The Writer Blog Hop

 

Hey there writing Peeps. The writing community is playing a game of tag known as the Writer Blog Hop. Jenni (see her post here) has tagged me.  So I’m ‘it’ and here is my post answering their questions.

 

What am I working on/writing?

My focus is Picture Books.  At any given time I have about three stories that are at the forefront of my mind.  The Primary is a non-fiction about working animals.  The story balances the goal of the animal, from their point of view, along with the facts about the animal’s job and training. My goal is to keep it under 800 words

My fiction works are funny, silly, and sparse. My secondary focus is a story of a child who refuses to have a pet, even though his parents want one. Keeping it under 300 words. I love Picture Books for their ability to weave an amazing story without any wasted words.

 

How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre?

I am an eclectic person and my writing style is the same.  I like to look at things from other angles.  I want to know both sides of the story. I like to try different techniques. I am comfortable looking into darker issues, like loss, and equally comfortable acting like a clown. My characters are willing to do the same.

 

Why do I write what I do?

I’ve always been a dreamer.  Long car rides could give me the time to build entire worlds in my head. As a child, books were my safe haven, they were constant.  No matter where you moved, there is a library. No matter what you are curious about, there is a book written on the subject.  Books can help you escape. Books can help you find yourself.

I write for children because I want to inspire a child to love books.  I want to create stories that are fun, entertaining, engaging, and if the child learns something, they don’t even notice that they were learning. Non-fiction can be entertaining too!

I write to, hopefully, make children happy.

 

How does my writing process work?

 

My process is simple. I dream. My best ideas come on quiet Saturday mornings. I listen to birds, watch my dogs play, and just let my mind wander before my family is up and about.  Then an idea starts to form… sometimes.

Other times ideas just pop up like stray animals. You weren’t expecting to find them, but now that it followed you home, you have to keep it, clean it up, and show it off.

After the idea hits, I like to hand write rough drafts.  My mind works a little slower when writing on paper and this helps a scatterbrain like me focus.

Sometimes there are web diagrams or lists to help get my ideas in order. Other times the words flow like candy from a piñata.

Next, I enter it onto my computer and edit/change/add/whatever as I go. 

Then rewrite…cut… revise… wait….wait some more… look at it again, while trying to be objective… hit head against desk a few times…love it/hate it… edit again.

Read to my family, for only the most obvious corrections and the needed pats on the back that family gives you even when you suck aren’t quite there yet.

Finally, to the critique groups! This step is so important.  They will find the missing commas, the ‘there’ that was supposed to be ‘their’ and the apple pie desert that spell check didn’t tell you was there (Unless you wanted a barren apple pie). But more importantly they will help you with pacing, character development, letting you know if the words you paint with created the picture you were going for. Critique partners are vital to getting your work agent/editor ready.

 

Want to know more?

Odd Facts:

I don’t do everything in the same order.  Sometimes, I like to revise backwards so that I truly look at each paragraph separate from the story (I doubt I could do this for a novel, but for Picture Books it works).

I am involved in more than one critique group and not afraid to hand my work to anyone willing to read and literally say, “Tell me what you hate about this, so I know what to fix.”

I get so lost in books that I walk into things while reading.  If you aren't reading, then you probably aren’t really writing either. They go hand in hand.

 

I frequently write in a Snuggy.  Yes- a Snuggy.  It is warm and I'm always cold. Don't Judge. :-)

My debut Picture Book DONNA IS EVIL will be out next month with MeeGenius. Check it out.


That's it for my fun game.  Now I tag Eugenia Sozzi. You're it!

What's in a name?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, right? Well, that depends.  Would you even smell it if the name was Manure Flower?

What about Death Star? Works for a ship, but not a flower. 

So what do the names you choose tell me about your characters?

Blake Irwin could be the next Indiana Jones.  Hubert Copperbottom IV? Not so much, but he could be the great and wise wizard. 

If you name your heroine Sandy Shorts, you better be writing a comedy.  It would be hard for her to get a job as a lawyer in your book. 

I want to be able to pronounce the names I read, as well.  They can still be alien names, or names from other countries. Just be conscious of being able to say it out loud.  The blue alien Cronkle Borg can be spoken about out loud.  The pink alien WHLYQUAZYVLOBLE? Well, I doubt I'll be telling any of my friends about her story. 

Think about your names.  These books are like your children and they will live with them their whole lives.

So your writing prompt of the week is to tell me about one of the following characters.  Who are they? What kind of job do they have? What was their mother like? What are their hobbies, hopes, dreams?

Blake Irwin

Hubert Copperbottom

Chrysalis Meadows

Andrew Hawks

Aszure Jacobs

Griffin Arnold

Make up your own if you don't like mine.  But think of the last time there was a president named Bob (Hint: Never) or James (Hint: Six).  Names can be ironic but they still need to be believable.

Prompt Writing

Today, I want some emotion.  So to get you in the right mood...

Sorrow is a strong emotion.  The best books go beyond a happy ending.  They make us feel things.  Fear, Anger, Joy, Sorrow. 

This week's prompt:

Scene: your father, whom you have idolized and set on a pedestal, has betrayed you. You are disappointed, hurt, confused.  I want an inner monologue roughly 300 words ending in the only dialogue.

"How could you?"

