Children's Publishing Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract

I was heartened to hear that there was a decrease in Sasquatch sightings in 2009.

I take that to mean that all those Writers as Sasquatch were hunkered down in their writing caves scribbling away with a mug of milky tea at their sides (or in the case of the real Sasquatch - a decapitated deer - yikes).

I also discovered that there appears to be a link between the Sasquatch and Santa Claus – who knew?

I guess it’s because one of them is a mythical creature (sorry Santa). The links are explored in this book: Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years by Phyllis Siefker. Turns out, ancient European stories of the Wildpeople, Snowmen and the Yeti developed into the myth of Santa Claus. The 'Wildman of the Middle Ages’ was described as an ape-like creature with a beard, its body covered in thick matted hair and smelled of a foul odor (maybe from descending chimneys?) The habitat of the Wildman was the northern woods, where he lived in a cave or den and relied on the reindeer. I believe the natural evolution would be Sasquatch, the Grinch who stole Christmas, and Santa Claus. The Grinch was a hairy, bigfoot like creature that lived in a cave in the mountains, and ended up giving out presents ... just saying.

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37. We need to talk about your sagging middle ...

By: Jan Markley, on 12/11/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Alright, we need to talk. It's about your sagging middle. You heard that right - Sagging Middle. Youz got one.

What?! No, I'm not talking about the middle aged spread kinda sagging middle, I'm talking about the sagging middle in your manuscript and how to get rid of it.

I've been reading a lot of young adult books lately (because I think my next manuscript might be one, then again, maybe not). And one overwhelming observation is that all of them have sagging middles.

They start out strong. Then I stop reading, right at the middle. What's the cause of the sagging middle? I've found a few things.

Top ten reasons why your middle is sagging!

I stop caring about the character, usually because the emotional stakes aren't high enough for the character;

The protag meanders through the plot - the protag needs to want something (ya, I went there bloggowers, but I had to);

The character is just dragged through the plot and isn't actively involved in finding a solution (plot driven instead of character driven);

Another character shows up (usually a guy if the protag is a girl) to lead the character to a solution (the protag needs to solve his/her own problem);

Howz about a little inner conflict!? Lot's of inner dialogue (which makes me toggle between 'shudddd-up already' and 'say it out loud because it would creat

4 Comments on We need to talk about your sagging middle ..., last added: 12/11/2011

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38. "Hits right in the gold" Review of Dead Bird through the Cat Door

By: Jan Markley, on 12/5/2011
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Dead Bird through the Cat Door, the second in the Megabyte Mystery Series and nominee for the John Spray Mystery Award, was reviewed in the CM Magazine Canadian Review of Materials.

It received three *** and was recommended for children nine to eleven years old.

Here's an excerpt from the review:

In a riotous mixture of Macbeth quotations, odd scientific facts, the good effects of pet-visiting in senior-citizen housing, cat shows, and wild-life sanctuaries, the twins sleuth their way to a solution to the mystery, foiling the bad guys and saving their cat from the villains' hands.

... All this is accomplished in a rip-roaring, punny manner that I suspect nine-to-eleven-year-olds will find irresistible. ... Jan Markley has her target audience firmly in her sights, and for them, she hits right in the gold.

Can I get a Woot! Woot!

The full review can be read here.

For teachers and librarians both books in the Megabyte Mystery series are available from through the Library Services Centre and the United Library Services.

4 Comments on "Hits right in the gold" Review of Dead Bird through the Cat Door, last added: 12/6/2011

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39. Cats taking over the world ...

By: Jan Markley, on 11/29/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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If you ever needed more evidence that cats are taking over the world, look no further.

These three videos explain it all. And as my teenaged marketing manager said: "Aunt Janet, people love cat videos!" Turns out she was right!

An advertising company that produces cat videos!

Cats take over an IKEA, then the world!

A gang of cats after your breakfast milk!

2 Comments on Cats taking over the world ..., last added: 11/30/2011

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40. SCBWIers Worldwide!

By: Jan Markley, on 11/23/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I talk a lot on this blog about the writing organizations I belong to, specifically the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). It's an international organization that has created a community of writers and illustrators committed to creating works for children.

They have conferences all over the world and I've blogged about the ones I've been to in New York and Bologna, Italy. And SCBWI has regional chapters like the Canada West Region that puts on local conferences, professional development, and networking. Check out the link for upcoming local events.

I meet some members of the The British Isles SCBWI when I was in London and Bologna in 2010. I loved their energy and commitment, and heard the story of how they built the region up to deliver the professional development opportunities they have, and how many went from being aspiring to published writers.

