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“Show, don’t tell” is a problem with which many writers struggle. We see “SDT” scribbled in the margin of a critiqued manuscript. But what exactly is “show don’t tell?” Simply put, it occurs when a writer tells the reader what’s happening in the story, rather than showing what’s happening. And this creates a problem—it makes for a passive reading experience.
Showingputs the reader in the moment. Showing trusts the reader to interpret what’s happening and understand. On the other hand, when a writer tells the reader what is happening on the page, he’s conveying that he doesn’t trust the reader to figure things out for himself. He’s selling the reader short. Writing that “shows” is richer and more engaging for the reader.
How can you “show” when you write? Here’s one trick that might help: Imagine yourself (the story teller) as a camera, recording the scene. A camera cannot get into the head of the characters and identify their emotions; it can only show what is happening with the action. A camera can’t say someone is sad, it can only show them being sad by their facial expressions and body language. Imagine yourself as that camera, as you write. Here are some other tips for how to “show”…
Specificity
Be specific! Specificity and accurate word choices make for interesting writing. Listen to how Dav Pilkey describes Oscar in the opening of The Hallo-Wiener:
There once was a dog named Oscar who was half-a-dog tall and one-and-a-half dogs long.
Pilkey could have said that Oscar was a wiener dog, or a Dachshund, but instead he found a fun and creative way to describe him. The unique description pulls in the reader and lets him figure out Oscar’s breed.
Writers should also avoid telling the reader how a character feels (which is probably the most common mistake with SDT. I believe that 99% of the time, the words “feels” or “felt” should be deleted from a ms). Declared emotions are vague (like the mayonnaise of writing) so think about what your character is physically experiencing at that moment. Here’s an example from my first book, Two Tales of Hawaii:
The smile left Pele’s face as a flood of waves came up from the sea. The fires were in danger of being put out. “No!” she cried.
What if I would have said “Pele was shocked” instead? No doubt, I would have identified her emotional state of mind, but I would have taken away the chance for the reader to look at the illustration and examine Pele’s facial expression and concluded that she was shocked. In other words, I would have cheated my reader.
Sensory details
Utilizing the senses pulls the reader into the story. And try going beyond the sense of sight (because the picture often shows what the reader would see). Listen to how I showed Pele as she set out on her journey to find a new home in Two Tales of Hawaii:
Her canoe was trapped between the fiery sun and the cool deep ocean. She had to find the perfect place to keep her sacred fires.
Here, I wanted to convey the temperature difference that one experiences when out on the ocean—the heat of the sun striking against the cool water—to put my reader in the moment.
Dialogue
Dialogue reveals character and can move the story along. Listen to how Phillip C. Stead uses dialogue to reveal the character of Amos McGee on page two of A Sick Day for Amos McGee:
He would wind his watch and set a pot of water to boil—saying to the sugar bowl, “A spoonful or my oatmeal, please, and two for my teacup.”
Amos’s speech reveals his character—he’s polite, a bit quirky in speaking to the sugar bowl, eats healthy but enjoys a bit of sugar too (he’s not perfect!). This is also a great example of using specific details to show his character (the watch that he has to wind indicates he’s a bit old-fashioned and his use of a teacup—not a coffee mug—also tells us a bit about him).
Avoid “to be” verbs
“To be or not to be?” To me, there is no question. “To be” verbs (is, was, are, were) weaken writing because 1) they’re passive, and 2) they tell the reader the state of things, and in picture books, illustrations already showthe state of things. Think about this—what if Judy Schachner opened SkippyJon Jones like this?
Skippyjon Jones was a strange cat.
Well, Schachner certainly could have chosen to start her story this way. She could have told us how Skippyjon Jones was, but the problem is that the illustration shows him in a bird’s nest in a tree, so “Skippyjon Jones was a strange cat” wouldn’t be a very interesting opening. Instead, she opened the story like this:
Every morning, Skippyjon Jones woke up with the birds.
Schachner shows us he’s a strange cat by letting us know that he sleeps with the birds—every night!
