OK, so you know that I love monsters. Can’t get enough of them. Well, my friend Tiffany Strelitz Haber is here today with a monster of a story—her debut picture book, THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN!
Some of you may know Tiffany as one of the two rhyming geniuses behind The Meter Maids (with Corey Rosen Schwartz). If you don’t, you have to check out her site, which is all about writing in rhyme. Don’t make me slap you with a citation!
Before we get riffing with Tiffing (yeah I can call her that, it rhymes), you MUST take a look at the extraordinary trailer for her new book. The music, the animation—it’s all so monstrous and so much fun!
TL: THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN is about a monster who loses his ‘M’. You know I host Picture Book Idea Month every November so I’m obsessed with the origin of ideas. Where did this idea come from?
TSH: I have always been a very visual person when it comes to words. Even as a kid, I loved the concept of homonyms, acrostics, acronyms, spelling words backwards, and even looking at them upside down. One day I started thinking about the letters in the word MONSTER, and what they might actually stand for if the word MONSTER was an acronym. From there the concept just grew and evolved, and “The Onster” was born!
TL: We’re also all about characters names on this blog. Did “The Onster” have a name before he lost his M?
TSH: Ya know…that’s a great question. I like to think that he only really found any identity at all after he lost his M. Before that he was just…well… generic, nameless, and not nearly as cool—Monster. Bleh.
TL: The Onster cooks brunch at one point in the book. I’m a foodie like you, so what’s your favorite brunch food?
TSH: Hmm…for me, picking a favorite food is kind of like bending a spoon into a perfect figure eight using just my toes (almost impossible). But in the interest of quasi-decisiveness…I’ll go with a tie. EITHER: Perfectly toasted onion bagels slathered in whipped cream cheese, lox and just a few rounds of raw, red onion…OR…a dim sum extravaganza.
So…What’s YOUR favorite brunch food? Tell us and be entered to win a signed ARC of THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN!
You get one entry for commenting and then one entry for every place you share—blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. Just let us know where you ONSTER’ed!
Tiffany Strelitz Haber is the author of two rhyming picture books: THE MONSTER WHO LOST HIS MEAN (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, July 17, 2012) and OLLIE AND CLAIRE (Philomel/Penguin, 2013). She will eat any food she is served, be it fried witchetty grubs on a stick or calf’s brain ravioli, and loves to be high in the air or deep in the sea. T
Rhyming, when done right, is a wonderful way to engage children. Children, as soon as they’re able, love to rhyme words . . . and this can begin as early as two-years-old: cat-hat, mouse-house. But, to write a rhyming story . . . a well written rhyming story . . . is difficult; you need a good story, rhyme, rhythm/beat, meter, stresses, and more—all this in addition to the already unique rules and tricks in writing for children. And, some writers just don’t have that innate ability to do rhyme well. But, it can be learned.
According to Delia Marshall Turner, Ph.D., the elements of poetry are: voice; stanza; sound; rhythm; figures of speech; and form.
Voice (the speaker)
Stanza (the format of lines grouped together)
Sound (rhyme and other patterns)
Rhythm (the beat and meter – the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables)
Figures of Speech (types of figurative language)
Form (the type of poem, its design)
Along with this there is perfect rhyme, and approximate rhyme:
Perfect rhyme: tie/lie; stay/day
Approximate rhyme: top/cope; comb/tomb
And, there are many more bits and pieces that go into writing poetry/ rhyme. But, the foundation that holds your rhyming story all together is the story itself—you need a good story, especially when writing for children.
Another great source of rhyming information is the article, “To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme” by Dori Chaconas, in the Writer Magazine, October 2001: “You may write in perfect rhyme, with perfect rhythm, but if your piece lacks the elements of a good story, your efforts will be all fluff without substance. I like to think of story as the key element, and if the story is solid, and conducive to rhyme, the rhyme will then enhance the story.”
This is a wonderful explanation because it mentions “if the story is solid, and conducive to rhyme.” This means that not all stories will work in rhyme, and the writer needs to know whether his will or will not.
So, if you’re interested in writing in rhyme, there are a number of sites and articles online that can help, there are also books available, and classes you can take. Do a Google search for the tools that are right for you.
One great place to start your search is at:
http://writingforchildrencenter.com/2009/08/05/learn-to-write-rhyming-stories/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other articles you may find of interest:
Ingredients of a Perfect Picture Book
Writing for Young Children: Ten Basic Rules
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Great Writing Tools and Programs:
Writing, Publishing, and Marketing - You Can Do It
Writing for Children One Step at a Time
The Self-Publishing Guide, 2nd Edition
The Children's Writers' Coaching Club
Write More, Sell More, Make More Money Than EVER in 2010 Coaching Program
And, please, if you do take my advice and join one or both of Suzanne's groups, please mention my name--I am an affiliate of hers. But, also know that I only recommend these programs because I belong to them and I know their value if you're serious about writing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign u
If you’ve been struggling to sell your rhyming stories, chances are you need a bit of help with your rhyme, so you won’t want to miss this upcoming fun and informative teleclass with children’s author Margot Finke.
