rachel heads off to summer camp, her magical powers are starting to kick in, but they’re a little out of control. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, she has more problems: getting the attention of the boy she likes, trying to help her little sister be less socially-inept, dealing with a girl who seems to hate her and learning to swim.

My Take:

The tone of this book promised a fun, girly story with a sprinkle of magic and that’s exactly what it turned out to be. One of the strengths of this novel is the way the author writes dialogue. The characters really come alive through their conversations. There is minimal description here, just what is needed, allowing the story to move along at a good pace. Although it’s categorized as a teen novel (there’s a lot of talk about kissing), I’d say it’s more “tween” and definitely of interest to 12- and 13- year old girls who are thinking about first crushes, first kisses, making friends, fitting in and other middle school issues. Plus, it has that magical element to add to the fun.

Other Info:

This book is part of a series called, Magic in Manhattan. Nickelodeon has optioned the rights to the series for a television movie. Other books in the series include:

Bras & Broomsticks

Frogs & French Kisses

Parties & Potions

Other books by this author include:

How to Be Bad (YA)

Gimme A Call (YA)

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have) - YA

Me vs. Me - Chick-Lit, adult

Milkrun - Chick-Lit, adult

For more, go to Sarah Mlynowski’s website.

If you want to see more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday posts, here are a few places to check out:

Shannon O’Donnell
Natalie Aguirre and Casey McCormick
Joanne Fritz
Sherrie Petersen
Brooke Favero
Myrna Foster
Anita Laydon Miller
Barbara Watson
Just Deb
Michael Gettel-Gilmartin
Pam Torres
Jennifer Rumberger

Cool Blog Quote: Be Unpredictable

2011-11-04T05:20:00.003-04:00

I'm always hoping to write a book that the reader just can't put down. James Scott Bell has some great tips in his post, What Makes a Novel a Page Turner? This quote sticks in my mind:

"...there is one thing your story absolutely cannot be, and that is predictable."

Think about that last section you wrote. Is it what your reader would expect? Maybe you need to change it up a little. Because if your writing is too predictable, chances are, you won't be creating that fresh, original work that agents and publishers are looking for.

Do you have any tips for how to keep from being too predictable in your writing?

Staying Focused on the Story

2011-11-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

Even though I'm not officially participating in NaNoWriMo, I've been inspired by the many of you who are (including my crit buddy Christina Farley). So I've decided it's time I buckled down and got some serious writing done on my latest project.

One of the things that keeps me focused while I'm writing is to think about what I want the overall tone or feeling of the book to be. Is it a quiet, thoughtful book? Something scary? A funny, entertaining story? A gripping adventure? Thinking about the overall impression I want to make with my story helps me make choices about what I need to show the reader (and what can be summed up in a line or two).

What helps you stay focused on the story when you're writing?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Half Brother

2011-10-31T06:01:00.002-04:00

Today’s Pick: Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

Published by HarperCollins, 2010

Summary:

Thirteen-year-old Ben is getting a new baby brother—a chimpanzee. Ben’s parents are both behavioral scientists and they want to prove that animals can learn American Sign Language. They think that raising a chimp in their home, like one of the family, is the best way to do it. If that wasn't hard enough, Ben has to deal with moving to a new city and a new school. Although it takes a while for Ben to warm up to his chimp brother Zan, over time they build a strong bond. At the same time, his father's research project experiences some issues and the conflict grows between Ben and his father. Eventually, Ben has to choose between loyalty to his family or to his brother. This story takes place in the early 1970's in Canada.

My Take:

This well-written novel really makes you think about the relationship between animals and humans. I admired the way research and information about the study of chimps is so skillfully blended into the story. With strong characters, bits of humor and lots of tension, this book was hard to put down. It kept me thinking long after I finished it. This story will appeal to both boys and girls, especially animal-lovers. The story isn’t only about the animal-human relationship, it’s about friendships, family and the love that brings living beings together (or keeps them apart). A note for fans of Kenneth Oppel's other books - this one is quite different, but still a compelling read.

Other Info:

This novel has been optioned for film.

It has received several awards, including the 2011 Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Book Award in the Middle Reader/Young Adult category, the Canadian Library Association Book of the Year Award and the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award, and has been named as 2011 Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association.

Kenneth Oppel shares some of his thoughts about writing this novel on his blog in written form and in this clip as he accepts his awards.

Other books by this author include:

Silverwing

Sunwing

Firewing

Darkwing

Airborn

Skybreaker

Starclimber

This Dark Endeavour (a new novel about the apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein)

For more, go to Kenneth Oppel’s website.

Halloween Fun

2011-10-28T06:01:00.001-04:00

Halloween has always been one of my favourite celebrations. It's hard not to get caught up in the enthusiasm of the kids. There's planning the costume, decorating of the yard to make it spooky, the traditional pumpkin carving, and of course, sorting and tasting all those yummy treats from the giant bag of loot.

For many kids, I bet Halloween ranks right up there with birthdays and Christmas as one of the year's best events. Strangely, I've never included Halloween in a story. When I think about how important it is to kids, now I want to. What kind of pumpkin face would your character make - scary or silly? How would they decorate - sweet smiling ghosts or a bloody murder scene? What costume would they wear? Would they collect treats or play pranks?

Have you ever included Halloween in a story?

P.S. The photo shows the pumpkins my daughters and I carved two years ago. Which pumpkin do you think I carved?

How is your writing going lately? Over at MiG Writers, we've posted a few of our tips for breaking a writing block.

What Else Do You Write?

2011-10-26T06:05:00.000-04:00

Some of you might know that in addition to trying to write MG novels, from time to time I work on stories for young kids who are learning English.

Writing for kids learning English requires some different writing skills than working on a longer piece or a novel. I enjoy the challenge of trying to fit in a repeated phrase or language structure that readers can learn, while trying to make a very short but interesting story. I also learn little bits about the culture and life in Korea, even though I've never been there, because it affects what I can include in a story (places or sports kids are familiar with, activities they might do, etc).

Whenever I write one of these beginner reader stories, I always write too much and then have to pare it down to it's simplest form. It's a different way to work then when I write novels, which are often too sparse and seem to need to have more detail layered in. (Of course, then I often end up removing it again during revision round #27.)

What kinds of writing do you do? Does one kind of writing help you with another?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Invisible Inkling

2011-10-24T06:05:00.001-04:00

Today’s pick: Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins

Published by Harper/Balzer & Bray, 2011

Back Cover Copy:

The thing about Hank's new friend Inkling is, he's invisible.

No, not imaginary. Inkling is an invisible bandapat, a creature native only to the Peruvian Woods of Mystery. (Or maybe it is the Ukrainian glaciers. Inkling hardly ever gets his stories straight.)

Now Inkling has found his way to Brooklyn and into Hank's laundry basket on his quest for squash—bandapats' favorite food. But Hank has bigger problems than helping Inkling fend off maniac doggies and search for yummy pumpkins: Bruno Gillicut is a lunch-stealing dirtbug caveperson and he's got to be stopped. And who better to help stand up to a bully than an invisible friend?

My Take:

What a fun story! This is an excellent example of a younger middle grade read (the publisher suggests ages 7 to 10), though I caught my 12-year-old sneaking a peak for a quick after school read. This book has a cool setting (the kid lives over an ice cream shop), a main character with a good sense of humour, and a creature with magical powers (an unusual invisible animal). I think it’s a great example of how to weave some issues that kids face (how to cope when a friend moves away, bullying) into an entertaining story.

Other Info:

A sequel, Invisible Inkling 2: Dangerous Pumpkins, is scheduled for publication in Summer 2012.

Other books by this author include:

Toys Go Out, Being the Adventures of a Knowledgable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic (picture book)

What Happens on Wednesdays (picture book)

The Little Bit Scary People (picture book)

For more, go to Emily Jenkins’ website.

Do You Need Backstory in Middle Grade Novels?

2011-10-19T06:00:00.005-04:00

When you’re writing for middle grade readers, you need to keep the story moving. Backstory, or information about the background or history of characters and objects, can create an info dump that stops the action of the story, or at least slows it to a snail-like crawl.

Does that mean backstory is a no-no for middle grade novels?

I think you’d have a hard time finding a novel without any backstory at all. As middle grade writer Laura Pauling points out, we need backstory for helping to create characters with depth.

Knowing some background about a character can help develop a character’s motivation (e.g., Harry Potter’s backstory of surviving Voldemort’s attack as an infant). And knowing what a character has gone through in the past can sometimes help us feel more emotionally connected to characters. So the trick is to somehow include the backstory so that it doesn’t get in the way of the real here and now story of the novel.

Some strategies:

Weave it in gradually. This is the most common tip I see in articles about backstory. Avoid an info dump by giving key details about the character’s past in small pieces, rather than a long explanation.

Make sure it’s necessary. I think it’s so important to only include backstory where and when it’s needed.

Like other elements of your story, it has to be something that the reader really needs to know at that particular point in the story. Maybe it will keep the reader from being confused. Or maybe it shows why the character has made a decision. If it doesn’t have a purpose that helps move the story along, you might not need it. A lot of advice I’ve read (including Donald Maass) says not to include backstory at the beginning, when you’re trying to hook your reader.

Use only a little. Keep your backstory brief and to the point. (Remember, the Harry Potter novels, which at times seem to be built on backstory, are exceptions.)