A final caveat--in all fairness, I should say that sometimes, “telling” is good, even necessary. Can you imagine if a writer showed every single event in a story (especially novels)? It would become mind-numbingly tedious to get through it! Sometimes, writers need to summarize an event so we can move from one relevant scene to the next. However, for writing to absolutely shine and fully engage the reader, the writer must “show” what’s happening as much as possible, particularly in picture books and easy readers.
Enrollment is now open for my online fall course, INTERMEDIATE PICTURE BOOK WRITING, through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program. This is one of my favorite courses to teach! We'll dive into the world of picture books, going beyond the basic craft issues as we investigate this fascinating genre of children's books. Students will have the multiple opportunities for feedback on their work. The end goal is a completed draft of a picture book.
For more information, click
HERE.
My upcoming UCLA Extension course, Introduction to Writing Easy Readers begins in one week (on April 9) and there are still spots available! Nowhere else will you receive in-depth education about this vital genre of children's literature. Weekly lectures, personal support, and four critique opportunities will help bring your easy reader idea to a complete draft.
Click here to register.
Happy writing!
Get a kick out of reading!
Greetings Writers!
There are still some spots left in my upcoming online UCLA Extension course, "Introduction to Writing Easy Readers." The course runs from April 9-June 11.
This is a great place to learn about easy readers (leveled readers) and develop your story idea into a complete manuscript. I try to create a safe, supportive, educational environment for all my students.
For more information, please click
HERE or email me!
I feel a bit like Steve Martin's character in The Jerk when he was elated that the new phone book came out.
The new UCLA Extension Summer Quarter 2013 catalog is out!
The new UCLA Extension Summer Quarter 2013 catalog is out!
Why am I so excited? Because on page 124 you will find the listing for my brand new course, Intermediate Picture Book Writing. The idea behind this course is to provide an opportunity for students who have taken either a beginning picture book or easy reader course (through UCLA Extension) and want to learn even more about picture books and have a chance to work on another manuscript. I'm thrilled to have the chance to teach this class!
If you didn't get the summer quarter catalog, you can learn more about the class by clicking
here.
I hope to meet you in cyber-space again!
I am learning so much this semester in the Vermont College writing for children program. I’ve been writing with purpose for about ten years now, so I thought I had a little bit of a handle on picture books, but I’ve realized there is so much to learn. So much more.
One of the things that I’ve found most fascinating is revision. Revisions are a part of writing; we all get that. First drafts are one thing. Revisions are another. This is where an author rolls up her sleeves, puts on her editorial hat and starts analyzing her work. She figures out what needs to be improved, shows her work to other writers for feedback, and takes out the machete to cut words and the polish to make her writing shine. Yeah, I “got” all that.
Then I started the Picture Book Intensive semester. I now see revisions not as a “one-stop” reworking attempt where I try to make my work shine in one fell swoop but instead as working my way up a series of steps. Now, each revision feels much more deliberate because I know that sometimes I have to climb up to the next step, in order for me to gain steady ground so I can climb up to the next level (eventually reaching the top).
For example, one particular piece I started with was over 800 words long. My first revision challenge was to cut it by 80%. I did that, feeling quite proud of myself; but then despite its 200-word length, I still had to cut more to eliminate places where I was doing the illustrator’s job (meaning, describing too much). Okay, that was the next draft. Once I had my story down to 100 words, my next revision challenge was to write it in rhyme. Okay, I did that, and quite happily. I’d thought about writing this piece in rhyme before, but I was so lost in my overly narrative language that I didn’t know where to begin. You see, I had to go through all of the other revisions so I could climb to a place where I could see my work in rhyme. Kind of like climbing a cloud-encased mountain until you can break through and more clearly see the view. After I wrote it in rhyme, my next challenge was to improve the format and structure. Which I’ve done. And working on.
My point is, it’s been eye-opening for me to now see revisions more as climbing to the next level, so I can see my work differently, thus allowing me to again take it to another level. Like mountain climbing.
