When You're Too Busy Planning, You're Not Living Life

My purging is complete. Now it is time for some reflection... Two years ago, I went back to work again as a full time reading and language arts teacher for all the 4th graders of West Amwell School. I had been home on an 8 year maternity leave - yes, I said 8 years. I had a plan. I always had this plan - I would be a writer. Originally my plan was to teach for three years, learn what books needed to be written for elementary school kids and write them - simple, right?

But we all know how "...way leads on to way..." and before I knew it, 8 years had vanished. Then I left and had a baby. Then another baby. One year bled into another and before I knew it, another 8 years had flown by - again with a plan - to be a writer.

Not much writing happened during those years - those years of planning and not doing. Oh sure, I took a class for a few years on being a children's writer. And then I took a class on screenwriting in NYC for another two years. And sure I wrote my assignments, but I wasn't really living life as a writer. I was still planning to be one.

I wrote a lot of poetry in those days too. Actually, poetry was my first love as a writer. But I digress - So I went back to work as a teacher. I was teaching the great writers and not being one.

I was depressed.

I loved my students, don't get me wrong, and teaching was nice, but... I had no life and I wasn't writing at all. So when the position ended - the teacher I replaced while on maternity leave came back - life said 'no' to teaching and for the first time, I decided to listen to the universe and walk through whatever doors opened to me. Without question. Just walk through and see where it took me.

I also decided right then and there that I was no longer going to knock on closed doors because when a door is closed, universally speaking, it usually means, no one is home. So I started listening, really listening. The first thing I heard over and over was SCBWI, join SCBWI. So I did. I met a great friend there; Leeza. Then I tried to join a writer's group, but all were filled, or disbanded, or left no new information. So I asked Kathy Temean, RA of NJ's SCBWI what I should do. She said start your own. So I did. And the Hunterdon County Children's Writer's Group was formed. Sixty people showed up to our first meeting. Since then it has grown to a really unique group for children's writers. We have about 40 active members, and seven small groups, where we have all learned to critique without criticizing.

And as a result of listening to the universe, walking through its opened doors, and ignoring the closed ones, I have grown and learned so much.

I guess that's why this last bout of writer's laryngitis really hit me hard. It wasn't writer's block. To me writer's block is not knowing what to write next. I know what comes next in my story. It was laryngitis. I suddenly lost my voice. So I had to find a cure.

I cleaned. I purged. I went out to dinner with my extended family and celebrated our birthdays. I laughed. I lit candles. I meditated. I had plenty of sleep. I drank plenty of water.

But then today, thinking about this next posting and wondering what to write about, I decided to read my old poems. And I realized, well actually I realized a few things, some poems I used to think were really good, actually were quite bad. You might think this would be a downer. But it wasn't. Because through recognizing how trite some of them were, I realized I had grown.

I've walked through doors and listened to the universe, and met the people I need to know and because of it I've grown. I no longer PLAN on being a writer. I know I AM a writer.

One poem stood out to me though, and really illustrated this growth. I feel so far away from those words, those feelings right now and I am glad.

This might be a long entry and I try to keep them short - believe it or not - but here is that poem...

Unrecognizable, Even to Myself

Like a war veteran who still feels his amputated arm, I cling to a life, to the person, I once was, the person I wanted to be.

I search my face in the mirror, trying to find some part that I can recognize,
But I haven’t found it yet.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I value the people and things in my life; my family, my health, the roof over my head. I am not ungrateful,

Just lost.

I remember when I was younger dreaming of the life I would live when I grew up; daughters, a husband, perhaps an old farmhouse with horses and a dog. I would be a poet, a writer. My life would be simple and quiet, unfettered with obligatory friends and things to do. I would remain timeless in my beauty and thin - as I once was. I would be happy. The smell of wood burning in our fireplace. Unity of the family I had created with a soul mate of a husband; love, quiet, reassuring love, equal love, happy, fulfilling love.

I guess I am not so far, far away from that original painting in my mind; a Normal Rockwell oil painting of time frozen on a canvas with happy, content faces, living a simple life, in a simple time. Certain pieces of the portrait exist; a husband, daughters, dogs, a home, although not an old farmhouse and we don’t have horses. Still things are not as they seem, as they were in the painting of my life.

The quiet. The happiness. The very rare unfettered choices. The simplicity. The beauty and health of youth. The quiet, equal love. These are not here. The living life simply as a writer, alone time, time to write, alone, in quiet solitude, in an old converted barn, with the smell of wet wood and dust, sipping coffee, or maybe tea, with my dog asleep on the floor next to me, waiting

and watching as pages fly and fingers ache with the typing of words strung together like pearls on a graceful strand.

