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Tone is the overall feel of a story. Does this sound depressed, joyful, or hopeful? Beyond that, though, tone can determine the audience for your story. One of the main differences between a middle grade and YA, or a YA and an adult story, is the tone of the piece. Tone reflects the author’s attitude [...]
Over at Playing by the Books, the UK blogger (bilingual Dutch/English), is talking about picture books. The UK Secretary for Education, Michael Gove has suggested that kids read at least 50 books a year. Playing by the Books took up the challenge: I approached six brilliant UK-based illustrators and asked them to contribute towards a [...]
12 Updated Resources for 2011 State of the industry. First, a basic question: Are picture books dead? Not according to Karen Springen and PW. Don’t Write the Obit For Picture Books Yet, By Karen Springen, Dec 12, 2010 Writing Encouragement. Natl Pic Book Writing Week May 1-7, 2011 National Picture Book Writing Week is a [...]
When you write kids’ books, there’s often a parent component. Duh. Kids have parents. So what? Get Rid of Adults One recommendation for dealing with parents is to get rid of them. Send them out of town for work; get rid of at least one parent through death, divorce or neglect; stick them in the [...]
Critiques lead to Zine Guest post by Anne Marie Pace The members of our critique group, The Funky Ducklings, had known each other online for years, but July, 2008, was the first time most of us were able to meet in real-life. After a year of planning, we finally came together with some other writer [...]
Brenda Sturgis reports on the top literary agents for selling picture books in this recent post. Let’s talk about this report. Top Literary Agents for Picture Books Self Reported Statistics. The statistics for Sturgis’s report was compiled from reported sales on Publisher’s Marketplace. This is a big caution because
Ebook: How to Write a Children’s Picture Book It started out as 30 Days to a Stronger Picture Book. But now, (drum roll, please), it’s an Ebook. Expanded from it’s original format, it now includes new sections on
Does Your Story Need a Tragic Death? A friend was talking to me about stories in which a child dies. he asked, “Is a child’s death in a novel just a cheap narrative device?” Well, it depends. Depth of Characterization. How well do we know the character? Do we know and care for the child? [...]
One main reason to attend a national conference is to meet editors, listen to how they describe their lists, and find out what they are looking for. Attendees are usually offered an opportunity to submit for a short period of time, even if the house policy is no unsolicited manuscripts. Needs Contemporary, Upper Middle Grade [...]
What does a career in writing look like? Take these examples: Author A: Has served in a leadership role for a writing organization for many years and is an inspiration to many people. She has published three picture books with major publishers. But in the end, she hates the sales and marketing part of writing, [...]
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