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I am thrilled to be writing this blog post.
Wait a second…
That’s the worst opening, isn’t it?
Let me explain.
Back when I wrote marketing copy, sales letters and press releases for a living, I bought POWER SALES WRITING by Sue Hershkowitz-Coore, an eye-opening guide and the most useful business book I’ve ever read. Good business requires sharp writing.
In the book, Hershkowitz-Coore tells marketing writers to stop being thrilled all the time. Sure, you are thrilled to announce a deal, launch a product or publish a book. But why should your audience be thrilled? What’s in it for them? No one is going to be thrilled simply because you are (except for your mother).
The point? Stop writing sales pitches from your point of view and write from the target audience’s POV. Make your audience thrilled. Give them something to get excited about.
I receive dozens of unsolicited book review pitches a week. There are too many, so I take a simple approach to weeding them out. Those that use “I am thrilled” to open the pitch get deleted. (Sorry.) With that introduction, I know they haven’t considered my blog readers’ point of view.
I never forgot that thrilling lesson. Yes, I’m sometimes still too thrilled for my own good. I want friends to be happy for me, so I will occasionally toot my own flugelhorn. But then I remember what my Nana used to say: “Well, your arms are long enough to pat yourself on the back.” (Yeah, Nana could be harsh.) In a way, Nan was trying to teach me the same lesson as Hershkowitz-Coore. No one is going to be as thrilled as you are, so you’d better make your news worthwhile to others.
I am thrilled to be finished writing this blog post…because I hope it has helped you.
We have a winner for Catherine Bailey and Sarita Rich’s giveaway. Sarita’s daughter Stella did the honors:
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Congratulations, MELISSA STOLLER! I will be contacting you via email to arrange the prize.
Watching that sweet video makes me want to write a story to make Stella giggle! Consider her cuteness your motivation for the week!
“How did you get your start writing?”
“Just like Roald Dahl.” (Yes, I take advantage of any opportunity to compare myself to my favorite writer.)
But, I’m not kidding. When I began this whole crazy ride, I did so by writing short stories for adults, just like Dahl. Except my stories weren’t short stories. They were short, short, extra short stories—flash fiction.
I had found an online magazine called “Six Sentences” that published one flash fiction piece per day. The name of the site said it all—every story was only six sentences long (or six sentences short, chortle chuckle).
To some writers, this presents an enormous challenge, to examine character and emotion and conflict between six periods. Sure, you could exploit the semi-colon and em-dash and maybe stretch it to resemble eight-and-a-half sentences, but still. That’s not much space.
The uber-short format, however, is like prose-poetry. And it’s most definitely like a picture book because some things must be left unsaid, yet the silence remains part of the story’s experience.
Paper Cuts
by Tara Lazar
Her daughter was achingly beautiful, a delicate loveliness like a paper lantern, illuminated from within. The girl’s long hair separated into fine ringlets, cascading like curled Christmas ribbon down her back. She was the kind of child who made strangers smile and take pause—the kind of child who made other mothers envious. The mother was not so much shunned as politely excluded; excuses were made, apologies provided, but invitations were never extended. She exaggerated her own ordinary features—forgoing makeup, leaving her hair unwashed for days, wearing mismatched clothing—but none of her efforts to elicit pity served to lessen the jealousy; her daughter’s radiance only shone brighter, her extraordinary hair the source of more disdain. The mother closed her eyes, grasped the scissors, and cut.
I’ve long held the belief that aspiring picture book writers would benefit from writing flash fiction, as it’s good writing practice in another format. No pictures are necessary, but a mind for visuals is. Can you imagine the scene above?
Writing these stories is fun as well as a challenge, so I was mighty intrigued when I saw Logitech announce their Very Short Story contest on Twitter.
So here’s your chance to strut your storytelling skills outside the usual medium. Logitech is giving away their new K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard and a Blurb giftcard for the best short story written in 8 tweets or less. Just use #LogiVSS to tell your tiny tale. Get all the details here—http://blog.logitech.com/2016/02/18/k380veryshortstorychallenge—but hurry! The contest ends at the close of this week.
And guess what? Logitech is also giving away one of their new keyboards to one of my blog readers! If you hate typing on a phone or tablet’s screen, worry no longer. This keyboard is happy to help you out.
Just leave a comment below about short story writing and you’re entered to win. One lucky commenter will be picked randomly in two weeks!