This life lives on only in my memory; the memory of a life not lived.

Instead, societal norms press my moves, marking my decisions, tying a noose around my neck.

Instead a paying job, I now seek, to fulfill my bank account instead of my soul, too weak to fight for what is right now, to write now no more.

Instead, I am a discontented, respected member of society, working for a living, at an honest pay, doing an honest job.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I, I took the one more traveled by
And that HAS made all the difference.

It has tarnished my canvas, filtered the light, shifted the shades, discolored as they fade.

What is a grown-up to do with childish dreams and real bills to pay? How else can I do what I want and not what I must?

I teach children about the great writers instead of being one. I observe a symphony of sight and sound on the silver screen with my husband and children and tears are shed, not for the sentiment of the movie, but for the ones I will never write, see on the screen, for the awe that is inside of me, and remains to be seen.

Now I have papers to grade, and lessons to prepare, and writing is a not so distant dream of dreams I once had...
when I was young.

Young and unfettered from demands of grown-ups in a grown-up world. No time for dreaming, or writing. I might have to leave that for those who found there way in that yellow wood on that overgrown path, no traveler tramped.

I will have to leave that forked path perhaps for another day. When? Who knows now. Life passes us by as we make our plans of mortal man, immortal perhaps for others. Not I.

I took the other road. For not many understand the life of a writer, who sits alone and writes about the life you live, not for money, not for fame, not because anyone is knocking on her door asking her to... just because she has to. How can I justify this life now, now that there are mouths to feed, and backs to clothe, and a husband to help carry the load? How can I justify a life of writing for no one but myself?

I can not.

Not anymore.

And so I work, work for hire, work for pay, work so society can be proud of me.

Fettered, yes.
Chained, hampered, held back... you bet.

On my usual drive to work the other day, I drove past a field of sunflowers, bright and yellow. Their dark, undistinguishable faces trying to capture the sun. At first I was struck by the beauty in their uniformity, their neat rows and tidy lines. But then I noticed one flower grew taller and surer than the rest, as if reaching, reaching to be something more, something different, forging her way in a sea of sameness. One flower reached for the sun on a tepid August day.

She did not stop to ask if she had the right.

BLAH...

I had a seriously blah day today... and yesterday for that matter... come to think of it and Tuesday as well. I had this "energy" work done on me on Tuesday. I was so excited. But since then all I feel is BLAH... I was actually better before having the "work" done. Now I haven't written in three days and all I want to do is sleep.

Usually going for a walk with my dog snaps me right out of it and floods my mind with a zillion ideas, but even that didn't work.

So how about it? When you are feelign BLAH and just not full of words, what gets those words flowing again?

Rules of Critiquing; On being Critiqued and on Giving a Critique

Recently, the question came up, for the rules of being critiqued.

When is it OK for the writer to explain or defend their work?

Well, to be blunt... NOT DURING A CRITIQUE!

My feeling is this, if you have to explain your work, then your writing is not clear enough. After all, you are not going home with every reader to explain what you meant anytime they are confused. So, if someone is telling you they were confused, or something didn't make sense to them, LISTEN. Tuck it away in that little file cabinet in your brain. See if anyone else offers you the same comment too. Chances are, if you hear the same comment a few times, they are probably right, and you probably really do need to go back and fix this area.

Critquers are not always going to tell you what you are longing to hear. They are not always going to understand what you have written and they are not always going to love your writing. OR your story for that matter... But, it is much more beneficial to be in a group of writers who feel free to speak their true mind so your writing can be all it can be.

The best thing you can do for yourself during a critique is listen. Take notes and ask questions at the end. You do not have to agree with what they say. You do not have to do what they suggest. You can take their comments or leave their comments. That is up to you. All you have to do is listen.

These are the rules I wrote up and handed out to the writer's group I organize in Hunterdon County NJ.

On Being Critiqued...

1. LISTEN; the worst thing writer’s do is defend their story and thus are not opened to receive some potentially insightful information. So remember, breathe and listen.
   
2. HOLD YOUR COMMENTS UNTIL THE END. If you are afraid you will forget, jot your thoughts down as you are listening.
   
3. AGREEING vs. DISAGREEING; you DO NOT have to take every piece of advice you get. You can feel it in your gut when someone’s advice rings true to the story YOU are trying to tell. So if someone says something you don’t agree with, just listen, and move on.
   
