Suddenly it's Spring

In the Fall of last year I was excited. I told myself that over the winter I'd have lots of time to get writing done. Oh yes, I'd finish up a few of those picture books I've been working on. Maybe I'd even revisit that middle grade novel I have half way finished that is sitting in the file waiting for me. I had other big plans too but, ya know, they didn't quite happen as planned.

The thing is that writing something of quality always takes longer than I feel like it should. Logically, I know this. I work long and hard on each one of my picture book manuscripts. I get critiques, revise, re-revise, and revise some more. I mull over that scene, that phrase, that word until I can get it "just right" for the story. Still, my brain can't help but think, you know what the story is. Just get it finished up already!

Of course, writing a publishable picture book takes time. Sure, we hear the stories of 'it just came to me, I wrote it down, sent it out, and the publisher loved it!' I am certain that can happen but I tend to take any of these sorts of statements with a grain of salt. They are not the norm by any means. The picture book authors I know work long and hard to make those few words shine. They get critiques, revise for their agents, revise for editors, and sometimes... eventually those words get turned into a book.

Finding that "perfect" way to tell a story that will mesh with illustrations takes a lot of thought time. I can tend to get hard on myself that I am not getting anything accomplished. I have to remind myself that I am. Stories are always rattling around in my brain. They have been all winter. And now, suddenly it's spring. And that's okay. Because now I can write outside.

Some Picture Book Writing Tips

I've come across a few good sites with some helpful picture book writing tips as of late, so I wanted to pass them along. I know so many of you reading my blog are working hard on your picture book manuscripts!

Author Josh Funk has put together a Guide to Writing Picture Books that breaks the important parts of picture book writing into short, easy to digest posts. I know that a lot of you like to write in rhyme so be sure to check out Don't Write in Rhyme where Josh point out many of the common rhyming mistakes. You can also find loads of good rhyming tips at RhyPiBoMo like this one on multi-syllabic ending rhyming words by agent Sally Apokedac.

Mem Fox has so many great books. I happened upon her website and found that she has a whole bunch of hints for writers. She has 4 links in the sidebar on the page. Her hints are nice and straightforward. Love them!

I also really enjoyed DON'T DO IT! - how Not to write a picture book by Malachy Doyle on the Picture Book Den blog. Funny post title but true enough!

It can be good to take a break and refresh your picture book writing knowledge with posts like these and then dive back into writing. I myself am off to dive into picture book revisions again now.

When you think you are ready for new eyes on your manuscript check out my Critique Services. I love helping new and seasoned picture book writers and can always make time for a picture book critique!

How to Format Illustration Notes

I recently talked about illustration notes and when you should and shouldn’t use them. Today I’m going to share with you how to format those notes. But first, some rules:

·         Keep your notes simple

·         Do your best to make your illustration notes flow with the story so you don’t interrupt the text

·         Don’t use colored text for your illustration notes (or any of your manuscript for that matter)

·         Revise, edit, and proofread your notes as you do the rest of your manuscript. This includes reading them out loud

·         Never use illustration notes to dictate anything that isn’t crucial to your story. Ever. The illustrator is a partner in your book and will put their creativity to work from what your story brings to their mind. You have to trust in this

Okay, no matter how much we writers try not to use them, sometimes illustration notes are necessary. You definitely want them to be formatted in an easy to read and understand way. They shouldn't take center stage or be overpowering. They should be there because they must.

There are a few ways that I have formatted illustration notes in my picture book manuscripts. Almost every time I simply put them in italic parenthesis in line with the text like this: (Illustration note: Jim is a dog.) Placement is important. You want to put the note by the text that the illustration needs to make clear but you don't want to break a sentence or paragraph up and make it choppy. I usually opt to place the note at the end of the paragraph.

When I’ve had manuscripts that contain italicized thoughts I have bolded my illustration notes instead of italicizing. This seemed to not be too overpowering since there were only a couple of notes amongst a lot of text. I suppose you could use ALL CAPS if you wanted as well but I suspect that might be a bit overpowering. Take a look at overall manuscript and decide on how it works best aesthetically. 

If you have one overall illustration note for the story that needs to be told a good place to put it is right up at the top right corner header on your manuscript under your word count. (If you don't know how to format a picture book go here.) I have seen it said to put the note in your cover letter but if readers need to know that information for your story to work (which I assume they do otherwise you shouldn’t be using the note) you want it on that manuscript. Things get separated, may not be read at the same time, etc.

Of course you could use other words besides "Illustration note" such as Illustration suggestion, Art or Art note. You could use [brackets] instead of parenthesis. The basics are not too big of a deal. What is important is how and when you choose to use illustration notes. Choose wisely! Any questions?

Using Illustration Notes in Picture Book Manuscripts

             You may have heard that using illustration notes in your picture book manuscript is a big no no. Why? Illustration notes can get a bad rap when writers are too heavy handed and try to dictate illustrations. The thing is, picture books are a visual medium. While it is best to use none or as few illustration notes as possible there can definitely be things conveyed in your story by the illustrations that aren’t part of the text. Sometimes, as writers, we have to give a clue as to what is happening in the story when it can’t be taken from the words. So when is it okay to use illustration notes?

When something critical to the storyline happens that is not evident in the text. This means that if an agent, editor, or illustrator is reading your manuscript that the image your words will bring to mind is different or even opposite of what you have said.

