Writing to Snag a Contract

What do editors mean when they say they don’t know what kind of manuscript they want until they see it? I was asked this question earlier this week. I’m no editor but here is what I THINK they mean in regard to middle grade fiction:

Build tension throughout the story. A compelling story must have conflict, but how is that accomplished?

Broadside the character with a problem early in the story, in the first few pages. Treat your character badly. Just say NO to whatever the character wants and needs.

After you treat your character badly, treat him/her worse. Don’t lighten up. Add more problems, both external and internal. New twists, surprises, and problems make life and decision making more difficult for the character.

End the chapters with suspense or some surprising element, a cliffhanger.

Divulge more to the reader than the character. The reader may know that the character shouldn’t open the door, but the character should not. If the reader knows, that just adds to the suspense and tension. Also, allow the character to have a few secrets that s/he reveals throughout the unfolding of the story.

Next week, I’ll discuss more ways to add tension to the story.

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Blue Marble Review is published four times a year and accepts submissions of poetry, fiction, non-fiction and art on a rolling basis. We are looking for new work that hasn’t been published anywhere else either online or in print. We want to be a journal appropriate for younger middle school readers and writers as well as high school students so please keep that in mind when submitting your writing.

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

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

THE NOTEBOOK  is published biannually by the Grassroots Women Project. We seek work by female or male writers, photographers & digital visual artists with rural or small town roots. We are interested in progressive thinking—past, present or visionary—that explores a spectrum of authentic experiences for women and girls in rural areas and small towns in any of the world’s cultures. Issues of THE NOTEBOOK comprise regular columns and other single-issue features, plus themed sections. We are a peer-review journal; acceptances are selective. We encourage international submissions written in English. We are a print publication.

Theme:  For the  Summer 2016 issue, the theme is Make, Break, Repair, Replace.  All genres of writing or digital imagery will be considered as long as some aspect of the theme is related to the experience of rural or small town women or girls, either directly or indirectly. You may define, interpret or conceptualize any or all parts of the theme  in any way you see fit.

How to submit your work: Submit by email only to TheNotebook@GrassrootsWomenProject.org.

Submission guidelines at http://www.grassrootswomenproject.org/the-notebook.html

Writing by Hand

As I mentioned in the last post, the vast majority of my writing is done on a keyboard, not handwritten, but many writers prefer to write the entire manuscript and revisions by hand. They have some compelling reasons to do so. 

The process of writing by hand helps the brain to filter information and stimulates a greater focus. (My brain needs this.) 

The act of writing and shaping works is a workout that activates the part of the brain that involves thought, language, and memory. Our brains are more likely to remember the shapes of symbols, music notes, and foreign language characters if they are drawn rather than pressing a key on a computer. (A good cognitive exercise for this baby boomer.) 

The slowness of writing by hand encourages more in-depth thought into what is written so more ideas are generated. (Food to stimulate my intellect. That's a plus.) 

Computers have endless amounts of information so they can be a distraction. Check the email, tap into a social media site, play a game, check the email… (I don’t need these distractions.) 

Writing drafts by longhand, hummmmmm. Something to think about. 

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Stone Soup is a magazine of writing and art by kids ages 13 and younger. We publish stories, poems, book reviews, and illustrations, all by young writers and artists. Stone Soup welcomes submissions from young people up to and including age 13.

Submission guidelines at http://www.stonesoup.com/stone-soup-contributor-guideline/

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Boys’ Quest. Has themes. A magazine created for boys from 6 to 13, with children 8, 9, and 10 the specific target age. Looking 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 10-year-old boy. Looking for lively writing, most of it from a 10-year-old boy’s point of view, with the boy or boys directly involved in an activity that is both wholesome and unusual. Up to 500 words, simultaneous submissions okay as long as is noted on the manuscript.

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

The question I’m most often asked at book signings and school visits is how do I write, with pen and paper or computer. The answer is both. If I’m away from my computer, and I think or hear of an idea or phrase, I write on whatever is available. If not, I’ll forget the little gem of a keeper.

When I conducting research, I usually write by hand. For me, it’s more convenient to curl up on a sofa to read and write in a notebook. Sometime I also try out phrases or variations of the narrative as I happen upon some research that tickles my fancy. I usually play around with the structure of the story by longhand, especially when writing nonfiction.

I usually transfer the notes to a computer file. I’m less likely to lose it if it’s stored in cyberspace rather than in my house or car. Whether I write with a computer or on paper is really about convenience more than anything, the practical element. I always keep a notebook handy so if I’m traveling, I can jot down an idea while I’m out and about.

