Developing Fun Characters Children will Love and Relate To with Molly Nero, Author of Smarty Pig

Your characters must come to life for young kids.  By drawing on my teaching experience, I have developed a family of pigs that children will hopefully relate to and love.  Teaching kids for many years helped me understand that Power Rangers, SpongeBob, and the name of Disney’s newest princess must be in your vocabulary.  The latest DS, XBOX, and Wii games also get young people to look at you as though you actually are attempting to understand their world a little bit, though they know you are really an outsider since you’re older than 11 or 12!  If you try to listen to kids at their level, you will begin to understand their world better, but it’s hard for adults to do that.  We are lost in our own world of IPads, IPhones, emails, and daily demands.  Trying to remember what it’s like to be 7 or 8 becomes difficult.    

My classroom, filled daily with various aged kids, allowed me the chance to find a way to connect to be an effective teacher.  To have validity with my audience, I use those details.  Attitudes and situations that kids understand or experience themselves help create depth in my characters.  Smarty Pig‘s family has given up on school.  They simply don’t care and show that by not doing their homework.  How many kids give up on homework sometime?  How many kids wish they could just not do it at all like the pigs do?  This is relatable for young students and helps my characters come to life.  Pigs playing video games, watching tv, playing tag are all current and relatable activities.  The natural consequence of failing their subjects is another relatable situation.  How many high achieving students are teased with “Nerd, Goody-Goody, or Smarty-Pants” by others who don’t or won’t put forth the same effort?  Again, a very typical classroom situation that is represented in Smarty Pig except it’s portrayed in the home instead.

Beyond the words, you need to find an illustrator who has the correct vision of your character.  Monique Turchan provided me with a couple of different versions of Smarty Pig.  I immediately gravitated to the one that we ended up using.  I wanted a character that was pig-ish, but childlike at the same time, again hoping to help the kids relate to her and her pig family.  In this type of book, the marriage between words and illustrations must come together creating the complete package of lovable, relatable characters that kids will love to read about.

 

About the author: Molly Nero loves to sing, dance and read. She spent over 18 years teaching elementary school.  Reading to her own children, she was inspired to write. The second book in the Smarty Pig book series Smarty Pig and the Test Taking Terror releases in Spring 2012.

Smarty Pig is the only one in the pig family who hasn’t given up on school and doing her homework. Although she is teased, her report card shows her hard work, while the others fail. The other pigs reach out to her and she becomes their tutor, by creating games in their home. They all realize learning can be fun and that it’s not just for school, it’s for life.

Get a sneak peek of the book at  http://youtu.be/E2L_NS2QqgM

 

You can find out more about Molly Nero’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/MollyNero.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Nero and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions.

Organizing Your Projects

by Scott Rhoades

I recently discovered another free app that can be used to keep your writing life organized.

Cozi Family Organizer (cozi.com and popular app stores) was designed for families. You can keep a family calendar as well as calendars for each family member, journals, to do lists, and shopping lists.

That's pretty cool, but I immediately thought of ways to use it as a writing tool.

For example, instead of setting up the organizer for each family member, you can set it up for each project. Then you can keep track of your writing schedule and submissions on the calendar, to do lists for each project, and keep a journal of word count, story issues, and progress. I haven't thought of a cool way to use the shopping list feature, which is essentially like the to do list, but you probably will.

You can also use it to keep track of stuff within one project. Say, for example, you have several characters doing different things at the same time. Use the calendar to track each character's movements over the course of the story.

You can use this app to keep your writing life at your fingertips wherever you are. Apps are available for the iPad and iPhone, Android tablets, and Nook (Color or Tablet). The app is available in the Amazon App Store, so it's probably safe to assume that you can get it for that cool new Kindle Fire.Your info is also available on the Web, so you can use any computer.
All your info is automatically synced across your devices. You can also sync the calendar with your Outlook calendar and import your Internet calendars, including your Google or online school calendar.

