Gaps in Literature

Nonfiction picture books have grown in popularity in the last few years. State Standards for schools include the use of nonfiction titles in the curriculum and this had motivated many publishers to increased production of beautifully illustrated picture books with informational text and various types of back matter.   

Talk with teachers and ask what topics have not been covered in picture books or what topics/subjects need more books. When I was a librarian in an elementary school, I read an article about pink dolphins. The next day I searched for books on pink dolphins to order for the students. I was surprised when I could find not one book on the subject. Ah-ha! Inspiration struck and I wrote ON THE BANKS OF THE AMAZON, which included information on pink dolphins.  

On another occasion, I read an article about the two Hill sisters who were from Kentucky and wrote the world’s most popular song, Happy Birthday. So little had been written about their lives, I decided to write a picture book about how they got the idea for the song. My book, HAPPY BIRTHDY: THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR SONG, was the result of my research. 

If you think of a topic that has not been covered or if you think of a new angle for a topic, research it to see if a large number of books are already in the marketplace. If not, you may have a subject that teachers, parents, and young readers will gravitate toward. Let the editor know you have done your homework by explaining that you’ve researched the market and your book would fill a literature gap.  

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

FutureScapes is an annual writing competition that asks writers to envision a particular sort of world, and tell us a story about it. We could run projections and publish reports, but there’s a reason why Wilde didn’t say, “Life imitates empirical studies.” We want to help writers of excellent potential find their voice while shaping  tomorrow.

-$2,000 PRIZE FOR FIRST PLACE, $1,000 PRIZE FOR SECOND PLACE

-4 RUNNERS UP EACH RECEIVE PRIZE OF $500

-PUBLICATION IN ANTHOLOGY DISTRIBUTED TO MAYORS, GOVERNORS & MEMBERS OF THE U.S. CONGRESS

DEADLINE: July 15, 2016.

In particular, FutureScapes seeks:

–Works of short fiction up to 8,000 words, written in accordance with this year’s prompt: Cities of Empowerment

–Compelling stories that explore the nuance of technology, science, politics, and/or policy, without forgetting about plot and character!

-Stories that show us both the positives and negatives of this possible future.

-Stories that can provide a road-map for cities, states, and nations to follow.

-Stories that may be built in a rich and full world, but that manage to show us the reality of a single city, neighborhood, and/or life.

–Stories worthy of the $2,000 prize for first place, $1,000 prize for second place, and $500 prize to each of the four runners-up.

-Stories that, when placed in the hands of a mayor or governor, could change the course of the future.

Deadline: July 15, 2016

Inspiration, Part IV

Are you a creature of habit? I am, definitely. Sometimes when I need a dose of inspiration, I shake things up by changing my routine. If you usually watch TV at night, try reading a book instead. Take a different route to the store or work. Listen to different music. Read a genre you thought you would never read.

Attend a writing workshop. You’ll gather lots of ideas, meet people who may become email pals, and soak in the excitement of the event. This is one of the best ways of getting and staying inspired.

Finish a piece. Write the beginning, middle, and ending of a story or article. Revise and polish; then submit. Rejections are no fun, but unless you submit, you can’t receive editorial feedback or get a contract. Positive comments or suggested changes will have you shimming to a happy dance, no chocolate needed.

Internet. Join writer forums to exchange information about writing, publishers, editors, and agents. These are free and loaded with publishing ideas. A wealth of information is at your fingertips. So fingertips, start walking!

 The desire to write grows with writing. ~Desiderius Erasmus

I will resume Call for submissions for Young Writers in September.

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Parabola is a quarterly journal devoted to the exploration of the quest for meaning as it is expressed in the world’s myths, symbols, and religious traditions, with particular emphasis on the relationship between this store of wisdom and our modern life.

Submission guidelines at http://parabola.org/submissions/

Inspiration, part IV

If we are inspired to write, we are much more likely to spend the time doing just that, but when rejection letters outnumber bills, it’s easy to become discouraged. Here are a few more tips on finding the “gold” called inspiration. 