Make it interesting or make it quick. If you are including some backstory and have found a natural place to bring it into your story, there are different ways to fold it in. You could just directly state it and quickly move on. Or you might bring it in through a brief memory, especially if you’re trying to develop an emotional connection to your reader. Flashbacks could be another way, but I don’t see those often in books for middle grade readers (they can be confusing).

Including backstory through dialogue is one way people try to avoid the “show not tell’ problem, but as author Elana Johnson says, this can be really awkward and unnatural sounding.

How much do you rely on backstory? Do you have any tips to share?

Links:

*As always, if you know of any great posts on backstory, please let me know in the comments and I’ll add them here for our reference.

Elana Johnson, author of the YA novel, Possession, has some thoughts on using backstory for world building.

Laura Pauling’s take on backstory.

Becca Puglisi of The Bookshelf Muse gives us some strategies for using backstory in this guest post at Sherry's Fiction Writing Tools.

At Writing While the Rice Boils, Debbie Maxwell Allen has a series of 4 posts by Randy Ingermanson that give us a thorough look at the topic of backstory.

Over at Literary Rambles, Casey McCormick posts a great tip on how much backstory to include from one of her blog readers, Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban.

Rachel Larow of Mommy Authors gives some tips on balancing backstory.

Literary Agent Rachelle Gardner gives advice on strategic ways to use backstory, especially in your novel opening.

Author Jody Hedlund weighs in on how much and when to use backstory.

Kristin Lamb on backstory as the 4th deadly sin of writing.

At the Query Tracker blog, Stina Lindenblatt talks about backstory.

Author Mary Carroll Moore talks about how backstory can help or hinder.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Dear George Clooney

2011-10-17T06:30:00.000-04:00

Today’s Pick: Dear George Clooney: Please Marry My Mom by Susin Nielsen

Published by Tundra Books

Summary:

After Violet's TV-director dad leaves their family for a new job, new house, new blond actress wife and new twin baby daughters, Violet has a little difficult adjusting. Three years later, she’s still feeling angry and definitely has an attitude. She doesn’t hide her feelings about her father deserting his family. She’s protective of her little sister, who still wets the bed after the trauma of the divorce. And she watches out for her mom, who keeps dating men that just don’t measure up. When her mom starts dating Dudley Wiener (who wears vivid hand-knitted sweaters), Violet and her friend Phoebe decide they have to take matters into their own hands and help Violet’s mom get a decent man: actor George Clooney. Meanwhile, Violet is struggling with her own feelings about a boy named Jean Paul.

My Take:

I loved seeing the world from Violet’s perspective, even though it shocked me sometimes because she did things I didn’t expect (or wouldn’t do myself). This was a great study in character for me. I liked the uniqueness of Violet’s character and how she’s dealing with so many of the issues that face readers of middle grade books, such as starting to like boys, a family break up, dealing with the “mean girl” at school, figuring out how to get along with a step-mom, helping out with a little sister.

Other Info:

This is a stand alone novel. It has been named a Canadian Library Association 2011 Honour Book.

Susin Nielsen is a television writer and editor and has worked on many television series, including Degrassi, Degrassi Junior High, Ready or Not, Heartland, and Robson Arms.

Other books by this author include:

Word Nerd (I also loved this one)

For more info, visit Susin Nielsen’s website.

Birthday Wishes

2011-10-15T05:57:00.021-04:00

Here it is, my birthday again. Last year, I posted my list of birthday wishes. Today, my wish list could be exactly the same, except that I'm working on a different novel. Huh. Does that mean I'm not making any progress? Or that my life is kind of boring?

Here's my attempt to try to come up with something new this year. As I blow out my candles, here's what I'll be wishing for:

1. Writing success for all my critique buddies. They've helped me out so much this year, I want something good to happen for them. In fact, let's spread the joy around. I'm wishing all my blogging friends something good, writing-wise. Your support and comments really brighten my day.

2. A magic plot wand that fixes all the plot holes and tangles, miraculously cutting away the stuff that doesn't belong.

3. More sleep! I know this is the same as last year, but I'm really feeling exhausted lately. In fact, I think I may spend part of my birthday indulging in a nap. Or at least reading a good book.

4. An extra hour each day to do the other fun things I don't seem to get to because I'm writing...like cooking experiments, sketching, actually working on the scrapbooks that I keep collecting things for, or playing more board games.

And by the way, I could still use one of those revision express passes!

Hope you have a great day!

Are You Writing What's Right for You?

2011-10-14T07:13:00.000-04:00

One of the things I think about when I get "not for me" responses is whether I really should be writing the kinds of things I'm writing. Is it the right genre? Am I writing for the right age group? Maybe I should be doing something else altogether. This week, over at MiG Writers, some of us talked about why we're writing YA or MG.

Thinking about the why reminds me of how much I love it. If you haven't read our post, check it out and let us know why you are writing what you write.

One of the things I love about writing MG is a sense of connection to my audience (kind of funny, in light of the "no connection to the work" responses I get about my writing). I love getting a chance to think the way a kid thinks, and letting my characters explore things I never did when I was that age.

For me, writing is like a huge escape into another world, which I suppose is why I often feel so fired up and refreshed after a writing session. But I think if I was struggling to write in a genre that really wasn't for me, writing would leave me really drained and probably grumpy.

Is Writing in Your Family?

2011-10-12T05:58:00.006-04:00

The other day, I was jotting a To-Do list in my writer's notebook (I know, lists of household jobs don't really qualify as writing but just bear with me), when I got thinking about my eccentric great-grandfather, who used to keep tiny notebooks full of lists. His lists were more about what he ate or the costs of things during his day. But now, as I consider my own obsession with writing-to-help-me-think, it makes me wonder whether he wasn't a writer that just didn't have the opportunity to write anything more than his lists.

I know I'm related to a magazine editor and an artist/writer, but maybe there are others. There must be something about the way we think that makes us more inclined to write. Is it hereditary?

Are there any other writers in your family?

Happy Turkey Monday!

2011-10-10T06:03:00.001-04:00

Today is Thanksgiving for us up here in Canada, so I'm taking the day off to rest and eat turkey.

Hope you have a great Monday!

Friday Fun: The Licence Plate Game

2011-10-07T06:04:00.001-04:00

One day in the summer, my daughters and I started generating a story inspired by licence plates as a way to fight the boredom on a long drive. Our only rule was that we had to use a new one in each story bit. How's that for story-building!

Some ways you can use licence plates to inspire your writing:

1. Character names, especially for sci-fi or fantasy. Some recent ones I saw: NINAKS, ANZY, TYTAN, DR SAME. Don't these just make you start thinking about character traits?

2. Psychology of a character. You can also think of these plates a different way, and wonder what the person is like that chose that plate. Why did someone choose 5 EVANS for their plate? What kind of person are they?

3. Names for vehicles, cities, other worlds. I'm thinking about what life would be like on DIGNITY9.

4. Made up swear words. Those random combinations of letters are great for this. BLEB!

Have you ever had any creative inspiration from licence plates?

Critique Group Benefits

2011-10-05T07:21:00.000-04:00

Do you have an awesome writing group? If you don't, I hope you get a chance one day to find one.

My writing buddies do so much more than give feedback on my writing. They are great at questioning character motives, finding places where my writing is confusing and ferreting out those sections where what my character is doing just doesn't fit with the story. But they also encourage and support me when I'm feeling down about my writing. (And let's be honest, sometimes writing can drag you down when something is not working, when life events interfere or when you don't get the response you were hoping for.)

I feel so lucky to have not only a family that supports me, but also this circle of writers, who really understand what it is like.

Who supports you in your writing?

And speaking of supporting each other, over at MiG Writers, we're still hoping to reach 60 comments to support the MAGIC (Major Aspects of Growth in Children) Foundation. Please check out our post and consider commenting. You'll have a chance to win a free book (and with so many books up for grabs your odds are pretty good).

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Flutter

2011-10-03T06:01:00.001-04:00

Today’s Pick:

Flutter by Erin E. Moulton

Published by Philomel Books, 2011

Summary:

When Maple’s newest sister Lily is born too early with a heart that isn’t working right, Maple decides to search for a miracle to help save her. So she and her big sister Dawn (and their dog, Curious) go on a mission to find the Wise Woman of the Mountains. It turns out to be a little more of an adventure than they expect, one that involves poachers, a wild river and wild animals. According to the flap copy: “This is a powerful debut novel about sisterhood, survival, and love that will stay with you for a long time to come.”

My Take:

I loved the language and voice in this novel. If you want to see how to write truly from within a middle grade character’s viewpoint, then check out this novel. Everything is filtered through the eyes of Maple, with her way of thinking, her way of talking, and what she notices. Erin Moulton did an amazing job of blending in sensory details and physical reactions through Maple’s voice.

Other Info:

This book is a debut novel. She has another novel “Tracing Stars” scheduled for publication in the summer of 2012.

For more, visit Erin Moulton’s website.

MiG Writers Giveaway!

2011-09-30T11:15:00.000-04:00

If you'd like a chance to win a cool prize and donate to an important cause, just by commenting, check out this post at MiG Writers.

One of my critique buddies, Carmella Van Vleet, has a daughter with a growth disorder (read her story here). And today is an unofficial "Growth Disorder Awareness" Day for the MAGIC Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps families who have children with rare conditions and diseases that affect growth.

Over at MiG Writers, we're supporting this event with a giveaway and fundraiser. For every person that comments, Carmella is donating $1 (up to $60, her daughter's current height in inches), PLUS everyone that comments has a chance to win one of 6 great prizes! For details, visit the MiG Writers.