Now, I must give credit where credit is due. My advisor acts as the rope and pitons that keeps me safely secured to the mountain. She has guided me along and given me many challenges to help me work my way through my stories, much like a climber works his way up the face of a granite dome. And my classmates are like my climbing buddies—belaying me, guiding me, letting me know I’m not alone.
It’s seeing the revisions as a series of levels, which must be reached before proceeding to the next that I find so fascinating. Not one fell-swoop, but necessary steps for the climb.
My writing pal, Tina Nichols Coury (of Rushmore Kid fame) recently asked me to share a writing tip for her blog. Wow--hard to do since there are so many bits of advice that any experienced writer could serve up. After weeks of not getting back to her because every time I thought about it my thoughts bubbled over and I couldn't decide on just one, I finally responded to her this morning. I sent her a tip (I'll post a link when she sets it up on her blog) but another one came to mind that I wanted to share.
Let your work "simmer." There is a tremendous value in setting aside your work for a few days. I call it simmering because it reminds me of making a yummy soup or stew. You have to put all the right ingredients together into one pot (an interesting character(s), a strong plot, vivid language, action, a great hook, etc.) then put it aside so everything can blend together and emerge as a delicious masterpiece.
It's hard to do sometimes--especially when you're in the groove and excited about working on something. But once you get over that initial "I'm gonna bust if I don't work on this" phase, set it aside (and out of sight). In a drawer. On top of a cabinet. In the freezer. Whatever works for you.
While it's set aside, you're gaining distance from it on a conscious level. However, I believe on a subconscious level, you're still thinking on it. Sometimes these thoughts even surface to the conscious brain, in which case you can make a note on a Post-It, and stick it on the manuscript (don't be tempted to apply it to the story--that's for later).
After a few days (at least one week, preferably two), pull out the manuscript and viola! Fresh eyes and a clear mind will allow you to see your story more objectively. You'll be able to spot inconsistencies and find places where clarification is needed. You'll even discover places for improved word choices. And you might even see a spot or two where your once thought-to-be brilliance doesn't really pan out (trust me, been there-done that!).
So be patient...let it simmer...and work on another story in the meantime.
Balzer & Bray editor Ruta Rimas discussed this at the SCBWI Picture Book Retreat in Santa Barbara last January. She gave us some solid advice from former HarperCollins editorial director Michael Stern. Last year, Michael left HarperCollins Children’s Books to become a literary agent at the Firebrand Agency. With 20+ years in the business to base this one, here are his “Ten Commandments of Children’s Literature.”
1. Thou shalt not talk down to your readers.
2. Thou shalt not sermonize to your readers.
3. Thou shalt not strain to rhyme.
4. Thou shalt not create cutsie names.
5. Thou shalt not waste words.
6. Thou shalt not indulge in self-consciously poetic writing.
7. Thou shalt not be afraid to cut your favorite lines.
8. Thou shalt love language.
9. Thou shalt not send editors and agents first drafts.
10.Thou shalt not obey any rule to the detriment of good writing.
For a detailed look at the above commandments, visit Michael Stern’s blog.
I’m working on a manuscript right now that is getting to the point where I’m losing my objectivity. You know the types—the ones you’ve revised so much that you can recite it word for word in your sleep. I know it needs more work, yet I’m starting to feel stagnant with taking it further. I hate it when this happens. It's like riding a bike up a hill and you're almost to the top, but quickly running out of steam. If...I...could...just...pump...my...legs...five...more...times.
What’s a writer to do when this happens? Here is where I dig deep and pull out my “bag o’ tricks” and trick myself into seeing things differently. I know it goes against common sense. If I know I’m trying to fool myself, how can I fool myself? Who knows? Who cares? All that matters is that this works--at least for me. Once I’ve dummied out my story and had it critiqued by my writer’s group until they’re sick of it, I resort to the following.
Pull out the highlighters. I go through my manuscript and highlight the adjectives and adverbs. Once I’m finished, I go back and figure out how I can eliminate them by using stronger nouns and verbs. This not only reduces word count, but it also strengthens the writing.
