by | February 7, 2024 · 4:35 pm

Auditioning: Putting My Pages Out There

The timer went off. I had just finished a productive 50-minute revising session. But then… my break turned into being online too long. I disappeared into the SCBWI website, reading all about upcoming webinars. Yes, I was procrastinating. Yes, I was hoping a super power would finish editing a chunk of my young adult novel. It was due to my young adult novel exchange partner in five days.

Just as I was about to close the website, one webinar jumped out at me. It cheered, “Sign up. Now! Don’t think. Do it.” The webinar featured an agent giving live feedback on the first 10 pages. Ten pages? Wow! Rare, I thought. And curious. One seat was left. It was mid-day. The pages were due at 5pm the next day.

“Nope, too late,” I thought. “Besides, my manuscript isn’t query ready.” Meanwhile, my neuro divergent brain was full speed ahead, doing a jig and high on a possible challenge. I quickly googled the agent’s website and Manuscript Wish List. I got goosebumps. She was seeking the themes steeped in my YA novel.

Minutes later, I was registered. Plus, I paid extra ($25) for the agent’s post webinar detailed critique of my first 50 pages. What an adrenalin rush! What a perfect way to put my pages out there. An audition of sorts.

The spontaneity was energizing. This wasn’t the first time that I had jumped and registered last minute for a pitch or contest. Perhaps, the stars simply align that way for me.

Unfortunately, in this instance, there was one problem. A big problem. I had not looked at the first five chapters of my YA novel in months. Many months. I had been hyper focused on cutting, editing and polishing the last act. Yikes!

I immediately hunkered into my editing cave. The good news, it was easy to cut and edit, because I had moved parts from the beginning to the second and third acts. The bad news, it was very challenging to re-figure the first chapter. It no longer fit, as a result of my final revision. I felt stuck and overwhelmed. If only it made sense to start with chapter two. But, I needed a set up. Ugh.

I re-read the Beat Sheets (from SAVE THE CAT! BEAT SHEET WORKBOOK by Jamie Nash) that I had done and re-done for this novel. I re-read the first act. I handwrote notes; did free writes of possible first pages. Geesh. Was I really going back to the drawing board? Insane! I couldn’t delay; couldn’t stop. I had a deadline.

Fast forward. The webinar was an incredible experience. Each attendee’s first five pages appeared on screen, while the facilitator read them aloud. The agent devoted six minutes to each work, giving succinct, insightful, thought-provoking feedback aloud that she had prepared in advance. Everyone listened. No interactions, discussions, questions. I loved the meditative, deep thinking mood – and generous quiet time to soak up the sound of our prose and a professional’s reaction.

Of course, I was nervous and full of “I should have changed this, cut that…” But it was too late. It was un-polished. It didn’t matter. My work was out there. The curtains were wide open. An audition.

Lesson learned: Put my pages out there before I’m ready to query. The webinar pushed me outside the “I have to” box. I have to have a full manuscript ready before I…  Ever since, it has felt liberating and reassuring to keep entering pages in a contest, online sessions, etc. Intimidating? You bet! But these auditions keep me moving forward and believing in my novel. Best of all, they give me a reality check.

By the way, the agent’s detailed ($25) feedback was a huge perk. Pages of positives, keen insightful suggestions, along with discerning questions. I have added her to my To Query spreadsheet.

Here’s to auditioning your work in progress! Why wait? Give these opportunities a try and look for more. Congratulate yourself on putting your pages out there.

Webinars: SCBWI Regional Virtual Events https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events

March contests for YA novel excerpts: (Winners are assigned to an editor or mentor that coaches you to a polished manuscript.)

#RevPit 2024 Annual Contest  https://reviseresub.com/annual-contest

First Page Prize   https://www.firstpagesprize.com/

Gutsy Great Novelist  https://gutsygreatnovelist.com/chapter-one-prize/

Uncharted Novel Excerpt Contest  https://www.unchartedmag.com/uncharted-magazine-novel-excerpt-prize-judged-by-keshe-chow/

 

There’s no time like the present. –MG and YA acclaimed author, Victoria Hanley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Karen McChesney, Literacy Program, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI, Upcoming

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by | December 2, 2023 · 7:30 am

How Writing Got Me Through a Very Tough Year

2023 has been a tough year for me. It began in January when my 97-year-old father’s health began to seriously deteriorate. And after many trips back and forth from Denver to New York, it was clear that the end was near. He passed away on May 18. It was a long life well-lived, but still, a big loss for everyone who knew him.

Then on the day before the funeral, when we were flying from my son’s business school graduation in Washington DC to New York, my husband received the final diagnosis of his recent health problem. He had multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells, which seriously affects the body’s immune system. After the funeral, three shivas, and a couple of days of cleaning out my dad’s condo, we flew back to Denver. My husband would begin treatment. This included a regimen of twice-a-week infusions of a targeted drug therapy for three months. It was supposed to be followed by a stem cell transplant in October. Only in September, he contracted West Nile virus.

