The other day I was reading a PDF of a book an agent asked me to review. While I enjoyed the storyline and intriguing characters, I constantly and, might I add, consistently was taken out of the story by one simple problem: character names.
No, the names themselves weren't unusual or hard to pronounce. No, the names didn't remind me of someone I knew/hated/loved.
The names were ALWAYS in the dialogue!
Trying reading the example below out loud (my own made up dialogue):
"Hey Mary. Did you hear the news?" Henry asked.
"What news, Henry?" Mary asked back.
"About school. We get three days off! Isn't that great, Mary?" Henry said as he did a little jig.
"Henry! You just made my day." Mary threw her arms around him in a happy hug.
This example was seriously how the dialogue went throughout most of the book. Annoying!
Do you talk like that? I don't. Having a one-on-one conversation with someone I sure hope they know their own name and I don't need to remind them every time I talk to them.
Let's redo the dialogue:
"Did you hear the news, Mary?" Henry said.
"What news?" she asked.
"About school. We get three days off!"
"You just made my day!" Mary said as she threw her arms around him.
Notice the difference? Other than my brilliant (said in Grinch voice) writing, did the dialogue read better?
What takes you out of a story?
This is not an easy subject, because I have to look at my process of creating a story in retrospect. I just have a story and I write it. I’m just a big old kid at heart, so writing kids’ stories simply delights me, and I think that this trait really helps in creating characters kids will want to identify with. I also remember the wonder on kids’ faces when you tell them a story, the more fantastic the story, the more wondrous their expressions. I love the world of fantasy, and so do kids.
I’m afraid the only outline I make is to just write my storyline as soon as it comes to me… otherwise I’ll forget it. The whole story is there with all its characters. Then, I start with my what-ifs. I may write two or three versions, usually not very different. Characters may get deleted or added. The characters take shape according to the version I choose. My protagonist starts out with a defining characteristic, but it’s the events that shape her. So really, the characters grow with the events I choose to make them go through.
Illustrations are a very important of children’s stories, and if you’re not an illustrator you must look for someone who can convey your characters the way you’ve conceived them. My illustrator and I discussed how I wanted the characters to look and she presented me with a storyboard. The important thing was that she was open to deviate from it if I didn’t like something, or changed my mind later on. I like to give the artist a free hand, as much as I possibly can.
Up till now, I’ve never brain stormed to get the ideas for the three stories I wrote (two of them still in revision stage). For me, the brainstorming comes later on, when I start playing with the what-ifs.
I try to write the story in the simplest language possible, but I usually go back and simplify words more. Sometimes there are words that can’t be further simplified, but I don’t shy away from those. In my story about crabs, I have a few big words that I intend to put in bold so parents can explain them to their children. Of course the pictures will also depict them. I think it’s a great idea to introduce kids to new words. Their brains are like sponges and they learn quickly.
Maha Huneidi is a wife, mother and now grandmother, who finally found out what she wants to be when she grows up…a writer of children’s book. When Monsters Get Lonely is the first step of her journey.
Huneidi began writing this book and later found out her granddaughter was afraid of monsters. “It was not about my granddaughter at all, but when I heard that she was afraid of monsters, it quickly became all about her. I wanted to empower her to take charge of her fear,” states Huneidi. “I sent my son a copy of
"When Monsters Get Lonely" in a word file, with illustrations, just before I submitted it for publishing in April. Hanaa’s parents immediately began reading it to her...Now, she sometimes tells her mother, ‘the monster touched my neck, but I made friends with him.”
Huneidi wants to help children, like her g
I wanted to share yet another guest post with all of you that will help get those juices flowing as we come to the end of the 30 days/30 stories. I’ve been touring award-winning author Renee Hand this month and asked her for some insight on how she crafts her storylines for her two award-winning series. Here is what she had to say.
Plotting a Storyline with Award-winning Author Renee Hand
I can honestly say that I have no specific, technical, brain-zapping method in plotting my storyline.
I have been writing for over 25 years and believe me when I say that you can get super technical when it comes down to your writing, but if you focus on all of the technicality, how are you supposed to write, hhhmmmm? So here it is, plain and simple.
