Picture Book Revision, part 2

            Tips on revision, continued:

My thought processes rely heavily on verbs that don’t show action: is, are, was, were…. In revision, I eliminate many of the non-action verbs and replace them with other verbs that paint a specific picture (pedaled, skipped, barked). Action verbs don’t need modifiers, so fewer words are needed to describe the scene.

Add rhythm. Alliteration (fog floated) makes the prose livelier. Onamonapia (bumpty-bump) adds a beat that sounds like poetry when read aloud. Rhythm is how the words connect, a rise and fall of the phrases and sentences.

Less dialog. Picture books don’t rely heavily on dialog. Usually, dialog is no more than 1/3 of the text, often much less. Rather than conversations, use action scenes that can be illustrated with the narrator relating the action. The targeted audience is young children who prefer fast action to character conversation, which often slows the action. Of course, this is a general rule. Some books have no dialog, and some are all dialog.

Let the illustrations tell part of the story. Picture book writers have to think visually. When I write a first draft, I include scenes that describe illustrations. In revision, I study each word, phrase, and sentence; then, delete everything down to the bare action. Sometimes I cut so much, I have to add it again to make the story understandable. Picture books are short and the stories are to the point.

Every page in the book must show action and the pace is usually fast. After writing the first draft, I divide the manuscript into 13 scenes. Each scene must show action. If not, more revision is required.

Next week, I’ll add more tips.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Narrative is strongly committed to supporting our authors’ work. Our current rates for work are as follows:—$150 for a Story of the Week, with $400 each for the annual Top Five Stories of the Week.
—$150 to $350 for 500 to 2,000 word manuscripts.
—$350 to $1,000 for 2,000 to 15,000 word manuscripts.
—Rates for book-length works vary, depending on the length and nature of the work.
—$50 minimum for each accepted poem and audio piece. ($25 for poetry reprints.)
—$200 each for the annual Top Five Poems of the Week.FIRESIDE

Submission guidelines at http://www.narrativemagazine.com/node/360

Picture Book Revision, part 1

           Whew! The first draft is finished looks more like a lump of coal than a polished gem, but coal is good. The revision process starts now. Here are some “coal” hard facts:

The manuscript needs structure with a tight arc that clearly defines the beginning, middle, and ending. Many picture books suffer from an ending that’s too short or a beginning that’s too long. Writers accomplish this with a setup of three obstacles the character must face, each obstacle increasing in difficulty and leading toward a climax. Ideally, the beginning is about 20% of the manuscript, the middle is 60%, and the ending is 20%.

Here’s a burning question I always ask myself: Does the character accomplish what s/he sets out to do and without intervention by an adult? If not, rethink the plot.

Condensed writing. Keep the story less than 600 words, under 500 words is preferable with many publishers. The key to tight writing is to cut, cut, cut words. If the words don’t promote the plot or develop the character, axe them. Every word must help tell the story. Chop words that don’t paint pictures: it, there, just, that.

Allow illustrations to work for you. Since I’m not a writer, I have to constantly think about what can be shown with art. Facial expressions, color of clothes, etc. Think visually.

Burning question number 2: Have I communicated a particular idea? If so, it doesn’t need to be repeated, unless I’m using a repetition phrase intentionally for the purpose of rhythm and storytelling.

In my next blog, I’ll continue with more tips on how to polish that lump into a gem.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

HIGHLIGHTS MAGAZINE. Highlights for Children is a general-interest, advertising-free magazine for children up to age 12. Stories for younger readers (ages 3 to 7) should have 500 words or fewer and should not seem babyish to older readers. Stories for older readers (ages 8 to 12) should have 800 words or fewer and should be appealing to younger readers if read aloud. Frequent needs include humor, mystery, sports, holiday and adventure stories; retellings of traditional tales; stories with urban settings; and stories that feature world cultures. Payment $150 and up. Rebuses should have 120 words or fewer. Pays $100 and up. Nonfiction pays $150 and up.

Submission guidelines at https://www2.highlights.com/contributor-guidelines

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

First Draft, part 3

            With pen in hand, I wrote the first draft of my latest manuscript on paper. Sometimes I think better, and Muse is more cooperative, if I write in longhand, rather than type on a keyboard. The feel of the pen making long strokes across the lines and the sensation of shaping each letter takes me back to my youth when I wrote everything by this method. What better way to reconnect with childhood than experience a common activity that all children understand; after all, our stories are about connecting with the inner child. 

