Writer & Illustrator Conference

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Southwest Texas SCBWI Fall Conference
Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM (CT)
San Antonio, TX

Join us in lovely San Antonio on September 17 to strengthen your skills as a children’s book creator from our amazing editors from two closed publishing houses. Get tips on polishing your submissions from an experienced agent. Learn how to tackle social media to promote your books and yourself. Want to know the secrets of plotting a novel from an award-winning author? Discover the exciting new field of creating ebooks for kids. Network with other authors and illustrators and submit your work to our editors and agent after the conference. – Click on this link for more details and to Register online now!

San Antonio River Walk

“The most important thing you can bring with you to a writers’ conference is an open and alert mind, ready and willing to listen and learn. Take advantage of every opportunity the conference offers.” — Writing Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Educational publishing

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Have you ever thought of writing for the non-fiction educational market but think it’s only for those in the education field, i.e., teachers, librarians, professors, etc.? Well, think again. “Educational Publishing,” an article by Joanne Mattern addresses this topic and offers advice on how to write for this genre. She also lists resources to go to for more information.
According to Ms. Mattern’s article on the Institute for Children’s Literature blog, “Basically, educational publishing is tied to topics that kids study in school, such as social studies, history, science, math, and language arts, but it can explore any topic. You’ll see lots of books about things that aren’t specifically studied in school, like biographies of celebrities or books about Navy SEALs or unusual pets, but these are nonfiction topics that kids are interested in. Also, kids always have to write book reports and other research projects, so publishers put out books that they can use for that. They are educational in that they provide facts and figures and information about a topic, but they are fun to read and are about topics kids either want to know about or need to know about for school.”
Santa Fe
After you read what educational publishing entails, you might decide to try that genre. Or not. But it’s worth looking into.
“Query letter tip: If you’ve never been published before, it’s best to ignore the subject of past credits and discuss instead your qualifications to write the book or article at hand.” — Writing Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Publishing Terms

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Okay. You have dictionaries and then you have dictionaries. But have you ever heard of a publishing dictionary? I had not until I came across this blog that is really cool. For instance, do you know what the acronym AAR stands for? How about ARCs? How about Galleys? Options? These are just a few of the acronyms and publishing terms that BookEnds, LLC – A Literary Agency (Primary Agents: Jessica Faust, Kim Lionetti, and Jessica Alvarez) define on the agency’s blog, which is a great resource for writers. 

By the way, ARCs’ definition on this blog: : “Advance Review Copies. Not the final book. These are advance and unfinalized copies of the book that are sent out to reviewers.”

 
 
River Walk
“With a first novel, don’t send a query letter to agents or editors until the work is complete and revised. You need to be able to demonstrate that you are capable of finishing a novel.” – Writing Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Nurture creativity

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It was nice to take a break for a while. I was called for jury duty and so took advantage of the day and went downtown. I visited our famous San Fernando Cathedral, which by the way attracts many tourists. It was quiet and soothing in there. The golden retablos behind the altar are dazzling. The brilliant colors of the glass-stained windows are vivid as the outside light shines through. The intricately-carved pulpit from olden days is still there. This cathedral was founded in 1731. So you can  imagine the history behind it. 
Cathedral
 I had lunch at a nearby café and afterwards took pictures of the plaza, the flowers, and the river walk. It was a hot day but an enjoyable day, nonetheless. People from all walks of life walked around the plaza. Some were on their lunch hour; others were definitely tourists, lugging cameras around, caps or hats shielding them from the hot sun. 
Court House
Have been reading The Right to Write by Julia Cameron. She writes about taking such breaks from your work once in a while, whether it’s music, a museum, or just a walk in the park. It’s good for the soul. We work in isolation most of the time. That’s why it’s nice to take breaks once in a while. How do you nurture your soul and your creativity?
Plaza
“Nothing one ever experiences or feels is wasted.” – Lynne Reid Banks 

School Visits

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When I get home from a school visit, I try to remember some of the questions the students ask me during the presentation. Time goes by so fast that most of the time I forget to write things down and then go on to do something else and I forget. But during a recent one, I wrote some of the questions down as soon as I got home. They went like this:

Q.: Do you only write picture books? A: No, I’m working on a middle-grade novel right now.
Q: When did you decide to become a writer? A: I’ve always been a writer at heart.
Q: Where do you get your ideas for a book? A: Sometimes articles in the paper, a life experience, a conversation, visual images, etc.
Q: Are you rich? A: No.
Q: Do you make a lot of money from your books? A: No.
Q: Then why do you write? A: Because of my love for writing.
Q: Do you draw the pictures in the book? A: No. The illustrator selected by the publisher does that.
Q: Do you get to meet famous authors? A: Yes. At conferences and workshops. 
Q: How old are you? A: Old enough.
Q: You used to work with airplanes. Why don’t you write about airplanes? A: Maybe I will.

These are just some of the few questions I get asked. What are some of yours?