So go ahead and write on! (But don’t write on and on and on!)
by guest blogger Catherine Bailey
You call her Tara Lazar. I call her Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady. And thanks to Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady, and her month-long picture book idea challenge PiBoIdMo, I now have three picture book contracts.
Tara chose this GIF because she always wanted to be Sherilyn Fenn.
I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWBI.org) in 2010. Soon after I joined Verla Kay’s Blueboards, now accessible through the SCWBI website. That is where I heard about PiBoIdMo.
I’ll admit at first I did not understand all the hubbub. Come up with a PB idea per day? Who would check to make sure I did it? What if I didn’t? Was I supposed to call somebody? What else happened during PiBoIdMo? Then it clicked. I had to work on my writing–even if just for a bit–EVERY SINGLE DAY. Plus there were these motivational, insightful daily posts! I felt like I had struck PB gold.
Suddenly I was focused and taking my writing seriously. I made time to write. I made goals. I made lists. Long, gloriously detailed lists–of ideas, agents, publishers, writing techniques, bookstores, dream editors, dream illustrators…
On one of those lists was idea #17: How Do You Move a Monster? It was something my toddler had asked me. That’s it. There was no plot or character or anything–just that title. When I went back to idea #17 over a year later, I had an answer. You ask the monster to move… politely. Then a manuscript sprouted. After months of polishing, I shipped the story off to a few well-researched publishers.
Lo and behold, Sterling Publishing contacted me. I was plucked from the slush and THERE WAS INTEREST. Of course I just about died. I ate donuts and cried. And I contacted an agent who I had pursued earlier, Kathleen Rushall. Within a few days she agreed to represent me and from there INTEREST turned into and OFFER which turned into a CONTRACT which turned into me EATING MORE DONUTS.
The title changed to MIND YOUR MONSTERS and the book debuted this August. Here is the fabulous cover and some interior sketches:
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In the meantime, my toddler became an actual kid, we had another baby, and I kept participating in PiBoIdMo. Instead of making a new “Idea” list, I just added to the old one which was (rather optimistically) titled “101 Picture Book Ideas.” Did I have 101 Picture Book Ideas at this point? No. Nope. Nerp. But I knew I would eventually, thanks to Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady and her website of wonders.
Then I turned two more PiBoIdMo ideas into manuscripts. One was simply listed as “Hypnosis/stuck in trance” and the other was “Lucy loves Bobo—maybe Bobo is a lobster?” With time, work, and the input of an amazing critique group, those weird little baby-ideas turned in HYPNOSIS HARRY and LUCY LOVES SHERMAN, both of which sold to Sky Pony Press.
Today my “101 Picture Book Ideas” list includes over 200 entries. And thanks to Tara, I mean Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady, it is pure habit for me to add ideas to this list whenever something pops in my mind. And speaking of lists, here is a very brief recap of what I got out of PiBoIdMo.
- Ideas. Okay, so that one is obvious.
- A concrete starting place I can go to when I am stumped/motivated/annoyed with a current project. Like an anchor on a little boat in a big sea, this is very reassuring and grounding.
- Confirmation that writing is work and deserves the respect and focus of any other job – which for me means planned writing time, specific goals, and occasionally…donuts.
So thank you Dream-Maker-Genius-Lady. Thank you for inspiring and motivating me. And thank you for taking me to what I call Contract-Landia! Now c’mon November–let’s go PiBoIdMo!
PiBoIdMo 2015 registration will begin HERE (yes, I mean right here, on this blog, so there’s no link to click) in late October. I hope to see you then!
Apologies for going off the picture book rails with this post. But living with a chronic disease like MS means I have to focus on the positive. And I strongly believe that being happy in life relies upon being happy in the present…and not hanging happiness on “if only.” Happiness is not a contingency plan. Happiness is right here, right now, in your everyday life. As mundane or stressful as some days can be, glimmers of giddiness can be discovered and celebrated. Don’t miss those moments, as fleeting as they may be.
So I have vowed to jot down one happy thing daily. What made me smile, what made me appreciate my life. Some will certainly be silly, and others may be cloyingly sentimental. Some will mean nothing to anyone but me. A LOT will have to do with FOOD. But for a full year, 366 days (2016 is a leap year), I will create a list of HAPPY.
I have already begun. So here’s my list of 10 happy things. I will add to this list throughout the year and I invite (no, encourage!) you to compile your own list of happiness.
