Writing for middle graders

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Mercado
If you’re into writing for middle graders, take a peek at this post, “The Manic Minds of Middle Grade Writers,” on the Project Mayhem blog. Addressed in this post is the topic of romance in middle-grade stories. How does a writer write about that or should they? In this article titled, “Romance in Mg-finding the Balance,” a make-believe kid named Giles writes: “Many writers choose to avoid it.  It’s too tricky in their opinion so they stay far away from it.  But that’s not right.  We middle graders deserve to have romance in our books and it’s up to you writers to create it for us.” Interesting. 
 
And here’s something that’s pretty unbelievable. Irelandjust came out with a stamp that features a 224-word short story. Neat!


Middle grade or mid-grade: The general classification of books written for readers approximately ages 9-11. Also called middle readers. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Book nominated for award

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A very nice surprise came via email yesterday. My bilingual picture book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks/Las aguas frescas de Alicia, is a finalist for the 2013 Writer’s League of Texas Book Awards Competition. The winner will be announced in September. The other nominees in the picture book category are Jeanette Larson, Hummingbirds:Facts and Folklore from the Americas, Don Tate, It Jes’ Happened: When Bill Taylor Started to Draw, and Kelly Bennett, One Day I Went Rambling. Congratulations to all and best of luck!


“A good picture book begins with delight, ends with wisdom, humor, warmth, or love, and means more than it says.” – Barbara Williams

School Visit Notes

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A few days ago, I got a really neat surprise in the mail. A packet full of thank-you letters and stories that the third graders at my last school visit wrote. I read them all. They were so touching and sincere. Here are some of the comments in the letters: 
 
You told us one cool and funny story. I might want to be an author like you… I loved the book you read. Now I know how to start a story… I like how you explained the pictures (illustrations)… I like how you see some things interesting and then you write it … I want to be an author like you. I will remember this day … I love your books because there are surprises that come up … Thanks for showing me the recipe for books. Now I want to be a writer…  
 
The packet also included short stories and illustrations that the students wrote on templates that I provided. Many of the students came up with really great ideas for stories. This is why I write. It is children like these who inspire me. 
 
You might want to look into this blog, Project Mayhem, which has some great links to writers, readers, etc., that you will find interesting and useful. 

Blurb: A testimonial from a book reviewer or a well-known person in a book’s field, usually found on the outside cover or jacket of a book. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Writing routines

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Do you have some sort of routine that you follow when your write? Many writers do and I really admire that. On Chuck Sambuchino’s Guide to Literary Agents blog, “Writing routines that work,” Sambuchino lists and encourages us to try some “time-tested writing routines and discover your most productive self.”
 
“Reading for inspiration, keeping a notebook at hand, and writing when you’re hot,” are just a few of

the steps he listed. These are all common sense routines, but how many of us adhere to them? I must confess I only have followed about three on the list. I shall try to do better. It can only improve my productivity. How about you? What is your routine?

 
And here’s something neat to read. An interview on the Flavorwire blog titled, “13 Things We Learned From Judy Blume’s AMA.” By the way, AMA stands for Ask Me Anything. 


“Carve out a space in your day for quiet, uninterrupted thinking. Exercise and feed your creative self.” – Penny Raife Durant

Acts One, Two, and Three of a Story

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Here’s a really neat post on Ingrid’s Notes titled, “Classical Design: Breaking it Down with

Toy Story.” She breaks down the major beats of this design into Acts One, Two, and Three using the film Toy Story as an example.

 
Using visuals and narrative, she addresses story hook, emotional core, catalyst, crossing the first threshold that propels the story into Act Two, obstacles, the point of no return, climax, and so on. This is a great article that will help you as a writer. 
 
I’m always curious to see the studios where writers and illustrators work. On the Publishers Weekly BookShelf post, there’s an article by Elizabeth Bluemle titled, “Illustrators Give the Best Studio Tours.” I think writers and illustrators will enjoy this post.