I am not making this up. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, West Nile is no joke. You get it from a mosquito bite. And although Colorado is known for its dry climate and lack of bugs, this year was different. We had an unusually large amount of rain and much warmer fall temperatures. There were swarms of mosquitoes. Colorado actually had the most cases in the entire country! West Nile can cause a high fever, excruciating headache, tremors, brain fog, paralysis, meningitis or worse. My husband had the first four symptoms. And with his compromised immune system, the virus took hold in a big way. He was hospitalized for two days and sick for five weeks. The stem cell transplant was postponed.

And then in October, the world went crazy. Hamas attacked Israel and a violent war erupted. Anti-Semitism around the world and on college campuses, including my own college campus, reared its ugly head and shook us to the core. It was soul-crushing, complicated, terrifying.

But we had to keep going. My husband slowly recovered from West Nile. Family members flew in to help. Our friends baked and cooked. My morning dog-walking group provided an arena for venting and processing whatever was on my mind. But the biggest distraction of all, was my writing. It became my refuge, my emotional escape hatch, my joy.

Before my dad died and my husband was diagnosed, I serendipitously signed up for the Highlights Foundation online class, “Just Do It” in April. https://inthewritersweb.com/2023/06/. This class became a lifeline of structure and support during my most difficult months – May and June. It pushed me to get up and work on my novel. Every single day. I was moving along at a clip and decided to apply to the “The Whole Novel Workshop,” an in-person retreat at the idyllic Highlights campus in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t sure if this was going to work with my husband’s transplant schedule, but he really wanted me to go. He thought it would be good for me to do something for me. And as it turned out, the transplant was scheduled for the week after I returned from Highlights. The timing was perfect. Our sons flew home to be with my husband while I spent a week in the “Renee Watson cabin,” surrounded by talented writers, inspirational faculty, and the award-winning Highlights cuisine. Oh, and let’s not forget the pair of roosting bald eagles, the white-tailed deer meandering past my cabin, and a rusty red-colored forest right out my window! It was perfect.

 

 

 

There were other ways my writing supported me in a big way. I continued meeting with my always amazing critique group, The Story Spinners, twice a month. Members of my Tuesday writing group, The Nanos, stepped up to host, since I could no longer have people in my house because of my husband’s compromised immune system. I also joined two new online groups: an accountability group from my “Just Do It” class and a critique group of Jewish writers from around the world. I completed my nine years of being the PAL LIAISON for the RMC-SCBWI by moderating the industry panel at the annual Letters & Lines Conference in September and was asked to moderate two more panels at the Denver Festival of Stories, sponsored by Second Star to the Right Book Shop and the non-profit Books To Kids in October. I even got to introduce the keynote speaker, Bruce Cameron!

“Thinking about my writing” also relieved daily stress. I would take walks and ask myself: How can I strengthen my main character’s arc by throwing more obstacles in her way? Is there a better way to describe the setting? What plot twists will surprise my reader? Throwing myself into the world of my books gave me a constructive outlet when I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or deflated. It was the best way to reflect, regroup, and recharge.

Despite the challenges of the past year, I do have some good news. After 18 days in the hospital, my husband is coming home. Today! The stem cell transplant was successful. He still has months of healing ahead, but we are moving forward. Our younger son earned his MBA and has started a new job. Our older son continues his humanitarian work around the world and is engaged to be married. One niece got married and another had a baby – the first child of the next generation of our family. One of my manuscripts was a finalist for the Golden Pen Award at the RMC-SCBWI Letters & Lines Fall Conference. And my latest novel, the one I workshopped at Highlights, received glowing feedback. It wasn’t easy, but I made it through 2023. And leaning into my life as a writer was a big part of this accomplishment.

How has writing helped you through a personal challenge? Please share your story in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, Middle Grade, RMC-SCBW, Rondi Frieder, Second Star to the Right Book Shop, Uncategorized

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by | November 17, 2023 · 8:00 pm

KidLit Nonfiction Awards

NONFICTION AWARDS

By Susan Wroble

This past summer, my planned presentation on award-winning nonfiction books took a tangent. I realized that instead of award-winning books, what I really wanted to learn about was the nonfiction awards themselves. I knew about the Sibert Awards from the American Library Association but had no idea if there were any other KidLit nonfiction awards out there.

For authors, awards are one way to try to help give your book a longer life—and it turns out that there are other awards besides the Sibert. A LOT of others. I found 17 awards where, unlike the Sibert, the author or the publisher has some input into the nomination process. Some of my favorites of the nonfiction children’s awards include:

The Foundation for Agriculture Award from the American Farm Bureau. Their “Book of the Year Award” goes to
books that have accurate information about agriculture with a positive portrayal. Shannon Anderson’s delightful I LOVE STRAWBERRIES, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett, is a fabulous example. And as a side note on this award, the Farm Bureau has its own publishing house, Feeding Minds Press. If you are working on a manuscript that pertains to agriculture in a broad sense, consider submitting it to Feeding Minds.