We’re so incredibly lucky to have Margot on the faculty of the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club! When it comes to rhyme, Margot’s the ultimate expert. Visit her site at www.margotfinke.com and take a look at all the published rhyming picture books and stories she’s written!
Margot’s LIVE teleclass, Writing Rhyming Stories for Young Readers, will take place on Thursday, August 13th at 1:00 PDT. As a sneak peek, here are Margot’s Three Rules for Writing Rhyming Stories:
#1 - a great story that gets to the point FAST - the rule of 3 is golden!
#2 - rhyming words that enhance the story, and fit into the plot perfectly.
#3 - a smooth meter that is repeated in every verse
Receive an email invitation to this LIVE teleclass presented by Margot Finke when you join the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club.
NOTE: The class will be recorded. As a member of the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club you’ll be sent a link where you can download the recording and enjoy it at any time!
No Tags
This week’s teleclass for members of the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club will be presented by children’s author Margot Finke.
Here’s the scoop:
Time: Thursday, May 29th, at 3 pm Pacific Time.
Title: To Rhyme or Not to Rhyme
What the Workshop Will Cover: Margot’s May teleclass deals with the tricky business of weaving story, meter and rhyme into a wonderful picture book.
Bring two sample verses, and she will help you smooth your meter, and add rhyming words that really work wonders.
Join the Children’s Writers’ Coaching Club here and take part in this fun and informative teleclass Thursday afternoon.
Childrens Writers Coaching Club,
Margot Finke,
rhyming picture books,
writing in rhyme
Let me ask you a question. What went right today?
It’s a powerful question that makes you think about your day and prompts you to give it a positive shine. It can also be a great conversation starter.
On this edition of Just One More Book, author and songwriter Joan Buzick shares how her book What Went Right Today? can start a dialog with a child, the use of a refrain in both music and books to provide an anchor for a young reader and the role that Toastmasters has had on her writing.
Photo of Joan Buzick: wwrt.org
Tags:
Joan Buzick,
Toastmasters,
what went right today,
WWRTJoan Buzick,
Toastmasters,
what went right today,
WWRT
.jpg?picon=694)
.jpg?picon=380)
Congrats on the book, Tiffany! Love the concept!
As for my favorite brunch food….I love a good bagel toasted with cream cheese and lox, too. Or strawberries on challah french toast. But a place near me in Brooklyn supposedly has bacon chocolate chip pancakes that I think I need to try! Kidlit brunch date, anyone?
What a wonderful monstrous trailer! Love it! I’ve always enjoyed books written in rhyme and am happy that they are still being written. I will share your happy news and fun trailer on Facebook as well.
Forgot my favorite brunch food. It’s blueberry pancakes. Huckleberry if you have them.
Lots of monster love around here! I love biscuits with sausage gravy. Even more now that I live “out east, ” and no one serves it out here.
I so look forward to meeting the Onster… I love playing with words like this. That trailer is killer! I’m an eggs n bacon gal!
WHOA! I’m there, Marcie! Will Rick be joining us? tee hee hee
We easterners need someone to bring it to us and do it right! I love it.
Just had to tell you thanks for hosting Picture Book Idea Month. My friend challenged me to do it with her, and even though I told her I wasn’t a picture book writer, I did it anyway since I was between novels and didn’t know what else to work on at that time. Now a publisher is interested in a picture book from one of those ideas!
Excellent! Be sure to let me know if it’s picked up and I’ll feature you as a PiBoIdMo success story!
What a fabulous trailer! My 2-yr-old watched the trailer with me and kept asking to watch it again. My favorite brunch item is definitely crepes with something sweet wrapped inside: fresh fruit, mini chocolate chips, custard, pudding, etc. Mmmm…
Love this one! Can’t wait for it! Perfect trailer, perfect backstory, perfect ladies spitting out good words this morning!
As for brunch…MIMOSAS are a food, right? Can’t go wrong with plain old scrambled eggs + a teeny pour of maple syrup on top.
Hooray for the Onster! Can’t wait to read it!
Love the trailer–well done! I also love a good poached eggs (also well done!) with Hollandaise over spinach and an English muffin. Yum!
Congrats! Look forward to reading the book and the backstory of how it came about. Brunch – brioche french toast with cream.
-Darshana
Cool! Cool! Cool! I can’t wait to see Onster. This is such a clever, creative take on monsters and letters. Or maybe it’s monsters of letters.
Quiche
Congrats Tiffany–very enticing trailer and book cover! I’m a homemade peach waffle and maple syrup kinda gal.