            My sweet Muse is an inspirational goddess, pure creative karma. That busybody loves everything I write, even if it’s hogwash. I feel so blessed having Muse for a number of reasons:

1.      Ideas offer creative energy. Ideas feed upon ideas, creating notions and concepts that expand story plot and offer numerous routes to explore.

2.    Ideas knock down writer’s block.

3.      Ideas discourage procrastination.

4.      An I-can-write-this attitude empowers and carries me from the beginning to The end.

            When I finished writing the first draft, I began keying it into the computer. By the time I wrote the third paragraph, Inner Critic called out, You call that publishable?

            I wrote a few more sentences, read through them, and made changes as I referred to the written draft.

            See? Isn’t that better? the perfectionist chirped.

            Yes, Inner Critic improved the manuscript. Each time it commented, I asked myself, What can I do to make this better? The method worked and the Inner Critic quietened. I still have a long journey to travel with the story, and I’m fine-tuning the ending. (Thanks, Inner Critic!)

            Inner Critic and Muse play tug-of-war with all my writing. I need the creativity and the critical judgment. Both are a writer’s best friends. Embrace them. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers will resume in September.

 

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
101 Stories of Trying New Things, Overcoming Fears, and Broadening Your World

We all have a tendency to get in a rut. We start to say no to new things, and that can only lead to a narrower and narrower life. When we try new things, we end up feeling energized and pleased with ourselves. There is tremendous power in saying "yes" to new things, new places, and new experiences. It makes you feel more dynamic, younger, and more of a participant in the world. You're not distancing yourself from change any more. Step outside your comfort zone!

Tell us your own stories about stepping outside your comfort zone and how that changed your life.

Submission guidelines at

http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/story-guidelines

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

The First Draft

The hardest part of writing, for this writer, is the dreaded first draft. I’m anxious to develop the story that I believe has a ton of possibilities; yet, I know the initial enthusiasm will soon wane from an eagerness to an interest and then, in a turn of directions, to a doubt. Why? Because writing the story is harder, much harder, than visualizing the concept. In my mind, the story plays out in words and images, but transposing the words and images into a rhythmic prose form is a lesson in humility. A series of rewriting is required. Always.

I’ve just finished my first draft, and I’m pleased. It’s perfect. The first draft is perfect because it’s written. That means I’ve reached my first goal with this story. The fact that my first draft is terribly written is something I accept. First drafts are supposed to be terrible, and since mine is definitely in that category, it’s perfect. That’s a warped sense of judgment, but it works for me.

I sit here with a first draft that demands a ton of work. My muse murmurs: The story will improve with figurative language. My inner critic, ever the naysayer, whispers: The only figuring for this story is to wad it. Two points if you hit the round file.

Muse and Inner Critic battle.

Time to turn them off and just write.

Next week, I’ll have more on my first draft experience and those two polar opposites, Muse and Inner Critic. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Teen Ink has no staff writers; we depend completely on YOU to send writing, art and photos. There is no charge to submit or be published and anything you submit will be considered for Teen Ink's magazine, book series and website.

Submission guidelines at http://www.teenink.com/Submissions/guidelines.php 

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Timeless Tales exclusively publishes retellings of fairy tales and myths. We only accept submissions that are retellings of the fairytale or myth listed as our theme. We don't accept original fairy tales or stories outside of our current theme.

 Deadline: May 5 ​

Submission guidelines at http://www.timelesstalesmagazine.com/submissions

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

 

How Long Does It Take to Write a Picture Book?

The number one question I’m asked about writing: How long does it take to write a picture book?  

Of all the writing questions I’m asked, that one is the hardest to answer. In a measurement of time, do I include the conceptual preparation, that phase when I consider countless obstacles the character can encounter? Or do I begin with the first time I place pen to paper or fingers to keyboard? From the origin of the idea to the first written word of the manuscript may consume weeks, maybe months. The character lingers, like the sweet aroma of a cake baking, in the oven of my mind. As the idea jells (or curdles), I sometimes write notes on the character, plot, and single phrases; I sometimes let them hang out and tantalize my senses, with scenes etching into my brain before I begin stringing words on paper. 

I’ve been keeping notes on one particular character that has been marching around my thinker for a few weeks. Today, I took action and began writing the manuscript. So is this day one or day fifty-seven?  