Pull out the tape recorder. There’s nothing quite listening to your tape-recorded story. The language “glitches” stand out like Mt. Everest. Problems with the flow and your page turns go under the microscope when you listen to them on tape. I’ll find myself saying, “How did I NOT catch that before?” I end up making corrections as I'm recording and when I listen to it play back.
Change locations. Reading my story in another location helps too. Outside works very well, if the weather cooperates. But even moving into another room, or standing while reading the story aloud helps (walking while reading a rhyming story is essential). Reading the story somewhere new somehow helps me to experience my work in a fresh way.
What do all of these things accomplish? They force you to see things in a different light, which gives you the opportunity to improve your work for the ka-zillionth time and move it one more step closer to being ready for publication. All tedious, but all worth it!
Happy writing!
I was at a manuscript revision retreat once and before we got started, a new writer privately said to me, “I have no idea how to critique someone’s work. I’m completely new at this. I don’t know what to say!” Well, I’m heading down to another revision retreat in a few days, and this lovely person’s remarks came back to me. Which is why I want to talk about critiquing.
When I attend SCBWI “critiquenics” (what the Los Angeles chapter termed their events in the park where they brought food and did critiques—critiquenics—a cross between a critique and a picnic), we follow what we call the hamburger method (and no, not all critiquing involves food, although it does make some comments go down a little easier).
The hamburger method starts with the bottom bun—saying what we liked about the story, and naming specifics—everything from big picture items like plot, characterization, structure, dialogue, etc. to the little things like specific word choices, scene descriptions, etc.
Next comes the meat—suggestions for improvement. We talk about any specific questions or concerns we might have and offer up revision suggestions. Again, this could be big picture items like above, or specific ones (although if the big picture items are way off, there’s not much point to making small stuff suggestions because they’ll likely get changed in the big picture revisions anyway). This is the material that a writer needs to focus on to improve his work so it’s important, albeit sometimes painful, to hear.
And last comes the top bun (complete with sesame seeds!)—an overall view of the story’s best features. In other words, ending on a positive note by sharing what is working well. This is just as important as the meat of the critique, because a writer needs to know what NOT to change and as well as what to change. For example, the writer did a nice job of creating a likable character. The writer had fabulous scene descriptions that really “put us there.” The plot was intriguing and made us want to read on.
Another critique method I love to use is one I learned from Kathleen Duey when I heard her speak years ago. She said it's as simple as remembering “B-C-D.” This works great for anyone who has never done critiques. I even use this when I read my unpublished work to students and I want their opinion. Yes, it’s so simple even a kid can do it (not to undermine kids—they’re pretty sharp when it comes to ms critiques).
Okay, B-C-D. It’s an acronym. B stands for Bored. Are there any places in the story where you’re getting bored? If so, then the plot is dragging, the action has slowed or the dialogue is going on too long. Revisions are needed.
C is for Confused. Are there any places that are confusing to you? If so, this means that the writer needs to clarify what he’s written. Maybe he’s assumed a certain knowledge on the part of his audience that isn’t there. Maybe he’s covered things too quickly and not explained what’s happening well enough. Whatever the problem, he needs to re-read with a fresh eye and revise.
And last is D, or Don’t believe it. Are there any parts of the story that you don’t believe or just don’t buy? If your readers won’t believe it, then you’ve lost their trust. This means back to the keyboard. Now, it’s understood that with certain genres (fantasy, sci-fi, amongst others) there will be certain aspects that will be out of the realm of reality, but even with these, the story reality still has to be believable. For example, you can’t have a story about a unicorn that at the end of the story suddenly bites people and sucks their blood (okay, bad example, but you get the idea). Or have a reality-based story about a cat that halfway through the story begins to talk. The writer must lay the groundwork for these things to happen—otherwise, it’s not believable.
Regardless of how long you’ve been writing, you’re still a reader and have reactions to someone’s work. And as far as reading children’s stories, we were all children at one time. So, don’t be afraid to dive into a manuscript and offer up your opinion! You never know what that one little bit of advice or opinion will do for another writer's work.