SCBWI BI just had their annual conference and by all accounts it was a huge success.

Check out the blog Notes from the Slush Pile for a round up of the events at the conference. This blog post also links to many other member blogs who write about their experience at the conference.

Candy Gourlay, who recently did a guest blog post for me, won the coveted Crystal Kite Prize for Europe for her young adult novel Tall Story. The Crystal Kite Prize is voted on by peers. Candy also won the Outstanding Contribution Prize for all her efforts in growing SCBWI and nurturing the members (also, she scores high on the awesome scale!).

Here's her acceptance speech for the Crystal Kite Prize where she talks about the long road t

7 Comments on SCBWIers Worldwide!, last added: 11/24/2011

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41. Be the egg encrusted fork!

By: Jan Markley, on 11/14/2011
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Writing a novel is like doing the dishes. Just when you think they’re done, just when the last of the grimy sudsy water gets sucked down the drain, just when you’ve wiped dry your water logged hands – someone shows up with an egg encrusted fork they found in the basement. You can either choose to ignore it or you stop up the sink, run the water, get some suds going, plunge your prune-like hands in, and start all over again.

A manuscript is like that. It’s never done until it’s between two covers.

While you’re still doing the dishes, writing the novel – you be the egg encrusted fork to your writing. That problem that you know is there, but want to ignore - that's the last fork. Don’t just put it in the sink and forget about. You pick off that egg with your nail, scrub it with the little scrunchy-wash pad thingy, and wipe it clean. Sure you feel like leaving it in the sink, for next time, for someone else to clean up. Like a member of your critique group. Like the agent or editor you don’t yet have. No one is going to get the gunk out between the prongs of your manuscript but you.

Be the egg encrusted fork to your writing. Just when you think your manuscript is done, put your mechanical pencil on the line and apply everything you’ve learned in every book, in every workshop, and in every blue pencil session. Apply what you’re learned about tension on every page, showing – not telling, realistic dialogue, flawed, yet human characters, plot, setting, pacing, grammar, and scrub - scrub until we the reader, not only don’t see any encrusted egg, we never knew it was there.

That’s your job as a writer. Doing the dishes … get someone else to do them!

4 Comments on Be the egg encrusted fork!, last added: 11/15/2011

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42. You know you're a children's writer when ...

By: Jan Markley, on 11/7/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I had a dream that I was at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) LA conference and Josh Groban was singing O Canada. Then I dreamt that a fly bit me on the forehead and I woke up.

While I was musing about how, next time, I won't eat sushi before napping, I started thinking about this community of writers who writes for babies, toddlers, first readers, tweens and young adults. Collectively know as children's writers.

You know you're a children's writer if:

You've read a picture book to a child and thought 'I can do that' (then spent the next twenty years learning how!);

You can recite the books you read as a child and how they shaped your life and world view (for me it's The Little Engine that Could, Curious George, Madeline, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe and who can forget how Nancy Drew has influenced the twin detective characters in my Megabyte Mystery series);

You want to tell a really good story with characters that ring true without being didactic;

When you get an idea about scientists creating giant frogs, you don't think you're hallucinating;

You read voraciously in t

7 Comments on You know you're a children's writer when ..., last added: 11/10/2011

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43. Character Sketches - Get inside your character!

By: Jan Markley, on 10/31/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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I've been writing some character sketches inspired ~~by some of the crazy people I know~~ purely from my imagination! (you know how that kid sees dead people? well, I see crazy people everywhere).

I've never actively done character sketches before. I start writing, the characters emerge, and then I go deep to figure out who they are and what makes them tick.

This process of doing the sketches up front is interesting and I'd encourage writers to try it out. I'm finding that my characters inherently contradict themselves with their actions, are flawed and their internal conflict is intrinsic. That's fancy writer speak for they are complex, flawed and vulnerable characters - what we need all our characters to be if they are to speak to the reader.

Check out Angela Ackerman's latest blog post on The Bookshelf Muse blog. The blog has a thesaurus of character traits and the latest post is about traits for a guarded character. I'd encourage you to check out her blog regardless, the thesaurus covers all aspects of writing.

As writers we need to get inside our characters and see the world from their point of view. Think of yourself putting on big character driven goggles every time you write from that characters point of view so you can get inside their head and react as they would react.

If I did a character sketch of myself it would be of a writer who loves water sports but loathes getting wet, hates raw fish but insists on going for sushi, and who can survive for days in her writing sasquatch cave on nothing more than sour ju jubes and chai tea.