For example: You’re text says, “Meredith put the book back nicely onto the shelf.” But really, Meredith does not put the book onto the shelf nicely at all because there’s going to be a catastrophic book pile up that comes crashing down and it is all Meredith’s fault. Perhaps this scenario could use an illustration note. Perhaps! It depends on what else you have happening in the story.

Or maybe Jake put his very best clothes on because he has something important to do, but yikes! He has put on two different colored socks and is going to be very embarrassed when he sits down for his recital and people start to laugh. He doesn’t know that his socks are two different colors, so the text doesn’t say it. This might be a good place for a note, depending on how the story unfolds, of course.

I used an illustration note in my manuscript for Bedtime Monster because Dad being a bit of a monster himself wasn't evident in the text. At all. Would the editor and illustrator have known that (spoiler alert!) dad had a tail at the end of the story? Definitely not. I put in a very simple, straight to the point note: (Illustration note: Dad has a tail.)

Some of my picture book manuscripts have a lot going on visually that is not hinted to in the text so, yes, they are a bit illustration note heavy. This has been fine with my agent and with editors. They need to see a complete story and sometimes I need illustration notes to make the story complete. Others of my manuscripts have no illustration notes at all. The story doesn't need them. Each manuscript is different. You have to choose what is right for each one.

• Hint: Let the manuscript with notes rest. Read it through without the notes. Do you still see places you need them? If not then take them out. Read the manuscript with the notes. Are they 100% necessary? If not, cut them. Be brutal!

• Another hint: Have your illustration notes critiqued right along with your story. It can be eye opening to have someone who is not close to your story as you are give their opinion on your notes.

No matter what, I work just as hard on my illustration notes as I do the rest of my manuscript. I revise and edit them, putting them to the same rigorous test as I do the rest of my words. You should too.

For do's and don'ts and how to format notes in your manuscript click here!

Writing a Picture Book? Don’t Do These Things

A while back I posted Querying a Picture Book? Don't Do These Things because I get a lot of picture books submissions from people who *gasp* apparently don't do their research. (As most of you reading know, I am not an agent or a publisher.) Many times these people submitting their work to me send their manuscripts as well. I see a lot of common mistakes in those too. 

You have got to have a strong manuscript to compete in today's market! And good format? It's a must in my opinion. Here are some things to think about along with some big no no's when it comes to picture book manuscripts:

• Don’t write in rhyme--unless you have worked extremely hard at it and are very good at it. No, I don’t mean that you just think you are good at it. You have studied the rules of rhyme. You have gotten critiques. You are all Corey Rosen Schwartz and YOU KNOW RHYME like a boss! (Check out The Meter Maids for some great rhyming advice.)

• Do not over describe things. You need to leave room for the illustrations. Pictures are at least half of the story in picture books.

• Don't overuse adverbs and adjectives. 

• Do not number what you see as the pages of your book within your manuscript.That's great while you're figuring out your page turns. (You can dummy like this. Or like this.) Editors and agents who work in picture books can see where the page turns will be if you have done a good job. Use standard manuscript format.

• Do not use colored ink! No, not even to show where there are different speakers. Again, if you have done your job well, those you are querying will be able to follow the story perfectly fine in black and white.

• Don’t be didactic. If you don’t know what that word means, no, you are not ready to query.

• Do not write “to be continued” and list other manuscripts at the bottom of your manuscript. That’s just silly. You want the reader to focus on the manuscript they have right there, right now in front of them. You sell that one and you’ll have the opportunity to talk about more.

• Don't write THE END at the end of the story. It is obviously the end as the story has, um, ended.

• Don’t put a copyright on the manuscript. Once you write something down it is automatically copyrighted. Doing so just makes you look like an amateur.

And for heaven’s sake, proofread your manuscript. Revise. Edit. It makes your writing better. Really. It does.

Any questions? Or other things you've seen in manuscripts that are no no's? I'm sure there are more things we could add to the list!

The Buck Stops Here

That’s right. You heard me. It’s cliché but true. The buck is going to have to stop here. I’m gonna make the call. You see, Lisha Cauthen, my writer friend with so many tricks up her sleeve you are just gonna have to go check them out yourselves, (the woman must have humongous sleeves, let me tell ya) tagged me in this #myworkprocess blog hop thingy. You can read her Writing Process in the Shell of a Nut.

Now the game is that I tell you my process then tag some more writers. The thing is, everyone I know seems to have done it or, well, isn’t interested. So I’m not tagging anyone, sorry. But I will answer a few prying questions about my writing process, if you’re interested.

What am I working on?

I’m always working on at least a few projects at once--picture books in different stages. Always picture books. I’m trying to write a YA that I have my heart set on but I keep changing the beginning and am trying to settle on what that should be while resisting outlining which is what should probably be done. So who knows what the heck is gonna happen with that. I just keep telling myself that I will finish it. I also have an adult nonfiction that I’m writing in pieces. The question is never am I working, it’s will I finish. I tend to figure out whether or not a piece is worth it to me as I work through it. There is one thing that is for certain, when my agent asks for revisions on something it is definitely my main focus.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I like to try come up with wacky concepts that haven’t been done before. And I like to be silly. Sometimes too silly probably.

Why do I write what I do?

I have ideas. I write them down. Otherwise my head gets too full and I can’t sleep.

How does your writing process work?