 

The AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books. This prize is awarded in four different categories: children’s (PBs), middle grade, hands-on, and young adult. The criteria vary a bit by group, but in general must support the development of positive attitudes about learning about STEM topics. The books must be well-organized, with the scientific concepts accurately presented. One of the joys of this particular site is that it is very searchable, both by category and by year.

The Eureka! Children’s Nonfiction Book Awards from the California Reading Association carry a lot of weight—their list is a reference for librarians in other states and around the world. Awards are given to a lot of books: in 2023, there were 10 Gold Awards and 40 Honors Awards.  The authors and illustrators do not need to be from California, and the list of what constitutes nonfiction is simple: everything that is not fiction. That means that this award is a great fit for harder categories like memoir or poetry, folktales or cookbooks.

You can access my “Awards for Children’s Nonfiction and STEM” spreadsheet here.  The list is focused on awards that authors have some control over, and is organized by submission date. There may still be others out there that I missed. If you find additions or errors, please contact me. And best wishes on your own awards!

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by | October 9, 2023 · 4:57 pm

Finding The YA in Learning

 

Murder. Secrets. Drugs. Gossip. Lies. Sexuality. Romance. Magic. Identity. Rumors. Breakups.

Hang out with a group of YA writers and you’ll likely hear these words, along with more provocative, dark, odd, edgy, far-out, intense, hilarious, eccentric, juicy, shocking topics. We love teens. We love big drama and conjuring a mess for our teen characters in current time or mystical worlds.

Other kid-lit writers often say we’re nuts for writing over 75,000 words. But we can’t get enough. We want to hold on to every word. No wonder our revisions can take years and years as we cut, trim, tighten hundreds of pages.

Thanks to my critique group, Story Spinners, I unexpectedly joined the YA writer “club” years ago after they nudged me to turn my coming-of-age short story into a YA novel. I was clueless and intimidated, but I couldn’t stop writing. I’m incredibly fortunate to be part of the SCBWI-Rocky Mountain Chapter’s YA community. And I’m in awe of how everyone cheers each other on at book launches and events by and for YA writers.

My fellow YA’ers and I adamantly long to be with our peers and find YA-only classes. No offense, picture book and middle grade writers. We adore you and your books! Just like our teen characters, we long to be belong; we want to be in a YA cluster. But, we’ll be the first to admit, we often feel like the misfits in writer land. Afterall, YA novels are a far cry from Middle Grade.

Perhaps that’s why our search for YA-only learning is constant and fierce. The past few months, for instance, several YA writers and I started researching YA-only workshops, courses, and other ways to amp up our learning.

Here’s what we have found so far:

Workshops/Courses:

Wordsmith Workshops https://www.wordsmithworkshops.com/

Vermont College of Fine Arts https://vcfa.edu/writing-novels-for-young-people-retreat/

Hugo House https://hugohouse.org/product/young-adult-fiction-workshop/

Writer’s Digest University https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/writing-the-young-adult-novel

UCLA Extension https://www.uclaextension.edu/writing-journalism/creative-writing/course/young-adult-novel-i-writing-x-4451

Tin House https://tinhouse.com/workshop/

From SCBWI:

YA Connect and Other Connects https://www.scbwi.org/regions/rmc/events

YA Connect is free and offered every other month by and for YA writers of all levels to learn and meet fellow YA writers. Most YA Connects are both in-person & Zoom.

Michelle Begley Mentorship – Due Oct. 31, 2023 https://www.scbwi.org/regions/rmc/RMC-mentorship-program

Weekly Podcast https://www.scbwi.org/podcasts

Most recent one featured Deborah Halverson, award-winning YA author, including Writing Young Adult Fiction For Dummies and Honk If You Hate Me

Monthly Virtual Events, hosted by chapters across the U.S. https://www.scbwi.org/regional-virtual-events

Coming soon:

Lighthouse Writers Workshop, Denver – YA workshops, gatherings https://lighthousewriters.org/

Of course, there are a lot more YA-only opportunities out there. Share your findings in the comments, please. Meanwhile, YA writers: Keep reaching out to find other YA’ers. And remember, teens can’t wait to read your stories – and drama!

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Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Graphic Novels, Karen McChesney, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI, Upcoming, What I am doing now

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by | August 31, 2023 · 4:02 pm

PAL LIAISON Interview in Kite Tales Magazine

A version of this interview appeared in the Spring 2023 RMC-SCBWI Kite Tales magazine.

