I am gearing up for a summer of hard work! My 17yo son goes on a school trip next week and then will be out for the summer, so I’ll have time to concentrate.
Here’s a list of my current Works-in-Progress.
My Current Works-in-Progress
- Picturebook: Concrete Poems to go with illustrations from a friend. Usually this is a no-no. If you write a text, you do NOT need to find an illustrator. The editor and art director at a publishing house select the illustrator, deal with the contract with the illustrator and deal with the layout and design of the picturebook. All a writer does is the text.
In this case, though, my friend (who has already illustrated several picturebooks and won several awards) and I did a manuscript critique together at our spring SCBWI conference. The editor indicated that she like the combination, but would like the project to go in a slightly different direction. In other words, we are solicited as a team. That is very different from sending in cold a manuscript with a dummy that’s done by your chum.
- Picturebooks. I’ll continue to develop picturebook ideas with Friday Ideas.
- Novel. I’ve started a new novel. So far, I’ve plotted the first act. In other words, I have an idea of the characters, situation, what’s at stake, and how I want it to open. I know what incident I want to use to send them into the second act. It’s a good start and plotting is going well. I’m hoping to have a decent outline by the end of this week or middle of next.
Some things I’m paying attention to as I write this draft of the outline: emotional arc, narrative arc, where epiphanies might occur, the repetition and rhythm of certain setting occurring and recurring, making sure that conflicts have resolutions, etc.
- Teaching. I have a couple sessions this summer teaching from my new Paper Lightning book, a resource for teachers about prewriting activities for kids. And as a follow up to the Novel Revision Retreat, I’m planning to teach sessions this fall about voice and scenes. I’m reading and experimenting with activities for this.
- Marketing. I must continue to market other mss to editors.
- Marketing. I must continue to market/promote my books whenever possible. Remember that there are FREE pdf teacher lessons available for download for all my picturebooks.
A full summer! How does YOUR summer look?