I’m not sure that it does work. For the most part I write stuff when I feel like it. I revise when I feel like it. It can be in the morning when I wake up and scribble a few words down, out in the field in my notebook while I’m working, in the afternoon when the kids are running around the house roughhousing like lunatics while I ignore them, or at night when the house is dark and quiet. I just try to write whenever I have a moment to fit it in. Life is busy but you have to make the time to do what you love!

So, that's it! If you want to share your process just let me know and I'll tag you. Otherwise this leg of the blog hop is out. Peace!

The Dummy's Dummy

I'm revising a picture book that I've probably revised 692 times already. It has lots of moving parts, so to speak. Characters doing things. Things doing things. I can't really elaborate (although I would love to blab on and on about it!)

Anyway, I have the scenes and most of the dialogue. It's the order that I keep messing around with. I need to get the build up right. I want the tension in the story to keep going up like a mountainside until the climax and boom! wrap it up with that satisfying ending. I have never written a story before where the scenes feel so interchangeable as they do in this one, and I was getting a little sick of writing the same things down and cutting and pasting and all of that moving around until I came up with a good way to play with my pages.

It's stupidly simple but I'm procrastinating on revisions so humor me.

I took some sheets of paper, folded them, and tore them into fourths. (You could get all fancy and measure and cut them if you like. You could even use those snazzy scissors with the shaped edges. Oooh la la.--I can enable procrastination like a boss!)

Picture books are generally 32 pages so I am using 15 pieces of paper, looking at each as a two page spread, leaving a couple of pages for title, pub info, and such.

I hand wrote each page's words on a separate piece of paper. (Picture books are short, so you can make all your words fit. You could also actually just use bigger pieces of paper but I like ripping paper and I'm lazy so that's the way I'm doing it.) This can take some time but it also helps you go through your words again and see if they are working. Plus it helps with procrastination you find your way to your vision if you write things really fancy and draw little pictures to go with it.

Done? *makes cookies
How about now? *watches an episode of Regular Show
Now? *checks watch
Ahem. *eats cookies...lots of cookies.

Okay... finally. You did it! Now you can move your pages around easily. 

Woohoo!

You can also crumple them up and rewrite something but it's not a big deal because it's just on a little piece of paper! Amazing, I tell ya! And environmentally friendly--sort of. I'm calling it the dummy's dummy.

Okay kids, have fun with my *cough cough* brilliant idea. I've gotta go back to figuring this story out. I think I may try the throw it up in the air and see how it pans out when it lands method.

Cutting

Cutting words is important. You know it's true.

I understand that it can sometimes be hard to do, but cutting can be a big part of revision. Yes, I know it might hurt. They're your words and ideas. You don't want to do cut them and no one can make you!

Well that's true too. You don't HAVE to take your words out. But sometimes, maybe many times, cutting words can make your story better. This may especially be true in the case of picture books where trends are skewing to shorter texts that let illustrations take a huge role in telling the story. I made a list of unnecessary words, but cutting can involve so much more.

I recently revised (okay, re-re-re-revised) a picture book. I loved the characters. The dialogue. The jokes! But I realized I needed to focus on the main character and his story. The other characters were taking away from that focus. So, as much as it hurt I had to chop the princess, nix the cat, and banish the bird. Oh, and take out the gumballs. (My son wasn't too happy about that!)

Is the story more focused? I think so. Is it shorter? Definitely. But in taking away I added new elements, stronger conflict, and a stronger arc. Sure, I miss the old characters a little but I like the new direction the story is heading.

Don't be afraid to cut your words or even entire characters. Cutting can take your manuscript to new places you hadn't thought of before. And don't worry, you can always put the words back if you need them. That's what cut and paste is for!

Once Upon a Time a Writer Found the Perfect Agent

Once upon a time there was a girl who liked to write. The more she wrote, the more she liked it. The more she liked it the more she wanted to see something she wrote turned into a book. And when that actually happened she then wanted to see something else she wrote turned into a book because, as she had learned, writers are never finished, they just move onto the next project.

Many times she felt all alone and like she needed advice. Along her travels she made many writing friends. She liked them so much she started a club where they shared writing secrets with those who knew the secret handshake. But she longed to find that one brave knight who would help her find her way through the publishing forest.

One day, when she was wallowing in the depths of the murky river of writing woe, the knight magically appeared telling her how wonderful her writing was and that he was there to help her make her way through the forest and…

WAIT A MINUTE!

Whose story is this? Well, it’s mine. Sort of. But it didn’t happen quite that way.

I did (and do) write. A lot. I’ve had a bit of success along the way.

I have great writer friends. 

And now I do have the perfect agent for me. I found him the best way I knew how—by querying!

Was there magic involved? Perhaps a little. I wrote a story I really liked. I got it critiqued. Revised it. A lot. I studied agents, made a list of what I thought were the best matches, and queried them. Guess who was my top choice? Sean McCarthy. And amazingly enough he was busy starting his own agency when I was ready to query.

When I read the news about Sean McCarthy Literary Agency I got my submission ready immediately. But I didn’t send it. What if he didn’t like it? Was I ready to be disappointed? Apparently I talked about it quite a bit because my daughter finally said, “Mom, just send it to him already! He's going to love it!” (When your daughter rolls her eyes at you because you’re being childish it can really help you do the things you need to do.) So I did. Click. Done. Wait.