Book dummy. Kids laugh when I say this. New writers might think I’m insulting their story. What exactly is a dummy? And where, I wonder, did the flattering term come from? In the publishing world, it’s a manuscript that's laid out in book form, with one or two pieces of finished art. It’s an important tool for author/illustrators who want to show their story with some of the art. But dummies can help us non-artistic, picture book and easy reader writers as well.
I think dummying out a manuscript is one of the best tools at a writer’s disposal. I frequently dummy out my stories after that initial feeling that it’s finished (usually around the third or fourth draft). Once the story has gelled and I have a strong sense of the plot, I know I need to work even harder on word choice, pacing, flow and finding those defining page turning moments. And that’s where a dummy can help.
How do you make your manuscript a dummy? Don’t send it to school! (ha-ha). Okay, seriously... It’s simple. All you need are eight sheets of blank paper, a stapler, your manuscript, scissors and removable tape (sounds like art class, huh?).
1. Collect the 8 pieces of paper (doesn’t really matter what size, but I use 11 x 14” legal size).
2. Cut them in half (midway down the long side).
3. Staple them together. You know have a mock-up for a 32-page picture book (standard length for most picture books--the exception being 48-page books for older readers).
Now comes the fun part. Take a hard look at your manuscript. Try to envision it in scenes. Remember, a picture book has 13-15 page spreads, so you’ll have to have at least this number of scenes in your story. Okay, back to envisioning... You can either play around with where the scenes fall by marking it with a pencil, or you can start cutting.
On your dummy...
4. The “cover” of your dummy is where the title page of the actual book would go, so cut your title out and tape it there.
5. The next page is where the copyright info and dedication usually go (on the left-hand side of the page spread), so I just note © on that page.
6. Then, depending on how you envision your story beginning, you can begin cutting and taping your manuscript. If you have a short, snappier start, you can start it right there on page 3. If you see it as a scene that requires a full-page spread, then go to page 4-5.
7. Continue cutting and taping, playing with it until you've worked it into the full dummy. I guarantee you’ll find spots that scream they need more revision, and others that will fit perfectly. Wordy scenes will stand out, sparse scenes will too. You’ll discover some great page turning places that will carry the suspense and add to the tension.
8. Once you’ve make changes to the dummy, add the changes to your manuscript.
Okay, now here’s the hard part. As much as you now looooove your dummy, DO NOT send it to an editor. This is a learning tool for your eyes only (or your critique group). Editors do not want to see our cut and tape efforts (unless they specifically ask for it). Really. Cross my heart.
After I've made the changes to mymanuscript, I put it away for a few days. Then I go back and start over (read, make changes, dummy it out again). I usually end up with 3-5 dummies per story I write.
I hope you find this as useful of a tool as I have. Happy dummying!
If you recall, last month I asked folks about their favorite books on the craft of writing, with the promise that I'd ask about marketing books at a later date (because like with our work, we need to focus on the craft before we even think about marketing).
Well, it's later. Not a lot, but enough to where I'm ready to ask the question: What's your favorite book on marketing?
Here are some of my favorites:
The Children's Writer's & Illustrators Market Guide (okay, that was a no brainer) by Alice Pope.
It's a Bunny Eat Bunny World by Olga Litowinsky.
Plug Your Book! by Steve Weber.
Okay, I told you mine. Now, what's yours?
The ladies (that would be Laura Purdie Salas and Fiona Bayrock) over at Bubble Stampede ran a nice post today about children's book trailers. I absolutely delighted that they mentioned Blackberry Banquet's trailer, amongst others. And a little bird told me that they're going to do a follow-up post about creating book trailers too, so be sure to look for that upcoming post.
On the note of making book trailers, if you're interested in making your own, please feel free to read my previous post on how to create your own book trailer. If you're just too busy or don't feel you have the creative knack to undertake such a project, my writing buddy Tina Nichols Coury can help you out. You can check out a sample of her most recent work on her website by clicking here.
Happy trailer-ing!
Okay folks, here is the list of favorite books on writing. I was happy to see that many writers (thank you, fellow V/SB SCBWI listservers!) shared books that I already have on my bookshelf along with some others that I haven't read yet. I hope you'll add some to your book list. Happy reading!