Four Ways to Keep Motivated for Writing

2011-09-28T05:53:00.003-04:00

Sometimes it's hard to stay motivated. For me, this most often happens after I've sent out some queries and I'm trying to stop thinking about them by working on a new project. The "not for me" responses start trickling in and the beginning excitement of the new project wears off when I actually have to work at it. Then I start looking for ways to avoid writing, like blogging or cleaning my desk (a sign that I'm really in trouble). Does this happen to you?

Here are a few ways I get back on track:

1. Take a writing workshop. Getting an expert's view of the process often inspires me to get working on my writing. Somehow, I see my writing differently after getting another perspective.

2. Talk with a writing group. So much of my inspiration comes from my family and my writing buddies. Lately, my writing buddies and I have been checking in with updates on our writing progress. Knowing that they are working hard on their writing inspires me to work hard too.

3. Set a simple goal. I'm not talking about something like "Finish novel by end of the month". I try to set goals that I feel like I might actually accomplish, especially if I'm trying to build up some writing momentum. If I start small, and then actually meet my goal, it inspires me to reach higher next time.

4. Read (or listen) about writing craft. When my writing is stalled, sometimes I pick up a writing craft book, seek out some writing blogs or tune into a writing podcast for a little inspiration. I don't like to read books in my genre or visit bookstores when I'm lacking motivation, because it just reminds me of what I'm not accomplishing.

How do you stay motivated to work on your writing?

If you're stuck for an idea, check out this post by my MiG Writers group about where we get our best ideas.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Flipped!

2011-09-26T06:23:00.001-04:00

Today’s pick:

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2001

Summary:

Julianna Baker begins crushing on Bryce Loski from the first time they meet, in grade 2, and is convinced for years that he will be her first kiss. The problem is, Bryce doesn’t see it that way. He finds Juli annoying. As the two of them grow up through middle school, the author shows their two different and sometimes humorous points of view about a destroyed sycamore tree, Juli's homegrown chickens and their eggs, and a variety of family problems. By the end of the book, their feelings are flipped: Bryce really likes Juli and Juli has gotten over her crush.

My Take:

This is definitely a book to show you how to write different points of view. I loved the way the author took the same story event and showed it through the eyes of the two different characters, emphasizing what each character would notice. I also loved the layers the author created in this story, by going beyond the surface to include family issues, while still keeping the story firmly from a middle grader’s point of view. Although I’ve seen this novel referred to as “teen” or “YA”, to me, it definitely has a middle grade feel.

Other Info:

This book is a stand alone. It has been made into a movie, Flipped, 2010, directed by Rob Reiner.

Other books by this author:

The Running Dream

Sammy Keyes mystery series:
     Sammy Keyes and the Cold Hard Cash
     Sammy Keyes and the Dead Giveaway

The Gecko & Sticky series
   The Gecko & Sticky: The Power Potion

The Gecko & Sticky: Sinister Substitute

Shredderman series

For more info, visit Wendelin Van Draanen’s website.

Quick Writing Link: Voice

2011-09-23T06:01:00.001-04:00

Yay! Got through another work week. Is it just me, or has September been flying by? I feel like I haven't had much time to really get into my writing. Instead, I've been snatching a few minutes here and there. But something is better than nothing!

In the past couple of weeks I discovered this gem on voice. If you haven't seen this post at Notes from the Slushpile, I highly recommend it: Finding your voice: A masterclass from SCBWI with Beverley Birch by Addy Farmer.

For other resources on voice, check out my V is for Voice post featured in the ABCs of writing middle grade fiction (see my sidebar).

Happy Friday!

When You Need to Delete a Character

2011-09-22T09:02:00.000-04:00

On the advice of some of my critique buddies, I've cut out one of the characters in my latest project. I know it's for the best (she didn't make a strong contribution to the plot). It also meant I had to cut out some funny lines, but I'll get over it.

Have you ever had to cut a character? Does it give you a strange sense of satistfaction (like being a puppet master where they are all in your control) or does it make you sad?

How Over-Thinking Destroys the Story

2011-09-21T09:47:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I catch myself doing too much thinking about my writing. Of course I need to think about the character's goals, obstacles and what needs to happen to help the plot hang together. But sometimes I can get hung up on these things instead of actually writing.

It reminds me of how I can park my van perfectly if I pull into the spot and don't think much about it, but if I pause and wonder if I'm coming in at the right angle, I start having doubts. Sometimes I even end up driving right past a perfectly good spot because I thought too much about the mechanics of the process.

Does this ever happen to you? I get fixated on how a scene will fit into the overall storyline, instead of just writing it and deciding that later. Not everything needs to be worked out. For me, a lot of the good stuff emerges while I'm writing.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: One Crazy Summer

2011-09-19T06:05:00.001-04:00

Since I read so many middle grade books (see my 100 book challenge) and I blog about writing middle grade books, I thought I’d join in on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (aka MMGM) from a writer's perspective. The more I read MG, the more great books I’m finding. And some of them come from other bloggers doing MMGM (for example, see Shannon Whitney Messenger's blog).

Today’s pick:

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Published by Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2010

Summary:

Set in 1968, this novel tells the story of eleven-year-old Delphine and her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, who fly across the country to spend the summer with the mother who abandoned them seven years ago. Their mother is busy working on her poetry and doesn’t want them there. She sends them to a summer camp, sponsored by revolutionary Black Panthers, and leaves Delphine to care for her younger sisters.

My Take:

This is a great book to read for learning about how to create character—if you can stop from losing yourself in the story long enough to think about the writing. One of the wonderful things about this novel is the way the author has used details and shown the time period and setting from an eleven-year-old perspective. The opening intrigued me, since I haven’t read another middle grade novel that starts with a plane ride.

I loved what the author said in her acknowledgements, “I wanted to write this story for those children who witnessed and were part of necessary change.” It made me think about what I want to say in my own writing.

Other info:

This book is a stand alone. It is a 2011 Newberry Honor Book, and has won several other awards, including the 2011 Coretta Scott King award.

Other books by Rita Garcia-Williams:

Jumped (2009)
No Laughter Here (2004)
Every Time A Rainbow Dies (2001)

For more, visit Rita Garcia-Williams’ website.

Staying Fit While Writing

2011-09-16T05:38:00.004-04:00

This week I read several blogs that got me thinking about my approach to exercise (I don't) and how to incorporate more fitness into my already packed day. If it comes to a choice between using my time for writing or taking a walk, writing usually wins. But since it's September and I'm working on my new fall goals, I've included getting more exercise.

My philosophy is that ANY amount of exercise is better than none. I don't plan on running marathons or anything. Although even I have to admit that playing Wii Fit is pretty feeble. (Hey, there are fitness benefits. I read a study.) And much as I'd like to point out that climbing stairs while carrying a full load of laundry is working my muscles, it's more part of ordinary activity than fitness.

What I have figured out is that I can connect exercise to writing. When I go for a walk (all the sane members of my family are watching TV), I bring along my ipod and listen to a favourite writerly podcast. I like Wordplay podcasts (James Dashner, Nathan Bransford and J Scott Savage) and The Creative Penn with Joanna Penn.

What do you do to stay fit? Any good podcast recommendations?

International Dot Day

2011-09-15T06:15:00.001-04:00

I don't usually post on Thursdays, but I heard today was International Dot Day and I couldn't resist. The Dot by Peter Reynolds is one of my favourite picture books.

To celebrate, I made my own dot:

For more about this book, check out Peter Reynold's website.

Do you have any creative dot ideas? Hmm...cupcakes with dots on them would be good, too.

Is Your Writing Quirky?

2011-09-14T07:05:00.001-04:00

Sometimes, when I read descriptions of what agents are looking for, they say things like "middle grade novels with quirky characters". And sometimes books are described as "quirky". What exactly does that mean? I looked up quirky using define with Google:

Quirky: Characterized by peculiar or unexpected traits

When I think of quirky, I think of something you wouldn't find just anywhere. Something that's a little bit different, and special because it's different. It's a book with things you wouldn't normally think of together (but a middle grader might).

Quirky fits well with writing middle grade, because 9 to 12-year-olds are at an interesting place in their lives. They sometimes play like younger kids, creating intense imaginary worlds, but a few minutes later, they might be texting friends like a teenager. They can act all sophisticated by choosing the perfect school outfit and then come home and work on capturing more crickets for their collection. For me, quirkiness is one of the reason why I enjoy reading (and writing) books for middle grade readers.

What do you think "quirky" means? How can you capture "quirky" in your writing?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: Finally 12

2011-09-12T05:57:00.005-04:00

Since I read so many middle grade books (see my 100 book challenge) and I blog about writing middle grade books, I thought that from time to time I’d join in on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (aka MMGM), from a writer's perspective. The more I read MG, the more great books I’m finding. Some of them are courtesy of other bloggers doing MMGM.

Today’s pick: Finally 12 by Wendy Mass, published by Scholastic Press, March 2010

Summary: Rory has been waiting to turn 12 forever. Whenever she wanted something, like getting her ears pierced or getting a cell phone, her parents told her to wait until she was 12. So she’s kept a list of everything, big and small, that she wants to do. When her birthday finally comes, she starts work on getting the things she’s wanted – with funny and surprising results.

