Tag Archives: CRAFT

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 | February 3, 2023 · 6:09 pm

Change of Scene (and genre)

It’s been a tough writing year for me. And by tough writing, I mean no writing.

 

Which isn’t actually true.

 

While my work on my middle grade fantasy novels stalled (basically completely) which makes me feel like I am not writing at all, I did start co-writing a series with one of my amazing critique partners, Samantha Cohoe. We’ve written two novels so far, including setting aside time, limiting distractions, and writing 30,000 words combined in only three days.

 

So my no writing, looks very much like being quite productive after all.

 

What are some of the not-so-secret secrets to our success?

  • Meeting genre-expectations: We’re writing mysteries with a light romance touch to it. That gives us a structure and a framework. We need a body. Someone to have actually done the deed. Other suspects who could have reasonably murdered our dearly departed character. A hot person of interest who our main character wants to get close to but something is keeping them apart. Knowing things we have to include to meet the expectations of reader in this genre give us a bunch of scene and character ideas. Which leads me to…
  • Bookends: We usually know roughly where the book will start but importantly, we know how it ends. We know the climax scene and the basics of how our main character will discover the true killer. But what to write?
  • A runway: Rather than calling it an outline, we start laying out the scenes of the book and developing a ‘runway’ – and once we have enough runway, just like at your local airport, we take off! Calling it a runway vs. an outline feels lighter, and also removes some of the pressure. And takes us out of a singularly linear approach. Because we runway…
  • Front to back and back to front: Our runway starts at the beginning-ish – and then usually somewhere around the middle, we hop around to our end scene (which as I said, we already know), and then we work back toward the middle again. Layering in, fleshing out, leading us to our destination, tightening and weaving as we go. But what’s the most important syllable in that sentence?
  • Collaboration: WE are writing a book. WE are brainstorming together. WE are counting on each other to get the thing done. Whichever one of us has the most energy helps motivate the other, and WE go back and forth on who is cheerleading who. And we have a built-in audience and readership – each other! Which also means we have more than one opinion to take into consideration, so it’s important that we decided…
  • We will not be too precious: We made an explicit agreement that we’re not going to be rigid in our thinking or in our demands. If something isn’t really crucially critically important to us, and the other person has a different opinion… we bend. We move on. We find a third option we can both dig. Something like that. There is basically no hill that we’re going to die on. And when the other person has a way to make a scene funnier, a line tighter – we take it. Take the edit. Make it better. Two heads are better than one.

 

This experiment/experience has been a real game changer for me. Having someone else count on my productivity keeps me to deadlines. Writing in a completely different genre has opened a brand new well of creativity.

 

Have you switched it up? What changes have you made that have inspired you and worked well for your writing?

 

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by | June 6, 2022 · 12:20 pm

Revising OUT LOUD!

By Rondi Sokoloff Frieder

Ever since I made the decision to become a serious writer, members of my family have asked me to edit their writing projects. I have said yes to college essays, business presentations, and even a Master’s thesis. But before I ever agree to do this, I always require the writer use one important self-editing tool – they must read their work out loud! They can read it alone in a quiet room or give a dramatic performance for the dog. It doesn’t matter, as long as they do it. This may sound like a common revision strategy to those of you who have been writing for a long time. But believe me, many people skip this step.

You can begin by reading whatever you have written out loud to yourself. It’s amazing how helpful this is, particularly for creating snappy dialogue and getting rid of repetitive words. You should also record yourself using the Voice Memo app on your phone and then listen back. I use this for first pages and sections with high tension. If you are writing a picture book, listening to yourself read the manuscript  will give you a good sense of rhythm, flow, and word choice.

It is also helpful to have someone from your critique group read your story out loud to you. This will help you hear how easily the book can be read by a parent, teacher, or child. But if you are writing something longer, you may want to have your computer read to you.

That’s right, your computer can read!  If you use “Microsoft Word,” this tool can be found in the “Review” section. Just click on “Review” and look for the “Read Aloud” icon in the top menu bar. Most versions allow you to adjust the speed and gender of the voice. I must warn you though, the voice of this reader is quite flat. There will be no emotion expressed, except for a slight shift when the computer comes to a question mark. If this monotone voice annoys you, there are other programs that have more versatility. My son recently bought one called Speechify. Speechify gives you the choice of a variety of voices and accents and has a much more human tone.