So if you're looking for a way to keep your projects organized and like the idea of having all your project info ready wherever you are, this might be your answer. I haven't had a chance to really work it out, but I've played around with the key features and it looks like it will do the job. All you have to do is pretend your projects are family members.

Give it a try and let us know what you think.

Today's Friday Free EBook from Barnes and Noble: From the Ashes by Jeremy Burns, described as an Indiana Jones-like conspiracy thriller involving archaeologists and Nazi Germany. Looks fun.

How to Follow Trends

by Deren Hansen

Nearly a year ago, agent Mary Kole shared a note about trends on her KidLit blog.

She pointed out that you'll always be late to the table if you write to trends because it takes about two years to go from manuscript to publication and what's hot now is practically guaranteed to be dull by then.

The best, and most consistent advice is to write a story you love instead of chasing the market because there will always be a market for a good story.

So as we write, driven only by the pure flame of inspiration, can we safely ignore trends?

For the most part.

I've talked before about meeting the market half-way. In order to meet the market, you must have some sense as to where the market is and where it seems to be going. For example, if you were an auto maker, would now, with the price of gas rising, growing concerns about our dependence on foreign oil, and a strong green movement, be a good time to introduce a monster truck whose fuel economy is measured in gallons per mile? By the same token, in a market glutted with vampire stories, should you really try to do one more? Or is there, perhaps some other under-appreciated paranormal type that sucks away your life (like lawyers) with which you could do something fresh?

In terms of market awareness, there's some value in being aware of trends. But there's a big difference between being aware and following.

So is there any time you should actually follow a trend?

Only when you're currently shopping a manuscript and can use the trend to help position your piece. If, say, you've written about sparkly, salmon merfolk and their eternal battle with the were-bears, and if you learn that an editor wants a paranormal fish story, you should waste no time crafting a query that says, "I've got just what you 're looking for!"


Deren blogs at The Laws of Making.

Teaching a Lesson Through Books for Kids with Maryann B. Sawka

“Close your eyes. Imagine yourself sitting on the beach, with the squeaking sound of seagulls as they glide along above your head, diving and rising along with the swirling tide as the surf announces its approach with a thunderous crash onto the beach. Use your imagination; focus on your senses so that with closed eyes you can visualize the scene unfolding in front of you as you dreamily transport yourself to another time and place. Now, open your eyes as we begin to read, Treasure Island by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson,” said the teacher in a sixth grade literature class.

Based upon that opening, which sets the tone for the book that will be introduced in class, the teacher is calling upon the students to stretch their imaginations and use their senses as she gives them a peek into the setting of the book. Teachers often use books outside of the required curriculum to teach a lesson, to reinforce a concept or to make a connection between a student’s prior knowledge and the new material that is going to be taught.

Teaching through a book broadens the scope of the lesson by incorporating many disciplines of study into each lesson, demonstrating the connection between reading and learning. Teaching a science lesson doesn’t just come from the science book each student receives at the beginning of the school year. The science material can also come from a book such as Treasure Island, as an example. The lesson could focus on the geographical terrain, the plant and animal life evidenced during the book’s passages, the environment and temperature patterns. In addition, a lesson on geography could be built from the book as you discuss life on an island, looking at other islands and discussing when some of them were discovered and by whom, and looking at the various cultures involved. Students would be introduced to a new set of vocabulary words that come from the story. Perhaps the students could be challenged to write their own ending for the book or to change one climactic point of drama in the middle of the story. Regardless of the focus of the creative writing exercise, a lesson is being taught on reading and writing.

For younger children, picture book and early readers often teach skills such as counting, alphabet recognition and phonics, shapes and colors. Just as with the example of Treasure Island, teachers can use young literature to teach lessons that correspond with their topics of study.

But, using literature to teach is not restricted to only teachers. Parents and caregivers can also use a book to teach a lesson, regardless of the child’s age. Remember the soft, puffy books babies often spend time drooling on? Taking a few minutes to talk about the pictures in the book and relating them back to the baby’s world is teaching a lesson. Point to the picture of a ball and then show the baby a real ball. They will love this activity and will want it to be repeated, like a favorite game. This is how they are learning about their environment, connecting what was shown in a book and then shown in real-life.

