For today’s post, check out the latest edition of my newsletter where I recommend books and other media. In this edition, I also mention something I don’t need right this second – a new writing idea! You can find it HERE.
Hope everyone is enjoying the snow!
–SueBE
Originally, Storystorm was known as PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) and took place in November. Now it is in January and the basic idea is very straightforward. Throughout January you keep track of the ideas you generate. The goal is to have 30 ideas by the end of the month.
So how am I doing?
As I write this on the 28th, I already have 35 ideas in my note book. Some of them are picture book ideas and include biographies of ancient figures as well as several “that’s disgusting” types of picture books. There are picture book ideas that are straight up concept books and several science topics.
Then there are the ideas that might make good children’s book but they might make good adult articles. The way I am currently envisioning them makes me think adult articles but the ideas might be easier to sell to children. In my not-so-humble opinion, children are more imaginative.
I also have an idea that came from something I said to a friend. I don’t even remember why in all of this cold we were discussing ice cream. She firmly stated that it was far too cold for ice cream. “It is NEVER too cold for ice cream,” I responded. Then I told her about a story my grandmother told to me. She walked in to find her mother-in-law sitting and eating a bowl of ice cream with her feet on the fender of the wood burning stove. It was just that cold. My friend, a fellow writer, challenged me to include this scene in something. So naturally a new idea popped into my head. It is actually a really good idea. But do I truly need another idea?
Yes, yes, I do. That is, after all, the point of Storystorm.
Naturally, to start working on this, I’ll have to drag out my mother’s recipe notebook. I can just see the fruit box that contains one grandmother’s recipes and many from my great aunt’s mother as well. And somewhere in the basement I am fairly certain I have a recipe box from my other grandmother, a woman who was known for her hospitality.
Has anyone ever said that writing is easy?
–SueBE
Yesterday I tried to sit down and write when my thoughts were scattered like a huge flight of pigeons. There are several ways that you can deal with this as a writer.
Normally I’m a huge advocate of “butt in chair,” aka sit down and write. The thought behind butt in chair is that this is how you write. You sit down with your butt in the chair and you write.
Writing muscles take time to develop. Or you can think of it as developing a habit. If you are a newer writer or a writer who doesn’t practice butt in chair, you may sit there and stare blankly at the wall. Why not just get up? Because if you get up you won’t develop that writing habit. Nope. You need to sit there.
Still don’t know what to write? That’s okay. You can key in, “I’m sitting here irritated because I don’t know what to write.” You may not be adding to your work in progress. A line like this isn’t likely to be something you can sell. But you are writing.
I do generally advocate butt in chair because I don’t think it does any good to write only when you feel like it. Writing is hard work and if you only write when you are in the mood you are likely to find something easier to do or something that provides a more immediate dopamine rush. That’s why snacking can be such a temptation.
But yesterday but in chair wasn’t working. I had gotten some particularly distracting news. It wasn’t writing related or health related but my brain was following all the various what ifs. I tried sitting there but I just got more and more distracted and anxious.
I finally got up and did tai chi. I don’t know if tai chi is the type of exercise to give me a dopamine rush but it does help calm my mind. This just goes to show you that you may need multiple solutions to “I don’t want to write.” One day one of them will work but on another day you’ll have to do something else.
–SueBE
For those of you who aren’t familiar with the annual American Library Association awards, these awards are given each year to a wide variety of books for a wide variety of reasons. I’m focusing only the most general – the John Newbery Medal for outstanding children’s literature, the Randolph Caldecott Medal for illustration, the Sibert for nonfiction for children, and the Award for Excellent in Nonfiction for Young Adults for teens. I’ll list the winner, the honor books, and make a few comments in italics.
There are so many more awards including those for translation, audio books, and many, many more. You can find the full listing by clicking HERE.
John Newbery Medal
John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature: “All the Blues in the Sky,” written by Renée Watson and published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing.
Newbery Honor Books
“The Nine Moons of Han Yu and Luli,” written and illustrated by Karina Yan Glaser and published by Allida, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; “A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez,” written by María Dolores Águila and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing; “The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story,” written by Daniel Nayeri and published by Arthur A. Levine, an imprint of Levine Querido; and “The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest,” written by Aubrey Hartman, illustrated by Marcin Minor and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
I have to say that the one I found most intriguing was Nayeri’s The Teacher of Nomad Land since it tells a story that we know very little about.
Randolph Caldecott Medal
Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children: “Fireworks,” illustrated by Cátia Chien, written by Matthew Burgess, and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Caldecott Honor Books
“Every Monday Mabel,” illustrated and written by Jashar Awan and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; “Our Lake,” illustrated and written by Angie Kang and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House; “Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale from a Little Cave”, illustrated and written by Drew Beckmeyer and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; and “Sundust,” illustrated and written by Zeke Peña and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Fireworks have always fascinated me as have caves. That said, I’ve requested all of these books from my library!