Mysteries, which is the genre I consistently write in, has several parts. Most of these elements apply to your basic story as well. These are the things you need to have an idea about when you start your story. If you have this as your guideline, you can improve and develop it from there.
First, you need to gather ideas. What is your story going to be about? What genre? Where is the story going to take place? So on and so forth.
Next, you must think about your main and minor characters. You need to figure out names, ages, how many characters you will focus on, and so on. Some characters will develop as you continue along.
The plot of a mystery is that there must be a problem and the main character(s) must solve it. Is something or someone stolen, missing, or kidnapped? You must have a list of clues, with one being the case-cracking clue; remember I am talking about mysteries here. You can throw in a red herring if you like, or a mislead.
You must have rising action. Your story needs to build up to the climax-where the conflict of the story comes to a head. You should have an idea on how your story is going to end, though in all actuality, your ending will most likely change as your story develops.
Remember that the climax of the story is not your ending. The ending must have a good resolution to the problem and be satisfying to the reader. My advice is to relax when writing. Don’t worry about so much and let your ideas flow.
There are so many rules and methods in writing that we could literally suffocate ourselves with them. Don’t worry about them at the very beginning. Get your ideas down on paper. Once down, develop them from there.
Remember that proofreading, revising and editing are great times to become more technical about what you should and shouldn’t have.
Renee Hand is an award-winning author, educator, tennis coach and various other things. Hand has been writing for over twenty years and
This is the third year Sarah and this blog have done the 30 Days/30 Stories Project and every year it reminds me a lot of NANO in November. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to gain exposure for your writing ability and talent. This is also a great way to inspire writers to who might be staring at a blank computer screen to try and come up with a story to share. I’m not part of the project this year because my workload right now is just too nuts for words, but I saw Sarah’s post on April 2nd and thought maybe one of my World of Ink Guest Authors can share some inspiration with you to help get those muse muscles flexing and ready to write.
How to Find Inspiration to Write
By: Judy Snider
There are days that I want to put blinders on my eyes, so that as I look around I am not suddenly filled with idea after idea for a story. I love to write and it seems odd to me if a day goes by that I don’t write something. Yet, the ideas that float around me sometimes make it hard to select the one that I want to use. I wanted to write chocolate inspires me first as it really does set the tone for my mind to get calm and me to find delight in my writing.
My sister, Joan, who is the co-author of I Love You, Be Careful says, “Everyday moments in my life inspire me!” She is a 20-year breast cancer survivor, a mother, grandmother, wife, friend and sister. She finds that there is beauty all around her and all her good moments and stressful moments inspire her.
I found that my children when growing up inspired me to write funny children’s stories, taking from their everyday adventures. Each age would provide a wealth of tales to tell. My best writing was at video arcades or other places waiting for my children. They would be noisy, hectic, but I seemed to pick up on the lively energy in the rooms.
Joan and I were talking on the phone one day, and our conversations about wanting our loved ones to be safe led to I Love You, Be Careful. No matter whether it was our grown kids, husbands, or other loved ones our love and concern for them inspired us to write this book.
So a few tips to inspire you to write:
1. Think of the funny and stressful things that could inspire you to write.
2. Think
This week I thought I would share with you some insight on surviving the publishing process. Instead of giving you an editor's viewpoint, I asked author and professional musician Sherry Ellis to share her point of view of the publication process.
Surviving the Publishing Process with author Sherry Ellis
Novice writers might be surprised to learn that the publishing process isn’t a quick and easy thing. It can take a year or longer to go from manuscript to printed book. Here’s the step-by-step process and a few tips to help you survive.
Step one: Writing the book.
This may seem pretty obvious, but it is the step that must be completed before anything else can happen. After the book has been written, it should undergo a thorough editing. This should be done by a professional. All grammatical and spelling errors should be corrected, as well as any problematic plot issues. Manuscripts with errors are just not accepted. So spend the extra money to have your work edited.
Step two: Finding an agent or publisher.
