Working Together

In a literacy meeting, I heard an African proverb that resonated with me: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. 

I’m dedicating my first blog post of 2018 to my critique partner, Sandi Underwood, who has enriched my writing over the years. With her keen eye, writing experience, and willingness to help, my writing journey has taken me farther, much farther, than if I trekked alone.  

She is invaluable to me because she questions my work. If all the feedback I receive is positive, I won’t grow as a writer and won’t learn to create stronger stories. Editors will certainly find holes, actually wide gaps, if my eyes are the only look-see my words get prior to submitting to a publisher. My critique partner not only points out what does not work but what works well. I need to know both. Her feedback offers an objective review of my draft, an evaluation of its suitability for the age group, and most importantly, it allows me to “see” my work from another perspective, and a qualified perspective, at that. 

I almost never follow-up with an explanation of why I wrote something the way I did. If she didn’t understand it or the writing was cumbersome on her first read, it will be the same for an editor or a reader. She has my trust, so if she isn’t grasping the flow and rhythm, neither will the gatekeepers. 

In turn, I evaluate her work, which is as valuable to me as receiving a critique. I’m forced out of my comfort zone by engaging in her story and analyzing the many components. 

Regardless of where you are on your writing journey, a knowledgeable critique partner can take you far. Attend writing workshops and conferences to find people who understand the genre in which you write and are interested in working together toward a common goal. 

Sandi, thanks for traveling this literary journey with me!   

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Sprout. Our vision is to have a space where young minds can share their thoughts and opinions about society through creative expression. Sprout is a nonprofit, online literary journal for teens, by teens—we look to publish creative media that demonstrates awareness of the world and social commentary, sharing art in its purest, rawest form.

Submission guidelines at http://www.sproutmagazine.org/submission-rules.html

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Upworthy reaches a massive audience with meaningful stories every day, and we're looking for original stories that support our mission of creating a better world. That's where you come in. We're currently accepting pitches from freelancers for stories that are:

• Surprising
  Is the topic, narrative, character, or outcome something truly new?
• Meaningful
  If a million people saw this story, would it make the world a better place?
• Visual
  Are there enough visual elements to engage readers who might be skimming on a phone?
• Shareable
  Would you share it? Would your friends share it? Most importantly, would your mom's friend share it?

Submission guidelines at http://www.upworthy.com/pitch-us

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

 

Picture Book Savvy

Spending time with authors to discuss writing, publishing, and their successes and failures is like attending an intensive writing workshop. Sharing experiences, ideas, and knowledge are invaluable nuggets of manuscript gold. The following are gilded tidbits:

Picture book authors’ perspective should be the same world view as that of the child. This means no abstract problems or goals. The story must be illustratable and action oriented. Five-year-olds take ideas literally. The characters should react in the same way a child would. If writers can connect with the life of a child in some way, the story will have more appeal to the reader.

Example: I want to win every game. Children will understand this idea and connect mentally and emotionally.

Will the child care about your subject? If not, they won’t want to read the book. Writers have to think like a child and have the characters act and react the way a child of that age would. Always keep the audience in mind with each word. In my latest picture book, FORTY WINKS, the subject is a monster in a closet. Many children are afraid of the dark. I certainly was, and I'm still not crazy about it. The story also deals with resolving conflict, an experience all children deal with regularly.

What is important to the child? Consider his/her feelings. The subject of your story must have relevance to everyday life.

Next week, I’ll provide more golden nuggets of our conversations.

Call for submissions for Young Writers:
Magic Dragon, a quarterly publication, presents writing and art created by children in the elementary school grades in a magazine of quality four-color printing and graphic display.

Submission guidelines at http://www.magicdragonmagazine.com/?page_id=6

Call for submissions for Adult Writers:
Story is interested in narrative of any shape and kind we can get onto the printed page. Surprise us with traditional and experimental forms of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. We love short fiction, but we love hermit-crab essays, hybrid forms, research, lists, and charts too. Submit work that fits the theme, but don't be afraid to think outside the box. Submissions for online issues should be a maximum of 2,500 words.Submission guidelines at http://www.storymagazine.org/submit/

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

Idea to Finished Manuscript, Part II

Try these ideas for turning an idea into a story:

Audience. The adage Know your audience is true in any genre of literature. Is this story a  read-aloud for a three-year-old or is it geared for a six-year-old beginning reader? When we meet someone on the street and talk face-to-face, we adjust our speech and language to suit the audience. As writers, we have to recognize and understand the reading and interest level of our readers before we begin writing. A read-aloud story may have more complicated words and sentence structure than a beginning reader for an older child.

 

What if. What if it rained marshmallows. What if everyone grew horns. Probe your character and plot with the What if question to develop your story idea. When your story comes to a screeching halt and you don’t know where to go with the plot ask what if. You may be surprised at the turn your story takes and the new ideas you will explore.

Perspective/Point of view. These are not the same. Perspective refers to the strategy a writer uses to tell the story. Is it first person (I) , second (you), or third (he/she)? Keep the same perspective throughout in books for younger children. 

Point of view refers to who is telling the story? Is the big dog, the friendly dog, or the neighbor’s cat? Try different characters to determine which could tell the story in the most compelling way. The single-character perspective is the most common viewpoint used in children’s literature. If you change the viewpoint, do it with a new chapter to enhance understanding for the reader. 

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Young Rider. Short stories (approximately 800-1,000 words) for about $150. They have to be “realistic” stories and not too sugary sweet. We only use 4 to 5 of these a year. We get a great deal of “children overcoming the odds to win things or struggling to buy or get a horse of their own” so we don’t encourage these types of stories. We would prefer funny stories, with a bit of conflict, which will appeal to the 13-year-old age group. They should be written in the third person, and about kids. The story should have a definite plot, some sort of conflict (humorous, serious or not-so-serious) and a resolution. No “childhood memories” please.

Submission guidelines at http://www.youngrider.com/writers-guidelines.aspx