4. QUESTION; once someone is done giving their opinion, ask anything you are unsure about. Ask for clarity if you need it, or ask if you can email them or call them on the phone. Or if there is time at the end of the meeting, approach the person then.
5. GENERAL CRITIQUE vs. SPECIFIC FINDINGS; If you want the readers to look for something specific in your story, like… is this character’s voice distinctive enough, etc, tell the readers BEFORE the critique so they know what type of a critique you are looking for... a line editing vs general comments.
   

But the writer is not the only person who should abide by some rules during a critique. How about the one critiquing? Are there rules for these people in your critique group too? You betcha! Again, these are also the rules my group tries to live by.

On Critiquing without Criticizing...

1. Remember, THIS IS NOT YOUR STORY; it is not your job to rewrite it, or tell the writer what YOU think his/her character would do. Instead ask questions to provoke the writer to consider things and figure them out on his/her own. Such as, I was curious about so and so’s decision to…or… It made me wonder what would have happened if he touched the bubble and it popped… This is so much better than saying, I think your main character would have touched the bubble and I think it should have popped.
2. LET OTHERS TALK; be considerate of the other’s in your group who also deserve time to give their notes. Plus it is rude to the writer who wants to be able to hear from everyone and not just one person. For this reason, it might be a good idea to elect a different member for each critique (not the writer) to keep track of time so each critiquer can be gently reminded their time is coming to an end to help avoid the above from happening.
3. Keep in mind the point you are all there… no one is better than anyone else. Sure, you might have studied with so and so, or attended such and such school, but all members in your group must believe that you are all equal. The goal of a writer's group is to lift each other up and help each other reach individual goals.
4. If you don’t like a story someone is writing, leave your personal feelings out of it! It is about you helping that writer make his/her story the best it can be. They LOVE their story, as you love yours. Always keep that in mind. If it has not reached its potential, how can you help that writer get there? Most of the time, the best bet is through asking questions.

I hope you can use these rules in your next critique session or in your writer's group. I hope they help your group achieve a balanced, inspiring, and encouraging dynamic.

So now let's share... What are some critiquing hardships, or nightmares you have experienced? Have you ever had to critique a story you hated? Did anyone ever give you a real downer critique? What are some things your group does that workds particularly well? Share your best or worst stories...

Sheri

Inspirational Quote

“Personal limitation exists

only in our ideas of who we are.

Give up all notions of who you are

and your limitations will vanish.”

~ Unknown

I DID IT!

I achieved a long term goal!

Well, true, it shouldn't have become a long term goal, but it turned into one. An editor read my first 30 pages of my middle grade novel and was very supportive and insightful. I asked her if she would be interested in reading the next 30 pages and she said YES. Easy enough, right, just provide her with the next 30 pages. But it wasn't easy enough.

There was a lot wrong with my story and I knew it. Things just weren't sitting well with me. Sure, it had a lot that was good, but I just couldn't write forward until I fixed what came first. And so April turned to May, May to June, June to July... I think you can see where I am going with this...

But it's not that I just sat doing nothing. I re-wrote the manuscript, over and over until UREKA! I discovered the true essence and voice of my story and then everything fell into place.

So today, I have, sitting right here beside me, my first three chapters of draft 6 of my middle grade novel, a one-page synopsis, and a cover letter (thank you Leeza for helping me with that! - cover letters intimidate me...) Now, I am ready to go! And I am soooooo excited to finally reach this goal.

The thought did occur to me, however, just how common this problem is. I have heard from so many writers... Yeah, editor so-and-so has been waiting on my such-and-such since (insert a month that has long ago passed). And I had to stop and wonder why. Why do we do this to ourselves? We want to get publsihed. it just doesn't make any sense. And then I thought...

When we have a door open for us, sometimes it is scary to walk through it, for fear that it might slam shut in our faces. So we sit... and ponder... or spin our wheels... thinking we are working, all in the attempt to feel that, that door is still open. Now, while it is true, I have been very busily re-writing, I also did a lot of agonizing, and drawing things out, and spinning my wheel. True, I am terrified that this editor might read these new pages and say, thanks, but no thanks. But I must instead focus and visualize the positive... And so...

I will walk through this door and only face the future and not turn around to see if the door behind me has shut or remained open. If I keep my eye on the future, only good can come from that.

Have you left any open doors waving in the wind?

Sheri

America's Top Writer by Danette Haworth

I stumbled upon this great writer's blog the other day - Danette Haworth - She recently sold her first middle grade novel, VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. Yay, Danette!

She wrote this great new posting on her blog entitled, America's Top Writer. It is a paradoy on today's warp-speed-to-the-top reality TV shows. Check it out. You will laugh out loud! http://summerfriend.blogspot.com/2008/01/americas-next-top-writer.html

Internal Dialogue

One of my fellow writers reached out recently with a question about the use of internal dialogue for her antagonist.