Literature is a powerful tool for teaching! It can be used in an obvious manner such as “read this book and write a paper about it” or through a more subtle approach where you use a book to reinforce the main concept of a lesson.

About the author: Maryann B. Sawka is an educator and parent, who has always embraced the notion that good manners are stylish and timely in every situation. She founded Charming Manners, a training company that educates all ages in the quest for civility and self-confidence. Sawka introduces good manners with a fun, engaging approach that makes the pursuit for knowledge an enjoyable experience.

Halo Publishing, Int. and the World of Ink Network will be touring author Maryann B. Sawka’s book Good Table Manners Made Easy, which released in January 2012.

Good Table Manners Made Easy is a quick, easy-to-read resource that teaches basic table manners in a delightful fun way. It also serves as a quick refresher for the table manners that we may have forgotten.

Get a sneak peek of the book at http://youtu.be/CGGKkxa9qSQ

You can find out more about Maryann B. Sawka’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/MaryannBSawka.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Sawka and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions.

In addition, come listen on January 16, 2012 to Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork. The hosts VS Grenier, Kris Quinn Chirstopherson and Irene Roth will be chatting with Maryann B. Sawka about her book, writing, the publishing industry and experiences. Sawka will also be sharing writing tips and trials, and the tribulations of the writer’s life.


To learn more about the World of Ink Tours visit: http://worldofinknetwork.blogspot.com

What Reference Books Do You Keep on Hand?

Writers like words, and tend to keep reference books in or near their workspace.

In addition to shelves full of writing books and other useful stuff that is behind me when I'm at my desk, I keep several books on a little shelf on my desk. They are:

• The American Heritage Dictionary
• The Chicago Manual of Style
• Roget's Super Thesaurus
• Webster's Dictionary of English Usage
• Word Nerd
• Fowler's Modern English Usage (Second Edition, 1965)
• Webster's Instant Word Guide

Admittedly, I rarely use any of these. The Internet is at my fingertips, after all. But I feel better having them close by.

How about you? Which books do you keep nearby?

On to another subject, today's free Friday Nook book in the Barnes & Noble shop is Don't Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis. This is a good addition to every writer's (and reader's) library. Pick it up while you can get it for nuthin'!

In Late, Out Early

by Deren Hansen

Heidi M. Thomas said, in a post on pacing in writing at the blog The Blood-red Pencil:

"Most writing gurus these days advise to “arrive late and leave early.” By this, they mean, start in the middle of the action or with an element of suspense that will help prompt the reader to keep reading."

Heidi is right that stories should (and readers expect to) skip the boring bits. Why slog through the dull set-up and waiting when you can jump in right at the point where things get interesting. By the same token, why hang around after the interesting bits when you can jump away to the next interesting thing. And what prompts the reader to keep reading is that they come to trust that you won't bore them with dull stuff.

But in-late/out-early is more than simply a way to keep your reader hooked. Once you develop a masterful sense of just how long a scene needs to be, in-late/out-early evolves from a mere technique into a tool for directing reader's attention and encouraging their engagement by inviting them to fill in the blanks.

Directing Focus

Like their visual counter parts, scene breaks and "screen" (or page) time tell the reader where to focus their attention. In a long scene, where several characters come and go and other things transpire in the background, readers can pay attention to many things so no one thing will have their full attention. In a short scene, they can only pay attention to what you give them.

For example, let's say you have a scene whose purpose is to show the reader that the main character notices another character acting strangely. If you show the main character strolling through the hall at school, greeting friends and chatting about the prom, until the boy she's had her eye on runs into them, nearly knocking her over while muttering something about the penguin revolution, and then the character and her friends spend a few more pages talking about what just happened, the reader may miss the key revelation about the penguin revolution. If, on the other hand, you jump into the scene moments before the collision and then jump out right after the first, "What was that?" comment, there's no danger of distracting the reader with the other people or the pending prom.