Some volunteers make programs better. Some make them good. Others, like Rondi Sokoloff Frieder, take them to a whole new, exceptional level. Frieder grew the RMC-SCBWI Published And Listed (PAL) program from the ground up-cultivating it into one of the most enviable and productive in SCBWI. Susan Wroble, Co-Regional Advisor for RMC-SCBWI, said, “When I started in my leadership position, I was shocked to learn that most other chapters have very few PAL members, and for many, SCBWI is regarded as being an organization to get you published, not to stay in once you are published. However, Rondi has made being a part of our chapter worthwhile—and fun—for so many of our PAL members. In turn, they have been our mentors and Connect speakers and guides, and have brought up the skill level of the entire chapter. Without her work over these past nine years, we wouldn’t be nearly as strong a chapter.”

I had the privilege of interviewing Frieder before she steps down to focus on her own writing career.

Shelly Steig: How long have you been a member of SCBWI?

Rondi Sokoloff Frieder: A very long time! This is actually a great story. Back in 2000, my school principal said I needed to do something with my writing. I had been teaching kindergarten and first grade for over 20 years and loved writing plays, raps and short stories with my students. When I told my brother I was thinking about writing for children, he told me his son (my nephew) had a friend at school whose mother did something with children’s books. He suggested I email her. And guess what? It was Lin Oliver, the co-founder of SCBWI!!! I immediately joined and went to the LA conference that summer. I’ve been a member ever since.

SS: What has being a member of SCBWI meant to you?

RSF: So many things. First and foremost, I love the people! There is nothing like spending time with kindred spirits who totally get what you are trying to do. Writing for children is a challenging, and often discouraging, endeavor. I probably would have given up long ago had it not been for the support and encouragement of this writing community. It’s also where I met my critique partners, the brilliant and talented Story Spinners. We’ve been going strong for over twenty years and even have a blog: www.inthewritersweb.com.

SS: When did you become the PAL Liaison, and how did that come about?

RSF: Great question! I have been the PAL (traditionally published and listed authors and illustrators) Coordinator/Liaison for nine years. After I retired from the classroom, one of my critique partners challenged me to get more involved in the RMC-SCBWI. I looked at the volunteer positions available and noticed there was an opening for the CCIRA (Colorado Chapter of the International Reading Association) Coordinator. CCIRA hosts an annual literacy conference for teachers and librarians and the RMC-SCBWI usually purchases a table in their Exhibits Hall. This immediately resonated with me. I had been attending this conference for years as a teacher and always loved it. Plus, it was held at a hotel five minutes from my house! I emailed the Co-Regional Advisors to say I was interested. They were thrilled and also asked me to host a table at the annual Colorado Teen Literacy Conference. Our next Co-RA she asked if I’d be willing to expand my job. She envisioned four PAL events a year and changed the position title to PAL Liaison. Together, we developed the new model. Now, along with CCIRA, I coordinate the annual Book Birthday Bash, webinars tailored specifically to the needs of PALs, meet-and-greets at local bookstores and social/support gatherings. We even hosted the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) group at a reception when the American Library Association Conference was in Denver!

SS: What was your favorite part of being the liaison?

RSF: I absolutely love all the PAL events. Our authors and illustrators are a delight to work with and our programs are inspirational and informative. But if I had to pick my most favorite thing of all, it would be moderating a panel at CCIRA. I’ve used a variety of formats from Speed Dating with authors, illustrators and teachers to opening for keynote speaker, John Schu, librarian extraordinaire and former Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs. For the past two years, I’ve led an actual session at the conference and this year’s was over-the-top incredible! We had sixteen authors and illustrators present to a packed room of teachers and librarians. Their anecdotes took us from laughter to tears as we learned about the “stories behind the books.” I was so proud of our literary rockstars!

SS: What are you working on with your own projects?

RSF: I am smitten with middle grade! I recently submitted my time-travel, baseball, comic book, golem romp to a slew of agents. While I wait for their responses, I am working on a humorous MG story about friendship and grief that takes place in a summer camp in the Rocky Mountains.

SS: Anything else you’d like our members to know?

RSF: I’m very proud of the fact that our PALs have stayed super involved in the RMC-SCBWI. Apparently, this is not typical. In most chapters, after people get traditionally published, they disappear. By providing dynamic programming for our PAL authors and illustrators, we have been able to keep them engaged. Along with attending PAL events, they have become mentors, webinar presenters, and speakers at our annual conference. Also, being the PAL Liaison has enabled me to work directly with many of our outstanding local bookstores. We have held PAL events at Second Star to the Right, Book Bar, The Bookies, The Wandering Jellyfish and The Tattered Cover. Getting to know these booksellers has given me tremendous insight into the publishing world. Children’s book people are the best!

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Filed under 2023, Book Birthdays, CCIRA, Interviews, Kite Tales, RMC-SCBW

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by | August 20, 2023 · 5:10 pm

Putting Edelweiss to Work!