I didn’t have to wait too long.

You want the fairytale ending? Sean did like my manuscript. And he read a bunch more of my work and liked that too! Plus he’s thoughtful, understanding, concerned, informed, open, honest, helpful… all those things you hope to find in an agent. Heck, look at his fabulous list of recent books! So yes, now I can say,

I am represented by Sean McCarthy of Sean McCarthy Literary Agency! 

As for the rest of the tale? It has yet to be written. 

But I think I'll end this story with... 

                                                       ...and they lived happily ever after.

Bran Muffins of Doom? An Interview with Author & Illustrator Marty Kelley

Marty Kelley is a recovering second grade teacher living in New Hampshire. What does one do when recovering from being a teacher? Write and illustrate for kids, of course!

Marty has illustrated a number of books for kids, two of which he has also written. He is represented by Red Fox Literary Agency. Marty is frolicking by to give us the low down on his writing and illustrating. I even asked him how his unique book tour and how he feels about illustration notes.

How long have you been writing and illustrating for kids?

My first book, Fall Is Not Easy was published in 1998, so it’s been a while. Before that I worked as an illustrator and cartoonist for several small newspapers and magazines.

What are some of your favorite things to illustrate?

People, people, people. I love painting them. When I’m not doing children’s books, I actually create commissioned fine art portraits of people.

Do the things you enjoy illustrating affect what you decide to write about?

I have a terrible time with landscapes and tend to try to have my illustrations happen indoors, but that obviously doesn’t always work out. I don’t consciously adjust my writing to what I think the illustrations will be. In fact, it has happened that I’ve had a story written and then realized that I have no idea how I’m going to do the illustrations.

As an illustrator, how do you feel about an author putting illustration notes in a manuscript?

Unless it’s something very important to the story, I prefer that the author sit back and let me do my job. I completely understand how nerve-wracking it must be to not have any control over the look of something that you worked so hard on, but when authors start micro-managing, all the fun of creation gets sucked out of it for me. I’m glad to say that it’s only happened once or twice.

You did a tour of seafood restaurants for CRUSTACEAN VACATION, (which is awesome!) how did that opportunity come about? Do you think alternative venues are a good avenue for authors and illustrators to use when promoting their books?

That was a weird one and while I enjoyed it, I have had my fill of chowder for a while. It actually started because a manager at one restaurant of a local seafood chain called and asked me if I’d like to come in on their kids’ night and sell books. They didn’t ask for a cut of the profits and they offered to feed me. How could I say no? It actually went better than some of the signings I’ve had at bookstores over the years. I went back and did it a few more times and it always went well enough to make it worthwhile.

I mentioned the event to Melissa Kim, the editor at Islandport who worked on Crustacean Vacation with me. She jumped on it and arranged a tour of the 13 restaurants that the author and I split. A few of them went very well and some of them were dreadful, just like any event, I suppose.

I think the alternative venues are a great idea for anyone - not just authors and illustrators. You have to be flexible and willing to try whatever you can if you want to succeed. If nothing else, some of the odder events make good stories to tell your friends later.

You’ve written and illustrated a number of picture books, and your chapter book, FAME, FORTUNE, AND THE BRAN MUFFINS OF DOOM, was recently published by Holiday House. How was it to create a chapter book after previously focusing your work on picture books?

I loved it. It was difficult and the book–because of a long and occasionally unpleasant series of events–took almost 5 years to be published. I worked with Sylvie Frank at Holiday House. She was enthusiastic and full of great ideas. There were parts that were definitely a steep learning curve for me. The illustrations, done in pencil, were a big challenge and I learned the hard way about the difference between full color reproduction quality and black&white reproduction quality.

The book took something of a beating by a few big reviewers, but the feedback from kids has been completely and overwhelmingly positive. They’re the audience, so I’m happy with that.

You are signed with Abigail Samoun of Red Fox Literary, how has your career changed since obtaining representation?

You mean besides the jet-pack and the hot tub and the multi-million dollar advances? Other than that, it’s just about the same.

Abi edited a book I did with Tricycle called Twelve Terrible Things and I enjoyed her slightly twisted sense of humor. She helped hammer out the initial version of the chapter book. In fact, she is the one who kept pushing me in that direction.

It’s nice to have someone to look things over before they go out to publishers. She’s way more in tune with what editors want than I will ever be, so she can help guide the work that I do.

What are you working on now?

I’ve actually got several projects going at the same time. It’s not my favorite way to work, but you do what you have to do. I’m finishing up my final edits on another chapter book that I’m hoping Abi can get me that six figure advance for. I’ve also been working on a few beginning reader books. With 50-75 words and a very concise vocabulary, it’s a fun challenge to try to come up with an engaging, well-crafted story. I also have a few new picture book ideas that I’m still forcing into submission in my sketchbook.

You can find more from Marty Kelley on his website, www.MartyKelley.com and at his blog martykelley.blogspot.com. He also has a website for his book, Fame, Fortune, and the Bran Muffins of Doom called Simon's Plans where you can download the first chapter of the book, play the Bran Muffins of Doom Game, watch the book trailer, and more! And don't miss Marty's Free Books for Life offer. It's quite a deal.

Laugh and Let Manuscripts Rest

I had a manuscript open yesterday when my husband went to use the computer.

Him: "You're still working on this!?"

