Inspiration, Part II

Keep your eyes open for story and character. Do you have old diaries or journals or stories written during childhood? Pull them out, dust them off, and read. How old were you when you wrote them? Milk these for inspiration. Memories of people, places, and times offer a treasure trove of possibilities. Maybe the memory doesn’t focus so much on an event as a feeling or an image. Play with it. Embellish it. Draw it into your literary world.

Traveling is perfect fodder for inspiration. New sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures stimulate the Muse. Notice the sound of the howling coyote or crashing of the waves. Listen, really listen, and try to put into words what you hear. Use a metaphor or simile to better clarify the description of the sound. You don’t have to travel far from home. A trip next door or to the grocery store can provide sensory foundations for a story. Look around. Ideas are everywhere. We just have to be cognizant of them.

Write. Freewriting about anything will eventually provide a tidbit that can be used in a story.

Place an idea on the backburner of your brain and let it simmer. I’m at the point right now. As I polish a completed manuscript, I’m playing with the idea for a new story. I have been throwing out possibilities and rejecting them; then going back and relooking to see if the discarded ideas have a nugget of merit. I’ll repeat this process until something with possibility forms, and at that time, I’ll begin writing, brainstorming ideas.

Read a variety of books and authors. Notice how sentences reveal information. Look for ways the author dealt with basics, such as pacing, dialog, description. What did you like? Why? What didn’t you like? Why?

What inspires you to write?

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Imagine magazine invites students to explore big ideas on topics in the sciences, arts, and humanities. Half of each issue is devoted to a broad focus topic, showcasing activities that students can do now to pursue that interest, as well as career opportunities in the field.

Submission guidelines at http://cty.jhu.edu/imagine/guidelines/ 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Faces. Lively, original approaches to the subject are the primary concerns of the editors of FACES in choosing material. Writers are encouraged to study recent past copies for content and style. (Sample copies are available for viewing at the Cricket Media Store, where you can also purchase a current issue.) Issues are also available at many local libraries. All material must relate to the theme of a specific upcoming edition in order to be considered (themes and deadlines given below). FACES purchases all rights to material.
Read more at http://www.cricketmedia.com/faces-submission-guidelines#eLexPFcOdeCZKKUD.99 

Submission guidelines at http://www.cricketmedia.com/faces-submission-guidelines

Journal, a Secret Weapon for Writers, Part III

Other uses and benefits of keeping a journal:

After you read a book, jot down notes about why you enjoyed the book. What did the author do to hold your attention? The list of books your enjoyed can be referenced when you are stuck in the middle of your own manuscript and wonder where to take the character next. Refer to some of the books and study them to figure out how those authors dealt with the same issue. When I find children’s books that really appeal to me, I read them the first time for enjoyment and a second time to analyze the structure, plot, character development, pacing, phrasing and word choice, scenes, and numerous other elements of writing.

When an idea for a new book or article slams into your head, write it in a journal. As with a house, writing needs a strong foundation. Sketch character traits and plots. Plan how the writing will be organized. The more advanced planning, the less revision. At least, I find this to be true for my work. If I thoroughly examine my characters and plot before I begin writing and know the ending of the story, I stay more focused and the plot doesn’t wander too far off course. The best and most efficient way is keeping a journal for the article or book. All the resource material, notes, and ideas are in one place so they are less likely to be forgotten, misplaced, or go unused.

A journal in a writer’s toolkit=a good thing.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:
The Threepenny Review is paying $400 per story or article, $200 per poem or Table Talk piece. This payment buys first serial rights in our print and digital editions, and the copyright then reverts to the author immediately upon publication. As a rule, critical articles should be about 1,200 to 2,500 words, Table Talk items 1,000 words or less, stories and memoirs 4,000 words or less, and poetry 100 lines or less.

Submission guidelines at http://www.threepennyreview.com/submissions.html

Journal, a Secret Weapon for Writers, Part I

A journal can be your secret weapon for writing. What is the best source for ideas? Life, of course. Things happen. Funny things. Sad things. Everything imaginable.

When you get an idea, write it down immediately. Keep a notebook handy for that purpose. If you overhear an interesting phrase or an unusual use of a word, add it to the notebook and allow a character to think those thoughts or use the phrase in dialog to add distinctive voice to your story. Story ideas pop up around us all the time. Make a habit to listen and look for possible plot ideas or interesting characters traits. You never know who will say or do something to make you think, laugh, wonder, or tease your imagination.

The idea or comment you write may not work for the piece you are currently working on but it may be perfect for a future project. If you fail to record information, you are more likely to not remember it, and if you write it on a scrap piece of paper, it may be lost. Get in the habit of collecting ideas for writing and place them where they are easily accessible,  such as a journal.