By Susan Wroble (Note that a version of this post first appeared in RMC Kite Tales, Spring 2023)

Have you ever noticed the disclaimers on some book reviews posted to book blogs or Goodreads?  “I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.”  They aren’t talking about that “Sound of Music” flower!

 

Edelweiss (aka Edel) is an online platform where publishers make advance reader copies (ARCs) available in digital formats to select readers before the books are published. They do this to encourage early reviews and generate buzz before a book comes out. 

In the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI’s Publishing Path webinar series, developmental editor Susan Chang recommended that everyone should have an Edel account, but for surprising reasons unrelated to reviewing e-ARCs (electronic ARCs). And when someone like Susan says “everyone should,” I pay attention. 

Susan explained that for authors, having an Edel account is an efficient way to read new books in your category, find comparable titles (comps) for your own work, explore marketing plans, and study a publisher’s catalog before submitting to them. 

Regardless of where you are in your publishing journey, you will eventually want to have access to upcoming releases as you study the market for your work-in-progress. And we all know that finding good comp titles can be tricky, so I am very excited about this platform. Edelweiss can make parts of querying so much easier, and setting up an account is FREE!

CREATING YOUR PROFILE AND REQUESTING ADVANCE READER COPIES:

Start on Edelweiss by navigating to www.edelweiss.plus to create your profile. To get approved to read those digital reader copies (DRCs, Edel’s version of the e-ARC), your profile strength needs to show as “excellent.” Profile strength (with levels like incomplete, good and excellent) is based on how much of the profile you have completed. The question mark beside your strength will show you what is missing. Keep tweaking until you get to excellent. 

When you request DRCs, you are most likely to get approved if you show that you write reviews. Here’s a version of my profile, which shows who I review and why:

I’m a children’s author and voracious reader. I usually max out my library card, and my house is full of books that I am either reading or using as mentor texts for my stories. I currently serve as Co-Regional Advisor of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and am a member of the marketing group STEAMTeam 2023. The two groups that I usually support through reviews (Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram, and the Instagram of the nonprofit organization Partners in Literacy) are children’s nonfiction authors and children’s authors in the Colorado/Wyoming area.

Note that when you request a specific DRC, you will also need to write a few sentences about why you’ve requested that book. Once you’re granted access, you’ll be provided with a link to download the manuscript in a variety of ways. You can even connect your e-reader and receive the e-ARCs on your personal devices. Remember, though, you’re being provided the sneak peek with the expectation that you’ll write and post a review after reading, so if you love the book, try to be a good author citizen, and follow through. Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble are all great places to leave reviews. Your fellow authors will thank you! 

 

USING EDEL TO FIND COMPS:

While the ability to search for comparable titles, or comps, is one of the huge benefits of Edelweiss, there is one caveat. In query letters, comps are designed to give the agents or editors a feel for the subject or tone or theme of your story. In Edelweiss, comps are intended for marketing. Keeping that nuance in mind, they are incredibly valuable. 

Here’s how to find them: under the “Search for titles” box, type in a title. Using Kaz Windness’s BITSY BAT as an example, note that at the bottom are a series of carrots next to “Content, Comps, Related, Refs.” Clicking on comps and refs gives us three books that are considered comp titles, and others that are related in some way (in this case, because Kaz wrote it!).

If you have a book that might make a good comp, a great next step is to check Edelweiss. You’ll get what the professionals consider to be the comps for that book. 

 

USING EDEL TO REVIEW MARKETING PLANS:

Authors are increasingly being asked to submit marketing plans. Again, Edelweiss can be a huge help. The marketing plans posted here are often a mix of author and publisher activities, but be aware that not all books will have them. To find the marketing plan, go back to those “Content, Comps, Related, Refs” carrots. Clicking the carrot by “Content” for Carmela Coyle’s SOMETHING SPECTACULAR: A ROCK’S JOURNEY gives the summary, bio, marketing plan and selling points. In the marketing plans, you can see the specific blogs that will be targeted for this picture book.

Marking Plan (SOMETHING SPECTACULAR):

  • National outreach campaign targeting mom bloggers, librarians, social media influencers and children’s book reviewers; Mo
  • m Blog Society, Free Range Kids, Jenn’s Blah Blah Blog, Kids Activity Blog, It’s a Lovely Life, Green Hour, The First Book Blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and more.
  • Trade announcements of book to PW, Booklist, Foreword Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness
  • Event kit available for bookstores, schools and libraries for self-promotion, author events, and activities with the book
  • Featured title at Trade Shows
  • NetGalley campaign for early review

As for me, Edelweiss has provided such great data that I am now revamping the comp titles and marketing plans for my works-in-progress. The time spent learning how to navigate this site truly pays off.

(Tech note for Apple users: Chrome seems to be a better browser than Safari for Edelweiss. Once in, Apple’s “Command F” search function is far more powerful than the internal search.) 