- A morning cuppa Earl Grey tea
- Braiding my daughter’s hair
- Reading in the sun (without getting overheated, an MS issue)
- Finding fresh apricots at the store
- My daughter making breakfast all on her own (cheesy eggs)
- Delicious lunch with a good friend
- Getting into bed with freshly-washed sheets
- Receiving the first hard copy of my new book
- Baking peach-blueberry cobbler for dinner with friends
- The smell of water from the garden hose (reminds me of childhood summers)
Aha! So you stumbled upon the reason for this blog post title. Plus, to use a cliché faucet metaphor, little droplets of happiness can soon become a flood! (Oh boy, that was baaaaad. That’s not going on my happiness list.)
What made you happy today?
Ooh, I’m all abuzz because I’ve got Toni Buzzeo on the blog today. Yes, THE NY Times Best-Selling picture book author of ONE COOL FRIEND (which also won a Caldecott Honor for David Small). Toni’s newest book is WHOSE TOOLS?, her first non-fiction title.
I’d like to say, “I sat down with Toni and we chatted over Earl Grey tea and frosted lemon cake,” but I can’t. Because we didn’t. I plopped on the couch nursing a sore knee and Toni wielded tools while emailing. (Quite the talent!) But we still had plenty of fun. And I can now call her my one TOOL friend.
Toni, WHOSE TOOLS? is your first foray into non-fiction. Where did the idea come from?
I’m an elementary librarian by profession (though my writing career made managing a library in addition to speaking and writing too challenging). As a result, I’m a freelance librarian these days. What that means is that I do a fair amount of curriculum writing (for NoveList and others). One day I was working with a book that was a guessing game and it gave me an idea. What about a book that was a guessing game about professions involved in building a house? The clues would be the tools and the answer would be the name of the professional.
My husband Ken is an engineer, thus when I told him about this idea, he went wild with enthusiasm and pledged to help me as soon as I wanted to get started. We spend the winter in Sarasota, Florida every year, so in 2013, on the drive down to Florida, we brainstormed what was to become WHOSE TOOLS?
Hey, but his name isn’t on the cover! LOL
It’s true, Ken’s name SHOULD be on the book. It is dedicated to him, though.
So now that you’ve published both fiction and non-fiction, which is your favorite to write?
WHOSE TOOLS? is my first non-fiction book, soon to be followed by WHOSE TRUCK? and A PASSION FOR ELEPHANTS: THE REAL LIFE ADVENTURE OF FIELD SCIENTIST CYNTHIA MOSS.
I have loved writing nonfiction books for kids as I did when I was writing the eleven books I have published for teachers and librarians. As a librarian myself, there’s something so deeply ingrained about sharing information! And of course, I love the research process involved in writing a book like A PASSION FOR ELEPHANTS.
But I do also love the creation of a world, the characters and the events that happen in a fictional universe all of my own creation. Even then, I rely heavily on research about the real world, whether it’s a particular PLACE (East Africa in the case of my African animal trilogy, STAY CLOSE TO MAMA, JUST LIKE MY PAPA, and MY BIBI ALWAYS REMEMBERS) or a particular TIME (1929 in LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS; 1870 in THE SEA CHEST).
I’m just like every mother. I can’t choose my favorite!
Was WHOSE TRUCK? just a natural extension of WHOSE TOOLS? Do you have more WHOSE-A-WHATCHA books planned?
My publisher, Abrams, wanted to buy a second book at the same time they acquired WHOSE TOOLS? but they didn’t want the workers to build another building. Because the focus of this series is professions, we started to think of groups of workers who shared something in common and came up with the idea of trucks. As Ken says, every professional in this book needs a truck to do his or her work! It was the perfect companion book.
We’ve thought ahead to the possibility of a third book, WHOSE HAT? It’s not under contract yet but if it becomes a part of the series, it will focus on the hats and other wardrobe accoutrements worn by various workers. (Hint: think astronauts!)
Why do you think young kids are so fascinated with tools and trucks…and why are these such great subjects for children’s books?
I have a one year old grandson, Camden, who is totally WILD about tools. He has toy tools but he really loves the REAL tools because they DO real work! I think that the job of childhood is to learn how the world works and, once they understand that, to learn how they can change it. What better way to change it than with tools? And what better way to enjoy it than from the inside of a truck?