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children: “Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa,” written by Sara Andrea Fajardo, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing.
Sibert Honor Books
“At Last She Stood: How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom,” written by Erin Entrada Kelly and published by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publisher; “Go Tell It: How James Baldwin Became a Writer,” written by Quartez Harris, illustrated by Gordon C. James and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.; “The History of We,” written and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith and published by Kokila, an imprint of Penguin Random House; “Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide,” written and illustrated by Pablo Leon and published by HarperAlley, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers; and “A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out,” written by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura and published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.
Although there are books for older readers, picture books are well represented in this list. Definitely comb through it if you are interested in writing picture book biographies.
Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults
The Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults: “Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown,” written by Candace Fleming and published by Anne Schwartz Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.
Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalists
“American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation” written by Barb Rosenstock and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House; “White House Secrets: Medical Lies and Cover-Ups,” written by Gail Jarrow and published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, a division of Astra Publishing House; “White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote the History,” written by Ann Bausum and published by Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; and “A World Without Summer: A Volcano Erupts, A Creature Awakens, and the Sun Goes Out,” written by Nicholas Day, illustrated by Yas Imamura and published by Random House Studio, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House.
This one contained a number of surprised for me. First of all, I was surprised that the winner was a book about Joneston which happened in 1978. I was also more than a little surprised that the only book my library doesn’t have is White Lies: How the Sound Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote History. Sure, it seems like a book that is sure to get banned. But then that is probably why it wasn’t purchased. There aren’t as many books in the lists that seem “banable” as in previous years. Be sure to check out some of these books. I’ve requested something like 15 of them. And yes, I suspect they will all arrive at the same time.
–SueBE
As I’ve been doing the pre-writing work on an upcoming project, I’ve spent a lot of time contemplating how to lay out the clues effectively in a mystery novel. What will my amateur detective discover first? I suspect that most often this is the crime. After all, no one knows to look for clues until they know the crime has occurred. But what should be next? In what order will my sleuth discover things?
Then I read Janice Hardy’s blog post, “How to Sneak Clues Past Your Readers and Keep Them Guessing.” Janice pointed out something I had never considered before.
Often we consider the clues and the mystery itself from the perspective of the protagonist. That makes sense since the story is told through the protagonist’s perspective. But that means that we are considering the crime and the clues from the perspective of someone who has no first hand knowledge of the crime.
Janice explains that it makes much more sense to focus, at least for a time, on the antagonist or criminal. How did the killer commit the murder? How did the robber get into the bank/store/home? If it is a planned crime against an individual, how did the criminal set up the trap? Or how did they know when and where to find the victim? How did they commit the crime? Figure out each step. As you consider the steps, think about what clues they might have left behind. If they opened a door, their finger prints might be on the door knob or the push plate if it is an automatic door. Who else was in the vicinity who might have seen them before or during the crime?
Once you have the answers to these questions, you have your clues. You know where they will be located. All you have to do is figure out the best moment for your detective to find each clue and what false leads your sleuth may also discover.
I am going to have to put a lot of thought into this. Although I know who my protagonist is and who my antagonist is, I have only a very sketchy idea about my crime and the potential clues.
–SueBE
So what is it that writers do for fun? I can’t speak for all writers but here are 5 things at the top of my list.
I could keep going! I love music and museums and movies. So what do you do for fun?
–SueBE
Working through my middle grade and young adult blueprint, I just got to the session on creating your supporting cast. That’s more than just your secondary characters because it includes tertiary characters as well. I did some additional reading just to make certain that I know the difference. Here is what I learned.
Primary characters are the main characters in your story. These are the characters that the story revolves around.
At first I thought that the main character was the only primary character. But I quickly realized that there is generally more than one primary character. One of them is your point-of-view character or protagonist. Another may be your antagonist. Just remember that if you are writing your story in multiple points-of-view, all of these characters will probably be primary characters.
Secondary characters can be antagonists but not villains. Think of the mean girls who make the school day difficult. Secondary characters often push your protagonist into taking some action. This might be the character who mentions an event that your main character seizes on as a solution. These characters are a solid part of the world and appear again and again throughout the story. They have names and backstories and you, the author, needs to make certain that they are more than stereotypes.
Tertiary characters help fill out the world. These characters may only appear twice in your story and don’t always require a name. This might be the bus driver who picks your character up in the morning. Or it might be the office manager in the middle school. These characters often perform important functions such as the woman who owns the malt shop where your character meets her boyfriend. Or they may be comic relief like Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter.
A character may get demoted from secondary to tertiary or move up from secondary to primary as you revise. It doesn’t hurt to know more than you need to know about a character. Well-rounded characters make your story world come alive!
–SueBE
Yesterday I finished an 8 lesson watercolor class for beginners. My family had to endure a lot of fussing on my part. I’m just not all that great. My son helpfully pointed out that my leaves do look like leaves. Or at least some of them do. As a beginner what did I expect?