While it’s true, if used sparingly, internal dialogue can be useful, even enlightening. However, if used too frequently, it can be quite boring, overly dramatic, and in some cases, just plain silly.

I always think of it in terms of visuals. When I write, I see the scene in my head as if acted out. So, if you think of internal dialogue visually, you know then that it is not very visual, thereby, not very entertaining. It is better to limit internal dialogue to the times when it will have the greatest impact– and I believe there are certainly times when it is truly needed.

So how can you show what your character is thinking without overdoing internal dialogue? Provide him with a "buddy," or his “dynamic character;” someone he talks to, opens up to, listens to, reacts to, etc. This is more visually entertaining and it can also add so many layers to your characters.

And, may I just add... many writers have said to me - but I am not writing a screenplay. This is not a movie. It's a book! It isn't visual... Well to those writers I have this to say... have you ever read a book you didn’t see in your mind? Aha! Books are visual too. It is your job to entertain your reader visually too. To put pictures in their mind. Do you want them to picture your antagonist alone in a room, pacing feverishly, thinking to himself? Well, maybe sometimes. But every time? I think no.

Most of us understand that our PROtagonist needs a best friend and thus a lot of internal dialogue is shown in the use of this “dynamic” relationship between your protagonist and its dynamic character – the best friend. But what about the ANtagonist? How do you show the antagonist’s point of view without leaning too heavily on internal dialogue? The same way… a buddy character.

This evil "buddy" is an integral part of your story as well. He will act as the antagonist's conscience or as a buffer to offset the harsh evil tone the antagonist provides. When dealing with an evil antagonist – btw, not all antagonists are evil. It can be a parent who thinks she knows what’s best for the teenage main character and so stands in his way from achieving his goal – but back to the point… a minion, or evil servant, can help lessen your antagonist’s evilness. The evil “servant” can be a source of comedy by being stupid, or clumsy - the opposite of the antagonist... The servant can also help show either just how evil your character is, or as mitigation to show why he is so evil, or create an opportunity to show a softer side of this evil character.

Of course every character will have some internal dialogue from time to time, but if that is all that character has, it will be a weak way of presenting his/her thoughts. By only allowing your antagonist to think via internal dialogue would result in a missed opportunity for you to add layers, dimensions, and mitigation for this other important character in your story.

So, how about it? Let’s start a list of antagonists and their buddies. I’ll start with…

• Disney’s Cruella De Vil, from 101 Dalmatians. She had a crew that did her dirty work for her… namely Horace and Jasper.
• Or how about the antagonist from Holes, by Louis Sachar. The Warden was truly evil, but she didn’t work alone. No. We knew her inner thinking through the use of her two helpers - Mr. Sir and Mr. Pendanski

So let's hear from you. What antagonists come to your mind, and who were their henchmen?

Over a Hundred Ways to say SAID

My daughter's third grade teacher (Hello Mrs. Patkochis!) presented a challenge to her budding third grade writers... "How many ways can you say said?" She said the winner of the challenge would win something very special. Both my daughters have inherited the writer's gene from me (poor things) so she came home very determined and quickly decided the one sheet of paper provided would not suffice. So, she started by reading books (Ahem... one of my own, thank you very much) and began compiling her list. Then she decided she needed to type this list out on the computer and consult a thesaurus and the Internet. Here is her list of over 150 synonyms for said... What words can you add?
1. accused 2. acknowledged 3. added 4. addressed 5. admitted
6. admonished 7. advised 8. advocated 9. affirmed 10. agreed
11. alleged 12. allowed 13. alluded 14. announced 15. answered
16. apologized 17. appealed 18. appeased 19. approved 20. argued
21. articulated 22. asked 23. asserted 24. assumed 25. assured
26. attested 27. avowed 28. babbled 29. baited 30. bantered
31. bargained 32. barked 33. bawled 34. began 35. begged
36. believed 37. belittled 38. bellowed 39. blubbered 40. blurted
41. blustered 42. boasted 43. boomed 44. bragged 45. breathed
46. broke in 47. brought forth 48. condescended 49. contested
50. continued 51. contradicted 52. contributed 53. cooed
54. counseled 55. countered 56. coughed 57. crabbed
58. cackled 59. cajoled 60. calculated 61. called 62. caroled
63. cautioned 64. challenged 65. craved 66. cracked
67. cried 68. criticized 69. croaked 70. cautioned
71. crooned 72. cross-examined 73. chanted 74. cursed 75. charged
76. chatted 77. chattered 78. cheered 79. chided 80. chipped in
81. chirped 82. choked 83. chortled 84. cited 85. claimed
86. coaxed 87. comforted 88.commanded 89. commented
90. communicated 91. complained 92. conceded 93. concluded
94. concurred 95. confessed 96. confided 97. confirmed
98. consented 99. consoled 100. droned 101. debated
102. decided 103. declared 104. decreed 105. delivered
106. defended 107. demanded 108. demurred 109. denied
110. denounced 111. described 112. determined 113. dictated
114. directed 115. disclaimed 116. discussed 117. disclosed
118. disrupted 119. divulged 120. echoed 121. elaborated
122. emphasized 123. enjoined 124. enjoyed 125. enumerated
126. equivocated 127. estimated 128. enunciated 129. exaggerated
130. exhorted 131. expiated 132. explained 133. exploded
134. exposed 135. expressed 136. faltered 137. foretold
138. gasped 139. giggled 140. groaned 141. interrupted
142. laughed 143. muttered 144. pleaded 145. proclaimed
146. questioned 147. replied 148. sang 149. screeched
150. sputtered 151. stated 152. summoned 153. teased
154. trilled 155. wavered