Camden and Ken
Now that you’re a NY Times Best-Selling Author, do you feel like you’ve reached a new stage in your career? Is that one thing checked off your writerly bucket list? What else is on that list?
Tara, as you know, there are a million ways to succeed in this children’s writing business and at least a thousand ways to feel disappointed. It was an amazing thrill to land on the NY Times Best Sellers List! And a year later to learn that David Small won a Caldecott Honor for ONE COOL FRIEND doubled the thrill. The evening of the Newbery/Caldecott banquet I had a deep and profound moment of realizing that I’d gotten everything I’d wished for. On the disappointing days, I remind myself of that moment.
What I want now, more than anything in this career, is for it to last until I die. I want to continue to write and publish wonderful children’s books every year of my life!
Well, that sounds PERFECT to me!
Toni, thanks so much for chatting with me. Sorry we didn’t have lemon cake. I would have cut it with a buzz saw in your honor!
Also, thanks for offering a copy of WHOSE TOOLS? for a giveaway!
Please leave a comment below to enter the random drawing (one comment per person, please). A winner will be selected at the end of June.
Good luck!
Hollins University is paying tribute to one of its best-known alumnae and one of America’s most beloved children’s authors by establishing a literary award in her name.
Presented annually beginning in 2016, the Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children’s Literature will recognize the author of the best text for a picture book published during the previous year. Winners will be given a $1,000 cash prize, which comes from an endowed fund created by James Rockefeller, Brown’s fiancée at the time of her death. Each recipient will also receive an engraved bronze medal as well as an invitation to accept the award and present a reading on campus during the summer session of Hollins’ graduate program in children’s literature.
Hollins will request prize nominations from children’s book publishers. Then, a three-judge panel, consisting of established picture book authors, will review the nominations and choose a winner.
“The Margaret Wise Brown Award will be one of the few children’s book awards that has a cash prize attached,” said Amanda Cockrell, director of the children’s literature program at Hollins.
Brown graduated from Hollins in 1932 and went on to write Goodnight Moon, The Runaway Bunny, and other children’s classics before she died in 1952. Hollins celebrated her life and work with a year-long Margaret Wise Brown Festival in 2011 and 2012, which featured stage and musical adaptations of her work along with readings, workshops, guest lectures, and other activities for all ages.
The study of children’s literature as a scholarly experience was initiated at Hollins in 1973; in 1992, the graduate program in children’s literature was founded. Today, Hollins offers summer M.A. and M.F.A. programs exclusively in the study and writing of children’s literature, an M.F.A. in children’s book writing and illustrating, and a graduate-level certificate in children’s book illustration.
For more information about the Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children’s Literature, visit www.hollins.edu/mwb.
As I was preparing this post, my daughter said, “Mommy, you always read LOUD!”
She’s right. So if you’d like a LOUDMOUTH to read to your class on World Read Aloud Day this March 4th, look no further.
I’m offering free, 20-minute Skype sessions throughout the day. I’ll read my picture book THE MONSTORE, answer questions from your students, and give everyone a sneak peek of my upcoming books, I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK and LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD. I’ll also wear the jammies of your class’s choosing. (I’ve got five awesome pairs from which to choose.)
Kindergarten classes from Mahomet, IL tried to predict what jammies I’d wear.
If you’re interested, email me at tarawrites at yahoo dot com. Suggest a time (be sure to include your time zone so I can calculate if I’m living in the future or the past) and I’ll book you! If for some reason your school does not allow Skype, I can do a Google Hangout or Facetime, too.
I do Skype visits in my jammies. This time it was ice skate jammies!
Not interested in me? I understand, I’m not necessarily everyone’s cup of Earl Grey. Check out Kate Messner’s list of authors who Skype for free and contact one of them instead!
Everyone should be celebrating World Read Aloud Day!
Visit LitWorld.org/wrad to learn more.
Prize announcement time!
I’ve been so forgetful lately. I think it’s all the snow freezing my brain.
So first, remember BACKHOE JOE? Lori Alexander’s debut? Yeah, I never picked a winner. It was right as I was gearing up for PiBoIdMo. So, yeah again. You understand. Finally, the winner is of Joe’s prize pack is…
LINDSAY BONILLA!
Next, the winner of Dan Krall’s SICK SIMON prize pack is…
CANTSING1! (I have your email address, so I will find you! And I can’t sing, either.)
