TK “To Come”

Sometimes when ideas refuse to flow, when the plotting refuses to plot, and the story refuses to gel, consider writing the bones of the story. Write the draft quickly. The first draft won’t be pretty, but it never is, anyway. Don’t know the name you want to attach to your character? Simply write TK, which means “to come.” The point is to keep writing, even when you don’t know that much about your story.

This strategy works well for Dumpsters, writers who write quickly. The idea is to hammer the gist of the story into a draft. Later, review the draft and fill in the TK spots, followed by revision, revision, revision.

This also works for Plodders, such as I. Even though I have a general idea of the map of the story and how it will end, I don’t have the rhythm or voice nailed down. Sometimes, I don’t even have the particular actions of the antagonist in mind. I have a choice, write the parts I know and TK the parts I don’t. My other recourse is to delay writing.

Both strategies work. Some people prefer to wait and think more about the story. I do that a lot, but I find that if I’m actually writing words, more ideas evolve and that gives me fodder to work with.

The most important takeaway from this blog is to find a way to stay involved in a story. If we delay writing because of some parts that we haven’t worked out, the story may never get written.

Have fun. Play with words. 

Call for Submissions for Young Writers: Word Smorgasbord is thrilled to publish the original work of young writers in elementary school, middle school, high school and college.

Submissions guidelines at https://wordsmorgasbord.wordpress.com/submissions/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup for the Soul. Our dog titles are so very popular, and you have so many great stories to share with us, that we do a new dog title every eighteen months or so. Here is another chance for you to share a story or two about the member of your family who just happens to walk on four feet!

We are looking for first-person true stories and poems up to 1200 words. Tell us about the magic of your dog or the magic of a dog you know. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. We can’t wait to read all the heartwarming, inspirational, and magical stories you have about a dog and the magic that dog brings to your life or the life of your family!

Submissions guidelines at Submissions guidelines at Submissions guidelines at https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/submit-your-story 

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 48 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Revision and Proofreading Tips for Chapter, MG, and YA Manuscripts

You’ve finished writing your manuscript, down to the last word. Now is the time to begin anew with an eye toward what works in the story and what is junk filler. Revision means to “see again” and the purpose is to improve the writing, whether it’s small corrections or sweeping changes. Here are six tips to consider:

1.      What happens in Chapter One?

Does the story open with a dream or a character staring out the windows silently reminiscing? If so, no action is happening. We need to establish a setting and offer background information, but that can come later. Start with action. This is the point where we can grab the reader’s attention, so start with the Ferris wheel stopping with the character sitting on the top of the world and no idea how to get down, or the announcement of something the character never expected and did not want, or… you get the idea. There’s time later in the manuscript to weave in background information. 

How does the character react to sitting on top of the Ferris wheel? The reader will learn about the character through thoughts, words, and actions.  

2.      Info-dumping. Providing too much background story of the character and his/her world weighs down the story, slows the pacing, and the reader loses interest. Keep the story exciting. Write action scenes with background information added in bits and pieces, rather than large amounts at once. 

3.      Show, Don’t Tell. Sometimes it difficult to know if I’m showing or telling. Telling is fine if the scene needs the action to move quickly. But showing is used most often in storytelling. Watch for the “feel.” If you write how the character is feeling, the reader doesn’t experience the information through action or context clues.  

4.      Create distinctive voices for each character. If characters are not distinguishable, they don’t stand out. Their physical features, mannerisms, verbal speech patterns, and attitudes help readers know the characters’ individual traits and goals, giving a realistic lift to the story.  

5.      Chapter endings. Leave each chapter with something that makes the reader want to continue reading. Cliffhangers have an urgency that keeps us turning the pages. A question or introducing a new problem has the same effect. 

6.      If facts are woven into the storyline, check for accuracy. Use reputable sources, first-person accounts, and a variety of written sources. 

In my next blog, I’ll give tips on finding mistakes in a completed manuscript.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Root & Star 

·         is wise and wild, strange and sweet.

·         cultivates happy, healthy, peaceful, creative children.