By the way, she was the winner! A free homework pass was awarded. Congratulations Madison and Amy for being runner-up. But mostly, congratulations to all the student's of Mrs. Patkochis' 3rd graders for thinking outside the box and to Mrs. Patkochis for making learning so much fun!

Parting with Words

Having trouble doing a revision?
You know your story's too long and you need to make some drastic cuts, but you're afraid that by slashing away your precious words and phrases you've grown to love; you will ruin your story and loose the very essence you originally intended.

What's a writer to do? Simple. Copy and paste.

Copy your story into a new document and slash away. You'll have peace of mind knowing your original story is still in tact, safe and sound, saved under another document name.

Here's what I do...
I write a first draft and I leave it alone for a few days. I come back and read it with fresh eyes. I fix any simple editorial mistakes or add/change/delete a word or phrase. But when it comes to major revisions, I save that first draft as 1.0. 1= first draft. .0 = no revisions. I copy and paste the story onto a fresh new page. I save it and call it 1.1 1 = still the first draft. .1= first revision. I continue this process until I get to the end of the story. When I am ready to begin revising my second draft, I begin with 2.0 2 = second draft, no revisions… YET!

By the time I am done with a story, I have a file thick with all sorts of numbers, 1.0, 1.1, 1.2… 2.7... and so on. It tracks my revisions, let's me see my growth, reminds me of what I've done previously, and most of all, frees me to make those big and necessary changes. And voila! You’ve revised your story.

What method do you use?

Sheri ks, ks

New Year's Resolution

OK so every year, millions of us make New Year's Resolutions that most likely are abandoned by spring time. This year I am going to make a Writer’s Resolution - One I can stick with because it will not be centered around food! As soon as I am on a diet, I become rebellious and suddenly have an insatiable appetite.

So here it goes... My Writer's Resolutions for 2008...

Writer's Resolution #1

MAKE REVISIONS - One of my picture books is just about ready for submission. I am going to work on it for a day or two and then mail it out!


Writer's Resolution #2

POLISH PAGES 1 - 30 - I have promised an editor my next 30 pages (31 - 60) since last April. (Oh the shame...) It's not that I have been ignoring her. No. I have been busily taking her suggestions and writing and re-writing. I thought all I had to do was write forward. But because I knew what problems needed to be fixed, I just couldn't move forward. So instead I took these 8-9 months to rewrite. Now that I feel I am on the right path with this 6th draft, I feel I should mail her my new first thirty and I want to do this before Jan 15.

Writer's Resolution #3

FINISH MY BOOK! If I write 10 pages a day, taking into consideration those days when you just can't write... maybe you need to simmer, or you need a break, or you're sick... I think I can be close to done by April 2008. That is three months away. This would include critiques and re-writes. I think this could be plausible.

Writer's Resolution#4

SAVE, SAVE, SAVE - my long term goal is to attend the 2009 Bologna Children's Book Fair. http://www.bookfair.bolognafiere.it/book_index.asp?m=52&l=2&ma=3 This is supposed to be THE children's book fair for children's writers. I hope to shop this particular novel there. My goal is for the first book to be completed and polished and that I am somewhere in the second book in the series.

Well, I think that just about sums it up; four goals spread out over the next year. I have heard writing your dream down into a goal is the first step into turning it into a reality.

I have also been told recently that 2007 was a year of endings and 2008 will be a year of beginnings. I don't know about you, but I am ready for a beginning. Heck, and who knows, maybe I will finally loose those 15 - 20 lbs to boot!