Fill in the Blanks

However, the most subtle use of in-late/out-early--at a level that approaches zen mastery--is to leave as much unsaid as possible. On several occasions, I've heard Howard Tayler say, "The monster you imagine when I say something goes bump in the dark is far scarier than anything I could describe."

By showing only the most critical part of the scene, we allow the readers to fill in the blanks by imagining what happened before and after the scene. In so doing, readers create a far richer experience for themselves than you as the author could by describing it all for them.

Think about it.


Deren blogs at The Laws of Making.

Can a female adequately write from a male point of view?

I'm a female, but I know men. I'm married to a man. I was raised by a man. I grew up with little men who grew into big men. I'm raising two little men of my own. Not a day goes by that I don't interact with men.

So does that qualify me to write from a male perspective?

It depends.

Am I creating a female who acts like a man? Or am I creating a man who acts like a man?

What is it that makes a male (or female) POV? Traits. There are traits of men that can be generalized and typified: task oriented, one track minds, talk less, work hard.... you know the traits. They are usually what we laugh at when we're watching a sitcom or movie. But they are true! And using some of them can help create a believable male character. A successful male POV must be male through and through, not just superficially or stereotypically male. Too few stereotypes and you're stuck with a lack-luster pseudo-male that people want to beat up; too many stereotypes and you have a Neanderthal that everyone despises.

Just as you would research for a story on Russia, research your male (or female). Read lots of articles about writing from the opposite POV. Read popular books written with a POV opposite of the author's gender. Practice being in a "male mindset" and writing out of those thoughts (focus on thoughts, not feelings). Write mini-scenes and think through how the situations would be seen from a male or female. Write both. Beware of thinking like a female, but writing on behalf of a man.

In the long run, it might be easier for a female writer to keep her POVs solely female. Yes, easier, safer, less stretching....more boring, less challenging. If you're up it, you can learn to write in any POV. Research, practice, feedback-- all these things will help you to unleash your inner male (female) POV.

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More to read about this: 

http://fictiongroupie.blogspot.com/2011/06/man-up-writing-male-pov.html

http://www.keriarthur.com/extras/for-writers/articles/male-pov/

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/writing-the-male-point-of-view

http://talktoyouniverse.blogspot.com/2011/12/writing-male-point-of-view.html

Glueing It All Together

By Julie Daines

An element in story crafting that I frequently find missing is cohesion. Each story needs a few elements that bind it all together and carry the protagonist--and the reader--through to the end.

For some reason, I find that adventure type books struggle the most with this problem. Often, the main character sets off on the adventure, but it feels more like they are strolling through the zoo. They wander along the hero's path, going from one interesting animal (scene) to the next. It feels like a series of random events that happen to the main character.

So the question is, how do we keep our story unified?

There are many ways, but here are a few to get you thinking:

The Main Character's Goals Must Be the Driving Force: Whatever it is that the main character wants, that should be what influences all their choices and actions.

In the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy's goal is to go home. It is what motivates everything she does. In The Hunger Games, Katniss wants to protect her sister Prim. That is why she volunteers for the games, and that is why she wants to win the games, so Prim is not left alone with a wacky mother.

This is perhaps the most important element in cohesion. If your main character's object of desire (goal) is not present throughout the story, the reader will loose interest. Why is he/she doing this? If we don't know, we don't care.


The Threat of the Villain: Keep the threat of the villain ever present and constantly hanging over the hero's head.

JK Rowling did a great job with this throughout SEVEN Harry Potter novels, always upping the stakes with each one. Never once do we forget He Who Must Not Be Named lurking in the back of Harry's mind. And, every other "mini-villain" Harry faces ties back to Voldemort in some way, such as Draco Malfoy and Professor Umbrage.

And not only should the villain be always present, but the stakes. What happens if the villain wins?!