• is dedicated to creating an artful, quality, ad-free magazine that inspires the poetry of childhood.
• takes children offline into the pleasure of pages they can touch, turn, share, and read in the grass.

Root & Star magazine strives to bring quality art and literature to children in the ephemeral magazine form. It hopes to inspire and be inspired by the whole child – the wise, the wild, the strange, and the sweet. It is a place for creative people to play and to share the complexities of their work and spirit with children.

Submission guidelines at https://rootandstar.com/pages/submit

Nancy Kelly Allen has written 48 children’s books and a cookbook, SPIRIT OF KENTUCKY: BOURBON COOKBOOK.

Leave a message or check out my blog at www.nancykellyallen.com

Formatting a Picture Book

A writer, who is interested in picture books and asked about how to figure out pacing and how to divide the text onto pages, requested this blog.

Picture books should written with page breaks in consideration. Most have 32 pages but with front and back matter only 27-28 pages are used for text, sometimes less. That leaves about 13-14 double-page spreads of illustrations and text.
 
When writing take advantage of the page breaks. Possible ways to use them: 

Surprise the reader when the page is turned.

Vary the action so each double-page spread has a different scene and new action. One way I do this is to write the story; then divide it into 14 scenes. Of course, I have to revise, revise, revise to get pacing I need within the story segments. Some scenes may have too many words. My goal is to write 450 word or less. That number seems to be the “sweet spot” for most picture books.
 
I also make a book dummy by folding 8 sheets of computer paper in half and stapling it. Front and back, the pages number 32. I print my completed manuscript, cut it with scissors and tape the text into the appropriate pages. This helps me know where the story does not work, where I need to rev up the surprises on page turns, or slow the action.
 
I never submit a dummy or a manuscript with page breaks to a publisher unless it is specifically requested by the editor. Most publishers want standard format for submissions.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

The Noisy Island seeks new and exciting work from high-school age students in the areas of fiction, poetry, and songs.  We want to be an online journal that people actually read, so send us the type of work that you like to read and the type of music that you like to hear.  

Submission guidelines at https://thenoisyisland.tumblr.com/about 

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Spider Magazine, published by Cricket Media, seeks stories, poems, articles for children on theme of Over the Rainbow. 

"We would like to see warm family stories, an entire story without gender pronouns, children with different gender expressions, and gentle realistic or metaphorical coming out stories." 

Deadline: April 15, 2018.

Submission guidelines at http://cricketmedia.com/spider-submission-guidelines

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

Leave a message or check out my blog at https://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/

Is Your Picture Book Manuscript Ready to Submit?

Is Your Picture Book Manuscript Ready to Submit?

Picture books are designed to be read aloud. So if you are wondering if your manuscript is ready to send to an editor, try reading it aloud first. By reading aloud, you hear the flow, the pacing, of the story. You also hear what the eyes don’t always see: mistakes. Reading aloud helps to identify parts of the story that may be difficult to speak. Do you have a string of words with initial sounds that trip the tongue? This example, “sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick,” is extreme but the idea is to make the words flow, not twist in the reader’s mouth. 

Do you have a hook for the story? In a query letter, the hook provides your story’s introduction to the agent or editor. The hook should include Character + Problem/Obstacle + Theme. This was the hook I wrote for an upcoming book picture book, HIRAM’S GIFTS: “Hiram builds fires to heat the two-room schoolhouse and earns dimes for his trouble. With a heart full of hope, he saves his money in a sock and thumbs through a catalog looking at a shiny fiddle, a maple fiddle, the kind of fiddle he dreamed of playing. Tragedy strikes.” 

When writing a hook, capture the theme of the story without giving away the ending. The purpose of a hook is to convey the protagonist’s journey and plot, as well as showcasing the writer’s style, in a concise manner.  

Did the character change or grow in some way from the beginning to the ending? Did the story allow the central character to become empowered? The answers to these two questions should be “yes.” Did the influence resulting in the change and empowerment come from a childlike perspective? Reasoning and world view should reflect that of a child. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Canvas Literary Journal. We are seeking writers ages 13-18 to submit:

 Fiction – Please limit submissions to 5,000 words.

