Slowing down the Action

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When writing for a younger audience, the words ‘move move move’ keep repeating through my head. I want the action to fly so the young readers don’t lose interest. But as a result, is my plot suffering?

I’ve been feeling like something is not working with the plot. The concept seems good, but there hasn’t been enough time to properly develop the characters, which is especially a shame since I spent days writing out character bios.

Filling out the Scenes

What do you do when you realize you have enough plot to move into a second book? Unfortunately, the only good answer I could come up with was to go back, start from the beginning, and add scenes. Make the action more action packed, make the build-up more of a build-up. And most importantly, give me room to let the characters grow.

Starting with the editing suggestion by Carmella on MiG Writers, (see my post from 8/7/2010) I printed the pages out as though it were a book (2-column, landscape). I then have been painstakingly sifting through my writing, searching for areas that are weak, areas where I can add another scene. In addition, I am compiling lists of additional scenes I can create, scenes that will really show what it is the characters are struggling with.

While this is slow going, I’ve gotta say I’m already feeling better about the book. And I love editing onto pages that are formatted like a book. It makes it feel more real; it allows me to believe that someday my WIP will be a book.

How do you flesh out your story?

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Calling all 9-12 year olds

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There’s definitely an extra obstacle to writing for an audience in which you and your friends/colleagues do not belong.

The other night I had a brief moment of panic. What if what I think middle grade readers will like is not what they will actually like? Just because I like reading middle grade books and I like my story does not mean that it will be loved. But I guess this is the problem all writer’s face. It just becomes a bit more complicated when you are writing for a different age group than the one you fit into.

Reading books in my genre will only take me so far. While I may think my book is on equal footing with other successful ones, what if it’s not? What if I have completely missed the mark? Eventually, I’m going to have to make sure that my book passes snuff.

Although my first draft is a ways from being reader ready, (though I’m still aiming to have it submission ready by the end of the year), I’ve realized I’m probably going to need some 9-12 year old guinea pigs. My first thought was why don’t I have any kids? It would be so much easier. Of course, this would have raised a series of other dilemmas, such as finding the time to write, something that’s hard enough without extra people vying for it.

I remember when I was in fifth grade a kid’s dad came and read us a chapter from the middle grade book the kid’s mom was writing.The story was really interesting. Since then I’ve been dying to know what happened at the end (we only got to hear a couple chapters). As far as I know, the book was never published. If anyone knows of an undersea kids adventure book by an author with the last name Adams, please let me know.

I always thought this was such a good way to reach an audience. But do you need to do this before seeking representation?

What other ways are there to reach out to the middle grade/young adult readers? Do you need a test group of readers or should you just go straight to an agent? Any thoughts?

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Strong Word Choice

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There was a great guest blogger on Ask the Publishing Guru the other day. The post, Using Strong Verbs for Strong Writing by Jose M. Blanco, explored the difference verb choice can make in your writing and included several examples. The suggestions provided in the post will prove to be extremely valuable when I get to the editing stage. The main suggestion was to underline any use of “Be, Is, Are, Was, Been, Being, Were, Has, Have, Having, Had.” These verbs are generally weak verbs. By underlining them, you can pinpoint where you are using them and then see if you can find a stronger verb choice. You should definitely check it out and bookmark it for your future editing needs. Once I get to that point in editing, I will let you know how this exercise works for me.

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Book Review: The City of Ember

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Book News & Reviews, Middle Grade Books
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I just finished reading Jeanne DuPrau’s The City of Ember. From the very beginning, DuPrau pulled me into the underground City of Ember. I could smell, taste, and feel the city. As the book progressed, the growing tension throughout the city seeped out of the pages and I found myself becoming increasingly anxious for the citizens of Ember as their power and supplies begin to dwindle and the once wealthy City of Ember finds itself on the brink of collapse.

The two protagonists, Doon and Lina, are lovable, Doon with his ceaseless sense of doom (is his name just a coincidence?) and Lina with her childlike innocence and determination. DuPrau’s writing is clear and straightforward and her use of imagery conjures up just the right emotions. Although written for a middle grade audience, the themes of family, friendship, sense of community, and doing what you know is right resonate with audiences of all ages.

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Writing for Middle Grades

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I was reading this great blog post from the Adventures in Children’s Publishing blog and thought I would share (I’ve also had a migraine for three days, so can’t come up with anything original). The post is a summary of the Workshop on the Middle Grade Novel from this year’s SCBWI conference. It’s a really great post full of tons of things any writer of middle grade novels needs to know.

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The Shame of the Grown-up YA Reader

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If you love reading YA/Tween/MG books, you probably know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, I still invite you to keep reading. You may learn something new about this wonderful group of books.

