The Kidlitter

You’ve got an idea for a story. You’ve collected some characters to be in it. You’ve even thought of some exciting adventures to include. Now what? Now you need to pick one character to be the STAR of the story, the one who faces challenges and overcomes them. The one the story is all about. Once you’ve decided on who your main character (star) is, you’ll need to decide from which point of view (POV) to tell this story. Everything that happens must come from that character’s view or experience. What they see, feel, smell, think, decide, dream, and how they react to events in the story. You have to be with that character all the time, either inside their head, looking out their eyes, or right next to them like a shadow. And be consistent. You can’t jump from inside one character’s head and into another’s. If Mary is your POV character, you can’t switch to what John is thinking. John has to tell Mary what he’s thinking. Now it becomes part of her POV. You can’t write about ...

There's a lot to read here, but if you're set on self-publishing, it's worth the time to read all the way through and check out some of the links. It's noteworthy that the article cautions against the "self-publishing" imprints connected (however slightly) to traditional imprints like Simon & Schuster. Writer Beware! http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/pod/

Here's an excellent article detailing things that can turn off an editor: https://elizabeth-law.squarespace.com/blog/2014/7/15/finishing-the-hat-ten-things-that-make-an-editor-stop-reading-your-manuscript

Hot enough for ya? It's so hot, the cactus are melting. It's so hot, the lizards are walking on stilts. It's so hot, you might as well stay inside and read some books set in cold places. For teens: The White Darkness by Geraldine McCaughrean A troubled fourteen-year-old is taken to Antarctica by a man she thinks of as her uncle. She believes this is a vacation but then she discovers that he’s obsessed with seeking Symme's Hole, an opening that supposedly leads into the center of the Earth.     Frozen by Mary Casanova When Sadie Rose was five, she was found nearly frozen in the snow, her prostitute mother dead nearby. Now sixteen, she remains unable to speak. After discovering some risqué pictures of her mother, her voice slowly returns and she is determined to learn more about her mother and the events that led to her violent death. Set in 1920 in northern Minnesota along the Canadian border.   Towering  by Alexandra Flinn A retelling of ...

Wondering what to write about? Here is the new theme list from Pockets magazine, a non-denominational Christian magazine for children. Look over their themes for upcoming issues and see if you can write something to suit a topic. Pockets pays well, so it's a good market to try. Be sure to read their guidelines for length and submissions. Pockets targets readers aged 6 to 12. Send for a sample issue or read samples online. http://pockets.upperroom.org/write-for-us/themes/

Don’t you just love it when a writer makes you feel like you’re right inside the story? You are THERE, in the scene with the characters. Next time you read something that transports you, stop and take a look at how the writer practiced the skill of SHOW DON’T TELL. Telling, instead of showing, comes out flat. For example: It was a windy afternoon with a dark and threatening sky. The clouds were thick and grey over the canyon and soon it began to thunder. Showing makes it more alive: The wind roared up the canyon that afternoon, whipping dry cottonwood leaves into dancing whirls of yellow. Dark clouds rolled in soon after, bringing deeper and deeper rumbles of thunder.   Here are some ways to SDT (Show Don’t Tell): USE VIVID, ACTIVE VERBS: Notice in the second selection the verbs: roared, whipping, dancing, rolled. See how they replaced the weak use of the “to be” verbs? You can’t always avoid using ‘was,’ ‘were,’ ‘is’, ‘are,’ in your writing, but watch for...

Get lost.       Adios.            See ya later.  It’s a common practice in children’s stories to shove the parents out of the picture or at least keep them way in the background. With those protective, nosy, hovering parents out of the picture, your young character is free to go off on adventures. Kid readers love how this empowers them. In real life, they're stuck with guardians keeping them away from danger and preventing risky behavior. But through a story your readers will identify with the characters, allowing them to fly off into space, fight dragons, solve mysteries, conquer the school bully, or become a powerful wizard. None of this can happen if parents are around to keep them “safe.” Children could be separated from parents by death, as is Harry Potter. Even his aunt and uncle are tossed aside so he can go to wizard school. In fact, dead parents are quite common. Roald Dahl’s Matilda is an orphan. The Boxcar Chil...

Here more links to info about writing for children: To apply for a scholarship to the 5-day Unworkshop sponsored by the Highlights Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/AnneMariePace To learn about other workshops with the Highlights Foundation: http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/upcoming-workshops/ To enter the Pockets Magazine Fiction Contest: http://pockets.upperroom.org/write-for-us/annual-fiction-contest/ To order magazine or book market guides: http://www.writersbookstore.com/Books_on_Writing_for_Children.htm To test the readability level of your writing: http://read-able.com (click on "Test by Direct Input" then enter your text in the box)

He said, she said…Dialogue makes your story sparkle! It will help make your characters and your story come to life. The trick is, doing it right. Leave out the small talk. You want it to sound natural, but not EXACTLY how we talk. In real life our conversation if full of small talk. But in written stories, don’t waste you reader’s time with fluff: “Hi, how are you?” “Fine. And you?” “So-so.” “What’s up?”  "There's someone following me." Cut the unimportant chatter and get right to the point. Someone is following the character? Let's hear about that! Dialogue is your chance to advance the plot, add information, and flesh out your characters.  Use dialogue tags to help the reader keep track of who is talking in the scene. These can either be verbal tags: “I haven’t the faintest idea,” Bill said . Or action tags: Bill shrugged . “I haven’t the faintest idea.” Notice the verbal tag uses a comma and the action tag is a completed sentence with ...