 

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by | July 21, 2023 · 7:23 pm

Is that REALLY what’s happening? Unreliable Narrators in Picture Books.

I realized recently that two of my manuscripts have unreliable narrators. One is a “voice over”-type style, describing what’s (not actually) happening in the action on the page, and one is also omniscient but instead describing a character incorrectly. That character happens to be a potato, but that’s neither here nor there.

It got me thinking about this type of story and what other picture books have unreliable narrators. I really gravitate toward this kind of storytelling, because it’s often funny and can make for a great read-aloud. Kids LOVE correcting the reader and having the opportunity to feel like, for once, they know more than the adult.

An unreliable narrator can be an omniscient voice, but it can also be a character in the story – main protagonist or not. They can be unreliable for malicious or devious reasons, for silly reasons, or simply because they’re just wrong or don’t know any better. The thing they all have in common is that they cannot be trusted to give the full, correct picture of what’s happening.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite picture books with unreliable narrators:

Cover image of the picture book Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be In This book, an aggrieved alligator holding a copy of the same book with a chicken looking on.

Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be In This Book by Julie Falatko and Tim Miller

An unreliable narrator (a chicken) follows Snappsy around describing things that Snappsy is decidedly NOT doing – like hunting defenseless bunnies or buying snacks for a party. Snappsy gets more and  more exasperated as he just wants to live his life, quietly.

A Unicorn, a Dinosaur and a Shark Walk Into a Book by Jonathan Fenske Cover of the picture book A Unicorn, a Dinosaur and a Shark Walk Into a Book. Yellow with cartoon images of the three main characters.

No, it’s not the start of a joke, although the book is seriously funny. The narrator tries to get the three creatures to make this the BEST BOOK EVER (I mean, c’mon, what’s better than a UNICORN, a DINOSAUR and a SHARK in one book) but they won’t do what that narrator asks. How will the narrator convince them?

Cover for the picture book The Panda Problem featuring a friendly panda perched in a bamboo stand.The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood and Hannah Marks

As the narrator explains to us right at the start, every good story has a problem. And, in this book, they insist, the panda is the one with the problem. Panda begs to differ. The narrator insists that the story must have a problem, though, so panda tries to invent some.

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles BacheletCover of the picture book My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World. The cat is actually an elephant.

The unseen narrator describes their silly cat, which, as one can clearly see from the book’s cover, looks suspiciously like an elephant.

Cover of the picture book How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps. A girl with afro puffs and a white cat look over the edge of a bathtub filled with water. How to Give Your Cat a Bath in 5 Easy Steps by Nicola Winstanley and John Martz

Anyone who has a cat knows there’s nothing easy about giving a cat a bath. Yet, the narrator insists it can be done, while the hapless child becomes increasingly frustrated as she tries, and fails, to get her cat into the bath.

Cover for the picture book Have You Seen Gordon? A rabbit looks through binoculars and we see a crowd reflected in them.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

So, okay, this is cheating a little because in this story the narrator isn’t unreliable as much as the main character, Gordon, is uncooperative. This is ostensibly a seek-and-find book, but Gordon refuses to make himself hard to find. He prefers to stand out.

These are just a few of the picture books with unreliable narrators that are in the world. Which ones do you love? Sound off in the comments so we’ve all got a great list!

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by | July 5, 2023 · 3:20 pm

Go Writers, Go!

It was a writer’s dream. That’s how I felt at the recent grand opening of Lighthouse Writers Workshop new building. I was with over 500 other writers in the stunning, custom-built, cozy three-story building designed just for writers. Just for writers!

“We want this to be your home,” said Co-Founder and Director Michael Henry. And, we want it to be a place where writers of all ages, levels, backgrounds, genres come “hang out and write,” added Andrea Dupree, Co-Founder and Program Director.

What could be better? That night, when I left this writer’s paradise, I was riding high. High on great gratitude.

Gratitude for:

-living in a city that has invested in Lighthouse and writers

-living in a state with an incredibly supportive kid-lit writer community

-getting to teach youth at Lighthouse

-my awesome writer critique group, Story Spinners

-SCBWI-RMC

-my writing groups: Young Adult writers, NaNo writers

-my Monday accountability group

-my super supportive husband and friends

-my manuscript exchange partners

-my two late aunts who modeled creative follow-your-dreams living

Wow, I have been incredibly fortunate to have many, many cheerleaders on this crazy journey of querying picture books and revising young adult novels. At the grand opening, one author-speaker reminded, “writers need other writers, create your community.” I am immensely proud that I have created my writer community. And it keeps growing! I have great cheerleaders. Best of all, they have shown me how to be a cheerleader; they have inspired me to make time and show up for other writers.