My drafts are done almost entirely on a computer. The beginning of a manuscript undergoes so many starts and insertions, I can keep my train of thought better by using a keyboard where the changes can be made quickly with the delete key or cutting and pasting to rearrange text. I print the drafts and revise on written copy. It’s easier for me to catch mistakes if I’m reading ink as opposed to a computer screen.

The best way to write is to figure out what works for you and follow your own path.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

One Teen Story. A monthly publication from the editors of One Story. This publication features teen writers and is available in print as well as via Kindle and other e-reading devices.

Submission guidelines at http://www.oneteenstory.com/index.php?page=submit

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Boy’s Life. A general-interest, four color monthly, circulation 1.3 million for boys 8+ published by the Boy Scouts of America since 1911. Buys first-time rights for original, unpublished material. Fiction runs 1,000 to 1,500 words. Payment is $750+. All stories feature a boy or boys. Uses humor, mystery, science fiction and adventure.

Submission guidelines at http://boyslife.org/contact-us/readers-page/

 

The Emotional Connection

When I wrote the first draft of my picture book biography, Barreling Over Niagara Falls, an editor said she enjoyed the story and thought the manuscript was marketable, but she had trouble connecting with the desperation of the character, the emotional connection. The editor asked me to address the following:

Why would a woman risk her life by riding a barrel over Niagara Falls?

What was the character feeling?

How did her behavior reflect her feelings?

Back to the drawing board for me. I read and reread every article and book I could find on Annie Edson Taylor to grasp her need for choosing the life of a daredevil when the most dangerous thing she had ever done was cross the street.

As I explored the literature, I found a woman who had been accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle so facing the poorhouse, a facility for the indigent, would be devastating emotionally. I also found a woman who wanted to make a name for herself, to be known far and wide, and to become financially stable, maybe rich, as well as popular. All those emotions were at play and it was my job to unveil them throughout the story.

The emotional element answers the WHY of a character’s actions and makes a more compelling read.

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Sprout. We accept all creative media pertaining to social issues.

• POETRY: We accept both individual poems and collections. Individual poems will be reviewed as stand-alone pieces whereas a collection (limited at five poems) will be reviewed as a coherent piece.
• OTHER LITERATURE: No more than 5,000 words. 
• STATIC VISUAL: 1 to 10 images in a collection.
• MISCELLANEOUS PIECES: Pieces such as spoken word, music, and cinematic work can be no longer than ten minutes in length.

​We request that you send only one submission per email.

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

Call for submissions for Adult Writers

Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Blended Families. Are you part of a blended family, enjoying stepchildren, stepsiblings, etc.? Blending two families after a second marriage can be a real joy… and sometimes a challenge too. Tell us about your own blended families. How did you make it work? What advice do you have for other families? We are looking for true stories about all aspects of blending families—stories that will make us laugh and cry, nod our heads in recognition, and give us great advice. Tell us about your kids if you’re a parent, your parents if you’re a kid, your pets, whatever you think would enlighten and entertain someone else in the same situation. The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 30, 2016.

Submission guidelines at http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

Taking Risks

I’m a rule follower, not a risk-taker. Taking risks slings me way out of my comfort zone, but as a writer, following rules is not always the best route to publication. Editors refer to risk-takers as those who take chances on making a mistake, those who explore unique voices and are not afraid to use them. Not afraid? Hummmmm. When I first began writing children’s books, back in the last century, I tried to emulate a particular type of writing style of an individual author. Imitating another author, called stylized writing, is a good activity to learn how to develop a plot and characters and unfold an ending. After imitating a variety of authors, it was time for me to move on to MY own style that works with MY stories. It was time for me to develop MY own literary voice.

I began to write in a way that was comfortable to me. After writing the piece, I store it away for a while, at least a month, and move on to a new project. Writing new manuscripts is the best way to forget a previous one. Later, when I revisit the stored manuscript, I reread with fresh eyes and ask myself, if my targeted age group would enjoy reading it.

Of course, before the manuscript is stored, it undergoes numerous revisions and after I look at it with fresh eyes, more tweaking is needed. Almost all of my work includes a bit of humor, even serious stories and biographies. That’s just MY style.

Write to engage your audience, but first, write to engage yourself. When you do that, you have developed YOUR own unique style.

Call for submissions for Young Writers

Chicken Soup for the Soul.

College Student Stories
Calling all college students! We are working on a new book to be written entirely by you about your lives in college and outside college, including stories about kindness, respect, compassion, expanding your horizons, and embracing differences.