These days, most works need an agent to see publication. There are several resources writers can use to find agents (www.agentquery.com, or a book called Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market). Make a list of agents or publishers who might be interested in your work. Research their submission requirements. You may need to write a query letter or a book proposal outlining your book’s summary, your credentials, and a marketing plan. There are plenty of books on the market which can help you do that.
Step three: Accepting a contract.
If you’re lucky, your work will be accepted. You will then receive a contract from the publisher. Go through the contract carefully. Make sure you understand which rights you are keeping and which you are giving to the publisher. The legal jargon can be a little con
Riddle Me This!
They work for Father Time,
But some people hate them
While others love them,
And all writers need them.
What are they?
Do you know the answer? How about taking a guess? No, it is not a clock or timer. Nice try. Nope, if you guessed calendar, oh, you guessed a To-Do List and Schedule. Then you would be totally and completely . . . RIGHT!
One thing I find that works to my advantage is having many To-Do lists. I sit down and look at all the things I need to do for the day, week, month, and even the whole year. I find having To- Do lists work better for me over a schedule. However, I do have a daily schedule even if I do not stay on task all the time.
I am not sure how many of you use both or just one of these to help you as a writer. To be honest, I feel To-Do lists are one of the best tools to help you be a successful author. If you think about it, you sit down at your desk or open a file on your computer and it shows you all the things you need to get done in order for your manuscript to be mailed out to a publisher or agent. Maybe even both!
To-Do lists break down each thing making the task at hand seem less over-whelming and more manageable. The other thing I love about To-Do lists is if something is not completed the day I had it down, I just move it to the first thing to do the following day and so on. Let’s face it, no matter how hard you try . . . there will always be some kind of work needing to be done. However, To-Do lists help keep is all in perspective. For example, here is what my To-Do list looked like today.
Write article about To-Do list and schedules for posting.
Link, Twitt and post to Facebook all current SFC blog posts for this week.
Finish reviewing submissions for Stories for Children Magazine.
Post book reviews.
Manuscript editing for publisher.
Now, most of this I have worked on through out my day. However, my daily schedule/routine sometimes does cause a bit of conflict in getting my To-Do list for the day completely done. That is why I have a To-Do list for the week. The reason…my daily schedule/routine includes taking care of all three of my kids. And as any parent knows, children don’t always follow the planned schedule/routine.
The one thing to keep in mind about a schedule/routine is it is always changing based on things that need to happen. I look at my schedule/routine kind of how the Pirates of the Caribbean look at their Code. “It’s More Like Guidelines.” I don’t think I could have said it better myself.
That is why I have a weekly To-Do list. It will include each thing I want done on a daily basis. I break it up by day based on how much time I know I will have for my writing, which is normally about three to four things on my weekly list per day and that means I am really working my butt off to get it all done or my children are being very cooperative.
The thing I find helpful about my schedule/routine is it helps keep the momentum going so I can reach my writing goals. My To-Do lists help me reach my writin
I asked award-winning author Mayra Calvani, who is currently doing a virtual author tour, to share some tips with us today as part of her World of Ink Tour. Mayra not only writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She’s a reviewer for The New York Journal of Books, co-editor of Voice in the Dark ezine and a...Mother. I couldn’t think of a better person to motivate and inspire us today.
Guest post with Award-winning Author Mayra Calvani: How to Set Writing Goals with a Family
“Nothing has a stronger influence
psychologically on their environment
and especially on their children
than the unlived life of the parent.”
--C. G. Jung
You want to start your career as a writer, and you have young kids at home. How do you find the time to write and actually produce something while your children ask you for sandwiches, demand you play with them, or refuse to take a nap? Writing with kids at home isn’t easy, but it can be done.
The following are 7 tips to setting writing goals with a family:
Be realistic
17 Comments on How to Set Writing Goals with a Family with Author Mayra Calvani, last added: 2/9/2011
"Brrrrilliant!! You reject you're own nose because it represents the glitter of commercialism. Why didn't I think of that."
Hee hee :) I didn't even have to look it up :)
Sarah Allen
(my creative writing blog)
Taffy, this is a great post. Thanks for reminding us, Taffy, about the importance of making dialogue sound realistic. You are brilliant, Taffy!