So let's hear from you... What are your Writer's Resolutions for the New Year?

Happy New Years!

Sheri ks, ks

A Good Review!

It was my turn for a critique in my writer’s group. Often I wonder when I will ever get that critique where all my fellow writers say, Bravo! It’s perfect! Don’t change a thing! Although I secretly wonder and hope for the arrival of this unlikely day, I know if JK Rowling herself was in my writer’s group, I am sure there would still be much to talk about.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my group. I wouldn’t be half the writer I am today without them. We've been together for nine months, and although that is still a short time, the changes I have seen in all our writing is amazing. I know, personally, I have grown by leaps and bounds as a result of being part of such a thought-provoking group of fellow children’s writers. We are certainly not afraid to speak our minds, say it like it is, and challenge each other when we need it. Which is why this last critique has left me speechless. OK I am never really speechless… but I was moved to secret tears and am still in awe!

My middle grade novel has been through many, many changes. This is my 6th draft and I hope my last, but I know, even as I write this, that that is most likely not going to be the case – as there is always room for improvement. In this draft, I have switched from third to first person. I normally do not write in first person, but I kept hearing my main character speak and I kept changing it to third until one day I said, Fine, you want to be in first, then let’s go. I never anticipated the huge transformation this seemingly small change would cause, but it did. I submitted my first 2 chapters the critique before this one, and it went very well and everyone agreed, first person helped me capture my main character’s voice and breathe real life into her... I was on the right path.

But this last critique…

I was really nervous. It was for a short chapter… chapter three. Chapter three follows a chapter where something momentous happens and I was afraid chapter three was too quiet. It is quiet in the sense that it is not filled with a lot of physical action, but it is filled with a lot of emotional tension. I haven’t been this nervous about a critique in a very long time. I thought for sure, I would leave thinking, Great! Now I have to rewrite the whole chapter before I can move forward. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

It was a unanimous BRAVO!

They all loved it. They were moved to tears, held their breath in anticipation, couldn’t stop turning the pages, and wanted more. Finally, my dream came true – to hear that you have emotionally affected a reader! Isn’t that what being a writer is all about – that the reader is completely absorbed and invested in your story? And like I said, this group can find a needle in a haystack! I am still on cloud nine. Of course there are always suggestions about how to make it stronger and more clear, and those obscure grammar rules, but to have affected these readers, is a dream come true.

Now to keep up this momentum for only another 20 chapters or so…

Moving Forward in your Novel

I was surfing fellow writers' blogs the other day and came upon two I really liked. One is by Rebecca. I like that her blog is honest about the daily triumphs and miseries about being a writer. The ups and downs are shared in her blog about writing, and revising, and when we feel on top of the world and why we all do this crazy thing - writing stories. But it also shares the truths about those all too familiar rejection letters and how sometimes criticism is just too much to bear.

Then I happened upon Rachel's blog. Rachel wrote about a class she is taking and a new way of thinking called scenes and sequels and it has made me STOP and take notice of this now sixth revision of my middle grade novel. She says... think of your scenes in terms of goals, conflicts, and disasters. And I thought that this made perfect sense. Of course your story has a much broader goal, conflict and disaster. But each scene should have its own mini arc if you will. So there is a rise and fall within that crescendo of your story and it's grander rise and fall. Like the constant rolling of the waves within the constant rise and fall of the tides.

She then went on to speak about sequels - the emotion, thoughts, decisions, and actions of your characters within each scene as seen through narration, speech tags, actions tags, etc. It is these emotions, thoughts, decisions, and actions that color your canvas with layers. My favorite example of this is from an article in the Writer Magazine, Shtick it to Them, where Arthur Plotnik says this about adding those layers and using action, emotions, etc. to speak volumes for your characters. Some of his examples are....

"I love you," he said.
She blew smoke in his face, "How nice."

Or

"I love you," he said.
She checked her cell phone, "Gotta take this."

In both these examples, it was the actions that spoke for the characters. The author did not have to say something expository like, but Susan could careless as she answered her cell phone. How dull that would have been? By using action to speak for the character, it gave the character life.

All these layers, what is unspoken in your words, the rise and fall of the arcs within the arcs, they are what breathes life into your stories. I can't stop thinking about it and am excited to use scenes and sequels in my hopefully (but I know it won't be) my final revision.

Happy writing!
Sheri ks, ks

I've Been Tagged

I must admit, I am such a dork! I am so new to this. I only JUST figured out how to play Blogger Tag, so here it goes - Oh and thanks Leeza for the thoughtful comments on your blog! I am blushing. Can you tell?