The Wrong Kind of Bookworm

Many of my friends and coworkers are bookworms, and I mean that in the most loving of ways. Unfortunately, they don’t read what I read. They tend to focus on the more ‘literary’ books, you know, the books that have some deep meaning and make you think. The books you have to work for to get through. Now, there’s nothing wrong with these books, and I read them occasionally, but they really aren’t my cup of tea. I think all day at work and I get upset and frustrated with everyday life. When I take the time to read a book, I want that book to allow me to escape. I want it to move. I want it to excite and entertain me. I want to be treated like I have the attention span of a 14-year old, which, by the end of the day happens to be the case. I turn to YA books to fulfill these needs.

Today, as happens most days, I was sitting at work and the subject of great books people are reading came up. Everyone in the room started naming obscure books or tear jerkers that leave you hating your life or sappy novels about finding your meaning in life. And I sat quietly, hoping no one would look to me to contribute. The same happens when the dreaded question “reading any good books?” comes up. This question comes up often. I usually say ‘nothing at the moment’ or I try to avoid the conversation all together.

No Shame in Reading YA & MG

But why should I feel that the books I read have any less value? Certainly they are meant for a younger reading level, but they are still well-written, carefully crafted stories. Sometimes I think the imagination that goes into YA books is far greater than what you see in grown-up books. And with YA you aren’t bogged down by the “cynicism of our adult selves,” as Pamela Paul suggests in her essay The Kids’ Books are Alright.

And so I have decided to quit disguising the books I’m reading in nondescript book covers as I bury my face in them in shame. Starting now, I will proudly tell anyone who asks what YA/MG book I’m currently reading. I will not use the excuse of research. I will tell it like it is – that I’m reading said book because I want to; because it engages me and keeps me entertained. There is no shame in reading what you like.

In light of my new resolution, I am proud to announce my excitement over beginning The City of Ember tonight. A full report to follow once I’ve finished the book.

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On Word Counts

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I was flipping through some posts on Literary Rambles today and came across a post from a couple weeks ago: Tip Tuesday # 47. The author suggested that instead of being overwhelmed by how much more we have to write to finish our first drafts, we should instead think of the word count as a 401k. While you don’t have enough to retire on today, you are building towards it.

Aiming For a 1st Down

This tip made me think of another analogy. Now bear with me for a moment as I include a disclaimer. I went to a southern college with a big SEC football team (UGA). I am about to use a football analogy. I remember the first game I went to. One of my fellow classmates was painstakingly explaining the rules to me. At one point early on in the game, I asked my friend, “Why is everyone cheering? We only gained 7 yards. We still have 60+ yards to go to get a touchdown.” He then explained that it’s not the big picture you have to concern yourself with. Every 10 yards equals another shot for a big play. You make it 10 yards, you get to have another go. It’s the little goals, the small accomplishments that you cheer for, because these small accomplishments will ultimately lead to the final goal, or, in this analogy, touchdown.

When I write, I try not to think about the final word count. Instead, I aim for something doable. Usually that’s 600 words a day. Reaching my goal, I celebrate. Anything more than that, I do a little happy dance. It’s like making extra yardage in football – instead of going 10 yards on the play, I’ve gone 15. For each chapter I complete, I do a big happy dance (not a pretty sight, I can assure you). As writers, we have to be our own cheerleaders because only a writer truly understands the work it takes to write one sentence, let alone an entire book.

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Cleaning up for the Maid, or Editing before hiring an Editor

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I’m nearing the editing phase (or so I keep telling myself), I’ve been looking for some helpful tips on how to successfully self-edit. During my stint in publishing, I had no problem telling an author that a section slowed down the reader or that a sentence was too wordy. I’ve even been known to throw out entire chapters. When it comes to my own writing, I do not find it to be quite so easy to pinpoint these errors. In short, I either think everything I write is awful and beyond repair (enter the trashcan) or that unnecessary characters/scenes/sub-plots, you name it, are integral to my story.

Before shelling out several hundred dollars to pay a professional editor, I would like to feel that I’m giving said professional editor my best work. It’s the same concept as cleaning up for the maid. You want a maid to spend his/her time cleaning the things you hate cleaning. You don’t want to pay her/him to put your shoes away, which you can easily do for free.

In an effort to start thinking about cleaning up for maid, I have stumbled upon some good blog posts about editing. My favorite post I’ve found in the past few days was from MiG Writers, A Revision Tip, posted by Carmella. In her post, Carmella suggests printing the book out, not how you would print a normal document, but formatted the way it will look in print (horizontal, not vertical). By reading it this way, it will feel like you are reading a real book. You will see the book how a reader would see it. This should help pinpoint problems you may have otherwise missed (see her blog post for specifics).

Because of some tricky plot points coming up, I’ve been thinking that now would be a good time to read through everything I have so far to make sure it is all lining up. I think I will give this trick a try. I’ll keep you updated on how it works out.

*Just read this blog post that I thought I would add: 10 Steps to a Better Story. Good things to keep in mind while editing.

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