Novel Excerpts - Novel and memoir excerpts are acceptable if self-contained (work as a complete narrative).

Poetry – You may submit more than one poem, but please do not exceed 5 pages worth of poetry.

Plays - Please follow standard play format. Limit to 10 pages.

Nonfiction – Essays, memoir, creative nonfiction. Please limit submissions to 5,000 words.  

New Media – Video, images, etc. are fine for website. But must be accompanied by written version to be considered for print and eBook.

Cross-genre - Experimental work (prose poems, art and writing, fiction and nonfiction hybrids) are highly encouraged, but please keep to the word limit for fiction. 

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

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Enchanted Conversation. Each of the six submission periods for 2017 will have a theme. Here they are: January: "Steadfast Tin Soldier," March: "Diamonds and Toads," May: "Donkeyskin," July: "Emperors New Clothes," September: "Godfather Death," November: "Elves and the Shoemaker."
When each window for submissions opens, a theme-related post will be published. Please read the relevant post before writing your submission. All of the themes are classic fairy tales, but I do not want slavish retreads of the original stories. At the same time, your works should reflect the chosen theme, or there is no chance of publication.

Submission guidelines at http://www.fairytalemagazine.com/p/blog-page_22.html 

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

Is My Manuscript Ready to Submit?

I’m continuing with the series, Is My Manuscript Ready to Submit?

Check for active verbs. Is, are, was, were and such don’t create an image in the mind’s eye. However, scat, scram, climb, swing, jump, and skip paint pictures with words. The more vivid the pictures we create with our manuscripts, the more the reader “sees” and understands the action-packed world we present.

Does the character display emotional depth? Characters should not be totally good or bad; instead, they should reflect real people who have flaws.

How believable is the dialog? Dialog should help develop the character, move the plot forward, or provide information. It’s important that dialog sound real but should not contain large chunks of information. Offer information in small bits and pieces. Dialog should flow and be believable. He said/she said work best for dialog tags.

Do the characters sound alike? Each character should have a unique voice.

Is the pacing too slow? Move the story forward at a pace that will keep the reader engaged.

Does the ending have a surprise or twist that is unexpected?

Check the spelling, grammar, point of view, and formatting.

After a series of revisions and when my manuscript meets all these points, I select 3-5 publishers and ship it out.

Call for submissions for Young Writers:

Canvas. We are seeking writers ages 13-18 to submit:

 Fiction – Please limit submissions to 5,000 words.

Novel Excerpts - Novel and memoir excerpts are acceptable if self-contained (work as a complete narrative).

Poetry – You may submit more than one poem, but please do not exceed 5 pages worth of poetry.

Plays - Please follow standard play format. Limit to 10 pages.

Nonfiction – Essays, memoir, creative nonfiction. Please limit submissions to 5,000 words.  

New Media – Video, images, etc fine for website. But must be accompanied by written version to be considered for print and eBook.

Cross-genre - Experimental work (prose poems, art and writing, fiction and nonfiction hybrids) are highly encouraged, but please keep to the word limit for fiction.

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

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

APPLESEEDS explores a single topic with insightful articles, cool photographs, and a unique you-are-there perspective on culture, history, inventions, the lives of children around the world, and much more. A perfect gift for any young reader ages 7 to 10 looking for an adventure magazine that explores all the great things about our world!

Submission guidelines at http://www.cricketmag.com/18-Submission-Guidelines-for-APPLESEEDS-magazine-for-children-ages-6-9

Writing a Middle Grade Novel, Calls for Submissions

Today, I’m continuing the series, Writing a Middle Grade Novel, focusing on pacing. 

Another way to keep the pace of the story moving along is look at the scene as if you’re a photographer. Think visually. What is happening close-up? Take the reader on the journey so s/he can feel, see, hear, taste, and touch the scene. Is there a tear in the dress, is the whimpering that of a dog or a child, or is the burr sticky? Let the readers discover these things as if they were there. 

Pacing differs with the scene. Long sentences tend to slow the pace and short sentences speed the action. If there is a fight scene, short sentences, even one-word can be powerful. Pow! Onomatopoeia (crash, bang, boom) add zip to the story. Sentences can be shortened by eliminating prepositional phrases to move the action along at a faster clip. Instead of writing “the rooms in the cave” state "the cave’s rooms.” 