Keep the Main Conflict Front and Center: This is good for books that are not adventure stories and don't have a specific "villain," like Twilight. Not much happens in the story, but the conflict is always there, hanging over Bella's head--forbidden love, is he or is he not going to eat her.

These are only three. What other elements of cohesion can you think of?

Julie Daines
www.juliedaines.blogspot.com

Guest Post: Balancing Your Writing with School as a Teen Author with Rachel Yurchisin

I recently have been working with teen author Rachel Yurchisin, who just published her first picture book, Dairy of My Days in Kenya. She’s been a real inspiration to me and others as she focuses on her studies as a junior in high school, sports, her love for wild life and still finds time to promote her book. I started wondering if a teen author has the same challenges as adult authors.

Rachel is the fourth youth author I have encountered during my years in the world of ink and she is no different from many of us oldies who love to write and dream about sharing our work with young minds searching for a good story and a better understanding of the world around them in a good book.

So today, I have asked Rachel Yurchisin to share her thoughts on being a teen author and balancing her writing with school.

*****

When I first got the notification my manuscript was accepted by Halo Publishing, I was overjoyed. 

It was an amazing feeling when I got the first shipment of books and saw my name on the cover, and my picture on the back. It was really a dream come true. 

This whole experience has not changed my relationship with any of my friends- many of whom have bought my books for the holidays. Even some of my teachers have expressed interest in my book. Also, now since I am a junior in high school- the college search is currently taking place. 

When I visit various colleges, many are impressed with the fact that I am a published author and I hope that will assist in my college acceptance probability.

I have found it very difficult to balance writing, the process of publishing and publicizing my book "Dairy of My Days in Kenya" with my schoolwork and hobbies. I give Virginia a lot of credit with putting up with me not keeping up with deadlines, etc. 

However, I believe that family comes first, and then school work, and then anything else. However, on the side I participate in the Zoo Crew at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, which is a group that teaches the public about the animals on exhibit. I also am in involved with the Future Scientists groups at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History that does surveys of wildlife on various museum properties throughout the course of the year. In addition, since 6^th grade, I have been participating in science fairs on the state level and last year I represented the state of Ohio in a national science fair. 

For school, I am on the varsity tennis team and hopefully on the varsity softball team in the spring. As you can imagine, it’s hard to have a social life when you’re involved with all of these extracurricular activities- thank goodness I have very understanding friends and family, who support me through all of my endeavors. 

 

If you haven’t written anything yet, but you want to become an author, I would suggest starting to write about anything you find interesting. For me in particular- I have always found inspiration in nature and past experiences. 

If you get a spell of “writer’s block” make sure you relax- in most cases there isn’t a deadline and if you relax more than likely you will be able to think of something. If you already have something written that, you feel has potential for becoming a published work- send it in as soon as you can! 

The worst thing they can do is say no and suggest a few changes. It may make take a few tries but it is definitely worth it once you get the satisfaction of seeing your name on the cover of a book that YOU wrote. 

 About the Book: Diary of My Days in Kenya…is a fictional story loosely based upon the real life occurrences of a nomadic lioness who nurtures baby oryx as if they were her own young. During a drought, a naturalist, Susan Polling, and other professionals, are sent on assignment to observe and document this special pairing. The book’s spirited protagonist, Polling, offers the reader interesting insights as to why this unique phenomenon has transpired. The story explores how the traditional relationship of predator and prey is transcended, presenting a spellbinding account of how a parental bond, even a non-traditional one, can never be broken.

Diary of My Days in Kenya

Publisher: Halo Publishing, Int.

ISBN Number: 978-1-935268-89-5

Genre of Book: Children’s/Educational

Publication Date: May 2011

About the Author: Rachel Yurchisin’s love of science and nature has inspired her to write her first children’s book in the hopes of passing on her passion to other young ‘budding’ naturalists. Yurchisin is a junior in high school and participates in educational programs at her city zoo and natural history museum.

About the Illustrator: Fred Fulcher, the author's grandfather, is a retired Clevland firefighter and business entrepreneur residing in Parma Hts., Ohio. He is a self-taught artist and has enjoyed creating the illustrations for his first children's book.