 “Writing is a pleasure, and I feel that if I did not enjoy writing, no one would enjoy reading my books.” – Beverly Cleary

UTSA Writing Presentation

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Yesterday my illustrator daughter, Carolyn Dee Flores, and I had the pleasure of conducting a joint presentation to a National Writing Project class hosted by The University of Texas-San Antonio. This program, the San Antonio Writing Project, is “dedicated to the improvement of the teaching of writing in Texas classrooms K-college.” 
 
I presented the writing process from the writer’s perspective while Carolyn presented from the illustrator’s viewpoint. We had fun taking pictures with all the educators in the class and enjoyed a delicious potluck lunch. Go UTSA!
 
We also had a very pleasant surprise. We came upon a Chihuly window in the building we were in. What luck!

Chihuly Window

ARC: Advance reader’s copy. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Illustrator’s Booksigning

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Last weekend I attended an illustrator’s booksigning. It was standing-room only. Illustrator Carolyn Dee Flores had a display of some of her original art from the bilingual book she illustrated.  She spoke about the different techniques she used in illustrating Canta, Rana, Canta,/Sing,Froggie,Sing  and her inspiration in creating the book that by the end of the signing had sold out. A couple of museums have already asked and received some of the original art from the book. I am very proud of this young lady. She happens to be my daughter!
 
 
 
The struggle to master a medium, whether it’s words, notes, paint, or marble, is the heroic part of making art. — Chris Van Allsburg

How important are book titles?

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When you pick up a book at the library or bookstore, most of the time the title lets you, the reader, know what the book is going to be about. Not always, but most of the time. “Does the Title Fit?” is a post by Elizabeth Bluemle on the Publishers’ Weekly blog that is helpful when you’re trying to think up a title for that book you’re working on. 
 
Mentioned in her article about what titles should do: “Titles should be clear about subject matter … they should work in concert with the cover art … title words should appeal to kids … titles should intrigue, delight, amuse… be pleasing to the ear.” Read the entire article. You will find it most helpful.
 
 
 
 
And an update on my two new books, Lupita’s First Dance/El Primer Baile de Lupita, and my second one, Let’s Salsa/Bailemos Salsa – they can be preordered at Amazonright now.  




“The young child’s mind is very much like a poet’s mind.” – Charlotte Zolotow

2013-2014 Tejas Star Reading List

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Great news! My bilingual picture book, Alicia’s Fruity Drinks, has been nominated for the 2013-2014 Tejas Star Reading List. 
 
This blog, InkyGirl, has really cool interviews with agents, editors, writers, illustrators, etc. In an interview with Celia Lee, Assistant Editor at Cartwheel Books, she is taking unagented manucripts for two months. See the details. 
 
Rules, rules. Seems like there’s always rules for something. But take a peek at these “15 things a writer should never do” post on The Writer’s Digest blog. They’re pretty good ones and make a lot of sense. See for yourself.
 
Jane Yolen and Author
Touch magic–pass it on. — Jane Yolen
 

If you’re into writing children’s stories for ezine magazines, here’s an excellent place to submit – The EvelynChristensen blog. They’re open to submissions right now. Have a great writing day!

 

First person vs. third person in writing

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Judy Blume and Author
Once when I presented a few chapters of my latest manuscript to an editor at a conference, she suggested changing it from third person to first person. More immediacy, she said. I tried it and it seems to work better for me. But then so did third person. How does a writer decide? And just what does first person versus third person really mean? Read this blog to find out the advantages and disadvantages of writing in one or the other. Author Nathan Bransford addresses this topic on his post First Person vs. Third Person.
 
Check out these cool bookshelves on the Cubesmartblog. How do they do that? And here’s another interesting thing to look at on the Explore.com blog: “J. K. Rowling’s hand-drawn spreadsheet for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.”

 “We start writing books on the day something different happens.” — Judy Blume at the SCBWI-LA Conference