Despite its lack of intonation, I find the Microsoft Word “Read Aloud” feature surprisingly helpful. My middle grade novels range from 40,000 to 60,000 words. It would be almost impossible to have another person read an entire book out loud to me. And when you read to yourself, you miss things. Your brain is ahead of your voice and you are much more focused on plot, rather than word choice and repetition. I just finished having my computer read my latest WIP  before sending the manuscript out to my critique group.

 

 

 

Here’s what happened:

  1. I eliminated 4,000 words. Seriously, 4,000!!!! Many were words I used too much throughout the manuscript, or used too many times on a page. The biggest culprits were: I mean, that, you know, today, right, around, about, on, up, down, back, really, but, pull, nod, smile.
  2. I got rid of unnecessary sentences. One of my worst habits is saying something is going to happen and then have it happen. The actual action is almost always enough.
  3. I got rid of entire paragraphs that DID NOT move the story forward. These were often over-descriptions of a setting or character, or a conversation that went on for too long.
  4. I omitted adjectives, especially colors, sizes of things, and over-descriptions of food.
  5. I tightened up punctuation,  eliminating and adding commas, and getting rid of exclamation points!!!!

I also added things:

  1. I enhanced emotional reactions to action, but made sure they were not overly physical.
  2. I added details that clarified information for the reader. Sometimes, these things were in my mind, but not on the page.
  3. I made sure that changes to the story were consistent throughout the manuscript, especially when I eliminated characters.
  4. I added small words that I had accidentally left out, particularly a, the, in, on, to.
  5. This story used to be in past tense, but I switched it to present. When the computer read it to me, I picked up on places I missed making the changes!

As you probably know, this is not the final version of my book. I will be getting another round of feedback from my critique partners in early July.  And after I review their comments, and input the suggestions that resonate, the dog and I will settle back into my studio and have that Microsoft Word lady read the book to me again . OUT LOUD, OF COURSE!

Authors note: I used the “Read Aloud” feature for this blog!

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Filed under 2022, Computer tricks, craft advice, critique, Revision process, Rondi Frieder, WORD NERD

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by | October 15, 2021 · 2:20 pm

Why you should invest in coaching as a writer or illustrator

Bill Gates said in 2020 — “Everyone needs a coach. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a basketball player, a tennis player, a gymnast, or a bridge player.” But let’s finish that sentence.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a writer. Or an illustrator. Or both.

Everyone needs a coach.

If you don’t immediately agree with me (or Bill) here are some benefits for you to consider. And if you do already agree with me, and are a member of the RMC-SCBWI, head right on over to read specifically about the Michelle Begley Mentor Program, a six month program that offers great value for investment, which I am thrilled to co-coordinate this year with Laura Perdew. The application is open until November 9, 2021 and this year we are offering a scholarship courtesy of the Writing Roosters and two grants!

 

Ongoing Critique and Feedback

I am part of two wonderful critique groups that meet regularly, yet working with a mentor is still a unique experience because *your work* and *your craft* are the entire focus of the conversation. Together you discuss your vision and over the course of multiple months, you bring that vision to light.

 

Improve your current work in progress

First and foremost, your mentor will work with you on a manuscript (or illustration portfolio) that you’ve been working on. As established professionals, they bring their expertise to your work and will help you develop it to be as strong as it can be. In my own mentorship with Anna-Maria Crum as my mentor, she helped me rework my plot and character motivation – my inciting incident was buried way down deep in my manuscript, and this reorganization immediately made my work stronger.

 

Improve your craft going forward

There will be countless elements of what your mentor points out in your work that you will be able to carry forward for years to come. Two personal examples — I learned about some of the weaknesses in my plot (build stronger motivation for action – no coincidences!) as well as in my dialogue (make sure my characters react to what is said as opposed to making unrealistic leaps in the conversation because the lines sound cool). It opened up my eyes not only to what I could improve in the novel we were discussing, but what I could carry over to every scene I’ve crafted since.

 

Coaches can help you set realistic goals

Our mentors have been there, done that, but the fact is that every artistic creator is different. A mentor can talk through your process and experience and help you set goals for your work – goals that are within your control and that you will meet during the course of the six months. Which leads us right to…

 

Having a coach is motivating

Coaches give you deadlines. They are there, waiting and expecting for you to work with them. They are looking forward to seeing your progress. And having that built in accountability can do wonders.

 

***

There are many other reasons to have a coach, and many personal experiences about successful mentor/mentee relationships. Read testimonials here about what others have gotten out of the Michelle Begley Mentor program, and share in the comments some of the benefits you have experienced in working with a mentor (or being a mentor!).

And consider securing a mentor of your own through the Michelle Begley Mentor Program. The application is open until November 9, 2021.