We are looking for true, non-fiction stories of no more than 1,200 words from current college students up to age 24. You can be enrolled in two-year, four-year, or technical college—any post high school educational institution.

We would like to share with you five free stories specially selected from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles, our previous book for college students, as examples of the kind of stories we publish. Please go to http://www.chickensoup.com/featured/8883 and scroll down. The five stories will be right there for you to look at!

The deadline date for story and poem submissions is July 31, 2016.

Submission guidelines at http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics

Writing Beginning/Middle/Ending

For practice, try rewriting the beginning of some popular picture books and see if you like your work better. Do the same with the middle and again with the ending. This is good exercise to develop you skills. Learning to write beginnings, middles, and endings is not an innate quality we possess. This skill has to be learned. In picture books it is vital to look at both what is being said in the narrative and dialog and also what is NOT stated. Figure out what was omitted to allow the illustrator to show it in the artwork.

Some authorities (whoever they are) state that writing is 10% science and 90% art. The science is the learned part that includes the rules of writing. The art is everything else, such as remembering what you enjoyed, disliked, wanted, needed, and thought as a child. It’s the writer’s natural talent, the ability to choose words and string them together to create an individual, unique voice. The art also comes from days-of-our–youth daydreams. Yes, daydreaming is work for an author.

The rules of writing can be learned from a number of methods. Reading a variety of books is one way to master the art of storytelling on paper. Another is to read how-to books on writing. There are countless excellent resources for writers: books, Internet sites, newsletters focused on the craft of writing for children, workshops, conferences, and local writing and critique groups.

Call for Submissions for Young and Adult Writers:

Skipping Stones: An international publication for readers 8-16 that celebrates ecological and cultural diversity and facilitates a meaningful exchange of ideas and experiences by publishing essays, stories, letters to the editor, riddles and proverbs, etc.

Submission guidelines at http://www.skippingstones.org/submissions

Reading Books by a Variety of Authors

Reading books in the genre in which you write offers a view into the different styles, voices, and approaches to subjects that you cannot find any other way. Immersion into a wide variety of books broadens a writer’s skills. As you read ask yourself why the author chose the style and approach? Question the word choice. Did the story make you feel an emotional attachment to the characters? Analyze the story by rereading some of the paragraphs to figure out how the author drew you into the story and held your interest throughout. Did some parts entertain and some seem less than interesting. Was there a part of the story you did not like? Would you change any of the text if you had written the story? If your interest is picture books, were the stories fast paced? Most picture books are.

By reading a variety of authors, we develop a sense of how to craft a story, develop a character who is presented with a problem, and against all odds, takes the challenge and finds a suitable solution. This is no easy task with an economy of words and 14 double-page spreads. As you learn from reading the works of others, you can apply and adapt the knowledge to your own piece, such as the different ways to express narrative and dialog. Reading books by a variety of authors is inspiring and stretches a writer’s creativity, which will be evident in the next story written.

Call for Submissions for Young Writers:

Young Poets Anthology. Poems must be submitted by a parent/legal guardian, or a teacher. Teachers may select at most two students per year and submit on their behalf, with the assurance to us that you will be able to provide a parent’s signed permission prior to publication. Please remember that we will be choosing our favorite 52 poems from thousands submitted—try not to get anyone’s hopes up prematurely.

The author of the poem must have been age 15 or younger when the poem was written, and 18 or younger when submitted. The poets may use their whole name, first name, or a pseudonym at their parents’ discretion. We will not publish any contact information.

Upon acceptance, a parent or legal guardian must sign a release allowing us to publish the poem.

Try to send several poems as opposed to a single piece, but no more than four in a submission—and again, make only one submission per child of up to four poems in ONE document. Include the parent's contact info in the file.

For this category only, feel free to make additional submissions any time in the future, if the child writes new work. We only publish one anthology per year, and a year is along time to wait. 

 Submissions at https://rattle.submittable.com/submit/34387

Call for Submissions for Adult Writers:

Chicken Soup Stories about Cats.
We are working on and collecting stories and poems for another wonderful book about our cats. We love stories about our cats and the amazing and magical things they do. We rejoice in their simple absurdities, funny habits, and crazy antics. Our cats make us smile and laugh every day, but sometimes they really outdo themselves. Whether they came up with the idea themselves, or you put them in a situation that caused them to do something unusual, we want to hear about it! We know you'll have many great stories for us about your cats. Stories can be serious or humorous... or both. Tell us what your cat did. The deadline for story and poem submissions is October 31, 2016.

Submission guidelines at http://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics