In the past two weeks, I’ve conducted three writing workshops. In each class I’ve asked participants to offer feedback on some of the best tips for writing children’s books. Here are the top four:
1. Create a strong ending that reflects the beginning. The resolution should reflect the character’s problem or goal that was stated at the beginning of the story.
2. Show, Don’t Tell. SHOW the character in action rather than telling what the character did after the action was complete. Instead of TELLing that Timmy rode his bicycle down the road, SHOW the scene by describing how he pumped the pedals.
3. Treat your character badly and then threat the character worse. Place obstacles in your character’s journey to raise the tension of the story. High tension builds high interest for readers.
4. Just get the story written. Don’t be too concerned about the use of voice and grammatical correctness at this stage. Good writing comes from rewriting. Future drafts of the manuscripts can spit shine it.
Contest for adult writers:
Family Circle. Limit 2,500 words of short fiction.
Must be unpublished and never have won a prize. Limit two entries per person.
Must be 21 or older and a legal resident of the US. Grand prize may be published in Family Circle.
One (1) Grand Prize winner will receive a prize package including $750, a gift certificate to one (1) mediabistro.com course of his or her choice, one (1) year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership valued at $55, and a one (1) year mediabistro.com How-to Video membership valued at $99.
One (1) Second Place winner will receive $250, a one (1) year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership, and a one (1) year mediabistro.com How-to Video membership.
One (1) Third Place winner will receive $250 and a one (1) year mediabistro.com AvantGuild membership.
Deadline: Deadline September 7, 2012.
Details at http://www.familycircle.com/family-fun/fiction/fiction-contest-rules-2012/
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
Showing posts with label creative writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative writing. Show all posts
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Picture Books: Days of the Week Tales/Calls for Submissions
When I begin thinking about my next picture book and stamping out an idea, it seems easy as eating a chocolate ice cream cone on an August afternoon. As I begin the actual writing process, the task takes on a hard-as-nails life of its own as I attempt to figure out how to tell the story. In writing both fiction and nonfiction, the days-of-the-week format is an excellent structure because the built-in beginning and ending can be developed around the first and last days, with a Saturday resolution. Parents and teachers like this type of theme. Not only are you telling a story but the text reinforces the learning of the weekdays. Children love predictable stories in which they can identify the following day before turning the page.
This structure also allows for action. Many events and roadblocks can take place over the period of a week, giving the character time to rethink many of his/her choices. New discoveries can be made as the character works toward solving the problem. The basic structure will be predictable, but the writer has flexibility in creating an imaginative and unique story.
Call for submissions for young writers:
OMG! My Reality! This new anthology will be a collection of personal real-life stories written by and about kids, preteen and teens. We are
looking for humorous, heart-warming, wistful, and inspiring stories written by individuals 25 years old and younger. Your story must be between 500 and 1,200 words, neither more nor less. We will accept stories that have been previously
published if you now have the rights that will allow us to reprint it. As a contributor to books in the OMG! My Reality! series, you will receive:
1. One (1) copy of the book.
2. A T-shirt featuring the OMG! My Reality! logo and the
wording “I’m a published author!”
3. A share of the book royalties. For one year following
publication, you will collect a small percent of the royalties
paid to the co-creaters. Split among 60-plus contributors, the
amount will likely not total more than $50-$100 per contributor.
It could be more; it could be less.
Details at http://www.publishingsyndicate.com/publishing_syndicate/submissions/omg_submit_guidelines.html
Call for submissions for adult writers:
Blaze magazine is full of fun facts, cool games and crafts, and fascinating articles on horses, horse kids and the natural world they share. Promoting literacy of course, it's great for learning about not only horses, but also about nature, history, creative arts, character traits and much more. Geared for kids aged 8 to 14, the magazine is published quarterly. And what's more, Blaze is also a real-life horse. She's a flash Rocky Mountain and the official mascot of the magazine. Subscribers call her their own!
Details at http://blazekids.com/about-2/
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
This structure also allows for action. Many events and roadblocks can take place over the period of a week, giving the character time to rethink many of his/her choices. New discoveries can be made as the character works toward solving the problem. The basic structure will be predictable, but the writer has flexibility in creating an imaginative and unique story.
Call for submissions for young writers:
OMG! My Reality! This new anthology will be a collection of personal real-life stories written by and about kids, preteen and teens. We are
looking for humorous, heart-warming, wistful, and inspiring stories written by individuals 25 years old and younger. Your story must be between 500 and 1,200 words, neither more nor less. We will accept stories that have been previously
published if you now have the rights that will allow us to reprint it. As a contributor to books in the OMG! My Reality! series, you will receive:
1. One (1) copy of the book.
2. A T-shirt featuring the OMG! My Reality! logo and the
wording “I’m a published author!”
3. A share of the book royalties. For one year following
publication, you will collect a small percent of the royalties
paid to the co-creaters. Split among 60-plus contributors, the
amount will likely not total more than $50-$100 per contributor.
It could be more; it could be less.
Details at http://www.publishingsyndicate.com/publishing_syndicate/submissions/omg_submit_guidelines.html
Call for submissions for adult writers:
Blaze magazine is full of fun facts, cool games and crafts, and fascinating articles on horses, horse kids and the natural world they share. Promoting literacy of course, it's great for learning about not only horses, but also about nature, history, creative arts, character traits and much more. Geared for kids aged 8 to 14, the magazine is published quarterly. And what's more, Blaze is also a real-life horse. She's a flash Rocky Mountain and the official mascot of the magazine. Subscribers call her their own!
Details at http://blazekids.com/about-2/
Check out more contests on my blog: http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com/
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