Sometimes I hear song lyrics and I think “That’s just what my character would say.” I have even pulled off the road to write in my journal.

A journal can hold the inventory you turn to when you need the extra oomph for your manuscript.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Brigantine Media’s Publish or Perish contest seeks authors who can help market their books.

Authors today must be more than authors. They also must take an active role creating a market for their books to have sales success.

We’ll let you in on a secret: today, publishers choose book projects based partially or entirely on the author’s ability to help in the sales process. We think it’s time to be honest about the need for authors to be marketers, too.

> Criteria

Submit your manuscript as well as your marketing ideas for the book. Entries will be judged 50 percent on the book’s content and 50 percent on the marketing plan for the book. Length limit: 150,000 words for the manuscript; 5,000 words for the marketing plan.

> Prize

The winner of the contest will receive a publishing contract and a $2,000 cash advance against royalties. The winner will receive the cash advance when he or she signs the publishing contract. And since we think the winning author will have a successful book, the winner agrees to give Brigantine Media right of first refusal on his or her next two subsequent books.

> Cost

There is no cost to enter the Publish or Perish contest!

> Important Dates

Entries will be accepted from April 15 through August 15, 2015.
The winner will be announced September 15, 2015.

Submission guidelines at http://www.publishorperishcontest.com/the-contest

Delicious Story Development/Call for Submissions

The first paragraph should introduce the main character and show the character in action. Soon, very soon, introduce the problem. The main character needs to face difficulty early in the first chapter. In picture books, introduce the problem within the first three pages.

The second course is the middle. This is where the story can sag and become boring. Enhance the flavor with surprising, unexpected problems for the main character. When we increase the tension, we reel in the reader. Throw more obstacles/challenges at the character so s/he will struggle even more. Their lives should become more complicated. As one problem is resolved, replace it with an even greater one. Emotions should reach their peak as the character faces what seem insurmountable odds, a true crisis. Always keep in mind what would happen if the protagonist fails.

The third course is dessert, the story ending that is sweet and delicious. If the protagonist hasn’t resolved all issues to a satisfactory conclusion, at least, there should be hope. Two ideas to keep in mind when writing endings: what does the reader expect and what works best for your story. The key to a successful conclusion is the hero getting what s/he wants most, not necessarily getting everything.

Ideas are aromas. They tease us with a whiff of what could develop in a story. They are merely seeds that need to be planted, cultivated, and harvested to produce a delicious story.

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Dream Quest One Poetry and Writing Contest! This poetry contest and writing contest is open to everyone and international.  We are excited about showcasing the creative writing and poetic talent, skill and ability of all poets and writers.  We hope that you have inspiration to display the beauty and art of writing short stories and poems for the entire world to see your "gift of a dream."

Writing Contest entries may be written on a maximum of (5) pages, either neatly handwritten or typed, single or double line spacing, on any subject or theme.

• Poetry Contest entries may be written on any subject or theme. All poems must be 30 lines or fewer and either neatly handwritten or typed, single or double line spacing.

The Mission of Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is to inspire, motivate and encourage anyone having the desire or love of poetry and writing, to continue doing so without fear of failure or success! Remember, in whatever you do, "it's okay to dream," for dreams do come true...

Deadline: July 31, 2015

Submission Guidelines at http://www.dreamquestone.com/

Writing a Middle Grade Novel/Calls for Submissions

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

Help! I’m suffering from stuck-itis on chapter 8. I’m staring at my plot outline and it just doesn’t seem to work. We’ve all been there, the place in out manuscript in which we wonder where to take out character next. The ideas in the outline no longer seem viable. We also read those books with a sagging middle, the excitement of the beginning just wanes and the story dulls rather than delights. What is a writer to do?

I asked some writer friends for advice.

Write. Just write. Ideas will begin to mesh and some will sparkle and work.

Don’t stress over the quality of your writing. All first drafts are bad. In fact, they stink. That’s what revision is for, to turn bad writing into good. At this point my manuscript is the literary equivalent of the aroma of limburger cheese. (Caution: No deep breaths, please.) Be content with the fact that you’re doing something right, you’re writing.

Put the story aside for a period of time. Give your ideas time to percolate and steep. Ideas need time to form. Later, you'll go back to the story with a fresh perspective.

In the meantime, begin working on a new writing project. When you return to the original story, you may be happy to discover that stuck-itis has changed to idea-itis.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

The Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose are awarded annually to two students of secondary or undergraduate status whose written work "inspires the masses to believe beyond feeling the work." In other words, we strive to receive the absolute best work from emerging young writers in high school and college, and the best of the best will receive these two lovely awards.We accept submissions for these prizes in the regular submissions pools throughout the entire year. For more information regarding submission at this time, please see our submission page.