And you’re not going to believe this one…
During PiBoIdMo there was a Facebook group discussion about using Scrivener for writing picture books. (Some referenced Claire O’Brien’s free PB template, found here.)
I contacted Scrivener and they offered FOUR LICENSES, TWO FOR EACH PLATFORM (Mac and Windows) for me to give away to PiBoIdMo winners. AND I FORGOT TO GIVE THEM AWAY.
CRAZY, RIGHT?!
So here’s what I’m gonna do. Since I don’t know which platform each of you own, I’ll randomly select two folks now from the PiBoIdMo “winners” list. Then I’ll pick two more after the first two have been claimed.
The first two licenses go to…
LILL PLUTA
and
JUDITH WRIGHT APLIN!
I will be getting in touch with all the winners via email, so be on the lookout for my message.
Thanks again to LiteratureandLatte.com for offering these licenses and for helping me make it a freakin’ awesome Friday.
♩♪♫♬ Oh the weather outside is frightful… ♩♪♫♬
…and so is my voice so you really don’t wanna hear me sing!
But what you do want is snazzy stuff for your favorite writer friends, maybe even for yourself. So I’ve combed the Internet for some unique and writerly gadgets, gizmos and gifties you’ll be proud to give or own this holiday season. Grab a cuppa cocoa, shop and share!
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1. USB Warming Things (Mug warmer, foot warmer and writing gloves)
If you’re attached to your computer all day, why not take it literally by plugging in and warming up? Keep your coffee hot, your tootsies warm and your fingers flying across the keyboard.
Hot Cookie USB Cup Warmer available from GadgetsandGear.com.
Sea-son to Snuggle Narwhal Foot Warmers available from ModCloth.com.
USB Heated Writing Gloves available from KlearGear.com.
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2. Maria Cristina Bellucci Jewelry
Do you want to make a statement? How about “I love to write (and live) in color”?
Maria Cristina Bellucci hand-carves colored pencils into the most unique and fun jewelry pieces you’ve ever seen.
Colored pencil jewelry available from mcbjewellery.bigcartel.com.
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3. Litographs Shirt
The best book you’ve ever worn. Litographs t-shirts are comprised from the text of your favorite classics. Yes, those are green words!
The Secret Garden tee available from Litographs.com.
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4. My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop
Before you take out a second mortgage, let me clarify: I’m not suggesting you buy a bookstore, but rather a book. Eighty-four authors tell tales of their favorite independent bookstores–with witty, heartfelt and inspiring words.
My Bookstore, available at your favorite indie.
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5. Lumio Folding Booklamp
When bibliophiles open a book, they get turned on. Well, open this book and it turns itself on.
Lumio available from HelloLumio.com.
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6. “Writer” Bookends
What better place to display your growing collection of authored titles?
“Writer” bookends available from Etsy seller KnobCreekMetalArts. (Thanks for the suggestion, Julie Segal Walters.)
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7. Speech Bubble Bookends
Yes, another pair of bookends. But they’re worth it. You can make them say whatever you please!
Speech bubble bookends available from Gadetsandgear.com.
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8. Library Due Date Card Tie
This is for the guys, if you want to be “checked out”.
Silk-screened library due date card tie available from Etsy seller Cyberoptix.
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9. BookBook for MacBook
A sophisticated, leather-bound book cover for your more modern “book”.
BookBook available from twelvesouth.com. (Thanks for the suggestion, Mary Zisk.)
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10. Boogie Board Sync
No, we’re not catching waves. We’re catching ideas! Ever lose those scraps of paper onto which you’ve scribbled what MUST be a NY TIMES BESTSELLER idea? Well, fret no more. Capture your thoughts on the Boogie Board and then sync it up to your smartphone or computer.
Boogie Board Sync available from myboogieboard.com.
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11. FlipNote by Wellspring
For those who prefer the tried-and-true pad and paper, there’s FlipNotes. Stick it in your purse or pocket and never be without a place to store your thoughts.
FlipNote available from WellSpring.com.
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12. Old Books Scented Candle
Give the gift that keeps on smelling (like a used bookstore)!
Old Books scented candle available from Etsy seller Frostbeard Studio.
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Well, this is so much fun I could go on for ages. But alas, I must pause to get back to PiBoIdMo activities.
However, you can keep shopping via my Pinterest board, Things Writers Like. Hundreds more goodies there!
Enjoy and Happy Holidays, writers!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 