 

**Reading this after 11/9/21? Join us next time – the application period for the Michelle Begley Mentor Program is typically October through November 1.

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Filed under Coral Jenrette, craft advice, critique, Revision process, RMC-SCBWI

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by | September 19, 2021 · 5:39 am

Highlights of Highlights!

By Rondi Sokoloff Frieder

I have very strong childhood memories of getting the Highlights for Children magazine in the mail. First of all, it was mail – for me! (And my brothers, but mostly for me.)  I’d spot it on the kitchen counter, whisk it off to my bedroom, and immediately turn to the hidden pictures page. Then I’d search and search until I found every last rake, spoon, ice cream cone, and whatever else was listed at the bottom of the page! Today, Highlights publishes entire workbooks of these puzzles. They even have an app.

The first issue of Highlights magazine came out in 1946 and was published by the Pennsylvanian husband-and-wife team – Garry Cleveland Meyers and Caroline Clark. These days, the company’s corporate headquarters is  based in Columbus, Ohio, and includes Zaner-Bloser, Stenhouse Publishers, and Staff Development for Educators. But there’s another arm of the organization you may not know about – The Highlights Foundation. This is a 501 c-3 non-profit, established in 1984, that offers “workshops, retreats, and other support to writers, illustrators, and all creators of kid-friendly content.” (For a quick history of the company, go to: https://www.highlights.com/about-us/history.) The Foundation was established in 1984  in Chautauqua NY, but is now located in an idyllic rural setting in Honesdale, PA. George Brown, a descendant of Garry and Caroline, is its dynamic Executive Director.

During the pandemic, I took two of the Foundation’s classes online: “Filling the Writer’s Toolbox” with Emma Dryden, and “DIY Revision for your Novel or Non-Fiction” with Susan Campbell Bartoletti. But in August, after being prodded by my writing coach and award-winning author Sarah Aronson, and fellow Story Spinner and RMC-SCBWI Regional Advisor, Susan Wroble, I attended my first in-person event. And even though I am not a fan of mosquitos, ticks, humidity, or frizzy hair, this truly was the “highlight” of my summer.

“The Whole Novel Workshop,” was a six-day intensive for writers of MG and YA fiction. It differed from my other two classes in that it required an application. That meant submitting the first fifteen pages of my MG manuscript, a synopsis, and a cover letter. When my acceptance arrived, I literally whooped and hollered to the dog! Only that’s when the real work began. Not only would I be working on my revision during the workshop, I would also be receiving an in-depth critique of my full manuscript (from the brilliant, hilarious, and award-winning author, Crystal Allen) before I even arrived on campus. There were also three Zoom meetings with our  group (twenty participants and ten faculty), two books to read (one YA novel, one on craft), and partial manuscripts, synopses, and cover letters to read from the members of our assigned “Brain Trust” group (7-8 people). We used the Canvas platform to introduce ourselves (and our pets) and to explore writing prompts, articles, and podcasts. Needless to say, “The Whole Novel Workshop” could have been called “The Whole Summer Workshop!”

Finally, on August 21, the big day arrived. I pulled up to my home for the week, “#16,” the Jane Yolen cabin! (OMG – how did they know???) and basked in the beauty of my surroundings. There was a lovely front porch, with windows overlooking a wooded glen, a bookshelf filled with Jane’s books, posters on the wall, and an owl perched on the rafters. (I love OWL MOON!)

                .                                 

That evening, we all gathered for the start of what can only be described as a week of serious work, tremendous growth, and pure joy. There were craft workshops, thought-provoking morning prompts, critiques, time to write (alone or in community), Brain Trust groups (45-minute discussions about your manuscript led by YOU), one-on-one discussions, interviews with your main character (conducted by the dramatic Crystal!), pristine walks, and time to think about and work through your revision ideas. And the food! Ask anyone who has attended a Highlights workshop and they will definitely talk about the food. The chefs and servers prepare gourmet works of art three times a day, with snacks available twenty-four seven!

I could talk about this magical week for hours. (And believe me, I have.) Instead, here’s a  stream-of-consciousness recap:

Know who your audience is and what your character really wants. (So true, Rob.) Emotion drives action. Look for the fractals. (Jennifer) Journal until you’ve figured things out and do the swirlies. (Sarah) Discuss ideas with fellow novelists. (We love talking about these things, right Nora?!) Go for long walks. (Thanks for being our guide, George.) Play with tense and POV and balance dialogue, narrative, and description by using colored pens. (Nancy) Get rid of unnecessary characters. (Find your orderly, get rid of the priest- Crystal) Try new plotting tools. (Can’t wait to use yours, Erin.) Writing prompts open your mind to new possibilities! (Yes, Melissa!) No writing is wasted time. (More Melissa) Don’t be afraid of marketing. (I will be in touch, Mia.) And other assorted other words of wisdom: Pay attention to your secondary characters. It’s all about voice. Play and think in the rock garden. Be open about making changes. Make writer friends and support their work. (Miss you all!)