Writing in General:
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King.
The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman.
The Plot Thickens by Noah LukemanSave the Cat! by Blake Snyder.
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
“Winter Room” prologue called "Tuning" by Gary Paulsen
On Writing by Stephen King
The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri The Art of Fiction by Ayn Rand
The Romantic Manifesto by Ayn Rand
Aristotle's Poetics
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom by Leonard Marcus
Children’s Writing:
How to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published by Barbara Seuling.
Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen.
The Art of Writing for Children by Connie Epstein.
You Can Write Children's Books by Tracey E Dils
The Complete Idoit's Guide to Publishing Chidren's Books by Harold D Underdown and Lynne Rominger
Creating Characters Kids Will Love by Elaine Marie Alphin
Poem Making by Myra Cohn Livingston
Happy summer, everyone!
Summer is a great time to catch up on reading, and while I always have a stack of children's books nearby to read, I also use this time to read books on the craft of writing. I know I have my personal favorites that I've read and re-read, and I wondered if any of you would like to share your favorites too. So how about it? What's your favorite craft book on writing (or writing and illustrating) for children (not marketing--just craft).
I'll start with my three most favorite (and I'm not counting The Elements of Writing by Wm. Strunk and E.B. White since it's a given that we all own a copy). Oh wait, I just checked my bookshelf and realized it's impossible for me to narrow it down to three! I'll try five.
Hmm...okay, this won't work either. Too tough! I'll break it down into two categories; Writing for children and Writing in General, and I'll keep it at three titles. Here they are:
Writing in General:
1. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne & Dave King.
2. The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman.
3. Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder.
Writing for Children:
1. How to Write a Children's Book and Get It Published by Barbara Seuling.
2. Picture Writing by Anastasia Suen. 
3. The Art of Writing for Children by Connie Epstein.
Some of these are the books on which I cut my writer's teeth and have much special meaning to me. Some are a bit more recent, but they all provide wonderful information for how to get started and how to fine-tune your work.
Oh, I could go on and on, and after I receive some of your suggestions, I will! I'll post a full list of everyone's suggestions after a few days.
Thanks for leaving a comment with your favorite writing books. I'm looking forward to seeing your recommendations!
It’s been said that getting an agent is as hard as getting a manuscript acceptance. I believe it. In fact, I’d say that it’s even harder. I’ve tried off and on for the past four years or so to acquire an agent, but haven’t had any success. I’ve sold many manuscripts though. And my writer colleagues tell me that once you have a few books out, it becomes much easier to acquire an agent. Hmm... Seventeen books later and still no agent. Yep, the agent quest is definitely more difficult for this little writer.
In the recent research of agents (by the way, if you know of any reputable agents who are just dying to acquire a contemporary adventure novel, you can give them my name ;-), I’ve come across a couple of things I’d like to share--in case you too are on the search.
First, is a fabulous article that Harold Underdown recently posted on his website, The Purple Crayon. Harold not only discusses agent basics (what they do for you, why you might need one, how to find one), he also helps writers to understand how to recognize good agents and avoid the “less scrupulous” ones; which is key. He’s even done a comparison on three different agent websites to help folks understand what to look for in researching agents online.
The other site I like is Chuck Sambuchino’s blog. Chuck is the editor for The Guide to Literary Agents (published by Writer’s Digest). His website is great, but I really like the blog too. He gives a lot of sound advice and interesting posts about this crazy business in which we work.
Happy searching~ may we all eventually find our perfect agent!
On her blog, “Fresh From the Oven” Catherine Ipcizade shared the ups and downs of her book launch at the Santa Ana Zoo, for her new book, ‘Twas the Day Before Zoo Day. What I really loved about this was that Catherine shared with readers what *didn’t* work, as well as what did. We’ve all had those events where things didn’t go as planned so her experiences were totally relatable!
Another mucho-generoso blog post I read this week came from the website of author Evelyn B. Christensen, where she posted a list of educational publishers and their submission information. This was a lot of research on her part, and to share it as she did deserves a round of applause!