Me: (Laughing) Yes, I found a publisher I want to send it to. They'll actually be the first to see this story. And I just sent out "x manuscript" to four publishers. It's a record!

He smirked, shook his head, and went about his business.

Yes, this pretty typical. It's a sort of conversationy-ish thing we have every so often. I don't talk about my writing all that much. I don't want to drive my husband crazy! He is supportive and will listen but I don't want to overwhelm him. I mean, I could just talk about writing and all that goes with it 24/7. Nobody wants to hear that, but us writers of course. We're crazy like that. ;) I think it's probably hard being married to a writer while not being one. It's a funny business. Things can take such long time. There is so much involved.

This manuscript I am sending out for the first time is over six months but maybe less than a year old. I don't really keep track of that kind of stuff. I do know that the manuscript has been sitting on my computer for at least a couple of months waiting for my attention. I'm back to reading it now. With very fresh eyes. I'm laughing at the jokes like I've never heard them before. I'm surprised by little things. I am enjoying reading! And I'm keen to pick out any little things that need to be fixed before I send it off to this perfect publisher that I have found. There is no way I would have seen all the things I see now if I did not take the time to "forget" about this manuscript and let it rest. I know it's easy to want things to happen with our writing "right now", (Geez, I feel like I've said that before on this blog. Maybe a few too many times! ;) but unless you are some perfect, amazing writer, you will find things that can be improved when you let your manuscripts sit for a month or two, or *gasp* even three!

"X manuscript" that I am finally sending out is really old. I wrote it I don't know how many years ago. It got a lot of interest from agents way back when. It has seen its share of contradictory revision notes. That kind of makes it a tough one to know what to do with. I've finally just decided to start sending it out into the world of publishers and give my sweet little characters, who I am now really attached to because I have known them for so long, a chance. After so much rest time I can see clearly now what all those seemingly contradictory revision notes were asking. I can also imagine my characters waiting around in those slush piles dancing around and yelling, "Woohoo! She didn't forget us! We're out on submission! We might get into a real book someday!" Yes. I have written a story about my characters being out on submission. I know. It's weird.

So anyway, rest your manuscripts and laugh along at yourself with significant others who aren't writers. I mean, it is kind of funny to work on an 800 word story for years, isn't it? Maybe not as funny as imagining your characters in the slush pile. I haven't told my husband about that one yet. There is only so much a man can take.

Believing in Yourself

Okay, this may be way too honest...

I've been pretty down on myself lately. For not doing enough...not being enough...not being successful in this old writing business. I haven't felt like blogging or tweeting or any of the hoohaw I usually love to do. I just feel blah. I know publishing is a super tough business. Yes. I. Know.

I've had a number of people tell me that you won't succeed unless you believe in yourself. Well, I must believe in my writing because I let people look at it. (Yes, this is a big step from the way I used to be when I did not believe in my writing!) It helps that I've had interest from major publishers and yeah, I've sold a book. I know that my writing doesn't suck. But right at this moment it feels like its not enough. I want something new. Something amazing to happen. Like selling another book. It's a vicious circle this writing thing!

I'm not all that impatient. I'm pretty skilled at this waiting game. Lately though, while I'm waiting I'm wondering...will anything ever be good enough? I feel like it is, but maybe that's just me being silly. (I do tend to get quite silly so this is a real possibility.) Anyhow, my belief? Meh.

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that I've had the successes I have had. I've tried quitting writing before and believe me, that's never going to happen. I guess I just wonder sometimes if I should be trying harder. Or maybe I'm trying too hard? I don't know. I have lots of manuscripts. Lots of works in progress. Way too many ideas. And there's always opportunities. I think I just need to avoid the thinking about whether or not I'm going to succeed in a material sense.

I don't think the way I feel is all that unusual. As creators we're the ones that have to believe in our work first, even when no one else knows about it. (Or when they do and keep asking when our next book is going to be out.) It's easy for a while. But to keep it up for months... years... there's bound to be those times we wonder if what we write is good enough.

There is more to writing than publishing. Being excited about a story. Enjoying the process. Loving the writing community. Loving that my kids like to hear my stories, and write with me. Those are the things that fill me with hope and make me succeed, whether I sell a book or not.

Too Many Stories!

I've been sitting here trying to write a blog post for I'm not sure how long. I've started half a dozen and none of them seem quite right. There's too much going on. Too many topics I could write about. So here I am telling you about none of them.

This happens with my writing too. I have so many stories; so many manuscripts I want to get finished that I suddenly get into a holding pattern wondering which one to work on next. A friend of mine who is a disciplined and prolific writer of adult fiction told me to work on whichever is pulling at me the strongest. She was surprised when I told her they all were. Maybe it's like that for picture book writers, I don't know. I do have some non-pb projects that pull at me as well (although maybe not as strongly. Okay, that MG is really wanting to be finished too. Aaaarrrggghhhhhh!!!)

Anyhow, I'll flip thought my notebook, working on each story little by little until all of a sudden I'm writing and writing and...viola, I have a finished draft to type up and start revising!

Tell me, tell me, how do you work? Lots of stories at once or one at a time? How do you choose?

Natasha Yim Teaches Us How to Read... in Public!