My take: If you want to write MG for girls, I definitely recommend reading this book. It taps into what 10- to 12-year-old girls are thinking about. Even though it’s got typical “girly” stuff like makeup, worrying about boys, and boy-girl parties (there’s even a couple of movie stars), Rory feels like a real kid with real parents (who are part of the story). I loved the humour and the voice in the book. Rory's story brought back many memories of what life was like for me at that age. I read through the book in one afternoon, and immediately passed it on to my daughter, who recently turned twelve.

Other info: This book is part of a series, which includes: 13 Gifts and 11 Birthdays. You don’t need to read the other books to understand this one, but if they are anything like Finally 12 I think they’d be worth a read. I'm going to look for them!

Other books by Wendy Mass:

Every Soul a Star

The Candy Makers

A Mango-Shaped Space

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life (being made into a movie)

For more, visit Wendy Mass’s website and blog.

Writing Through the Back-to-School Chaos

2011-09-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

Yay, Friday! This first week back to school has been exhausting. But it feels good to get back into a routine. Every fall, there are new classes, new schedules, new things to shop for -- so much new it can feel overwhelming.

Since Wednesday, my goal for the week has been to actually use the writing time I blocked out for WRITING.

Three days isn't much but I did it. Getting back to writing feels comfortable and familiar, and it counteracts some of the beginning-of-the-school-year chaos. It's definitely something to feel good about.

Oh yeah, and I also treated myself to some expensive cheese and a new turquoise purse (my inner celebration of getting back on track).

What did you feel good about this week? Did you have any writing goals?

Why is Writing So Slow?

2011-09-07T06:10:00.000-04:00

I'm lucky that writing isn't a race, because I'd come in dead last. I spend forever thinking about each little bit I write. What takes me so long is that I'm mentally living the moments with my main character and then deciding what I need to include to help my readers experience it too. (I'm also working on getting the words to sound right, but I'll leave my perfectionist tendencies out of this, I'm trying to ignore them.)

It struck me yesterday that the perspective-taking I do as a writer isn't so different from what I do as a teacher, especially at the beginning of the year. I think about the school day from a student perspective and the details a student needs to know to succeed (from "Where is the bathroom?" to "What should I do after I finish my work?") Then I decide which ones I need to explain or show them first and which I can leave for later.

The difference is that as a teacher, I need to explain or show pretty much everything. As a writer, I have to be more picky. My explanations need to be more artful and less explicit. Once I'm inside the the perspective of a character, I need to extract the essential and the unique and somehow capture that on the page. That's what takes me a long time.

What slows you down about the writing process?

Two Awesome Things

2011-09-02T06:01:00.002-04:00

Even though I was blogging while on vacation, I didn’t write much about what I was doing. Since Friday is kind of my “anything goes” day here on the blog, I’ll tell you about two awesome things.

Awesome thing #1: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Yes, it’s crowded. Yes, there are line ups. But it really shows how attention to detail can help to bring the world of a novel to life.

Even though we were overheated and surrounded by mobs of other tourists, the magic was still there. From the Butterbeer (okay, it’s $3 a cup but you have to try it) to the screaming mandrakes in the shop windows to Dumbledore’s office inside the Hogwart’s castle ride, it was amazing to soak it all in, especially when you’re there with two kids who have memorized so many of the details in the novels. It really was huge for them (even though it half of it was basically gift shops cleverly disguised as shops in Hogsmeade), so we ended up buying them their own wands.

Awesome thing #2:

I met one of my critique buddies in person!

Up until 2 weeks ago, I’d never met any of the other MiG Writers in person, even though we’ve known each other for years. We formed our group online and we live in many different places. It was so exciting to meet Christina Farley face to face! Since we knew about each other’s writing projects, we could talk about them without a lot of explanation. It was fun to fill in some of the bits and pieces about each other’s backgrounds that we didn’t know, chat about ordinary stuff, our writing, and of course Christy’s big news about getting an agent (if you haven’t seen her blog, check it out). The time went by too fast!!!

Have you ever gotten to know someone online and then met them in person?

C is for Connecting to Readers

2011-08-31T05:45:00.033-04:00

What makes you want to keep reading? Often, you feel a connection to a main character and his story so you care about what happens to him. How can writers create that connection?

Give your character a personality. A strong main character can often make me stick with a story, even if I don’t like what’s happening or the writing style. Notice that a strong character doesn’t have to be likeable, though I think 8- to 12-year-olds relate better to a character that has at least a few likeable qualities. But there has to be some reason why I want to see what happens to them, why I care to read their story. Sometimes, the reason might be simply that I see the character has the potential to change and I want to see if she does.

Use character voice. When the viewpoint character has a unique voice, it helps to create a sense that the character is real. But I think it’s important not to try too hard to play up the voice, because you can end up with forced writing that sounds like an adult trying to be a kid. Instead, tap into the character by getting to know them. Construct your character in the reader’s mind through showing how he acts and how he thinks. That’s when the character’s voice will emerge.

Add some shared interests. One of the reasons why you connect well with friends is because you have something to share—the same school, the same life goals, the same hobbies or interests. That's a good starting point for connecting to readers too. Make sure your story includes interests or hobbies that are relevant to middle-grade readers, then take it up a notch by adding a twist. Use things kids know about, like school and family, and add in something else that piques their curiosity, like dogsledding (Dogsled Dreams by Terry Lynn Johnson), having a zookeeper parent (Belly Up by Stuart Gibbs) or figureskating (Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner). Think: What would it be like to….?

Ultimately, you can’t predict whether a reader will connect with your story and characters. Not everyone wants to read every story. But if you can make the reader feel something for your character, chances are he’ll want to keep reading to see what happens next.

What do you do to help readers connect to your stories?

Links:

(*If you know of any other great articles on this subject, let me know and I’ll add them for our reference)

Lydia Sharp writes about how to connect with your reader.

Janice Hardy, author of The Healing Wars trilogy for MG readers, gives us strategies for creating characters that readers will care about.

Author Elana Johnson talks about the first thing a book needs — a character the reader can connect with.

Tabitha Bird argues that connecting with the book you want to write is more important than connecting with readers.

Lucy Marsen at From the Write Angle writes about how slowing down can help you create connections with characters.

When You Want Write But End Up Doing Anything But...

2011-08-29T06:01:00.006-04:00

One of the things I love about my writing is the way I can pick up the story where I left off, even if I haven't worked on it for a few weeks. Sure, I have to read over what was there and remind myself of what I was trying to do with it. But I can also just start typing stuff and see where it takes me.

That's assuming I actually open the story file and begin. And there's my problem.

For me, the hard part of getting back to writing is actually making myself start. I don't know why, but when I sit down at the computer, I end up doing anything but writing. Working on blog posts, checking mail, organizing my desk top, finding new quotes for my notebook. I tell myself it's getting me ready to write, but it really isn't.

This not-opening-my-file-and-writing mystifies me, because I know I love writing. I even have a project ready and waiting for me to continue. So why is it so hard to start?

Here's what I'm going to try. Beginning this week, I'm going to start back to my Five Minute Free Write. If I do that first, before anything else, I know it will help me get back to putting writing first.

What do you find hard about getting back to your writing when you've been away from it? Do you have any good strategies for "breaking the ice" in a writing session?

How Much Detail Does the Setting Need?

2011-08-24T06:03:00.011-04:00

Since I've been thinking a lot about setting lately, I was thrilled to discover this great article on the importance of setting at Cynsations. Here's a quote that lingered with me (also included on my Cool Blog Quotes):

"You chose that setting for a reason, mine it so that readers can feel that sense of place for themselves. For your audience, a rich setting is the difference between watching characters and being there with them."

Deborah Halverson, guest post at Cynsations, June 18, 2010

For me, one of the tricky things about building settings for MG is knowing how much detail to include. We know MG readers don't want to get bogged down in a lot of detail that isn't relevant to the story. When deciding about how much detail to include for a setting here are some things I think about:

1. Is the detail necessary to give the reader a clearer picture of what is happening or where the scene is taking place?

2. Does the detail help to strengthen a feeling or impression about the mood of the story?

3. Sometimes, it's helpful to stop and think about what the reader might already know about the setting. For example, there are things about a school setting or home setting that the reader will take for granted, from their own experience. As writers, we can use that and only include the unusual or interesting to build another layer on what the reader already knows.

How do you make sure you aren't overwhelming the reader with too much setting detail?

Author P.C Wrede has a great post on details vs. clutter.

What is Important About Your Character's Home Setting?

2011-08-22T11:48:00.000-04:00

Very early this morning (around 1 a.m.), my family arrived back home after a couple of weeks away. Despite the mess still cluttering the front hall, the heaps of laundry waiting to be cleaned, and the piles of mail to sort, it's a wonderful feeling to be home. It's interesting, too, how everyone in the family makes contact with what is important to them. My younger daughter was barely in the door before she ran to check on her hermit crab; I snuck a peek outside at my garden with a booklight in the dark before I collapsed into bed.

It makes me think about story characters and how details about their home settings can add authenticity to a story. The details work to create the feeling or mood that you want to convey. Familiar and personal objects help project that feeling of comfort that comes when you are in your own place. But you could create a spooky or tense mood by including details that surprise your character or make them feel out of place -- a box that wasn't there before, lights that don't work, a mysterious puddle of water on the floor.

If your main character was away from home for a while, what would they do first when they got back? What kind of home does your main character have? Do you spend a lot of time thinking about your character's home?

Online Writing Conference

2011-08-17T10:29:00.000-04:00

Have you visited Write On Con? This online conference is really worthwhile and it's free!! There is so much information there, it's awesome!