In that spirit, I decided to share some of my favorite cheers from other writers. I keep them in a notebook and glance at them often, especially when I get a bad case of imposter syndrome. These words give me courage; remind me to have fun; renew my “I can do this.”

May these comments cheer you on, too.

For imposter syndrome: Before writing, take a few minutes to jot down what you’re thinking. Your doubts, your insecurities. Spit ‘em out! Then, write your goal for your session, such as word count, number of pages. At the end of your session, write down what you did.

 Congrats on doing the hard work on your YA. It’ll pay off. Sometimes you just have to plough through the hard stuff.

What an achievement! I am so proud and inspired by your achievement of finishing another revision.

Did you sign on yet for film rights for your book?!!!! I can picture it as a movie.

You hooked me with your pitch. I want to read it!

You sound very clear on your intentions for your YA. Get your story out there!

Hip, hip hooray! I know you’re passionate about this story and I applaud you for sticking with it. This is very hard work!

Aim to send 100 queries. I got my agent on query 101.

It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to finish. What’s most important is that you are staying with the hard work.

Here’s to being cheerleaders and having cheerleaders. Go writers, go!

Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the largest literary center in the Rocky Mountain West. They offer writing instruction, workshops, events, and support for writers of kid-lit, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and many other genres. New location: 3844 York St., Denver CO 80205. For more information: Lighthouse Writers Workshop |

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, Agents, craft advice, critique, Karen McChesney, Literacy Program, Motivation, PBParty, Persistence, Picture Books, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI

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by | June 15, 2023 · 5:39 pm

JUST DO IT!

In the middle of March, I began sending my middle-grade time-travel novel out to agents. And as all experienced writers know, the best thing to do when you are waiting for query responses is to work on something else. My “something else” was an idea I got from a friend after we attended Andrea Wang’s intensive at the RMC-SCBWI Letters and Lines conference last September. (https://www.rondibooks.com/the-stories-hidden-inside-you/) But even though I had a “Beat Sheet” outline from Save the Cat for the Novel by Jessica Brody, I hadn’t written a single word of the story. Luckily, after an animated conversation with my friend and teacher, award-winning author Sarah Aronson (https://saraharonson.com/), I decided to sign up for her eight-week online Highlights class, JUST DO IT – Your Collaborative Support Group for Finishing Your Draft. Sarah would be co-teaching this class with the incredibly articulate and inspirational author and coach, Chris Tebbetts. (https://christebbetts.com/). It sounded like the perfect way to get this book started.

If you have ever done NANOWRIMO (The National Novel Writing Month-long challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days) you know the joy of writing fast. Just Do It! has a similar premise. It focuses on a creating a daily writing practice with many extra goodies thrown in. The formal part of the class is a one hour Zoom on Wednesday nights where Sarah and Chris give informative presentations on craft. Only there is so much more. Whether you are working on a picture book or a young adult novel, there are writing sprint sessions every day at a variety of times, morning prompts, and inspirational quotes. There are accountability groups, Discord channels for discussion and sharing, and OPEN MIKES! We also received videos and slides and oodles of handouts. But the best part of these two months was being part of a supportive writing community. Our class had over fifty participants from across North America, two guest speakers, and many Highlights staff members coordinating logistics behind the scenes. I felt like I was at a two-month writing retreat without leaving my house.

So, you may ask, after weeks of diligently sitting  at my computer, did I finish my draft? Unfortunately, the answer is no. A variety of expected, and unexpected, life cycle events collided right smack in the middle of the eight weeks. However, I did write 24,000 words, which is probably half the book, right? And more importantly, I am now totally immersed in the world of my new story. I wake up every morning with character traits, plot twists, and image systems rolling around in my brain. And after my recent critique with Sarah, I am considering all kinds of possibilities. I am in the zone!

But there’s more. The virtual writing sprints will continue through the summer which should help me pound out the next 24,000 words. Also, my accountability group is planning to keep meeting on a regular basis. We are committed to cheering each other on to the finish line. But here is my biggest takeaway – the greatest change in my writing process: I am way much more comfortable with integrating the concepts of “discovery and play” into my drafting. I have also found the courage to silence my internal editor. (One person in my accountability group has named her IE and repeatedly tells her to stop talking. I now do the same thing and it is phenomenal.) I am finally accepting the fact that plot changes happen when your characters come to life on the page. And although my “Beat Sheet” has been dramatically modified, my themes are stronger and my main character’s true wants and needs are clearer to me. It’s funny, but along with me just doing it, my characters are just doing it, too! And I can’t wait to see what they do next.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, another Just Do It! class is being offered by Sarah and Chris this fall. You can sign up here: https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/just-do-it-your-collaborative-support-group-for-finishing-your-draft-fall/

 

 

 

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Filed under 2023, craft advice, Main character, Middle Grade, Motivation, Persistence, Revision process, Rondi Frieder, WORD NERD