And of course… Keep going!

Our incredible faculty rocked it EVERY DAY and worked alongside us. (There was an open mike night on our last evening… WOW!) Endless thanks to: Crystal Allen, Sarah Aronson, Nora Shalaway Carpenter, Rob Costello, Erin Dionne, Mia Garcia, Jennifer Jacobsen, Erin Entrada Kelly, Alex Villasante, Nancy Werlin, Melissa Wyatt . Can you believe this line-up? I am still in awe of each and every one of them.

You must go to Highlights. (Even with the mosquitoes, ticks, and frizzy hair.) Put it on your to-do list. Right now. highlightsfoundation.org/upcoming/workshops.

I can’t wait to go back.

 

 

 

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Filed under craft advice, critique, Partners in Literacy, Revision process, Rondi Frieder, Susan Wroble

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by | August 4, 2020 · 6:57 pm

I WRITE, BECAUSE…

I write because it’s my

rock,

church,

wrinkles,

pain,

loudest laugh,

amid deep doubt

on mornings when I’m convinced the birds are singing,

“scrap it, stick with vacuuming.”

Second chance,

even when revision and I aren’t getting along.

Need for risks,

such fun to throw terrible twists at my characters.

Addiction to curiousity

and what, where, when, why,

by the way, how the heck did my research lead to the story of the chef who made the world’s largest dumpling,

and then on to 10 synonyms for said

that I’ll delight in using way too many times.

Decisions,

as complex as Colorado weather

and a one word sentence.

Seeing through lotsa lenses,

each a chance to make metaphors,

as like

and like as.

One what if after what if,

navigating the creative mess I’ve made.

Commitment to writing The End.

Reminder to trust

and hope,

oh, please, may my 10 years of revising

90,000 words make some sense!

I admit, it’s often my desperate attempt to whittle, whittle away at a chunk of wood

seeking the perfect knot

that I want to sand, buff, stain,

repeat;

and often, it’s a return to my rebellious teen,

sneaking up the stairs after curfew

with secrets of my doings deep in my Levi’s pocket;

and often, it’s my science lab,

experimenting with wit,

but, ending up with the same result,

me laughing at my same corny ideas.

Raw truth,

much, much better than any mirror.

Every wee fear,

including those I haven’t met.

Pillow and blanket,

especially when I want to hide from characters that I can’t bear to inform:

“I don’t know if you would laugh or cry over this matter.”

Giddy childhood,

when my four brothers and I wrapped towels around our necks

and raced our bikes two miles to the public pool,

competing all day for the biggest cannon ball splash

and finding enough coins on the concrete to buy Baby Ruth’s and lemon drops.

Freedom,

flying down a mountain on my bicycle at 40 mph,

hearing only air,

only!

Tuner,

honing in on how-to’s,

like my character’s nervous habit,

or, whether she should whine, sigh or snicker.

Adrenaline rush,

when rarely, oh so rarely,

six sentences in a row,

flow,

flow,

as if my character is in charge.

Admission

to the humbling fact,

yes, my characters will lead,

if you would listen,

they’d love to whisper:

“Get your ego out of the way, god damnit!”

Shower,

making sure I scrub deep, bid farewell to the filth and start all over.

Challenge

that wakes, sparks and jests me,

like when I hide dark chocolate in the freezer,

yet, keep avoiding, avoiding

till I must have a bite,

and then, you know what happens next,

I eat the whole bar!

Shovel,

reminding me: dig up, dig up, dig up the muck,

more,

more,

because, beneath is the real stuff, THE story,

arriving at an unexpected reality sign:

“welcome to the story you never knew you were telling!”

My rescue crew,

always ready with a

hug,

wisdom,

feedback,

nudge,

prayer,

a plethora of ideas,

edits,

commas,

periods.

Fresh baked paper

just out of the oven,

ready for my pen to

dabble,

let go,

forgive,

say hello,

how are ya,

goodbye

to mom, dad, brothers, best buds.

Stories

I write,

because,

I always have.

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Filed under Karen McChesney, Main character, Revision process, Uncategorized, WORD NERD

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