“My never-fail secret to getting your book published … Write it.” — Stephanie Gordon Tessler

Word Count on Children’s Books

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Word Count: From one extreme to another, did you know that the book, Sarah Plain and Tall, was only 9,000 words? Or that a YA novel, This Is All: The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn, was 250,000 words?  Where the Wild Things Are was only 336 words while Harry Potter & the Sorceror’s Stone was 77,508. Yikes!
Santa Fe
Literary agent at Andrea Brown Lit., Jennifer Laughran, blogs about this topic. She lists the genres in children’s books. From picture books, early readers, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult, she posts the titles of famous books and their word counts. I think this is great information, which will give you, the writer, an idea on word count for the type of story you’re writing right now. Have fun with this!

“No matter what your writing life brings, believe in yourself and keep moving forward. Most writers cycle between periods of self-doubt and periods of confidence.” – Writer’s Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Submitting Electronically

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Remember when we used to submit queries and manuscripts via snail mail? Well, in some instances, we still do. But more and more frequently, publishers, editors, and agents ask for queries and manuscript submissions via email. So what is different about submitting this way as opposed to the put-it-in-the-envelope with a stamp and send it on its way? 

If you’re wondering on the correct way to submit electronically, I suggest you read Jan Fields’ “Postage-Free Submissions” piece on the Institute of Children’s Literature blog. From contact information, attachments, and formatting codes, this article will help you submit the right way. Also addressed are query and cover letters. Do we use the same format as we would for these in snail mail? This is an excellent article to bring you up to speed on the latest way to submit.

“Most editors do not like receiving more than one submission at a time from a writer–it’s overwhelming. Limit yourself to submitting one idea, unless invited by the editor to do otherwise.”– Writing Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Writer & Illustrator Critiquenic

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This coming weekend, our SCBWI local chapter is hosting a writer/illustrator “critiquenic,” where writers and illustrators get together in groups and critique each other’s manuscripts and portfolios. These manuscripts come in all genres, i.e., picture books, YA, middle grade, historical fiction, etc. Sometimes by meeting in such gatherings, critique groups are formed. We call it “critiquenic,” because it’s like a fun picnic, where we meet in a park, bring our sack lunches, critique, and then enjoy each other’s company and catch up on the latest writer/illustrator news.
 If you’ve been considering joining a critique group in your area, take a look at this blog, “How to Get the Most Out of a Writing Group,” written by Chuck Sambuchino on the Guide to Literary Agents Editor’s Blog. 
Honesdale, PA
In case you’re interested, Cheerios is having a new author contest again. You MUST be unpublished to enter this contest. It is for stories of 500 words or less. There are several cash prizes.  Deadline is July 15, 2011. Entries must be submitted through online form. Visit the link above for more information.

“A writing group should share your goals — whether it’s getting published, getting critiqued, getting support, or getting out of the house. Avoid those that do nothing other than sit around and gripe.” — Writing Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Cliffhangers

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Have you ever wondered how to end your chapters as you’re writing your story? Although I wouldn’t want a cliffhanger after the end of every chapter, I do want the reader to keep reading on to the next one.
Wikipedia describes cliffhangers this way:  “a cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction. A cliffhanger is hoped to ensure the audience will return to see how the characters resolve the dilemma.”
More definition: “The phrase is believed to come from the end-of-episode situation in adventure silent films of the early 1900s days, with the protagonist literally left hanging from the edge of a cliff, although the oldest usage the Oxford English Dictionary has is from 1937. Some serials end with the caveat “To Be Continued…” or “The End?”
Rio Grande Valley
I learned more about chapter structure when I went to the blog mentioned below. If you have any questions on this, I recommend you go to Aaron Elkin’s Writer’s Digest blog on this topic, 3Ways to Know When to End Your Chapters. He mentions that “chapter breaks lend continuity and pacing—both of which are essential for balancing suspense—to your story.” 
“Does your story contain character conflict, change, and growth? If you are just relating a series of events that involve one or more characters, your story is likely underdeveloped.” — Writer’s Tip from Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner

Is it a picture book?

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Are you ever confused as to whether your manuscript is a picture book or a magazine article? When I wrote my first story, Lupita’s Papalote, I was totally unfamiliar as to what constituted a picture book versus a magazine article. As I’ve mentioned before, that story was initially a poem. Once it became a story, I had no idea what to do with it. Then I attended my first writer’s conference and learned the nuts and bolts of the writing and publishing process. If you’re struggling with the same question, I would recommend visiting Verla Kay’s blog, which addresses this topic.  
Homemade kite
Another question for you. Are you thinking of creating your own website for when that book of yours comes out? Or maybe it’s already out, but you’re not sure how to get started. Here’s a Writer’s Digest link that will be of help to you in that area. Starting a website is really very simple. See for yourself.   
“People often ask, ‘How do you start a book?’ Well, I’ve always started this way …Chapter 1.” –Paula Danziger