The 2015 Adroit Prizes for Poetry and Prose will open for submissions on December 1, 2014, and will close on March 13, 2015.

Submission guidelines at http://www.theadroitjournal.org/adroit-prizes

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Hopscotch is a magazine created for girls from 6 to 13 years, with girls 8, 9, and 10 the specific target age.

HOPSCOTCH looks for articles, fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that deal with timeless topics, such as pets, nature, hobbies, science, games, sports, careers, simple cooking, and anything else likely to interest a young girl. We leave dating, romance, human sexuality, cosmetics, fashion, and the like to other publications. Each issue revolves around a theme.

Submission guidelines at http://funforkidzmagazines.com/hs_guidelines

Idea Overload, part V/Call for Submissions

If you have more story ideas than you know what to do with, try these tips:

Talk with a critique group or writing club. Explain how the story has bogged down and you don’t know how to get the character out of the situation or don’t know how to inflict more problems upon the character. Writers often receive excellent feedback from such groups.

Abandoning manuscripts decreases a writer’s efficiency. Rather than permanently shelving a manuscript, shelve it temporarily while you consider different options for the characters and plot.

Review the story ideas folder. Maybe you can consolidate some ideas by tapping into an idea or two and using them in the manuscript you’re working on.

Next week, I’ll continue the series.

Call for submissions for adult writers:

REAL SIMPLE MAGAZINE LIFE LESSONS ESSAY CONTEST

Theme: What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done? Whatever your story, share it with us. Winner is published in Real Simple Magazine and receives $3,000. Limit 1,500 words. Deadline
Deadline: September 19, 2013. Must be nonfiction.

Details at <http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/inspiration-motivation/second-annual-life-lessons-essay-contest-00000000013682/index.html>

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Creating Ideas for Personal Narratives

As with fictional stories, personal narratives need to be problem driven, also. Imagine reading a story about Jack’s trip through the South. He passed through small towns where people sat on front porches and waved as he drove by, saw cows grazing in grassy fields, cotton growing, roadside fruit stands, and finally a sandy beach with frothy, crashing waves. The reader will yawn a couple of times and fall asleep long before Jack sees the ocean, because there is nothing exciting happening. The character is not involved in the action, merely viewing it. The same story would becomes more exciting if Jack looks out the window of the car and sees smoke billowing toward the sky up ahead. Traffic stops. Jack steps out of the car and hears a loud bang, followed by bang-bang-bang. Jack jumps back into the car and locks the door. “Hide under the dashboard,” he yells to Joan, who sitting in the front seat.” The reader wonders what is happening so the story becomes more interesting.

Personal narratives, like short stories, should focus on one event, not a series of events. Begin the story with action, where the problem arises. Personal narratives are short so there is little room for the build-up of a story. Beginning a story with action and a problem captures the attention of the reader immediately. The job of the writer is to place the reader in the middle of the action by letting the reader see, hear, feel, touch, and taste the relevant details. The writer expresses thoughts and feelings throughout the piece and explains how and why the experience mattered.

Personal narratives differ for everyone because each person has different experiences, emotions, and memories. Choose an event that stands out in your mind. What made that event memorable? Do the emotions that spilled over into your memory make you scared, happy, or sad? Think of events that bring out strong emotions. List those events and choose one to write about.

Do you have a favorite method of creating ideas for writing personal narratives or for helping students formulate ideas? If you would like to post an idea, click on Comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Next week, I’ll provide a first-aid for story writing.

Creating Ideas

Each week I will address one aspect of writing. This week, I'm writing about story ideas.

All stories begin with an idea. Novice writers and students often struggle with creating an idea for a story. Fictional stories need a problem or goal to hold the attention of the readers. The problem must have a solution and the goal needs to be attainable. The problem in the story is what is happening to the main character, also called plot. When I visit schools and conduct writing workshops with students, I avoid abstract definitions. Let's use the word plot as an example. An abstract definition might be a device to carry the story forward. What? Some students may question the definition wondering what it means; others may simply tune out the remainder of the class, already lost. Concrete definitions work much better with students. Again, using the word plot. A definition students can relate to is Plan Lots of Trouble. The definition is concrete and understandable.

So how do we develop an idea for a story? I've used this method with success for grades three and up. Noun + Action Verb + Problem

Think of a noun--a person or thing, such as a cat. Add an action verb that relates to the noun. Ask yourself, what problem could possibly happen?

Cat + Leap + Broke sister's favorite lamp

Again, ask yourself, what if my cat leaped and broke my sister's favorite lamp?

Try this method with three or four ideas. You just might develop an idea worthy of a story.

Next week, I will write about developing ideas for a personal narrative.