I recently posted my book trailer for BLACKBERRY BANQUET (click here to view) and I was surprised at the response from other writers. Some wanted to know how I did it; some said they impressed because they could never do such a thing. Well, I’m here to say that YOU CAN! It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be—the main thing for me was to go into it with a learning attitude. Play around, tinker, and don’t pressure myself. I told myself it could take months to complete.
Here are some tips and tidbits of info, based on my own experience:
I used Windows Movie Maker. I didn’t realize I even had it on my computer, until someone pointed it out to me. I found it by clicking on the START button (lower-left corner), went to PROGRAMS then ACCESSORIES then voila! There it was. Because I'm generally one of those people who reads the instructions before starting something, I first read about the program from the HELP menu, just to get an overall sense of what I was in for .
Next, I did thumbnail sketches of what I wanted on a notepad. I knew I wanted to keep it around 60 seconds (like an average TV commercial) and I didn’t want to have more than 20 images, including the text-only images. Once I had my thumbnails (aka, roadmap), I used Adobe Photoshop to select and size my images (note: I had already contacted my publisher about the project and received permission to use the artwork—she was so happy about my doing this that she not only gave permission, she ultimately resent all of the art images in higher resolution images).
In WMM (Windows Movie Maker), I figured out (from the Help menu) what frame size the program uses, and I made my images conform to that size. I knew this would make the transition easier later, when I would import the images into WMM. In Photoshop, I also created the text-only frames. Note: Be sure to include a frame with your publisher’s website, your website and book ordering info. After all, you are trying to promote your book!
Next, I opened up WMM, and began importing my images. That was the easy part. Once they were all there, I had to determine the length of time on each frame (by clicking on the thumbnail image at the bottom and dragging it to the desired time), and what kind of transition effect I wanted from one frame to another (by right-clicking on the thumbnail image then clicking on “Video Effects”). This is where the real fun began—lots of tinkering and playing around!
Once I had the frames in place and was pleased with the overall look, I did a music search. There are all kinds of royalty-free music sites on the internet. I found mine on “The Music Bakery” but as I said, there are many out there. I should add too, that this was probably the lengthiest part of the entire process—finding the perfect music. I purchased the music (prices vary), but once I did, it was mine to use and I won’t have to worry about copyright issues.
Downloading the music to my computer then to WMM was a bit tricky for me, but some great websites on the internet guided me through. One of my favorites was the Papa John site. A couple of times, I also Googled my questions and was able to find the answers.
Once I had the music downloaded, I put it to the video clip, and then tinkered with the timing. I shortened some transitions or frame lengths, doing what was necessary to make it all fit.
Once I was finished, I saved the file to my computer (the file in WMM is a project file, so you have to save it separately onto your computer to be able to email or upload it to the internet). I sent it to my editor, for her opinion. With a tiny bit more tinkering, I was completely finished.
The entire process took me about four days, but as I said, it really was fun and gave me a chance to indulge in a whole new kind of creativity (plus, I saved myself about $300-400, what I had found was the fee for a professional to make one for me). So, don't sell yourself short--give it a try! Since I shared this with my fellow Sylvan Dell authors, another author, Sherry Rogers, has created her own (click here to view). And if you want to see a terrific sampling of many wonderful children's book trailers, click here.
Happy movie making!
The writing business is like an emotional sea. It definitely has its peaks and troughs. Many things take us to the crest of a wave—
The feeling of satisfaction when you finish a long, hard project.
Getting a personalized rejection letter from a respected editor or agent who compliments your work.
Getting a contract offer.
Receiving a phone call from an agent wanting to represent you.
Receiving a surprisingly high royalty check in the mail.
Getting an email or letter from a child telling you how much they loved your story.
These are all good things that keep us going. They take us to the pinnacle of that wave and let us feel like Neptume, in control of the sea.
But we can’t always ride the crest now, can we? Call it yin and yang, the balancing of the universe, or in my case, sliding down into the trough of the wave, but whatever you call it, there are those things that don’t make us feel quite as uplifted—
Your computer goes bonkers and eats your story that you’ve worked on for eight months.