Join a writer’s group or critique group. These members understand how difficult it is to write a story and get a contract. You’ll share tips, offer feedback, give encouragement, offset rejection with humor, and find comfort in the camaraderie of like-minded people. You’ll read their work and grow as a writer.  

Stuck in a story and don’t know what to do? Leave it and go for a walk. Let your mind drift as you enjoy the park, lake, nature walk, city mall… Exercise stimulates the blood flow to the brain and fresh air makes us more relaxed. As the tension eases, enjoy the sunrise or songs of the birds. Watch children play. They have a brand new outlook on life that may offer a fresh way of looking at the problem and solution of your story. Many times, I figure out the plot of a story by relaxing rather than hammering on a keyboard. Try different experiences. One may lead you to the  rainbow's "gold."  

Call for submissions for Young Writers

The Youth Honor Awards recognize creative and artistic works by young people that promote multicultural, international and nature awareness. You might like to read the Youth Honor Award winning entries in our recent issues (Vol. 25, no. 4 or Vol. 26, no. 4) before submitting your entries for the 2016 Youth Awards.

Submission guidelines at http://www.skippingstones.org/youthhonor-02.htm 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

#storieseverywhereTwitter Writing Contest Stories are, truly, everywhere—every place you look, everyone you meet, everything you experience.

Each month we invite you to post a story on Twitter using #storieseverywhere for a chance to win a free class. Your stories (which can be true or made up) will be inspired by what you see, know, or do, and they should relate in some way to our monthly “themes”:

May: Saying goodbye
June: Superhero
July: A revolutionary act

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

Inspiration

I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning. ~Peter De Vries

Inspiration is that elusive quality that makes a writer grab a pen and form words. Jack London said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” These two successful writers understand that even though we love the process of stringing words together, there will be days that writing is the LAST thing we want to do. Writing is hard, some days harder than others, and picking up a club seems to be more effort than we can muster. What’s a writer to do?

Inspiration equals inspired writing. Sometimes I’m forced to search for it and sometimes the club knocks it my way. I recently had the wonderful opportunity of visiting 13 schools in one county. I spoke to preschool groups, elementary, middle school, and high school students about writing. This type of experience feeds a writer’s inspiration gene. Working directly with a target audience connects writers to readers, primary sources that offer authentic feedback. I saw firsthand what kids like to read at different age levels. When you’re talking with young readers, just ask…and listen.

Notice what makes a target audience laugh, express emotions, ooh and ahhh. Pay attention to their reactions.What books to they enjoy? What are their favorite subjects and why? What do they write on their own?

Use the feedback to focus on topics that interest the reader. Knowing that you are writing what your audience wants to read provides a springboard for inspiration.

Next week, I’ll provide more ways to find inspiration. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

The 'Save the Earth' Poetry Prize complements John Felstiner’s book Can Poetry Save the Earth?  A Field Guide to Nature Poems and is offered annually by John Felstiner, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University and Charles Weeden, The Weeden Foundation.  We have seven winners each receiving a check for $200. and a copy of Can Poetry Save the Earth?.

Here is what students and teachers need to know:

·         High school students, grades 10th, 11th and 12th, are invited to enter.  No entry fee.

·         Poems submitted should, in any way possible, evoke humankind’s awareness of the natural world and nature as such.

·         One submission per student. There’s no restriction on form or length.

·         Please include in your email your name, school grade, high school with town and state, and name of your English teacher.

·         Poems should be submitted in English and in either Microsoft Word or .PDF.

The seven winners of the 2015 ‘SAVE THE EARTH’ POETRY PRIZE are listed above. Please click on their names to read their poems.  If you particularly like a poem, please email us at Savetheearthpoems@gmail.com and we'll forward your comments to the poet.  

For our 2016 Contest, please send submissions between March 1^st and May 31^st, 2016 to savetheearthpoems@gmail.com.

Submission guidelines at https://sites.google.com/site/savetheearthpoems/ 

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Spigot Science is a science-themed publication with articles from many disciplines in support of the theme. Please become a Basic member (free) and download the free publication so you can become familiar with our different features. Use the Table of Contents to see that articles, while addressing the theme, are written for use in other subjects: science, technology, engineering, math, geography, language arts, social studies, health, and the arts. If you wish to write for Spigot Science, please send a query that includes your pitch and information about you.  Be sure to include your name and email address.  Send it to: davidc99@aol.com.