What kind of goggles would your character wear?

6 Comments on Character Sketches - Get inside your character!, last added: 11/3/2011

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44. Foreshadowing, eh!

By: Jan Markley, on 10/24/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Foreshadowing, right!? Love it or predict it - every piece of fiction needs it. Usually, it is so heavy handed that you can predict the ending from page one.

This blog post could be subtitled: What I learned about foreshadowing from watching Coronation Street.

Yes, I've revealed a deep dark secret - I watch Coronation Street (and no, I'm not an 80 year old British Lady!) and have for decades!

I watch it for what I learn about writing. I can never predict where the plots are going, and I'm one of those people who can crack a plot wide open like a Jammie Dodger!

The foreshadowing is so subtle that you don't notice it until the climax and then you're like, 'oh, yeah, I remember this one bit of dialogue that referred to that.'

There was a huge plot line recently on Coronation Street (for my British bloggowers we're about a year behind in episodes here in Canada) where a nightclub blows up and a tram crashes into the street. The street is burning, people injured, people dying to be rescued, and a couple of characters leave the street permanently - if you know what I mean!

Was I on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropped? Yes. It was unexpected, but it was foreshadowed ever so subtly. There were a couple of bits of dialogue that referred to the gas being out in the kitchen of the nightclub and having to serve cold appetizers. For the episodes shown during the month leading up to the explosion, the tram noise was a little more prominent. A character would be in the kitchen pondering life on the street and in the background there would be the sound of the tram going over the tracks. Subtle, yet, effective.

Here's the scene.

Think about how you use foreshadowing.

4 Comments on Foreshadowing, eh!, last added: 10/25/2011

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45. And the winner is ...?!

By: Jan Markley, on 10/17/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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The winner of the inaugural John Spray Mystery Award is Y.S. Lee for her young adult mystery novel A Spy in the House. Here's a blurb about the book from her website:

Orphan Mary Quinn lives on the edge. Sentenced as a thief at the age of twelve, she’s rescued from the gallows by a woman posing as a prison warden. In her new home, Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls, Mary acquires a singular education, fine manners, and surprising opportunity. The school is a cover for the Agency – an elite, top-secret corps of female investigators with a reputation for results – and at seventeen, Mary’s about to join their ranks.

Packed with action and suspense, and evoking the gritty world of Victorian London, this first book in the Agency series debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits.

Ying has been my facebook friend for years. Congrats Ying! And congrats to the other nominees! It is an honour to have been nominated!

The other nominated books received the John Spray Mystery Awards 'nominee' sticker like this one here on my nominated book Dead Bird through the Cat Door.

And just for fun, here's a pic of my demented Halloween decoration! Let the chocolate consumption begin! (in a couple of weeks).

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46. Sushi, Sour Ju Jubes & the Sasquatch: Why Writers Need Deadlines!

By: Jan Markley, on 10/10/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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Good (productive) writing day:

Get up early and eat a bowl of steel cut oats with fresh strawberries and organic milk.

Go to an hour and fifteen minute aerobics class - get your sweat on.

Have a quick healthy lunch and a cup of tea when you return home.

Write for three hours.

Read your e-mail and peruse your ‘bookmarked’ agent and editor sites to keep up-to-date on the latest in the publishing industry.

Read a great work of literature for an hour (or a book in the genre in which you are writing) followed by a chapter of Donald Maass’ book Writing the Break out Novel.

Continue thinking about your characters as you prepare some fresh salmon with brown rice for dinner. You add the fresh spinach that your neighbour gave you from her garden and reminisce about the nice chat you had with her. You smile knowing that you’re not one of those writers who eschews human contact.

Go to bed early.
4 Comments on Sushi, Sour Ju Jubes & the Sasquatch: Why Writers Need Deadlines!, last added: 10/12/2011

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47. Spot the Katie

By: Jan Markley, on 10/1/2011
Blog: Three dead moths in my mailbox ...from finished manuscript to book publishing contract (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
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My niece, NY actor Katie Repman, did background work on two shows that will be on HBO on Sunday October 2nd.

They are Boardwalk Empire on HBO at 9 EST, and How to Make It In America at 10:30 EST.

She may or may not have made the final cut so you'll have to play a bit of 'Spot the Katie.'

Here's her pic so you know who you'll be looking for.

Even if you don't spot her, they are shows worth watching!

I will have to watch the episodes on the-line after they air as I'm the only person who doesn't seem to have HBO *face palm*!

Here's the Season 1 recap of Boardwalk Empire.

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