OK, so here it goes... 5 random things about me...
1.) My favorite time of year is summer leading into autumn. I love when the leaves are about to change and you know the woods are going to burst into color at any moment. It is like knowing a secret.
2.) My favorite sound is the sound of babies' laughter. Music to my ears. And it is so completely contagious.
3.) I am completely affected by the weather and seasons. But not just in the way that when it rains, I feel sad and want to only stay indoors. Or when it's sunny and warm, I want to be outside. I mean as the sun moves far away from us during the winter, all I want to do is hibernate. It becomes very hard for me to stay active and full of inspiration. That's when I have to work extra hard. I think I was a bear in my former life...
4.) My favorite color is green. Green's the color of nature when its alive and thriving. But I don't necessarily look good in green...
5.) I was born on my mother's birthday. I used to dread celebrating because I felt I never had a special day to myself. Now that she has passed away, my birthdays feel so lonely without her. So I like to write her name on my cake anyway. Dec. 28th - Happy birthday Mom! Miss you everyday!

OK so now that I know how to play, it's your turn. Incase you also don't know how to play, here it goes... I am going to tag some friends. (You're supposed to tag 5 people.) You list 5 random things about yourself on your blog. When you're done, tag your friends at the end of your posting with a link to their blog. But don't forget to let your blogger friends know they've been tagged on your blog.Then it's their turn. They have to list 5 random things about themselves on their blog and tag 5 more people and so on and so on. Make sure to go back to their blog so you can read about their random 5 things.

So, here starts my rousing game of tag... (I would tag Leeza, but she's already been tagged. And she tagged me! However, check out her blog too. She's a very talented and creative children's book illustrator and writer). I tag Jeanne, Cathleen, Rachel and Rebecca. They are all children's book writers and/or illustrators and have great sites.

Happy Blogger Tag everyone!
Sheri ks, ks

Formatting Subsequent Pages

I promised I would come back to discuss how to properly format the text of your story, so here it is…

The Subsequent Pages
The Header – Remember when I said, choose a ‘Different First Page’ in the posting, Formatting your Title Page and you’ll see why later… well, now is later.

The header for all Subsequent Pages is different from the Title Page Header and although there is certain info that MUST appear in the Subsequent Page Header, there is some slight variation on how it can appear.

To set this Header up, you will need to once again…

• go to View
• then to Header

Because you chose a ‘Different First Page,’ whatever you do here in this header, will not affect your Title Page Header.

Here’s what it MUST have… in the upper RIGHT corner (nothing is in the left corner on all subsequent pages), single spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font, you need…

• your last name only
• the title of the story (or a few key words from your title)
• and page X out of Y.

This is important because your pages should NEVER be bound. So if one page should say… fall out… the editor/publisher/peer-writer will know whose manuscript it belongs to and what page it is within that manuscript.

Here’s how you insert ‘X out of Y pages’…

• Go to View
• then to Header
• then to ‘Insert Auto Text’
• Choose ‘Page X out of Y’

Since you chose a ‘Different First Page’ if you are writing a Picture Book, then your first Subsequent Page will automatically begin numbering on page 2 because you didn’t type begin at page 0 on your Title Page.

If you are writing a novel and you remembered to type start at 0 (see Title Page Posting) then your X out of Y, will automatically begin on your first Subsequent Page as page 1.

Here’s the variation with Subsequent Page Headers …some people put all of this information on one line; some split it up into two or three lines. I say, it doesn’t really matter and depends on how long your title is. **But be sure, in your header, to press enter a time or two to create some distance between your header and your text. It’s easier on the eye.


The Text
Now you are ready to being your text. If this is a Picture book, you would have begun your text on your Title Page (see Title Page Posting). However if this is a novel, you would begin your text on the next page.

All text should be DOUBLE SPACED, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, and DO NOT skip an extra line between paragraphs. Simply press enter ONCE when wanting to begin a new paragraph, indent and continue.

**For picture books, do not indicate where you think page turns should go. Also for a picture book, do not give illustration notes unless absolutely vital to the understanding of the story. And then, do so only sparingly.

If you are writing a novel, skip to about the middle of the page and begin with your Chapter Number and/or Title. I write both chapter numbers and titles, but this varies from writer to writer. Then under your title, you would skip a few more lines and begin your text about 2/3rds down the page.

Continuing the Text
When text needs to continue from one page to the next, you just simply continue typing and the text will naturally flow onto the next page. Because you also properly set up your second Header to include a few extra blank lines, your text will begin a few lines under, making it easier to read and not jumbled together with the Header.