Today I'm happy to be the first stop on Natasha Yim's blog tour celebrating the release of her latest book, Sacajawea of the Shoshone, part of the Thinking Girl's Treasury of Real Princesses series published by Goosebottom Books! Natasha's book, Cixi, the Dragon Empress, is also published by Goosebottom. Her picture book, Otto's Rainy Day, is published by Charlesbridge, plus she has a forthcoming book from Charlesbridge titled Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas. So, Natasha knows quite a bit about having to read in public! And when I say having to, I think most of you know what I mean. Getting up in front of a crowd is something most of us don't enjoy and something many of us think just might kill us! But, Natasha understands, and she has some great tips to get us up there, connecting with readers!

READ IN PUBLIC? WHO ME?

By Natasha Yim

Recently, I presented my new book Sacajawea of the Shoshone (Goosebottom Books, 2012) at the Sonoma County Book Festival. I even dressed as Sacajawea for the occasion. My stomach churned uncontrollably. I kept telling myself: “Get a grip! You’ve done this before. You know her story. Why are you so nervous?”

Well, that’s because for most of us authors, public speaking doesn’t come naturally. It’s something you have to work at. There are always things I worry about: I won’t speak clearly enough, my topic won’t engage the audience, I look ridiculous in this costume, I’ll trip and stumble on my way to the stage (this happened to me once), nobody will show up (this has also happened to me at an event). Unfortunately, Marketing and Promotion is a big part of being an author these days. After all, how are people going to find your book if they don’t know it exists?

When I had my first reading and signing at a book store for my first picture book, Otto’s Rainy Day (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2000), I was petrified! I had to ask my brother-in-law to read the book! School visits were even more terrifying. Speaking in front of 50, 100, 150 kids? Forget it. I avoided doing school visits for the longest time. I’ve come a long way. I’ve done quite a few public speaking engagements now and managed to have fun at most of them. And even though I can read my own books and get to the stage without stumbling, the nervousness never goes away.

So, here are a few tips about public speaking I’ve learned on my way to the podium. They may not make you a great orator, but it’ll help you manage your sweaty palms, hammering heart, and the urge to throw up all over your audience.

1. The only way to get a handle on your fear of public speaking is to just DO IT. Over...and over...and over again. The more you do, the less terrifying it becomes (note I’m not saying you won’t be terrified, I’m saying you’ll be less terrified).

2. Don’t think sales or marketing. Yes, you’re putting yourself out there and forcing yourself into this misery called public speaking because, in part, you’re promoting your book. But ultimately, what you’ll get the most joy and satisfaction from is connecting with your audience.

3. Use visuals. Power Point...best invention, ever! Actually, I have an Apple computer, so I use Keynotes which is more intuitive than Power Point, but you can include fun graphics and pictures, make them move across the page, shimmer or sparkle. Kids love the little airplane icon that flies across the map of the world from South East Asia to California when I talk about my childhood and journey to the US. You can enlarge the pages you’re reading from so they can see the illustrations better. And it takes the focus off of you as the speaker. When and if Power Point isn’t feasible, copy, blow up and laminate images, illustrations and graphics that relate to your book. Tip: pictures of pets are always a great hit.

4. Go with the flow. Sometimes, you’ll appear at an event and you’ll have one person in the audience or none at all, or the bookstore owner didn’t order enough books (or as the case may be—any books). I’ve turned book events into one-on-one chats (hey, she took the time to come), or signed free bookmarks for the attendees who didn’t want or couldn’t afford to buy the book. Make your time worthwhile, no matter how small.

5. Have a sense of humor. A friend of mine presented her book for ages 9 - 13 at an event where most of the kids who came were barely in pre-school, and the Q & A segment went something like this: “When is the skater lady going to be here?” (Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi was also scheduled to read her children’s book that day). You never know, those embarrassing moments could be the start of a new book! At any rate, they’ll make great stories to tell your grandkids...or your writer friends...who then put it in a blog post...

Want to hear more from Natasha?
Connect with Natasha on her website: www.natashayim.com
Her blog: www.writerslife2.blogspot.com (You can find the next stops on her blog tour in the sidebar.)
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/natashayim
Facebook: www.facebook.com/natashayim.author
and check out the fan pages for Sacajawea of the Shoshone and Cixi, The Dragon Empress.


And if you're in the bay area, Goosebottom Books will be launching Sacajawea of the Shoshone and 2 other fall releases (Njinga, The Warrior Queen, and Horrible Hauntings) at Reach and Teach bookstore, San Mateo, on Oct. 27, 4 pm. Come join us for a Halloween-themed book party with scary treats, a scariest reading contest (the audience gets to pick the scariest reader), book readings and enter the best Sacajawea look-alike contest. More details on Natasha's blog to come.

Waiting for Something Amazing to Happen aka Submitting Manuscripts

Submitting a manuscript can be hard! It can be scary to put your work out there. It can also be fun! I hear from lots of writers who are afraid to take that step. If you've done all the work; writing, critiquing, revising,more critiquing, more revising, editing ad nauseam, etc., etc., etc., and there is no more that you can possibly come up with to improve your manuscript it may be time to send out some submissions!

Be brave! When I first starting subbing I had to tell myself that it was no big deal. I would never meet this person that was reading my work (unless, of course, they liked it. Eep!) I had worked hard on my manuscripts and it was time to give them a chance. I was nervous, but I managed to get some work out there this way and I learned a lot in the process.