I wish it wasn't always scheduled at the same time as my vacation, so I could catch more of it. The great thing about it is that it stays up so you can read it later, too (I'll be reading most of it that way).

Still Thinking About Setting

2011-08-15T05:22:00.003-04:00

One of the things I do when I'm travelling is to keep a journal. I include the events of the day to help me remember later when I see my photos. But I also try to capture smaller things, like the food we ate, those funny little things that happen that you sometimes forget later, and a few details about what each place is like.

I know I will use some of these things later, in the scrapbooks I'm hoping to one day finish (like my novel, they are barely started). But I also think that someday, they will find their way into a novel or story.

This week I'm in Florida, and it's so different from where I live in Canada. The sun seems extra bright, the ocean water is so warm, there are lizards everywhere we go --- so many details that make it unique. Those details that I find when I travel are the kinds of details that need to go into a story to make it seem real. When I create the world of my story, I like to imagine that I'm walking through it, seeing what my character might see. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take a "mental vacation" to the story world.

What strategies do you have for creating an interesting story world?

Using Settings from Real Life

2011-08-10T05:39:00.017-04:00

I`ve been thinking about setting a lot lately. Most of the settings I create in my writing have some basis in places I've seen or visited. When I'm thinking about a setting in my story, I often choose a place I know fairly well, and conjure up those details in my mind. I've used the inside of a friend's house (they've since moved away), my own backyard, the elementary school my kids went to, and the woods outside a summer cottage we had when I was a kid.

I'm not sure anyone would recognize any of these places in my novels. My setting details create an atmosphere, but they are not specific enough for anyone to pin down a particular place. For the middle grade stories I write, my readers don't need to know a specific city or address. What they need is to feel the simple elements of a place -- its smell, the space it has for running around, whether there are butterflies sunning themselves on the porch, how the big tree in the yard is perfect for climbing, etc. |The details need to bring the story world alive for children.

How do you use details to create setting -- could other people identify your settings or not? Do you think readers need to be able to identify a specific place?

How to Stay Motivated: Revisit Writing Goals

2011-08-08T05:08:00.001-04:00

I can't believe we're already well into August and I still haven't come close to accomplishing everything I wanted to do this summer. Revising Novel #3 is moving along at a slower-than-snail pace. I think I must have set my sights too high!

But let's look at the positives. I've managed to get a lot of needed tidying and organizing done around the house, and do some things done that weren't on my list (I think they were on my husband's list though), like painting the entranceway and upstairs hall. Even better, a novel idea I had a while ago is resurfacing and I have a different take on it this time. One that begs me to do more thinking and planning.

The only trouble is I'm not doing much writing. I find that if I don't revisit my writing goals from time to time, I'm more likely to fill my free time with things that are totally non-productive. For example, I've recently discovered Plants vs. Zombies. And I don't plan on writing a zombie book any time soon.

How is your writing going this summer? What is your latest craze that's eating away your writing time?

Have You Seen These Blogs?

2011-08-05T05:19:00.002-04:00

This week I was lucky enough to get two awards. Wow! Just the thing to perk me up when I'm struggling to stay motivated. So, thank you to:

Laura at Laura B. Writer - Laura posts about blogs from a marketing perspective (FAMP) , Facebook and other interesting things.

and

Freya at A Writer's Endeavour - Freya posts reviews and recommendations of children's fiction in the fantasy genre, as well as looking at children's fantasy in film, media and games.

Although regular followers of my blog probably know that I don't pass along awards, I do read a lot of other blogs and I'm going to share a few I've discovered recently:

Juliette Wade at TalkToYoUniverse - Juliette's blog is full of interesting and thought-provoking commentary on writing.

Vicky Bruere at Dilettante to Dynamo: A Beginning Writer's Adventures - Vicky writes picture books and blogs about writing with an upbeat and positive perspective.

Melodie at Forever Rewriting - Melodie blogs about writing and about her life in Alaska, and I love learning about places that are different from where I live.

Kathy Stemke at Education Tipster - Kathy has an educational slant to her blog, with book reviews and activities for teachers. I think it's important to think about and be aware of how teachers might use what we write.

Emily Rittel-King at Get Busy Writing - Emily poses some thought-provoking questions that make me dig deeper and she has a cool Blogger Mentor Mondays feature.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Thinking About Minor Characters

2011-08-03T06:05:00.011-04:00

When I'm writing, I pay the most attention to the main characters. Minor characters are kind of there, in the background, emerging when I need them. But I'm realizing they need some serious attention.

I don't want a lot of characters cluttering up the thoughts of my reader and getting in the way of the story. (As a reader, I sometimes put down a book if it has too many characters to keep straight). So how do I know if these minor characters should even be in my novel?

1) Is the minor character necessary?

In the chapter I'm working on, there are two or three minor characters that don't appear anywhere else in the story. When I think about it, they do have a purpose. They add to the realism and authenticity of the story (they show the point of view character isn't socially awkward, see my post on friends in middle grade novels for more on this). They also pass along some information to the POV character.

But are there other ways the main character could get the information? Of course. She could overhear a conversation or interact with a more important character. Or maybe there's another, more creative way (time for more brainstorming). A good way to test if a minor character is necessary is to re-write the scene or chapter without them and see if it works.

2) If the minor character is necessary, how much detail should I include?

For me, the more details I include about a character, the more importance they take on in the story.

A detail that I'm struggling with is the minor character's name. If the POV character knows this person, she's going to think of them by name, not by some reader-friendly description like "the girl in bunk 4 in my cabin at summer camp." As a reader, I really hate that. But if my main character references the minor character by name, will my reader expect the minor character to be significant in the story? Will readers feel cheated if they don't see the named character again after this chapter? I don't have the answers yet, but I'm working on it.

Do you have any tips for dealing with minor characters? Do you include their names?

If you want to know more about minor characters, I recently found this article by David B. Coe, Basics of Writing part XII: Creating Minor Characters.

Holiday Fun & Middle Grade Books

2011-08-01T06:02:00.005-04:00

It's a holiday here. We call it the Civic Holiday...not a very exciting name, is it? I can't imagine going around saying, "Happy Civic Holiday". Oh well, I'll take it anyway. Which means I'm not posting today. Instead I'll be hanging out with the family, enjoying my Monday. I hope you have a great one!

On Wednesday, I'll be back to talk about some issues with minor characters.

If you're looking for more great middle grade books to read, The Book Smugglers are doing a Middle Grade Appreciation Week.

What I Learned This Week

2011-07-29T05:46:00.001-04:00

This week there were a lot of blog posts that got me thinking, and I printed out a few to save for my writing notebook (for those moments when I need to look back and be inspired or remind myself that I need to be doing something productive). What I learned this week:

1. How to create an elevator pitch from agent Rachelle Gardner. I always get tongue-tied when someone asks me about my novel, so it's probably good to have something prepared.

2. Things to consider when thinking about writing a sequel, from Amparo Ortiz's blog, No Rest for the Lazy, Sequels: What I Like as a Reader.

3. How to take a step beyond reading middle grade books and learn more from them, from a guest post by Carmelo Martino called Reading Like a Writer on agent Mary Kole's blog KitLit.

4. You have to keep things in perspective (in life as well as in writing). My in-laws are visiting, need I say more? Actually, I loved this post from Kerrie at The Writing Bug called No More Rejections. A quote:

We send our work out to see if an agent, editor or publisher is interested and they respond with a "yes" or a "no thank you."

They are not rejecting us or our work, they are simply responding to us.

5. You'll never get a "Yes" if you don't keep trying.

I read a comment on someone's blog with this message (sorry, I didn't get the source, and the wording was slightly different) and it has stuck in my head. I'm going to put it on one of my computer stickies. Sometimes writing can be so discouraging, because it's hard. But the more writing and submitting I do, the stronger my writing gets. I am definitely deepening my understanding of what it means to be persistent.

I hope you had a great week. Did you learn anything interesting this week?

F is for Friendships in Middle Grade Novels

2011-07-27T06:01:00.040-04:00

Between the ages of 9 and 14, kids are starting to explore relationships with people outside their families. They're thinking about how to be a good friend, who is not a real friend, and which friends they want to hang with. Someone might be your best friend for one day, and then not the next.

How can you use friends to develop your middle grade story?

Create conflict. Tension between friends increases conflict. For example, in Leslie Margolis’ novel, Girl's Best Friend, dog-walker Maggie Brooklyn gets stuck working with her ex-best friend to solve a mystery. Talk about conflict! Other ways to create tension? Being too busy for friends, wanting friends when you don't have them, jealousy of a good friend...there are so many. Brainstorm for your own unique friend-related conflict.

Sidekick or support. Friends don’t always mean conflict. They can help solve a mystery or provide support on an adventure (think about Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson books). Supporting friends make the main character seem more well-rounded, emotional or empathetic. They can also add humor or depth as part of a subplot. What if the sidekick always messes up? Or bails out the main character?

Provide information. A friend's different point of view can be a way for the author to add things that can't be shown through the main character. Conversations between a character and a good friend are one way to add in some backstory without creating an info dump. Something a friend has noticed might be an important clue. Just be sure not to rely on the friend too much or too often; the main character should take centre stage.

More tips on using friends in your story:

Beware of cliches. In books where the main character is a boy, one of the good friends is often a girl, to the point where it’s almost becoming a formula. I think this is much less common in real life than in the world of books, because authors want the book to appeal to girls as well as boys. Watch out for stereotypes like the Hermione effect (smart girl sidekick).