New Chapters
When starting a new chapter, start on fresh new page just like your very first page of your very first chapter. Begin with your Title Number and/or Title in the middle of the page, then skip till about 2/3rds down, and begin this new chapter.

I like to Bold my Chapter Numbers and Italics my Chapter Titles, but there is no hard fast rule on that. Chapter Titles/Number should be center aligned.

Alignments, Margins and Tabs, Oh My!
Text – all pages should be aligned left, NOT JUSTIFIED.

Margins – one inch margins all around

Tabs – some people do ½ inch, some do one inch. I haven’t seen any absolute ruling on this. If anyone has, please let me know.

The LAST PAGE
Some writers like to type END in all caps towards the bottom of the last page center aligned. I like to do this because it just feels so darn good! But again, there is no hard fast rule on this. I recommend as a rule of thumb, if you write X out of Y pages, then you probably don’t need it. But if you choose to only write the page and not out of however many total pages, then I would suggest typing END, especially if it is a cliff hanger or open-ended ending. This way the editor/publisher, whoever, won’t wonder if he/she’s missing a few last pages. Of course this is with novel writing and is completely unnecessary with picture books.

Just be sure to…
Check all submission guidelines for each publisher before you send your manuscript. They vary slightly. Go to the Writer’s Market, then to the publisher you are interested in targeting and it will list their website. Usually, you can find their submission guidelines there.

Learn this formatting. Remember, the properly formatted manuscript looks professional. It is the first impression you make with an editor, publisher, or agent. It is the difference between being read or not being read. In other words, an unsolicited manuscript may wind up in the slush pile, but a manuscript that is not properly formatted, will not even wind up there. It will be thrown out, filed under the desk, in the trash! So put your best face forward.

Don’t try to fake it by creating your own header and not actually using the ‘header’ under ‘view.’ You can see the difference and what’s more, real headers stick in place and will not move as you alter your text, whereas a pretend one will. So no faking it. They can tell. If you can’t figure it out, call a friend to walk you through it.

Happy Formatting!

END!

Formatting - the Title Page

Knowing how to properly format your manuscript is vital to your survival in the field of children's literature. Actually, it is vital in any writing field. It is the best way to show an editor that you are professional. Even the most brilliant scripts will be "filed under the desk" if it is not properly formatted and clean.

Since there is so much to know about formatting though, I am going to break this up into a few separate postings. This first posting will only deal with how to format the Title Page. A TRUE Title Page, however, is used primarily in novel writing - NOT PICTURE BOOKS. So picture book people, yours will be slightly different.

Formatting Your Manuscript - The Title Page

Step One - Opening a Header

1. In Word go to View and then to Header.
2. In the upper left corner, single-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 font, type your full name.
3. Then next line – your address.
4. Next line – your telephone number.
5. Next line – your email or website address.
6. On the top line, right corner, write your intended audience, such as Early Reader, Elementary, Middle Grade, or Young Adult
7. And under that - word count. (This varies from publisher to publisher. Some do not want word count, some do. Be sure to consult the Writer’s Market under the publisher’s submission guidelines to find out.)

When setting up your header, BE SURE TO SELECT ‘DIFFERENT FIRST PAGE.’ You’ll see why later. You can find this by… going to View, then to Header, then to Page Set-Up, then the Layout tab, then check Different First Page.

Step Two - Numbering Pages

Be sure to select in your header to begin counting pages at 0. This way your title page will not be counted as page 1, throwing off your page count. This is done by...

1. going to View,
2. then to Header,
3. then to Format Page Number,
4. then Start At and type in 0.

~However picture book people should not type - start at 0 - because their text will begin on this page.

Step Three - Your Actual Title

Many people like to make their title Bold and choose a large point font, but I suggest you stay in Times New Roman. However, there is no set ruling on this – just personal preference. So, select a size font you like and type your Title in bold, right in the center of the Title Page.

Since all your information is already on this title page, it is unnecessary to write "by 'Your Name'" under the title. It is already in the upper left hand corner of your Header.

Title Pages for Picture Book Writers

All of the above is the same for you, too. The only difference is, you would then begin your text right on this page. After your title, skip a bunch of lines until you are about 2/3 down, indent and begin your text. Your text should be double-spaced, 12 point , Times New Roman font.

If you’re writing a Novel, as stated previously, your title page should only contain your personal information and the title of the story. The text will begin on the next page. I will go into more detail about formatting for subsequent pages in my next posting.

For more on formatting the text of your story, look for my next posting entitled Subsequent Pages - The Text.

Bye for now,

Sheri ks, ks