Have fun.  Promise I'll make a happy post for the next one. Or maybe anger...hmmmm.....

If you are feeling brave, share your first draft with us below. No need for edits, rough drafts are just to get it out there.

Weekly Prompt

Calling all Picture Book Writers, or anyone who would like some writing practice. Today is another Picture prompt. They say pictures are worth a thousand words but we keep it simple with 300. 



Finish this sentence.

"What had happened was...."

Bonus points to anyone who knows where that line comes from.

So lets get to it.  In roughly 300 words tell me the story behind this picture.

Let's be brave and share your stories.  No second drafts, no judgment, just fun free writing.

Promptly

I was going to wait until Thursday, but I came across a picture.  One that made me think. And wonder. And Hurt. It tugged at me and said, "What is my story?"

I have may pictures that I've come across that pull me in and spark something deep in my imagination. These are my favorite prompts.

Without further ado, for this weeks writing prompt, in roughly three hundred words, tell me.

What is the story here?

Young Mowgli's first friend?
A poor child with dinner?
A mischievous boy who's mother will scold him?

You tell me...

No second Drafts, no Revision, just your first shot as a story.

Prompts.

 

Are you stuck in your writing?  Need an idea to light the fire under you?  Today is about prompts. I think I’ll start some weekly prompts. What is a prompt?

From Webster’s

1.    prompt

prämpt

verb

3rd person present: prompts

1.    1.

(of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling).

"his death has prompted an industry-wide investigation of safety violations"

2.    2.

assist or encourage (a hesitating speaker) to say something.

"“And the picture?” he prompted"

§  supply a forgotten word or line to (an actor) during the performance of a play.

 

So I’m going to give you a writing prompt.  You will create a story or scene in roughly 300 words (or more if you are feeling froggy).

 

 

You don’t have to let anyone see them.  It is allowed to be crap.  The important thing is that you are stretching your writing muscles and, who knows, maybe creating some new ideas that will grow and blossom into something more.

 

Even if it isn’t your genre, even if you think it is silly, if you are not already writing then spend 15 minutes exercising your writing brain. Seriously, this counts as exercise.  When my husband asks I totally tell him I’ve been exercising.

 

Today’s Prompt: Alien Turtle.

 

Yup, that’s it. So it can be a real alien from the planet Shelose or it can be a Picture Book about a kid who thinks this strange looking creature is from outer space, it can be a thousand different things.  Everyone has their own story and their own way to tell it.

 

 

If anyone wishes to share their writing below, we in the writing universe would love to see it.
 

Next week, perhaps we'll do a picture prompt.
 

Happy Writing!

Picture Book Query

The dreaded query. The roughly 250 words you have to grab an agents attention and make them fall in love with you.

No pressure, right?

But we can't run and hide, we must write.

There are not too many examples of Queries for Picture Books. So let’s look at what works.

Actual Query that sold DONNA IS EVIL-coming out in 2014.

Dear XXXX:

A suspicious young boy has a very odd neighbor, Donna. He is convinced that she is evil. He spies on Donna and everything points to her being evil.

One day Donna needs help and he realizes that Donna isn't so bad, in fact she might even be...good.

DONNA IS EVIL is complete at 405 words.

I am a member of the SCBWI.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

June Smalls

Is this perfect? HELL NO. But it is short and to the point. Your query shouldn’t be longer than your story. You can have a less than perfect query if your story grabs them. Now with more experience I mention the age range that the book is targeting. I expanded my Bio paragraph with published work and other bookish things I’m involved with.

This was direct to a publisher and I had nothing personal to add the way I do for agents I submit to. So if I were rewriting this now, older and wiser, it would go something like this.

Dear VERY SPECIFIC AND CORRECTLY SPELLED AGENT NAME:

A suspicious young boy has a very odd neighbor, Donna. He is convinced that she is evil. He spies on Donna and everything points to her being evil. One day Donna needs help and he realizes that Donna isn't so bad, in fact she might even be...good.

DONNA IS EVIL is complete at 405 words and geared to ages 4 to 8.

I am a member of SCBWI, the 12x12 Challenge, and I host the blog Reading, Writing, and Reaching for Chocolate at junesmalls.blogspot.com. My debut Picture Book DONNA IS EVIL, is scheduled for publication in 2014 with MeeGenius. I also write MG and have other PB titles available.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

June Smalls

Note that some agents prefer the:

Hook, Book, Cook. That is to say; the Hook (Quick Pitch) of your story, the details of the story, and the Bio of who wrote the story. Some WANT to know that you’ve looked them up personally. Say, either before the hook or at the book detail info why you like them, when you met them, or what books compare to your work.

Keep it professional, keep it real, and keep it around 250 words or less.

Check out agent blogs and guideline before you submit. Some are crazy specific. Font, size, layout, etc. are specified on their guidelines. Whether or not to attach a doc or paste the story in the email. This is like your first test. CAN YOU FOLLOW DIRECTIONS? Please pass this test!

Best of luck with your queries and remember that rejection letters are battle scars. They hurt and some feel ugly, but you earned them by going out and fighting for your book. I have dozens and I keep each and every one, even form rejections. No one in the writing world publishes without some rejections.

If anyone out there would like to share a PB query that worked, I’d love to share it so others may learn.