Friends aren’t always people. Middle graders have strong feelings for pets, other living creatures and even inanimate objects, so you can be create in the friendships you choose to include in your novel. For example, Bobbie Pyron’s A Dog’s Way Home focuses on the relationship between a girl and her dog. In Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve, the main character has a unique relationship with a plant.

Friends change with the situation. In real life, kid’s friendships may be related to the activities they do. They may have one group of friends at school, but a different group of friends on their soccer team or at dance class.

Be realistic. According to at least one reader I talked to, it’s annoying when a character in a book has only one friend. In real life, kids interact with many different peers in different ways. Capturing the flavour of that complexity in your story, even in a simple way, might add to the story believability.

Do you have any tips or suggestions for using friendships to strengthen a story? Have you read any good books where a friendship was essential to the story?

Links

*As usual, if you have any links to other posts or resources on this subject, I'd be happy to add them to the list for our reference.

At Plot to Punctuation, there’s a great post on using a sidekick character in your writing.

For more material and insights on friendships between girls, a blog by psychologist Irene Levine, author of Best Friends Forever: Surviving a Breakup with Your Best Friend, explores friendships between women of all ages, including teens and preteens. A couple of nteresting articles:

Preteen worries: My family, my friends and me

Friendship by the book: An interview with Alexa Young, author of Frenemies

At Fuel Your Writing, freelancer Kolina gives some tips on how to use your own friends to improve your novels.

Three Good Things Giveaway Winner!

2011-07-25T07:08:00.000-04:00

It's been such fun writing clues for the "mystery" book giveaway and giving away free books! I'm almost sorry to see it end. I'll have to do this again sometime.

Did you guess? The title of mystery book #3 is:

Flipped! by Wendelin Van Draanen

And, I know you're excited to find out who won. Well, by a random drawing, this time our winner is....

Jen Daiker!

I'm contacting Jen to let her know she's won. Sorry if your name didn't come up, but I hope you had fun playing.

For more fun and games, fellow blogger Susanna Hill is starting a game called "Would You Read It? Wednesday" that sounds like it will be fun. Tune in this Wednesday and check it out.

FYI, I'll be getting back to blogging as usual on Wednesday with a new post my series on The ABCs of Writing Middle Grade Fiction.

GUTGAA Novel and Critique Contest: My First 200 Words

2011-07-25T06:50:00.000-04:00

I've been participating in Deana Barnhart's Gearin' Up to Get An Agent blogfest through the month of July, and wow! Have I learned a lot! This is our last week, where we're posting the beginning 200 words of a novel for feedback (you can see what the other participants are writing by checking out the blogfest link). It's nerve-wracking, but exciting.

Here are the first 200 words from my 51,000-word MG novel, The Grand Chef's Apprentice:

At the edge of the trash heap, Maya stood ready to run, her eyes fixed on the huge metal doors on the other side. Scrounging was the worst part of her day. The stench of rot and chemicals blocked the food smells that escaped from the city walls, ruining her game of guessing what they were cooking inside. The stink made it hard for her to imagine what she’d cook, if she had the ingredients. But since she’d turned thirteen, scavenging trash was her job.

Brushing away a buzzing fly, Maya tightened her grip on her gathering bag. She wasn’t about to let a thief take advantage of her small size. The ground trembled as the doors clanged open. The trash machine rolled out, its giant black wheels grinding on the rusty track as it brought the huge metal bin outside the stone city walls. Around Maya, people edged closer, ready to pounce. Maya’s feet twitched. Not yet, she thought. Wait for it.

The side of the bin closest to the doors started to rise, tilting higher and higher. An acidic smell exploded into the air. The contents of the bin poured out. Everyone darted forward, hands grabbing for garbage.

Last Chance to Enter Three Good Things Giveaway

2011-07-23T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today is the last day to enter to win Book #3 of the Three Good Things Giveaway. Leave a comment here or guess the book title from the clues for your chance to win a "mystery" middle grade novel.

The winner of the third book will be announced on Monday.

Cool Blog Quotes

2011-07-22T06:03:00.003-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a page (and usually a spot on my sidebar) for Cool Blog Quotes. When I'm cruising around reading blogs, I sometimes find something that sticks in my head, either as a great piece of writing advice, or just something that inspires me to do better.

Here's a great one I found recently:

"...we need to surprise the reader. We need to make them see the moon in a different way, from a different angle, so that it will mean something to them again, so it won't just be background. In a way, we have to trick readers into really seeing the moon again."

Jeff Hirsch, Writing Tips: Seeing the Moon for the First Time, The League of Extraordinary Writers, July 20, 2011.

Three Good Things Book Giveaway Continues...and a Winner!

2011-07-18T13:01:00.007-04:00

Did you guess the title of last week's "mystery" book?

It was Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord.

Congratulations to Theresa Milstein!

She's this week's winner!

If you didn't win a free book this time, you still have another chance. The giveaway goodness continues!

Today I'm announcing the clues for the third and final "mystery" book in my three good things giveaway.

For a chance to win, all you need to do is comment on this blog post. To make it a little more fun, you can get more chances to win by guessing the book title from the clues below. Are you ready?

Here's how you can win this week's "mystery" book:

Comment on this blog post (1 entry).

Use these three clues to guess this week's book prize for 2 extra entries (+2 entries):

1. The opening: "All I've ever wanted is for Juli Baker to leave me alone. For her to backoff—you know, just give me some space."

2. You may have seen this book as a Rob Reiner film, with actors Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe (and the giveaway copy of the book includes photos from the movie).

3. The author of this book wrote The Running Dream (also on my 100 book list this year), is well-known for her girl detective Sammy Keyes, and is an avid runner.

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*Remember, all of the books are fresh new copies of ones I've read so far for my 100 book challenge.

The deadline for entering this giveaway is Saturday July 23, 2011.

Writing Tips for Keeping Voice Consistent

2011-07-18T05:30:00.003-04:00

Over the past couple of weeks, I've returned to one of my earlier novels to work on bringing out the narrator's voice. One of the biggest challenges I'm finding is keeping it consistent. Sure, there are times when it all flows naturally, but then I read other parts and know they aren't quite there yet.

Some tips that help me create a consistent character voice:

1. Re-read previous sections. By reading over a section of the story where you feel confident you've captured the voice you want, it helps you get the right "sound" for the character's voice into your mind.

2. Think about internal ways your character reacts. Like people, characters have their usual way of reacting or thinking about events. When this comes out in the story, it helps to strengthen their voice. For example, some characters tend to ask themselves mental questions. Others might make snappy interior comments. What does your character do?

3. Consider less common words. When you come to a larger, less common word in your writing, think about why you've used it. Would your character use that word? If not, what would they say instead?

4. Write a note from your character. If you're having trouble capturing your character's voice, try to put yourself in their shoes. Write a letter to another character, explaining any problem (doesn't have to be a problem in your story). This can help you discover the way the character puts words together, without the pressure of thinking about how it fits into the novel.

Do you have any other tips for creating a consistent character voice?

Three Good Things Book Giveaway!

2011-07-16T08:00:00.007-04:00

It means a lot to me that you're reading what I have to say. I hope I give you some useful tips for writing once in a while. But, in addition to that, I'm giving back.

I'm giving away 3 "mystery" middle grade novels, and there are still two more books to give away! You can still enter to win this week's prize! Get your entry in by the end of today!

And watch for my announcement of the winner and the clues for the third book in the contest on Monday.

Learning About Writing from Harry Potter

2011-07-15T07:59:00.000-04:00

Last night, I saw the last Harry Potter movie -- what an awesome experience! [Don't worry, I'm not going to reveal anything about it in this blog post.] The Harry Potter series has been such a huge part of my childrens' lives, both through the books and the movies. Even at ages 15 and 12, they still play "Potions class" in the backyard with mysterious kitchen ingredients and potions kits made from spice bottles from the dollar store, and we have an impressive collection of Harry Potter themed Lego. I think we're all a little sad, now that we've seen the last movie.

I'm always impressed by J.K. Rowling's plotting. There are so many different elements to the plot that are woven through the entire series, and they are mostly all wrapped up by the time the ending rolls around. However, I've never read the Harry Potter books with an eye to learning something about writing, because I get too involved in enjoying the story. (Plus, these books are my daughters' treasured possessions and if I have one too long on my night table, it gets reclaimed.)

But there are lots of places to go if you do want to learn about writing from the Harry Potter series. Here are a few to get you started:

Harry Potter for Writers is an entire blog dedicated to learning from the Harry Potter books.

Writer's on the Brink also has a whole series of posts, Learning to Write by Reading Harry Potter

Editor Cheryl Klein gives us A Few Things Writers Can Learn from Harry Potter

Maybe now that I've read the series a couple of times, I can read it again with more of an eye towards learning. Have you learned anything from reading any of the Harry Potter books?

****** I appreciate your support for my blog. Don't forget, I'm giving away 3 "mystery" middle grade novels, and there are still two books to give away! You can still enter to win this week's prize! Get your entry in by the end of Saturday! *******

Continuing the Story Chain...

2011-07-13T06:28:00.006-04:00

This week, I'm participating in Deana Barnhart's "Gearing Up to Get an Agent Blogfest" and we're having fun creating a story chain. My job is to: Let us know what the MC's flaw is (the thing she tries to work through throughout the story), using these words: justify, bookcase, nostril.