Submission guidelines at http://writetodone.com/31-ways-to-find-inspiration-for-your-writing/

Write What You Know...Or Don't Know

We’ve all heard it, the adage Write what you know. I’ve often wondered what that means. For young writers, too young to do research, I encourage them to write about family, friendship, pets, etc.—writing about what they know.

What about everyone else? Writing what we know bases our fiction in facts and gives a realistic feel to the story, which is a good thing for the reader. The Write-what-you-know principle for aspiring writers can be limiting, too. I’ve seen some writers who are hesitant to change scene injected into a fiction story because it didn’t happen that way in real life. This restriction allows a writer to write only autobiographical information. While that may work for a scene or two in a fiction story, it limits the imagination and creativity of the author. This often happens when the writer attempts to tell a story in honor of someone admired. My suggestion is to use the information as inspiration and write the story with the idea of engaging the reader in storytelling as opposed to recreating the actual event.

Take liberties with actual events that happen in everyday life and build on it to create a world that draws in the reader. Life experiences—working in the medical field, teaching, and other life know-hows—provide valuable insight into characters and plots. Mine your experiences for potential stories but tell in in a way that expands your options. Tell the story that excites you and use your experiences to tell it in the most imaginative, creative way.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Edited and produced by the students in the Writing & Publishing Program at Walnut Hill, The Blue Pencil Online publishes verse, short fiction, and playwriting in English by young writers (ages 12-18) around the world.

Submission guidelines at http://thebluepencil.net/submission-guidelines

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: THE JOY OF LESS. Submit your poem or prose about the theme: Having More by Simplifying Our Lives. We have noticed at Chicken Soup for the Soul that we have received hundreds of stories over the years about people happily simplifying their lives, cutting back on material possessions, and reducing their time commitments so they can focus on what is important to them and their families. Share your own stories or resolutions about the joy of less! Deadline October 30, 2015. Pays $200 and ten copies for up to 1,200 words.

Submission guidelines athttp://www.chickensoup.com

Today, I’m continuing the series “Ways to Improve Writing.”

Play with your memory. Relax. Think back to your childhood. What made you worry? What was fun?  What made you laugh, cry, or hide? The events that evoked your emotions are likely to do the same in readers.

Christmas is a time that floods my mind with memories. The sense of smell is the hardest to incorporate into a story; yet, the sense of smell is a vivid memory, especially when I think of Christmas: the spicy whiff of a fresh-cut tree from the hillside behind our house, the distinctive aroma of oranges, and turkey roasting in the oven. Mmmmmmmm. But one scent ranked above all others. The best smell in the world for this six-year-old gal was the enticing, magical fragrance of a new doll. Today, those enchanting aromas have the power to transcend me back in time in an instance and with only one sniff.

List a few memories from your childhood, maybe four or five. Toss them around to see if they could work as a children’s book. Use the memory as inspiration for the story, not the actual plot.

Mine your memories. Dig deep and write.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Rattle We like poems of any length. Send up to four poems at a time. We’re looking for poems that move us, that might make us laugh or cry, or teach us something new. We like both free verse and traditional forms—we try to publish a representative mix of what we receive. We read a lot of poems, and only those that are unique, insightful, and musical stand out—regardless of style. Since our issues include about 70 pages of poetry, one of the main things we’re looking for is diversity; we have enough room to be eclectic, and we plan on using it. So while most magazines suggest reading their back issues to get a sense of what they like to publish, we’d suggest reading to get a sense of what we’re having trouble finding—if you notice a style or subject matter that we don’t seem to be publishing, send us that!

Submission guidelines at http://www.rattle.com/poetry/submissions/guidelines/

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:  

Clear Creek Writers 2014 Contest: Clear Creek Writers is having their second annual writers contest with hundred dollar prizes for both prose and poetry. As the contest is new, the contestants are limited and your chances are good.

Submission guidelines at http://clearcreekwriters.org/new-contest-for-2014/

Deadline: January 4, 2015