After rewriting the first draft, a second, a third…at some point, whenever it is fairly polished, I’ll send it to my critique partner. I’ll polish again and place it aside for a month or so. During that time, I’ll think about it occasionally, cognitively making changes, as I work on another manuscript. Do I count those days? 

I don’t keep track of my time; however, some authors do. They log their time on each project and can answer the question posed here in actual days/hours/minutes. I’m not that time-task oriented. My mind tends to wander off track too often to keep a time log; instead, I have to admit: I don’t know the answer. But this I know: The time it takes to write a picture book varies with every book and every author.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Canvas Teen Literary Journal was established and 2013 and publishes quarterly in print, ebook, web, video, and audio formats. It is seeking work by writers aged 13 to 19 and accepts fiction, novel excerpts, poetry, plays, nonfiction, new media and experimental cross-genre work. Canvas asks that all submissions be previously unpublished but it will make exceptions for work that was published in a school literary journal or a personal website.

Submission guidelines at http://canvasliteraryjournal.com/submit/  

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

GIRLWORKS: The “magazine for smart girls” aged 11-15 years. Focus on all issues facing girls. Articles: 400-800 words.

Submission guidelines at https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=girlworks+magazine+submissions 

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 40+ children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK. Check out her blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

The question I’m most often asked at book signings and school visits is how do I write, with pen and paper or computer. The answer is both. If I’m away from my computer, and I think or hear of an idea or phrase, I write on whatever is available. If not, I’ll forget the little gem of a keeper.

When I conducting research, I usually write by hand. For me, it’s more convenient to curl up on a sofa to read and write in a notebook. Sometime I also try out phrases or variations of the narrative as I happen upon some research that tickles my fancy. I usually play around with the structure of the story by longhand, especially when writing nonfiction.

I usually transfer the notes to a computer file. I’m less likely to lose it if it’s stored in cyberspace rather than in my house or car. Whether I write with a computer or on paper is really about convenience more than anything, the practical element. I always keep a notebook handy so if I’m traveling, I can jot down an idea while I’m out and about.

My drafts are done almost entirely on a computer. The beginning of a manuscript undergoes so many starts and insertions, I can keep my train of thought better by using a keyboard where the changes can be made quickly with the delete key or cutting and pasting to rearrange text. I print the drafts and revise on written copy. It’s easier for me to catch mistakes if I’m reading ink as opposed to a computer screen.

The best way to write is to figure out what works for you and follow your own path.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

One Teen Story. A monthly publication from the editors of One Story. This publication features teen writers and is available in print as well as via Kindle and other e-reading devices.

Submission guidelines at http://www.oneteenstory.com/index.php?page=submit

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Boy’s Life. A general-interest, four color monthly, circulation 1.3 million for boys 8+ published by the Boy Scouts of America since 1911. Buys first-time rights for original, unpublished material. Fiction runs 1,000 to 1,500 words. Payment is $750+. All stories feature a boy or boys. Uses humor, mystery, science fiction and adventure.

Submission guidelines at http://boyslife.org/contact-us/readers-page/

 

Evaluating Writing Habits

In what direction would you like to see your writing venture toward in 2016? Of course, every writer is yearning for the ultimate: a contract…or three.

The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to reevaluate our writing habits and schedules. Here are some of mine:  

If I do not have a deadline for a piece of work, I will set one. By establishing a date to finish the first draft, I will feel more pressure to get the job done. I use the term “job” because writing is not easy and a manuscript can be so difficult to write I’m tempted to set it aside. I’ll muddle through; that’s what it takes to finish the first draft as my timeline approaches.  

Read articles/books on the writing process. Since I write picture books and MG, I will focus on those two areas.  

Read a variety of picture, chapter, and MG books to study how other writers develop stories. 

Remain positive, even with a landslide of rejection letters. I’ll measure my literary worth by my dedication to the writing, not by a contract. If I continue to write and study the process, my manuscripts will improve.  

Celebrate the small victories.  If an editor makes a comment on a rejection, I must have done something to warrant his/her time, effort, and energy.  

Make 2016 the year to realize your dream. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Ember is a semiannual journal of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for all age groups. Submissions for and by readers aged 10 to 18 are strongly encouraged. Ember is looking for great writing that tells a compelling story, regardless of length. Even very short pieces, like flash fiction, should tell a story, though there will certainly be fewer dramatic elements developed than we’d see in a longer piece or novel. The presence of “story” is what distinguishes flash fiction from “vignette.”