Action verbs and strong nouns work better because they are specific. Avoid the overuse of adverbs and adjectives. He ran quickly doesn’t work as well as He sprinted.

Cliffhangers are great devices to speed up the action. When a chapter ends with lots of suspense, the reader quickly turns the page to find out what happens next. 

Short chapters and scenes are effective ways to speed up the story. 

Slow scenes and fast-paced scenes both work well. The key is to use the best speed and rhythm for each scene in your manuscript. 

With this blog I’m resuming Call for Submissions for Young Writers. I’ll continue posting these through May, 2015.  

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

The Louisville Review. The Children's Corner, work by students in K-12.

Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, and Drama

Submissions of previously unpublished manuscripts are invited. Prose submissions should be double-spaced and page numbered. Poetry (up to 5 poems) need not be double-spaced. Drama should appear in standard format. Include name on every page. Reply time is 4-6 months. Our editorial staff reads year around. Submissions are recycled. Poetry and prose should be submitted in separate envelopes.

Submission guidelines at http://www.louisvillereview.org/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

ASK is a nonfiction magazine for children 7-10 years old who are curious about science and the world they live in. Each edition of ASK is built around a central theme on some question or concept in the natural, physical, or social sciences, technology, mathematics, history, or the arts. ASK introduces kids to the joys of thinking, writing, and observing scientifically, and presumes them to be active participants in the ongoing search for better knowledge about the world.

ASK articles should read as engaging nonfiction, not like school textbook or encyclopedia material. Intended to be accessible and appealing to newly independent readers (grades 2-5), the ideal ASK article should also be interesting to any general adult reader. ASK looks for articles that are concrete, specific, and relevant to this age group. They should tell a good story, with an emphasis on ideas rather than just facts.

Submission guidelines:

http://www.cricketmag.com/19-Submission-Guidelines-for-ASK-magazine-for-children-ages-7-10

Pacing, Dialog, and Narrative/Call for Submissions

Today, I’m continuing the series, Writing a Middle Grade Novel and focusing on pacing. 

Use scenes to heighten the tension. Treat your characters badly; then treat them worse. Just when the reader thinks things cannot get worse for the character, surprise the reader with more problems, bigger problems.

Example: 

“Let’s go,” Annie said. 

“Where,” Lucy answered. 

“Anywhere to dodge the bullets,” Annie said. 

This dialog is rapid-fire, pardon the pun, with short phrases and no narrative, which works well in scenes that are fast. Trimming the sentence of all but essential words speeds the action.  

Other scenes benefit by incorporating narrative along with dialog.  

“Move over,” Annie said. A smile covered her face as she reached out and placed a gentle hand on Lucy’s shoulder.

“No,” Lucy answered as she jerked away. She crossed her arms over her chest, a sure sign that a stubborn spell gripped the six-year-old. 

The narrative illustrates the attitudes of each character by showing their actions and reactions as it slows the action. 

Move the story forward with dialog that introduces new information or reveals something new about the character. The marriage of narrative and dialog takes the plot forward as characters develop, little by little.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

 Spellbound is a fantasy magazine for children ages 8-12.

Published quarterly, each issue contains fantasy stories, poetry, art and more all centered around a featured creature.  Issues come in a DRM-free ePub format.  The e-zine can be read on Nooks, Kindles, iPads, Kobos and many other ereaders, as well as laptops, desktops, tablets and smartphones.

Spellbound is dedicated to putting together a publication that emphasizes diversity and inclusiveness.  We actively seek stories, poetry and artwork that reflect a wide range of cultures, and characters. We believe that stories are important and can change the world and we hope to have a positive impact on young readers.

Submission guidelines: http://eggplantproductions.com/spellbound-magazine/

Writing a Middle Grade Novel/Call for Submissions/Call for Submissions

Today, I’m continuing the series, Writing a Middle Grade Novel.