Now that I've had a little more experience with submissions, I see it as a challenge. It's exciting to send a story I've worked so hard on out into the world and see what comes back. Yes, this writing business can be tough, but when you have a manuscript out on submission, you never know what's going to happen. You may get a form rejection, but you may get back a letter saying how much your manuscript was liked, or a revision request, or *gasp* an offer! You are never going to experience any of those things if you don't send your manuscript out in the first place. I like to think of us writers as the kid on the tricycle from my very favorite movie of all time:



So here I am, sitting and waiting for something amazing to happen. If anyone wants to join me, there's plenty of room!

Cutting Words in a Picture Book Manuscript

Chop chop! Word counts for picture books are tight. Every word has to count. Before you even think of submitting a manuscript to an agent or publisher, be sure every word makes the cut.

• Think about what the illustrations will show. Do you really need to say that your character is sitting by a stream? (Don't be afraid to use an illustration note if you need to, but only use them if absolutely necessary!)
• Can you say with one word (better) something that you've said in two... or three... or four?
• Contractions! Going though your manuscript and changing they are to they're and I am to I'm, etc.,  can cut quite a few words. Of course, you don't have to contract everything contractable. Use your judgement on what sounds best in your story. Remember to watch for it is. It's it's not its!
• Check your descriptions. Can they be tightened?
• Are there sentences that can be combined? 
• Can words that end in -ed be changed to -ing, omitting the pronoun?
• Don't be afraid to go even further. Can you rid the story of any scenes, characters or dialogue? If it isn't moving the story forward get rid of it!
• Try Twitter. It's really great for helping make one aware of cuttable words. When you're trying to fit a thought into so few characters you can really see what needs to go!
  
  
  Here are some common word offenders to be on the lookout for:

the

and

at

was
that
so

as/as they
suddenly
however
quite

And of course: adjectives and adverbs!

My biggest offender? The horrible! The horrifying! Just. Oh how that word seems to make it into every single one of my manuscripts.

What are your biggest offenders? I'll add them to the list!

For more on cutting your picture book manuscript read STOP! Cut Picture Book Mss by 1/3 at Darcy Pattison's blog,  and Six Steps to Make Your Children's Story Sparkle by Laura Backes.

Of course, it can be hard to see what can be changed in our own work after we've looked at it for so long. If you've done your best to cut and still have a manuscript that's too long, ask a critique partner to look at it with an eye towards cutting!

Brainstorming a New YA... with my Daughter

My daughter, Ellamae, has been a book lover all of her life. I started reading to her when she was a baby. She started going to storytime at the library when she was around one. She would peek through the book return slot at the desk and have conversations with the librarian. She's gone through the progression of books from picture to chapter to middle grade, and young adult novels. She reads. A lot.

I started writing with an eye toward publishing when Ellamae was pretty young. She's watched me write, listened to my stories, and given me feedback. I've shared some of my writing frustrations and disappointments with her. She's celebrated my victories and been my biggest fan.

I've pushed nothing on her. Just shared with her when she was interested. I figure my kids will grow up to be whatever they want to be. She's seen how hard and frustrating it can be to write. I'm sure she's also noticed how much I've enjoyed it. Whatever the reason, it seems she's made her own natural progression from reader...to writer.

Today she asked my about an idea she has for a young adult novel. It's complex. It's challenging. It's good! The more we talked about it the more the outline came together. She's come up with some amazing twists and even a marketing hook. Needless to say, I am impressed.

So, will this come to fruition? She's written 130 pages of a novel before so she has the potential. Writing is hard, even for adults who have been doing it for a long time. I think she can do it, but I look up to her for even trying. And it sure is fun to have a brainstorming partner!

The Pressure of the Idea

In the past few weeks I have done a lot of things. I've weeded acres of garlic. I've thinned apple trees. Planted a garden. Run in a race and took first place. (It was a small race... very small. Don't be too impressed.) I've gone on long, lingering bike rides, been to the lake and had a run in with some leeches, read books in the sun. I've filled out a long, confusing application to get our farms certified organic. I've agreed to buy a rundown cabin. I've helped an art client get her social media up and running. I even dug out an old young adult novel I wrote a couple of years ago and started revisions.

One thing I haven't done? Come up with a new picture book idea. Why? Well, I like to think that my brain has been too busy doing all of these other things. On the one hand it bugs me. Why haven't I had an idea? I'm always full of ideas. On the other hand I wonder why I think I need a new idea. I have a bajillion in the filing cabinet, and many more lying around here and there. Really, I need more? Well, yeah. Of course I do! You never know when one will be great.

I do think that sometimes we picture book writers can put a lot of pressure on the idea and forget that the follow through is just as important. And honestly, for me, sometimes my ideas just need to sit a while until I figure them out. I recently finally finished a book whose concept I came up with at least a couple of years ago. I adored the concept but couldn't make it work. When I pulled the manuscript out a couple of months ago I finally figured out how the story needed to play out. It's nothing like what I had come up with at first save one major (and crazy!) plot detail. It's such a better story now and I believe it's ready to face the world.

So, I need to not worry. I know more picture book ideas will come eventually. They always do. I have plenty of other things to work on. And maybe with some focus I could even finish that YA. Now wouldn't that be something.

Patience, Grasshopper.

You know when you write a story and are really excited about it and you can't wait to finish it up so you can get it out into the world and see what happens? Well, that's me. A lot. But especially with the manuscript I've been working on lately. I want it to be done. NOW. But I know better.