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by | June 4, 2023 · 1:32 pm

Middle-Grade Novels that Address Climate Change

Climate change is on the minds of everyone, including our children. Ellen Herbst, a UCSF psychiatrist and mother of two, suggests that the climate crisis is impacting the mental health of children and adolescents. She explains that children are, appropriately, being educated about climate change in many schools and learning about it in the news. But they are not necessarily given the coping skills to handle the devastating and anxiety-producing information. https://magazine.ucsf.edu/helping-kids-cope-with-climate-change-anxiety

There is a new trend in middle-grade fiction in which thoughtful, well-written novels for children address the climate crisis. The books vary widely, sometimes set in the future and detailing the effects of climate change on the characters’ lives or set in the present day and focusing on real climate change situations that children face. But all the novels offer students hope that they can face a challenge and make a difference. Most importantly, they all highlight that the values of family, friendship, and working together will always endure.

Fiction allows people to imagine themselves in different situations and these books allow children to see themselves making a contribution. Instead of feeling hopeless and that the situation is out of their control, these books can help ease anxiety as students read how the creative, thoughtful, and brave characters work to solve problems and change the world.

One Small Hop by Madelyn Rosenberg (Scholastic Press, 2021)
This novel finds a balance of humor, adventure, and a glimpse into the future and the effects of global warming. It is set in the not-so-distant future when global warming has made the world a very different place. Ahab and his friends risk the polluted waters of the ocean, which is now devoid of life, and go to an off-limits island and find a real, live bullfrog. It is possibly one of the last bullfrogs alive.
After an internet search, Ahab convinces the rest of his friends to embark on a bicycle journey to unite their frog with another frog. Their adventure is hilarious, exciting, and alarming. It teaches the kids that hope is alive and that they can make a difference. Author Madelyn Rosenberg builds an all-too-imaginable future ravaged by climate change but also one where a kid can still lean on his friends and work toward a better tomorrow.

Hello from Renn Lake by Michele Weber Hurwitz (Wendy Lamb/Random House, 2020.)
Annalise Oliver is the adopted daughter of a family that has owned lakeside cabins in Renn Lake, Wisconsin for generations. The story, told from the perspective of Annalise, the Lake, and a nearby stream, reinforces the complexity of how climate change affects communities and ecosystems. Annalise’s special relationship with the lake lets her sense what Renn Lake thinks and feels.
A harmful algae bloom emerges and begins to cover the lake and Annalise can no longer hear the voice of the lake. The lake is closed to human activity, which threatens the livelihoods of her family and the town. Annalise and her friends use research, ingenuity, and community organization to take action and save the lake. As the community supports the children’s work, everyone learns important lessons about working together and listening to nature.

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone (G.P. Putnam, 2022)
In this novel, Mary Kate Murphy participates in a unique science program focused on climate change. The class opens her eyes to many things she had never noticed before about her small suburban town: Kids throw away tons of food at school, adults drive ozone-depleting vehicles, people buy clothes they don’t need, and the birds in the local preserve seem distressed. Complicating the situation, her best friend is plagued with a mysterious illness.
The class tries to bring their concerns to the mayor who isn’t willing to listen to new ideas for addressing any of the pressing issues. Frustrated and fired up, Mary Kate and her classmates take matters into their own hands and work to bring lasting change to their community and beyond.

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee (Aladdin/Simon and Shuster, 2022.)
Haven Jacobs is a twelve-year-old girl who is unable to stop thinking about the climate crisis. Her anxiety about the state of the planet begins to interfere with her schoolwork, friendships, and even her sleep. She can’t stop worrying about why adults aren’t trying to solve the problems.
Haven’s social studies teacher challenges students to find a specific way to address environmental issues and she focuses on the annual science class project at the local river. Her brother tells her about the frogs he loved when he did the project several years before. But when Haven and her classmates get to the river, there’s no sign of the frogs —but there is evidence of pollution. The only thing that has changed near the river is the opening of a new factory. Haven is challenged to work with her community to make changes that benefit everyone.

Global Warning by Steven B. Frank (Clarion/HarperCollins, 2023)
A group of 12-year-old friends concerned about climate change propose a new way to save the earth– crafting a new amendment to the United States Constitution. Their project sends them on a journey through America and Norway as they take steps to save the planet. Sixth grader Sam Warren and his friends think that climate change is too pressing to ignore. Adults don’t seem to be up to the challenge of real change, but the kids know their futures depend on action now.
With a little help from some enlightened adults, the friends draft an amendment to the Constitution that protects the plane, passes it in Congress, and changes the hearts and minds across the country to get it ratified! Although the scenario in the book is very unlikely, the book challenges students to think big to make their voices heard.

A wonderful resource for book lists of middle-grade novels is a blog written by Afoma called https://readingmiddlegrade.com/blog/ For even more suggestions, check it out!

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