To see the part that came before mine go to Fiction and Film.

Was she crazy? Dio shook her head, as if that would make the noise go away. Then she kicked the computer. The whine subsided. Stupid junk! Why couldn’t her parents spring for a newer model? As she started to type her password, it came to her. She’d make up a new name and a new personality. She could be someone else online, anyway. Someone with a better name, who’d have lots of friends. Someone who wasn’t such a freak.

To be totally convincing, she’d need help.

Racing down to her father’s study, she strode over to the bookcase. Where was it? It could be the solution to all her problems. It wasn’t really stealing if she just borrowed it for a while. There! The one with the purple cover. As she pulled it out, a rotten egg smell filled the air, making her nostrils burn.

“Ow, make it stop!” she cried, rubbing her nose.

The book fell open to a blank page. Giant words danced across the whiteness. They said:

Don’t think you can justify your existence by claiming to be popular. I know what you’re really after.

To see the next part of the story, go to Meghan Kirkland.

Happy reading! I can hardly wait to see how this turns out!

Three Good Things Book Giveaway Continues -- and a Winner!

2011-07-11T06:01:00.016-04:00

Did you guess the title for my first "mystery" book giveaway?

Mockingbird by Kathy Erskine.

I know you're all dying to know who won, so (drum roll.......):

Congratulations to Barbara Watson!

I'll be sending an e-mail to get the scoop on how to send her the book. But, if you didn't win that one, don't give up!

The giveaway goodness continues!

I'll be giving away two more middle grade books, one "mystery" book a week for the next two weeks. For a chance to win, all you need to do is comment on this blog post. To make it a little more fun, you can get more chances to win by guessing the book title from the clues below. Are you ready?

Here's how you can win this week's "mystery" book:

Comment on this blog post. (1 entry)

Use these three clues to guess this week's book prize for 2 extra entries (+2 entries):

1. From the backcover copy: Wishes are slippery things. You have to be very specific or you can get exactly what you wished for and still end up with nothing.

2. A couple of the sayings from this book are "Never whistle on a boat" and "It's bad luck to change a boat's name."

3. Other books by the same author include: Happy Birthday, Hamster; Hot Rod Hamster; and Rules.

*Remember, all of the books are fresh new copies of ones I've read so far for my 100 book challenge.

The deadline for this week's giveaway is Saturday, July 16, 2011.

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It Makes Me Smile #2

2011-07-08T06:56:00.004-04:00

What a great first week of summer holidays this has been. I hope you had a great week, too! Here are a few of the little things that made me smile this week:

1. Tasting yummy, whipcreamy, sweet strawberry shortcake for the first time this season -- a real summer treat.

2. Drawing! I haven't done any sketching for a long time, but it's so cool to have the time to do something I really enjoy. I should make time for it more often.

3. Hearing the familiar voice of an old friend I haven't heard from in a long time.

4. Writing a bunch of new ideas in my writing notebook. It seems like since I've been on holidays, there's more space in my mind to be creative. Do you ever notice that? I think I've gotten at least one new idea each day.

5. Selling some things we didn't need and reclaiming the space they took up -- yeah!

6. For a writing-related smile, check out my post, 5 Tips for Revising a Novel, over at MiG Writers.

Did you do anything that made you smile this week? What would you like to have time to do that you just can't manage to make work?

****** Don't forget, I'm celebrating by giving away 3 "mystery" middle grade novels, one per week for the next three weeks. There's still time to enter to win this week's prize!*******

How Do You Get High Stakes in Your Novel?

2011-07-06T07:37:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to be part of Deana Barnhart's Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest!

One of the things I've been thinking about lately is related to plotting and stakes. I know it's essential to have something at stake for your main character. That is, something the character wants that motivates their actions. One of the comments I often get from my critique partners is that my character's motivations don't seem strong enough. I know this seems pretty basic, but I'd like to know more about creating "high stakes".

My question is: How do you know if the stakes are high enough? Do all the characters need some kind of stakes, or just the protagonist?

Sorry, this is really two questions (I'm an overachiever), take your pick!

****** In case you missed it, I'm celebrating by giving away 3 "mystery" middle grade novels, one per week for the next three weeks. There's still time to enter to join in the fun! *******

Three Good Things Giveaway & a Blogfest!!

2011-07-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that my three good things giveaway has started! I hope the clues aren't too challenging.

And while I'm thinking about giveaways, Deana Barnhart has some great prizes to go along with her Gearin' Up to Get an Agent blogfest. I've signed up to participate and I'm really looking forward to it!

Enter to Win: Three Good Things Book Giveaway!

2011-07-03T14:17:00.001-04:00

They say that good things come in threes and I'm celebrating three good things: reaching 100 followers, the start of my summer holidays, and finishing a solid round of revisions on Novel #4. I'm so excited, I want to pass along the goodness!

I'll be giving away three middle grade books, one "mystery" book a week for the next three weeks. To make it a little more fun, you can get more chances to win by guessing the book title from the clues below. Here's how you can win this week's "mystery" book:

Comment on this blog post. (1 entry)

Use these three clues to guess this week's book prize for 2 extra entries (+2 entries)

1. The first line of the book is: "It looks like a one-winged bird crouching in the corner of our living room."

2. A quote from the main character: "I like things in black and white. Black and white is easier to understand. All that colour is too confusing."

3. This book won the National Book Award in 2010 and the author's initials are K.E.

*All of the giveaway books can be found on my 100 Book Challenge list for this year.

The deadline for entering to win mystery book #1 is Saturday, July 9, 2011. The title of the mystery book prize (and the winner) will be revealed on Monday July 11th, along with the clues for mystery book #2.

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Friday Fireworks!

2011-07-01T06:16:00.000-04:00

It's Friday. It's Canada Day. And it's the first day of my summer vacation! Woohoo!

I'll be back to my regular blogging about writing on Monday. Today I'm off to Toronto's Centre Islands to watch the Dominion Day Regatta.

Happy Canada Day!

X is an Unknown

2011-06-29T05:27:00.003-04:00

If you’ve noticed that I’ve skipped letter X in my ABCs of writing middle grade fiction, then I congratulate you on your powers of observation! Since I’m working at making this a useful resource, I didn’t want to include a contrived post about X. The same goes for Z. I considered a few ideas:

X Marks the Spot – All about the place in your novel where your protagonist finally gets what they want.

X is for X-ray Vision and Other Superpowers – Hey, this actually sounds pretty good. Maybe one day I’ll come back to it. I’d love to write a novel with a superhero character.

X is for Unknown – What is that mysterious element that makes your novel stand out to agents and publishers?

Z is for Zoos – How to write cafeteria scenes with middle grade characters, or all about the behind the scenes research you need to write about zoo animals. I could include a list of books that include zoos. Hmmm.

Z is for Zest – Different ways to bring your novel alive that don’t include zoo animals

Z is for Zzzzzzz – How to keep your readers from falling asleep

In the end though, I just don’t have enough material to make one of these work. I don’t rule it out for the future (or maybe a creative guest post).

Now that I’ve pretty much come to the end of the alphabet, you may be wondering what’s next. Well, I’ve enjoyed learning and collecting links for my ABCs series on writing middle grade fiction. So, I plan to continue adding to it, but not in any systematic order (I foresee a lot of posts starting with letters C, F, and P). There are lots more topics to consider…and I’m open to suggestions.

What do you want to know about writing middle grade fiction? If I don’t know, I’ll try to find out and consider your ideas for a future post.

The Bad Guys Need Attention Too

2011-06-27T05:40:00.002-04:00

During my latest novel revision, I'm working on bringing out some of the secondary characters in my novel, including a villian.

It's so easy to rely on stereotypical villain traits and behaviours. Sneers. Evil stares. Rudeness. Threats, poisoning, locking the good guy away. I'm working on coming up with some truly unique ways to show his evil nature.

At the same time, I need to balance how much of his scheming to reveal. Since he's not the point of view character, I can't show his thoughts. His schemes are only obvious through his actions and the thoughts and reactions of the other characters. Neither one of these necessarily show the reasons for why he's behaving the way he does, even though the reader will eventually want to know.

Do you have any tips on creating a good villain?

Two Stars and A Wish for My Novel Ending

2011-06-24T07:22:00.000-04:00

I've been struggling with revising the ending to my novel. I've gotten great feedback from my critique partners. I've revisited my blurbs and summaries. I've scribbled notes and arrows all over my writing notebook. And all I have to show for it is a jumble of confused thoughts and a cursor stuck on Chapter 26.

I finally gave up and walked away from it on Wednesday, hoping that taking a break for a couple of days would spark some new ideas. It's so discouraging when a part of the writing just isn't working, it starts to me thinking that the whole thing is terrible.

So, today I'm going to borrow a trick from my day job as a teacher. When students reflect on their work, we sometimes ask them to think about two things they liked or did well with, and one wish for something they could have done differently or improved on. I'm going to try that with the ending of my novel. I hope it will help me appreciate what IS working as well as to help me pinpoint exactly what it is that I need to fix.

Y is for YA, Or is it MG: Where Does Your Novel Fit?

2011-06-22T09:38:00.001-04:00

One of the tricky things about writing middle grade can be knowing whether your novel really should be categorized as MG. Maybe it’s young adult? I’ve heard people say you should just write it and figure that out later. But agent Mary Kole points out that when you’re still working to get published or even early in your writing career, it might be a wise decision to make sure your novel is clearly one or the other.

