Sunday, December 27, 2015
Happy New Year Greetings for Writers
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Let’s Talk Picture Books, Part 6
It’s important to know what to write to get a
picture book contract, and it’s just as important to know what NOT to write. Slice
of life stories seldom get smiled upon by agents or editors, but they have
become a little more popular after 9/11. When editors state that a manuscript
is quiet or is a mood book, she means the story doesn’t have enough tension.
These stories are a glimpse into a character’s life (slice of life). There is
little action but the story makes the reader feel good. GOODNIGHT MOON is an
example.
Mood or quiet stories are vignettes that involve a
character in an activity with no conflict. Example: Billy goes for a ride on
his bike. He sees a friend. They play a game of basketball. He rides to the
ballgame and plays all afternoon. On his way home he meets his sister and gives
her a ride on his bike. His day has been fun and now he’s ready to settle in
for the night.
One of my early submissions years ago was a
slice-of-life story about a day in the life of a young girl. An editor wrote in
the rejection letter that nothing was happening to interest or intrigue the
reader. She said my story was “too quiet.”
If you have written such a story, analyze it to
discover a weakness or flaw in the character. In the example I gave, maybe the
boy could have a fight with his friend, or maybe he could be afraid of the ball
and his teammates blame him for losing the game. Within the story you just
might find a hidden gem of a story waiting to unfold.
Call
for Submissions for Young Writers:
Launch Pad. A bimonthly magazine dedicated to publishing fiction,
nonfiction, poetry, book reviews, and artwork written and created by children
ages 6-12.
Call
for Submissions for Adult Writers:
Jack and Jill (Ages 7-12).
FICTION: We accept full manuscripts of
600-800 words. The tone of the stories should be fun and engaging. Stories
should hook readers right from the get-go and pull them through the story.
Humor is very important! Dialogue should be witty instead of just furthering
the plot. The story should convey some kind of positive message. Possible
themes could include self-reliance, being kind to others, appreciating other
cultures, and so on. There are a million positive messages, so get creative!
Kids can see preachy coming from a mile away, though, so please focus on
telling a good story over teaching a lesson. The message—if there is one—should
come organically from the story and not feel tacked on.
NONFICTION: We accept nonfiction manuscripts
of 700 words or less. We are especially interested in features or Q&As with
regular kids (or groups of kids) in the Jack and Jill age group who are
engaged in unusual, challenging, or interesting activities. No celebrity pieces
please.
POETRY: We accept poems of up to 30 lines.
Poems should include unique topics that appeal to kids like sports, pets,
friendship, seasonal activities, vacations, and school activities.
PUZZLES, ACTIVITIES & GAMES: In general, we prefer to use
in-house generated material for this category but on occasion we do receive
unique and fun puzzles, games or activities through submissions. Please make
sure you are submitting a truly unique activity for our consideration.
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Let’s Talk Picture Books, Part 5
In earlier blogs, I have mentioned that editors did
not often swoon when receiving submissions written in rhyme. Often, writers
force the rhyme at the expense of the plot or add unnecessary words to keep the
rhyme. Exceptions are always possible so just because it hasn’t been done often
doesn’t mean it can’t be done.
Stories about inanimate objects that come to life
are difficult to write and difficult to nab a contract, also. Two train stories
have become popular: THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD and THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE. THE
GIVING TREE is also a classic about an inanimate object, but a book about a window
that won’t open or a rock that can’t roll will probably not garner more than a
rejection letter. Children want stories in which action impacts plot, where
something happens. It is difficult to develop an inanimate object as the main
character in a picture book. This works better in videos where sound and motion
work together to build the character. THE DAY THE CRAYONS QUIT is also another
example that inanimate objects can work, but it doesn’t seem to happen often in
the publishing world.
Dolls and toys as the main characters can work.
Children relate to these, such as the VELVETEEN RABBIT. Dolls look like people
and it’s easy to imagine them become real.
What works best as main characters are children and
animals, because a young child relates to both. By attributing human frailties to
animals make them seem real. Kids identify with the characters’ weaknesses and
mistakes. Many popular picture books showcase imperfect characters that grow
and learn. Engaging, humorous stories that inspire and can withstand multiple
readings are always searched for by editors and agents.
Call
for Submissions for Young and Adult Writers:
Kiki Magazine is an
independent magazine owned and operated by women who care about girls. Kiki uses
the college fashion design curriculum to tap into girls' creativity, including
business, fine art, craft, history, world culture, math, and even chemistry. The publication
accepts submissions of illustrations, artwork, photos, or articles from all ages.
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