Places where Diary of My Days in Kenya is available for sale:

http://halopublishing.com

http://amazon.com

You can find out more about Rachel Yurchisin’s World of Ink Author/Book Tour schedule at http://storiesforchildrenpublishing.com/RachelYurchisin.aspx. There will be giveaways, reviews, interviews, guest posts and more. Make sure to stop by and interact with Yurchisin and the hosts at the different stops by leaving comments and/or questions.

In addition, come listen to Blog Talk Radio’s World of Ink Network show: Stories for Children at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork. The hosts VS Grenier, Kris Quinn Chirstopherson and Irene Roth will be chatting with Rachel Yurchisin about her book and writing.  

The show will air live January 23, 2012 at 6pm EST. You can tune in live at the World of Ink Network site at http://www.blogtalkradion.com/worldofinknetwork.

The Word vs The Thing

By Scott Rhoades

2011 was the year I discovered that, as much as I love books as objects and as much as the physical object is part of the comfort of reading, I enjoy ebooks. The first one I read was on my phone. I expected to hate it, but I was hanging out at the airport, waiting for my daughter to arrive, and I gave it a try. Even on the little screen, having several books in my pocket was pretty cool, and the reading experience wasn't bad. Then I got an iPad from work, and that was that. Of the 40 books I read last year, 15 were ebooks. Two years ago I expressed my disdain for ebooks in comments on a couple blogs. Once I tried them though, I learned something.

What I learned should not have been a surprise. As much as I love the feel and smell of a book, It's the words that made me love reading as a kid. That is what I love most about reading now.

To be sure, curling up with an iPad is not the same. It's a cool gadget-on-roids, but it's heavy and awkward, and not that comfortable to hold, especially with one hand, a big deal the last six weeks of the year, when I've been one-handed due to arm surgery. You can't really hold the iPad in one hand, and you certainly can't curl up with it.

Of course, the iPad, isn't the only, or the best, ereader in town. Kindles and Nooks are much smaller and more comfortable to hold, even the newer tablet-style readers. I've resisted those readers for a while because of the number of books you can buy for the price of the reader. But because I have enjoyed ebooks so much this year, I asked for a Nook for Christmas, and was thrilled to get a Nook Color.

And guess what, I can actually curl up with it, and hold it in one hand. It doesn't have the same warm comfort as a worn paperback, but the physical object itself is enjoyable. Of course, the words are the most important thing, and they are comfortable to read on my new gadget. As for the price, well, so many books are available for free or in collections of 20-80 books for between 99 cents and 3.99. I read a lot of classics, so those collections have more than made up the difference between the price of the screen and the books I could buy for that money.

Of course, I still love books, and books I want to keep will be bought and squeezed on to my shelves, consigning other books to the boxes in the closet. But there are a lot of books I want to read that I don't care about showing or storing in my dwindling space. The words and stories are what I love the most, and they are the same in whichever media.

Now that I've seemingly gone to the dark side (or the backlit side), I should mention something else.

A couple days after Christmas I got a box containing books full of classic children's stories. Those books had been in my Grandma's homes all my life. Grandma died in July at the age of 92. My aunt knows how much I love books, and that I read from this set when I was much younger, so she gave them to me. I opened the first volume and was overwhelmed with a variety of emotions. It stll smelled like the room in her house in San Jose where I used to sleep as a wee bairn. I'll never get that experience from bits on a screen. Ever.

So it's not an either/or thing. The stories are why I read, but there's so much emotion attached to special books, whether they remind you of Grandma or of the time and place where you bought them, or where you were in your life when you read them.

What this all means is that I have room in my life for both types of reading experience. I can enjoy them both for their own benefits. I will never give up my books. But I'll also never give up the joy of carrying a library in a convenient and comfortable reading device. I love both the words and the multiple ways those words can be consumed these days.

There's really only one conclusion I can come to: it's a good time to be a reader.