I know that if I let my story sit I will come back with fresh eyes and be able to pick out things that don't work well enough. I know that if I wait I will come up with new and better plot twists, characterization, dialogue, and all that other stuff a manuscript needs to go the distance. I know that if I send my manuscript to my critique partner she will point out all sorts of things and make great suggestions on how to improve them. I know that if I just let my brain mull things over my story will get better. And it has.

Do I want to finish this manuscript and send it to my agent to see what she thinks? You bet. But I want to send her my work when it's at its best. I want it to be as ready as it can be. I want her to fall in love with it the way I love it. And to do that I must be patient. No matter how hard it is.

I'm getting close. At least in my opinion. But I'm trying to hold out a bit longer. One thing I found that has made the waiting easier? I'm working on perfecting the pitch. Maybe I'll go work on it some more now before I get too tempted to send the manuscript off.

A First Grade Interview with Ame Dyckman & Dan Yaccarino, creators of BOY + BOT!

BOY + BOT is the story of a boy and a robot who become friends. It is created by one fabulous duo, Ame Dyckman and Dan Yaccarino.

I brought this great book to school, along with a giant BOT, to share with some of my friends in first grade. And thanks to my nice friend Ame Dyckman, the kids got to interview the author and illustrator of a book, which was very exciting!

                            


First I told the kids about BOY + BOT's illustrator and showed them a selection of books Dan has illustrated and written, along with some of the stuff he's done for television. Television is impressive, of course, but the kids really ooohed and ahhed over all of the books that Dan has done. Pretty cool.

Then I told the kids about Ame and showed them her photo. Did they love her hat with ears? Affirmative. Did they love that she has pink hair? They certainly got excited about it! Did they think it was cool that she wrote a book and they got to ask her questions? Absolutely. And they were even more amazed when I showed them on the globe that Ame (and Dan too) live all the way across the United States far away from us here in Washington.

I think we got a lot of learning done just by talking. We talked about what authors and illustrators do. How they can work anywhere. How they work together along with the publisher. What a publisher is. We even got some geography in there. And we hadn't even started the book yet! But when we did there was lots of wiggling, giggling, and excitement!

After the applause died down, and we talked about misunderstanding and friendship(which is what BOY + BOT is all about), we did some creating of our own and made Bot inspired robots! The kids really got into it and enjoyed coming up with their own robot designs. Some even made baby bots to accompany their big bots. How cool is that! And, of course, the kids came up with questions they wanted to ask Ame and Dan. They wrote them on the giant Bot!

Here is Mrs. VanWoert's first grade reading class' interview:


How did you decide what Boy + Bot were going to look like? –Skyler

Dan: I just drew what my favorite robot would look like.


How long did it take to figure out what Bot was going to look like? -Laurelii

Dan: A few days.


How did you color the pictures? –Katelyn

Dan: I used a special paint called gouache (pronounced "gwash").


What did you use to make the illustrations? –Dakota

Dan: A paint called gouache on watercolor paper.


Dan, were you good at drawing when you were seven? –Reagan

Dan: Not as good as I am now, but I drew every day, so I got better.


How did you learn to draw? –Victor

Dan: By drawing every day.


Why is Bot red? –Katey

Dan: I like red. All robots should be red.


Why do you choose to illustrate other authors books as well as your own? -Heather (Okay, I couldn't resist asking Dan and Ame each a question as well.)

Dan: It's fun.


What is your favorite color? –Kayla

Dan: All of them.

Ame: My favorite color is blue, like the sky. (And often, my hair!)



What does Boy + Bot = ? -Jasper

Ame: Best friends forever!


I like your book. Why did Bot go swimming? –Kyra

Ame: Thanks Kyra! I like you name. Why did Bot go swimming? It was hot. (Don't worry. Bot is waterproof!)


How did you think of the story? –Kylar

Ame: I love robots. And I love friendship stories. I thought, "I'll write a robot friendship story!" And once, when I rolled down a hill, I got poked by a rock. So, I wrote that in, too.


Do Boy + Bot have names? –Jasper

Ame: Bot's real name is Bot. Boy hasn't told me what his name is yet.


Does the inventor have any other inventions? –Elijah

Ame: Lots! Right now, the Inventor is working on an automatic swinging hammock. (He's been a little dizzy lately.)


Does Bot have to work for the inventor or does he just get to play? –David

Ame: Bot has chores. When his chores are done, he gets to play. Watt (the little light bulb robot) is the Inventor's helper. This makes Watt happy.


You did an Unread interview with me way back in 2009! Now that you are a published author, how have things changed for you? -Heather

Ame: Now I get to write my name in a book and not get in trouble. But what do I love best? When kids and grandparents and teachers let me know they like Boy + Bot. That's the greatest thing ever!

And mine and Ame's definite favorite question:
Did it take more than one day to make the book? -Joey

Dan: Yes, it took me about three months to make the paintings.

Ame: And Joey, if you count the whole entire process (from the day I finished the 1st draft of the text for BOY + BOT to the day it went on sale), it was about 1,225 days! Do I hope you like our book? Affirmative!

*You may have noticed a lack of kids in the photos of this post! That is because there are rules and there was no time to deal with permission slips and all that. I do have permission to show one kid, who happens to be my personal helper on all things first grade related.