Submission guidelines at http://emberjournal.org/submission-guidelines/

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

The Crawl Space Journal, a small place for big imaginations, is looking for great writing, especially short forms: poems, prose, and flash fiction, within the realms of magical realism, fabulism, and fantasy, for our Spring Issue. We do accept novel excerpts (up to1,500 words) if they stand alone. Our readers are mainly between the ages of 11 and 14.

Submission guidelines at http://thecrawlspace.me/category/young-reader-flashlight/ 

First Draft/Calls for Submissions

Staring at a blank page or bare computer screen can be a scary endeavor for any writer. But it can also be exciting. After all, you’re starting a new adventure called a first draft. The mind set plays a crucial role. Sometimes, we’re afraid we can’t get the story to unfold in a logical, engaging manner. At this point, don't worried since you can’t get it wrong. The first draft is SUPPOSED to be chocked full of mistakes. This won’t be your best writing but it will be a start in developing the idea.

The first draft is the place to let creative juices flow. “Get it down; then get it good” is an expression some authors use. Experiment with the plot and dialog. Mistakes, and lots of them, will pile up. Our words are not chisled in stone. If they were, corrections would be difficult if not impossible. But since we can erase or delete mistakes, no risks are involved. The most important aspect of a first draft is to simply get the story told. Turn off your internal editor. Metaphors? Descriptive language? Sensory images? If you don’t write any, that’s okay too. Those can come later with revisions that add sparkle to the story.

A writing associate gave me this sage advice: The first draft is the starting point, not the finish line.

Call for submissions for young writers:
Stone Soup, the magazine by young writers and artists
CURRENT NEEDS: "Send us stories and poems about the things
you feel most strongly about! Whether your work is about
imaginary situations or real ones, use your own experiences
and observations to give your work depth and a sense of
reality." Pays $40.

Call for submissions for adult writers:
Birds and Blooms
Do you have a funny birding or gardening story to share from your backyard? We want to hear it! Send us your best “backyard blunder,” and the winning story will receive $500.
To enter, email your true story to contests@birdsandblooms.com. Please put “backyard blunder contest” in the subject line. All Entries must include your full name, address, city, state, zip, telephone number and email address (if you have one), in addition to your essay which may not exceed 400 words.
The winner of the Contest will be determined by judging all the entrants’ submissions based on the follow criteria: originality 20%, quality 60% and personality 20%.
DEADLINE: March 15, 2012.
Details at http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Contests/Backyard-Blunder-Contest

Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Turning Ideas into Stories, part III, Contests

This is the third and final part of my article on techniques to turn your ideas into stories. These ideas work equally well for professional writers and writers in the classroom.


Add dialog to give life to the character. Dialog should sound real, not be real. When people talk, our words usually flow freely out of our mouths and the conversation can be boring reading. We often add uh and um and get sidetracked in our thoughts. Dialog should stay focused.

Develop a plot outline based on your idea. Add conflict and a solution. The outline helps you determine where your story is going and how to get there. Use the outline to help figure out how to get the character out of the mess you’ve created for him/her.

Write the first draft. The first draft won’t be your best writing but it will be a start in developing the idea. The first draft is the starting point, not the finish line. This is the place to let creative juices flow. Experiment with the plot and dialog. You are expected to make mistakes, and lots of them, in the first draft. Follow the first draft with a series of revisions to add sparkle to the story.

Play with your idea and have fun with it. All writing has preliminary stages in which you discard some ideas and keep others. Twist and turn you idea into different plots to discover what works and what doesn’t. Give your ideas time to incubate and grow. If you’re having fun with the story, the reader will too. Figure out the methods that work for you and keep on writing. With writing and revision, you can develop your idea into your story.

Eric Hoffer Award for Short Prose
The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose recognizes excellence in writing with a $500 prize and various honors and distinctions. Works of short prose must be less than 10,000 words, previously unpublished, or published with a circulation of less than 500. The winning prose and selected nominations are published annually in the anthology, Best New Writing.
Deadline: June 30, 2010

Details at http://www.hofferaward.com/HAprose.html

Go! Magazine Writing Contest
$500 prize for best short story (fiction). $500 prize for best article (nonfiction).
Special prize for best entry by student writer age 13 through 18.

Go!, an online magazine for 13- to 20-year-olds published by Iowa State University’s Institute for Transportation, is sponsoring a writing contest.
We are soliciting previously unpublished work from published and unpublished authors, ages 13 and up.

Details at http://www.go-explore-trans.org/writing-contest-flyer-2010.pdf