Let’s focus on pacing. Like movies, some books are loaded with action-packed thrills; others reveal bit-by-bit action in slow motion. The flow of the plot is called pacing. One key to good writing is to determine the pace of your story. Too much narrative may slows the story down to a stall. Too much dialog my move it along at too snappy a pace. Both are needed. Dialog helps to develop the character and promote the plot. Narrative shows action and setting details. Finding a balance for your novel is vital to great storytelling. Here are some elements to consider: 

Open the story with action or an interesting event that will hook the reader. The first line should instantly intrigue, or amuse, or create thought.  

Backstory, such as a character remembering something that has already happened, will not engage the reader as much as the reader seeing the action as it takes place. One rule that many writers use is to start on the minute the character’s life is different. That means to start in the middle of the action, at a place that is a big moment in the character’s life. The snazzy word for this is medias res, translated to “in the middle of the action.” Use narrative and dialog to provide past details as they are needed by sprinkling them throughout the text.

Avoid the informational dump. This often happens at the beginning of a story where an author introduces a character’s background. If you’ve ever been told that you story actually begins on the second or third page, because that’s where the action is, you probably have added too much background information in the opening.

 

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Highlights Current Needs:

Authors may send their work directly to the editors whose current needs are listed below. Manuscripts should be sent to (Editor's Name), Highlights, 803 Church Street, Honesdale, PA 18431.

Fiction for Beginning Readers (Ages 6 to 8), up to 500 words, Joëlle Dujardin, Senior Editor

Fiction for Independent Readers (Ages 8 to 12), up to 800 words, Joëlle Dujardin, Senior Editor

Crafts, up to 150 words, Annie Beer, Editorial Assistant

One-Page Activities, up to 275 words, Linda Rose, Associate Editor

Puzzles, Games, Recipes, and Activities, Linda Rose, Associate Editor

Nonfiction for Beginning Readers (Ages 4 to 8), up to 500 words, Debra Hess, Senior Editor

Gallant Kids, up to 400 words, Debra Hess, Senior Editor

Science, 800 words (two-page features), 400 words (one-page features), 50 words (activities), Andy Boyles, Science Editor

History and World Cultures, up to 800 words, Carolyn Yoder, Senior Editor

Submission guidelines and article details at https://www.highlights.com/current-needs.

Writing a Middle Grade Novel, part 12/Calls for Submissions

Today, I’m continuing the series, Writing a Middle Grade Novel.

Description is used to enhance fictional stories. Check out the following ways:

Description is a major factor in voice, that elusive quality all editors rank as the number one aspect they are looking for in writing. The narrative, either first person (I) or third person (he/she), usually begins with a description of action. This imaginative observation is essential to all stories. Rain fell is a simple description but doesn’t do much to add interest. Kentucky rain smells different from Chicago rain. That sentence makes us stop and ponder.

Words that surprise us add to descriptive narrative. I like the word ponder. It’s not used that often in today’s speech so it catches the reader’s ear.

The pacing of the story is affected by description. Long passages slow down the action. He strolled down the lane beneath the canopy of trees that formed a green tunnel and offered cool comfort from the hot afternoon sun. Short phrases and sentences speed up the pace. Horses paced. Clippity clop. Clippity clop.

 Next week, I’ll give more tips on writing descriptive passages.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

[I will resume Submissions for Young Writers in September]

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Thriving Family editorial team's most recent call for submissions. If you are new to our publication, you may want to know more about Thriving Family by ordering a free subscription or downloading a free digital edition. You can also download our writers' guidelines and a themes' list.

Theme: Christmas conflict and teens—in relation to extended family.
Word Count: 750-800 words (including any possible sidebars)
Rights: First nonexclusive rights
Payment: $250, on acceptance
Due date: June 17, 2014
Audience: Parents of teens
Byline: Yes

Acceptance or Rejection: The Focus on the Family editors appreciate your submission. If your article was not accepted by 7/1/14, it was not chosen for publication. We hope to work with you on a different article at a later time.
Submit to: Teen.Phases@fotf.org <mailto:Teen.Phases@fotf.org>  with "Attn: Ginger—Christmas conflicts and teens" in the subject line.

Submission guidelines at http://www.thrivingfamily.com/extra/call-for-submissions