That’s a great question. What did I expect?
I think that often times we forget how long it takes to acquire any great skill at something. It isn’t like my very first writing projects were amazing. I thought they were pretty darn good and my writing instructor, the truly amazing children’s writer Patricia McKissack, was very encouraging.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many of the basic rules that I broke. I definitely wrote a story that turned out to be almost entirely a dream. Check. Retelling other people’s myths? Did that too.
But eventually I did get better. Many pages were written and revised. Many books were read. Much was learned. I’m still learning and not just about watercolor.
I had played around with watercolors some here and there. I have two aunts who were painters. One only worked in watercolor. The other painted but was also a photographer. So naturally I dabbled.
In taking the class I just finished, Beginning Watercolor with Yao Cheng through Creative Bug, I learned that I don’t use enough water, I prefer not to mix my colors, and abstract isn’t my natural direction. I’m pretty happy with the little wreath that I’ve shared with you. But I do know that I have a lot to learn.
Now, I would probably be more inclined to mix colors if I was using watercolor from a tube vs a cake. I’ll have to give that a try some time. For now, I think I’m going to stick with the cakes I’ve already purchased. Okay, they were a Christmas gift but I’m also painting with a cat around. Given the fact that I’ve nicknamed her Miss Nosey Biscuits, you can probably guess just how much space she gives me when I’m trying to paint. Regardless, my work is going to be pretty hit or miss until I put in a lot more time.
–SueBE
Looking for picture book ideas? Play around with ideas for fractured fairy tales like this one by Lynne Marie. Obviously, Moldilocks and the Three Scares is a take off on Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Not all fractured fairy tales are quite this obvious, but I really like the ones that clue you in right away like The Three Silly Girls Grubb and The Princess and the Pizza.
So how do you come up with an idea for something like this? One way is to brainstorm words that sound a lot like various words in the original title. Goldilocks could become Oldielocks, Goldiblocks, Goldiclocks, Goldilox, Goldilochs, Goldisox, or Goldicrocs. You could go with changing only Goldilocks but why not go big and change the bears as well. Bears could become hares, chairs, wares, squares, mares, snares, scares, pairs, pears, errs, heirs, or dares. The list of words that rhyme with bears goes on and on.
You don’t actually need to start with words that rhyme. I really like the idea of Golden Oldie for Goldilocks. So you could play with the idea of Golden Oldie and the Three Squares. Instead of working up a haunted vibe like in Moldilocks, you could play with a rock-n-roll vibe. You could have a drive in, car hops, and a juke box. Instead of porridge what would the Squares be eating? Malts maybe. Or TV dinners! I actually really like that idea.
Other pairings would lend themselves to other themes. Goldesocks and the Three Pairs might be about missing socks or knitting. Goldiblocks and the Three Squares could be about building the pyramids – a square being a tool. Goldicrocs would also lends itself to an ancient Egyptian theme. Goldiclocks would be about a clocktower, cuckoo clock, or watch maker. And these are just the ideas based on one well-known fairy tale.
What would happen if you also brainstormed for the Little Red Hen, the Three Little Pigs, the Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Jack and the Bean Stalk? One good idea for each would yield four more ideas.
–SueBE
When I was a brand new writer, I was at a conference and one of the speakers was explaining to us how to write humor for young readers. His method was to take something and twist a detail or two to make it funny. The exercise he gave us what to describe what was in our character’s school backpack. We should include several normal things and one or two that were unexpected. I’ve never been great at this kind of exercise and I had completely forgotten it until a friend brought a banoffee pie to dinner.
For those who have never had a banoffee pie, it is a British treat. Biscuit or graham cracker crust is topped with a layer of dulce de leche. Next comes a layer of banana slices and then whipped cream flavored with expresso powder. Banana, caramel, and coffee just seemed like one flavor too many but a lot of recipes seem this way to me. So what would really put it over the top? Dulce de leche, banana, coffee flavored whipped cream and olives. Or maybe anchovies. The thought of either one makes me cringe.
So when you come up with your character’s favorite food, don’t stop with the expected. Throw in a cringe-worthy ingredient. My dad’s favorite sandwich was peanut butter, mayo, bologna, an onion slice, and pickles. I kid you not. So if your character loves PB and J, what else could you throw into the mix? Jalapeno slices?
How do you do this with something other than food? What about a museum? Maybe your character’s mother works at the Museum of Art, Architecture, and Sardines. I was going to say Aardvarks but I think I like it better when I break the alliteration. The Museum of Modern Artificialness. Did you see what I did with that one? I took the Museum of Modern Art and twisted it.
Don’t be afraid to play with some of the ideas in your story to add a bit of humor. Not that it would work with every story but if you are trying to make your readers laugh, don’t be afraid to play.
–SueBE
One Writer's Journey 