Free Professional Writers Series With Sharlee Glenn!

Pleasant Grove City Library presents: 2014 Professional Writers Series

Come meet local authors from a variety of genres. These authors will share their views on the creative process. Discover what makes a storyline, how to write historical fiction and what drives writers. You could come away from this exceptional series with a new sense of purpose and direction, not to mention ideas that should spark your imagination for days to come.

Mark your calendars for all these free presentations now! Each presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be on the lowest level of the library. There will be a Q&A after each session.

Sharlee Glenn - "The Nuts and Bolts of Writing Picture Books"

Thursday, February 20, 7:00 p.m.

Sharlee Glenn writes essays, stories, poetry, middle-grade novels, and picture books.  Her publications include Keeping Up with Roo (Putnam), winner of the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award, and Just What Mama Needs (Harcourt), which was featured on the Emmy-award winning PBS children’s show, Between the Lions. Sharlee can milk a cow and stand on her head—but not at the same time.

Foil Characters

A few months ago I won a full manuscript critique from Michelle Argyle. She sent it back with fantastic notes and ideas. Still, I was overwhelmed with the thought of revisions. My critique group suggested I set the story aside for a little while and look at it anew later.
I was going to follow their advice, I really was! Until I listened to a Writing Excuses podcast on foil characters.
What the heck?
The image of Joaquin Phoenix in a tinfoil hat came to mind. But that isn't what the podcast was teaching me.

Foil - a character that is used to enhance another character through contrast, highlighting strengths and weaknesses. Create characters in pairs like the straight man and the comedian or Cinderella’s grace and beauty as opposed to her nasty, self-centered stepsisters.

Here are a few other examples of foil characters:
Batman & Robin
Sherlock Holmes & Watson
Danny Glover and Mel Gibson (Lethal Weapon)
Wise mentor & newcomer
Siblings

The last example is the one that perked up Le Muse from a sleepy state of boredom. Siblings! I need to add a a sibling.
My story centers around Mandy, a girl who found out her mother is really an alien impostor and her father has been with holding this secret for years. She didn't want to believe there were aliens taking over her town or abducting boys until her father is taken.
Not really intense. But! Add a teasing brother who drives his sister nuts and not only believes in aliens but claims to have seen them. Mandy makes fun of him.  Not until the brother is abducted does she have to face the facts and save the day.
I'm happy to say I'm ready to do revisions now. Well, the job is still overwhelming but now I can move on to the next step and make this story better!

What foil characters come to your mind?  Do you have them in your story?

PS Don't you LOVE Joaquin in The Village? Best. Romantic. Scene. Ever.

Know Your Genre

What is genre?

What is genre?
It is literary technique, tone, content, length etc.
Fiction is the hardest genre to break into.

• Realism-Plausible story about people and events that could really happen. Romance, thriller, historical, sports all fit under realism.

• Fantasy-Fantastical elements in traditional or modern fantasy.
  • Traditional fantasy follows the quest. 
  • Modern fantasy has elements of magic in the human world. Horror and sci/fi are sub genres of modern fantasy.

Elements in Fiction:
Plot-Plot is the backbone of the story. In fiction plot is the action that grows out of conflict.
Conflict-is the obstacle, the problem
Initial Conflict-First event that starts the quest, the hook. Only needs one page (sometimes a chapter) to establish. It creates the next cause & effect (conflict) then moves the character to the next conflict. Initial conflict will predict the climax.
Exposition-Back story weaves through out the story.
Rising Action-Series of at least three conflicts
Climax-The most intense part of the story. Everything in the story moves the story to this point and the main character has an Epiphany to the resolution. Needs only one chapter.
Resolution-Is the outcome. Needs only one chapter

 

Non-fiction SELLS THE MOST

• Biography-needs more factual support.
• Autobiography-Bigger piece of time
• Memoirs-Small part of life
• General non-fiction (Dewey decimal)-Different stories from life in one book

Elements in Non-Fiction
All non-fiction needs:
Plot
Conflict
Hook
Exposition
Climax-lesson learned
Resolution-reader says “I can do that!”

What are the target audiences?
Picture book: 1-3 pages
Chapter book: Max 100 pages
Middle grade: 100-200 pages
Young Adult: 150-300 pages
Adult: 150-several hundred pages, 70,000-90,000 words max

NaNoWriMo check in~Inquiring minds want to know

How many of you are furiously working on your NaNo goals?
How's it going?
Did you set daily word goals?
Are you working on a brand new story or one that's been waiting to be written?
Did you do an outline or are you winging it?
Computer or pen and paper?
Edit as you go or after November 30?



Wait, what are you doing here? You don't have time to read blog posts! Get back to work AND good luck!!