There are many places where you can find the elements that define MG and YA novels. Here’s a quick breakdown:

Middle Grade:

- range from 20,000 to 50,000 words
- focus on family, school, friends, developing independence with ties to family
- magic and adventure are popular
- protagonists are usually 11- to 13-years-old, but no older than 14
- story needs to be appropriate for kids down to age of 8 or 9
- endings are often happy and mostly resolved

Young Adult:

- range from 45,000 to about 90,000 words
-wide scope that includes anything from sweet to edgy, containing drugs, drinking or sex, but authentic
- usually involves romance, since teens are interested in relationships
- protagonists are usually 15 to 17 years old
- plots where teens face adult problems, such as taboo subjects, violence, coping with tragedy
- endings may be ambiguous, not necessarily happy or having all loose ends tied up

Despite these clear cut elements for YA and MG novels, anyone who reads within these categories can find examples that either don’t contain some of these elements, or fall in a mysterious grey area somewhere between. How can you be sure your novel is MG?

I think you need to start with the basic idea behind your novel. Think about these questions:

What does your protagonist want?

What kinds of conflicts stop your protagonist from getting what he/she wants?

If you can place these key parts of the story as MG concerns vs. YA concerns, I think you will have gone a huge part of the way towards making sure your novel is in the MG camp. It’s easier to play with character ages, and often even the setting, other characters, or the ending.

One tip is to consider getting your critique partners to review your plot synopsis or idea before you begin writing. Their comments might help you firmly place your story as either MG or YA.

Do you have any other tips for making sure your novel fits into your category?

Links:

Agent Mary Kole on Is it MG or YA?

Over at MiG Writers, my crit buddy Debbie Riddpath Ohi also tackles the difference between MG and YA, including a good look at word counts.

Margo Dill also explains the difference between YA and MG.

Here are Five Fast Differences Between YA and MG from Michelle at YA Highway.

Nathan Bransford’s forum has a discussion thread on YA vs. MG.

And over at The League of Extraordinary Writers, Angie Smibert started a discussion about what really defines YA or MG.

Ani Louise sums up some points to help you tell whether you’re writing YA or MG.

Sheila at the LDS Women’s Book Review discusses how characters change in MG vs. YA novels.

Alissa at The Grammarian’s Reviews considers questions of age, romance and setting for MG. vs. YA.

Kate Coombs discusses the confusion between YA and MG at the Enchanted Inkpot.

Mondays Are Full of Promise

2011-06-20T18:02:00.001-04:00

I'm usually full of enthusiasm on Mondays. There's the whole week stretching ahead of me, with all the possibilities for writing. Of course, knowing this can also be a disadvantage. As in, "Eh, I have a whole week. There's no rush."

What did I accomplish in my writing time today?

Well, I watched some praying mantises squeeze out of their egg case and I helped my daughter collect aphids for them to eat, because of course we need to keep a few to observe...to go along with the butterfly that can't fly and the pond snails from last weekend. I consider this good research for a future middle grade novel (even though I have no plans to ever write about praying mantises) or at least an investment in my daughter's future career as a zookeeper or entomologist.

Did you do anything interesting today? Can you use it in a novel?

In other big news today, I reached 100 followers! I'm so thrilled. Thank you for your support! I actually planned to have a giveaway to celebrate, but I'm going to have to hold off on that until the Canada postal strike is over. Fingers crossed that happens soon.

It Makes Me Smile

2011-06-17T07:07:00.001-04:00

I'm a pretty positive person. While I do talk through my worries (and agonize for hours), I usually prefer to focus on the good things in my life. These are often small things, not anything I'd consider "awesome", but just parts of life that I want to appreciate that gave me a little boost. I thought other people might appreciate them too, so from time to time I'm going to post a few.

1. Coming home from work and finding my daughter absorbed in reading a book instead of playing Plants vs. Zombies.

2. Watching the thieving bunny that has been nibbling on my pea plants and noticing how beautiful she is (I didn't have the heart to open the door and scare her away).

3. Kind words from some fellow bloggers (see Carmella's post on Traditions at MiG Writers, Christina's post called The Brilliant Ones at Chocolate for Inspiration, and Debbie Maxwell Allen re-posting my thoughts on first drafts at Writing While the Rice Boils)

4. Sitting on my patio after dinner, without needing a sweater, enjoying a lovely quiet evening with no neighbours playing loud music or cutting grass (they were all watching the hockey game, maybe).

5. Going to the store to grab a few last plants for my pots and finding they were on sale, 2 for 1.

What made you smile this week?

W is for Words: Choosing Right for Writing Middle Grade

2011-06-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

Every writer knows how important it is to get the words right. The words you choose reflect the voice of your character and allow your reader to slip seamlessly into your story. Awkward wording, too many clichés, or word choices that don’t fit with the viewpoint character’s style can pull the reader away from the story.

Consistency. Choosing words to create a consistent tone or style is important. You can create a jarring effect by having adult characters use kid language, or by having kids use the wrong type of slang for the time period. Or even worse, to use slang inappropriately, showing that you are adult trying to sound like a kid.

Descriptions. The words you choose for making comparisons or creating imagery also need to resonate with your readers. That means it’s important to try to think the way kids think and notice what they notice.

These examples from the novel I’m reading now, Flutter by Erin E. Moulton, show how the author has chosen kid-friendly words: “whistley breath”, “frosting that I can lick off the tips of my fingers”, and “spilling a gob of seeds across the kitchen table”.

Vocabulary level. One worry for children’s writers is that the vocabulary or word level is right for different grade levels. I always think that for middle grade, if I’m using mostly words I’d use in ordinary conversation, then they will sound natural and be accessible to my readers.

But some writers are skilled at using a richer vocabulary, as in Lisa Yee’s Millicent Min, Girl Genius. The words you choose need to fit with your viewpoint character. The phrase “I appreciate the intellectual strategies some games involve” wouldn’t work in all middle grade novels, but it’s completely in character for Millicent.

How do you make sure your word choices are right for your novel?

A few fun sites to help you find the right word:

Accents – Here’s some help for getting accents right.

Metaphor – Ideas for common metaphors by category.

Onomaotpoeia or words that make noise
More words that make noise

Rhymes – This unique dictionary allows you to type in any word and it will generate a rhyme.

Slang - A unique dictionary to help make sure you've gotten the slang right.

TextMessage Lingo

Thesaurus Collections - A great online thesaurus collection for writers that includes ideas for describing emotions, settings, colours, textures and shapes, symbolism, weather and character traits from The Bookshelf Muse

Urban Dictionary

Links:
YA author Vahini Naidoo talks about how choosing the right words helps you convey the voice and mood of the viewpoint character.

At Project Mayhem, Michael Winchell discusses vocabulary in middle grade novels.

Kid-lit agent Mary Kole discusses word choice and how it affects voice and interiority on her blog, and especially interesting are her workshop examples on snippets of reader submissions. Try Workshop #6 for some insights on word choice.

Reading vs. Commenting on Blog Posts

2011-06-13T08:53:00.000-04:00

I've read a couple of interesting blog posts this morning [Talei Loto, Jody Hedlund] about why a blog reader takes the time to post a comment rather than just read and move on. I'm definitely guilty of skimming blog posts and not stopping to comment until one really strikes a chord. I probably do read your blog. If I haven't commented, it's might be because:

1) It has a lot to do with my introverted personality. In face-to-face conversations, I usually tend to be more of a listener than a talker, unless I'm really passionate about a subject. The only problem is, when you're online a blogger doesn't necessarily know you are reading/listening (or even who you are) unless you post some kind of written acknowledgement.

2) Sometimes, I can't think of anything clever thought-provoking to say, and since another commenter has already taken my standard "Great post!", it seems redundant to repeat it.

3) There's a time factor. I read a lot of blogs and it takes time to post. Some blogs still have those verification boxes where you need to type in a nonsense word and may not seem worth the effort when all I'm going to say is "Great post!"

4) I do comment when a post sparks an idea. Perhaps, as I read more blogs, I'm becoming choosier (or lazier). If I don't come across a new way of talking or thinking about something, I don't always leave a comment. This reminds me of how an agent or editor has all those submissions to read, but doesn't respond unless one really catches their eye. It just shows that, like writing a novel or a query, showing some blog personality or originality is important if you want to get more attention.

EXCEPT, when I think about how much I appreciate the comments I get on my own blog, especially for posts where I've taken time to compile a lot of links or spent a long time working on what I want to say, I can see how, in a way, I'm letting my fellow bloggers down when I don't take the time to comment.

As a writer, I often don't know how others react to what I've written. But when I do, wow! It can just make my day. In a way, a comment, no matter how short or simple, is really saying, I appreciate the time you've taken to write this. I'm reading your words.

Ten Good Minutes vs. Hours of Slog

2011-06-13T06:13:00.000-04:00

Lately, my energy for writing doesn't match my enthusiam. I still have the desire and determination, but when I have the time, I'm too tired to get into that mental writing space. I know people say that if you want it badly enough, you'll make the time, but that isn't always true. Sometimes, even when you have that small block of time (e.g. the time you wasted watching "The Bachlorette"), fatigue takes over.

I think I'd rather have ten minutes of clear-headed, productive writing time than an hour of the scrambled, stilted or trite stuff that comes out when I'm too tired (which might end up being less than ten minutes worth when I edit it down).

What works best for you...pushing through so you know you'll at least have accomplished something, or waiting until you know you will have a good writing session?