You get a form letter rejection from an editor for whom you felt a lot of optimism.
Your dream agent declines to represent you after requesting to read your full manuscript.
You hear from an editor that your manuscript had made it quite far in the editorial selection process, but was just shy of being accepted.
You eagerly anticipate your first royalty check, only to discover it will barely buy you a cup of coffee and an espresso brownie at Starbucks.
You get a bad review.
This list could go on, couldn’t it? We’ve all had our ups and downs. Now, before you start thinking this is a big old whine-fest, let me say there’s a point. I’m curious to hear how other writers handle the “troughs” of writing. I don’t mean writer’s block or writer’s blahs; I mean how you handle those disappointments that make you stop in your tracks and question things. Personally, I have a few different coping methods—sometimes I just shake it off within a few minutes, sometimes a long walk puts things into perspective, sometimes indulging in my favorite chocolate helps (well, it helps my mind, but not my hips).
What do YOU do to get out of the troughs and work through the disappointments in writing? Make a comment--I'd love to hear from you!
I was recently doing some agent research and found this list of "Top Tips" from Sarah Davis of
The Greenhouse Agency. Full of solid advice for beginning (and not so beginning) writers, I thought it was worth posting. Click
here to read more.
Happy Writing!
I've had a nice response to Kristin Daly's Mini-View and her advice on writing in rhyme (special thanks to those who emailed me :-). It seems that writing in rhyme, whether in the form of a poem or a story, is a longstanding love for many children's writers (this writer being one!). So, on that same line, pop on over to The Write Marbles for an interview with poet Greg Pincus. Greg gives a great writing tip, shares the benefits of working in library and of course, fills us in on some fibbery!
You only get one chance to make a first impression, right? And you want it to be a good one, right? You might think that your cover letter is what an editor reads first (well, besides the outside of your envelope), but that’s not always true. In the course of attending many SCBWI writing events, I’ve often heard editors say that they go straight to the manuscript then read the cover letter if they’re intrigued—which means that your first page is your first impression.
This is why properly formatting your manuscript is so important. Before reading a single word, an editor will get a first impression of you; will see your level of professionalism. You want to conform to industry standards because you want your writing to stand out, not your formatting. Editors receive hundreds of manuscripts a week and frankly, it can be annoying to read one that is not in accordance with what their trained eyes are accustomed to reading. Improper formatting screams “amateur/inexperience/newbie.” It might also scream, “Run, editor, run!”
So, what are you to do? Well, once again, the fabulous SCBWI has done the legwork. Go to their website and read their article called, “From Keyboard to Printed Page: Facts You Should Know.” When I first began writing for publication, I had no clue what to do, until I read this article. Trust me, it's a gem!
What are some things to avoid when formatting your manuscript? How could you make a bad first impression? Here are a few things that I came up with:
1. use any other paper than plain white (no colors, scents, textures)
2. use cute, fancy fonts or clip art
3. use anything other than double-spacing for the body of your work
4. don't give a word count
5. don't number your pages
6. “cheat” with the margins so you can fit more text on a single page
7. send your envelope certified mail or any way that requires a signature
Please add a comment if you can think of anything else! I welcome funny or serious ;-)
Donna German offers a great explanation of what's currently happening at Sylvan Dell Publishing and what they look for when acquiring manuscripts. Click here (and scroll down) to visit her post on the Verla Kay Discussion Board.
By: Rebecca,
on 7/16/2007
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Earlier today we shared an essay by Elizabeth Beck, one of the authors of In the Shadow of Death: Restorative Justice and Death Row Families. Beck has been kind enough to answer a few questions for OUP about her experiences with death row inmates and their families.
OUP: Do you think there is a theme that ties the defendants on death row together, other than their alleged crimes?
Elizabeth Beck: Yes, I have intimate knowledge of the psychosocial background of close to 20 capital defendants. I often say that the murders can almost be viewed as a logical occurrence to psychosocial histories riddled with mental health and family backgrounds that lined up in an unique and devastating confluence. (more…)
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Very nicely narrated and informative thanks...