Make Research Pay: Turn “leftover” ideas into nonfiction children’s magazine articles

Do you groan whenever anybody suggests that your story needs more research?
Does the idea of diving into books and Wikipedia pages, old newspapers or archives bring back nightmares from high school, college, or some other period in your life?

I've been doing a lot of research lately for a chapter book I'm writing that takes place in medieval Egypt.  The subject is fascinating, I love it, but along the way, I've accumulated a ton of information locked up here in my mind... and nowhere to let it out.

Sure, I could write another book.  But I was looking for a quick way to use that information in a way that could help my career as a children's writer.  So I sold it to a kids' magazine, and now those ideas will have new life and reach a lot more kids than my book probably will.

The Problem with Research

I want to explain how, but let's back up a step or two for a second to talk about research overall -- and then I'll share some ideas for how you can make your research pay.

Even if you love writing, heck, even if you love how research gives your writing more depth and authenticity, you probably know at least three things about research already:
1) It's a lot of work - even if you love the topic
2) It eats up a lot of time - especially if you wind up going down all kinds of rabbit holes, as always happens to me
3) You can't just dump all your research into your manuscript or you'll kill readers with boredom!

This last point is most important:  even the most important research isn't always relevant to the story you're telling.  Which means that a lot of research, fascinating as it may be, is going to turn out to be a waste of time.

(This is me, researching my book!)

In this interview with Writers' Digest, Andy Weir, author of The Martian and now Artemis, talks about his in-depth research process.  You can see there how much work he has put into researching every single detail for Artemis, the economics of the moon colony and space travel and whatnot, just like he spent years (while working full-time doing something else!) researching the science of Mars exploration for The Martian.

Dealing with “Leftovers”

Now, if Weir had tried gathering up everything he discovered and tossed it into the story, he wouldn't be the bestselling author he is today. 

So what do you do with everything you find when you research?

Well, you weave it

Read More

Becoming a writer: Why knowing your strengths and weaknesses MATTERS

Are you feeling discouraged and thinking of giving up?  Or maybe you’re thinking about writing something but you just can’t get started?  Maybe you figure it won’t come out right – so why even bother.  Does any of that sound like you?

Maybe you just don’t know what you’re good at.

I talk a lot on this site about not just writing a book (just one book?) but about becoming a writer – looking at writing as a career (even if you already have a career!).  And part of becoming a writer is figuring out what you’re great at doing… and what doesn’t come so easily for you.

I think I’m good at writing – but when it comes to marketing, which is a big part of being a writer today (like it or not), I don’t think that’s one of my strengths.  What about you?

What are you super-good at?  I bet you know already, but maybe you haven’t spent enough time basking in it.  This could be something you’ve heard from a whole bunch of people.  Maybe you’re secretly proud but don’t want to seem like you’re gloating.

Take the time to enjoy your strengths.  In the table below, you’ll find a bunch of different writing tasks and you’ll have a chance to see exactly how many things you are probably quite good at doing.

Unfortunately, unlike in many careers, you can’t just work on a sub-specialty and ignore the rest.  You will eventually have to deal with everything I’ve listed in the table below – and then some.  But there are some very good reasons to go into writing with your eyes open – with a keen awareness of your own strengths and weaknesses.

Why figure out your strengths?

Identifying your strengths makes you feel good about yourself!  I’m not big into self-esteem just for self-esteem’s sake.  But if you genuinely ARE good at something, you deserve

Read More

The seriously YOLO guide for children’s book writers and other grown-ups.

If you were around the Internet a couple of years ago, you probably came across the sleazy wad of letters that is “YOLO.”

It stands for “You Only Live Once,” and it’s basically an updated take on “carpe diem.”  Kids essentially used it to justify doing crazy and impulsive things in the name of enjoying their one and only go-round on this earth. 

But maybe you’re wondering how it can help us, as writers, and grownups, who are not so impulsive.

Even now, a few years after its heyday, the #YOLO hashtag is still alive and well on Twitter:

Life regret of the day. Eating a chocolate waffle for breakfeast. I Feel sick!! #YOLO

— jarryd hayne (@jarrydhayne_1) June 6, 2015

and

@HayesGrier even if the rumor of you "smoking weed" is true why should I care live a little bruh your 15 in like an hour #yolo

— Happy Birthday Hayes (@wolfmagcon) June 8, 2015

and

So I've come to the decision I'm gonna just wing it rather than stress on finals! #YOLO

— Hayden Craig (@HaydenCraig82) June 8, 2015

 

Basically, if you see the YOLO hashtag, you’ll know the person’s doing something you probably wouldn’t do.

But why should teenagers have all the fun, and keep what’s actually kind of a great meme all to themselves?  Let’s take YOLO back and claim it for children’s authors everywhere. 

How can YOU channel the “spirit of YOLO” to help yourself succeed as a writer? 

Read More

Beyond ABC and 123: 5 easy themes you can use to write picture books.

Do you love the light in the tiniest kids' eyes when they listen to a picture book?

"Theme" books, like ABC's and 123's are time-tested favourites for a reason.  The very youngest readers (and listeners) love seeing familiar patterns and concepts - numbers, letters, colours, shapes, sizes.  What would be deathly dull for us, as adults, is absolutely the hottest thing with little kids.

Lots of writers make the mistake of trying to mix things up for very young readers.  You have to keep them entertained, right?

Wrong.  Instead, make your life easier and try one of these five familiar themes.

Of course, if you want to sell parents on your idea, you'll still have to make it original to some degree.  But remember that it doesn't have to be all that original to charm buyers and knock little kids' socks off. 

A lesson about kids – from Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell showed in his fantastic book, The Tipping Point, that when little kids had a choice, they would watch the EXACT SAME episode of the TV show Blue’s Clues every day for an entire week. 

Even the show’s creators were shocked. 

Not only were kids NOT bored, they were more excited and engaged every single time they saw the episode.

Read More

Stuck for starters? Viral story starters from 3 kids’ best-sellers.

How should you start your story?  Every children’s book editor and agent will tell you:  the action needs to begin on Page One.

But hey, isn’t that a little unfair?  What if you have a great idea, but you need to take a few pages to get to it?  Shouldn’t the reader be patient and bear with you? 

The cold hard truth is that today’s readers won’t, and neither will today’s book-buying parents and grandparents.  Your story has to hook us on Page One if you want anyone to invest their time and read any further.

What does that mean for today’s writer (that means you)?  It means starting your story in the middle of the action.  (In Latin, if you want to get fancy, that’s called in media res.)

Let’s see how some of today’s hottest-selling kids’ books do it.  Take a peek at what’s flying off the virtual shelves at Amazon:

Viral Bestseller #1:  The Day the Crayons Quit

Take a look at the current bestseller The Day the Crayons Quit, by Drew Daywalt, illustrated by Oliver Jeffers.  How does it start?

“One day in class, Duncan went to take out his crayons and found a stack of letters with his name on them.”

Read More

Does it take crude and rude to get a kids book published? GUEST POST by Nikki Aksamit

How is it that a children's book series about a flatulating dog is in every library, every bookstore in the U.S., but one that explains difficult subjects such as death, cancer and bullying to young kids may never be read, or reach a bookstore shelf?

  Why does a series about a boy and his garbage eating pet fly scream out in all its Technicolor glory from the shelf of the "my first reader section" at my local library, but books that give young kids clear answers to their tough questions sit unpublished on the author's hard drive?

Are we shielding our kids?

Do we think young kids should be shielded from "uncomfortable" topics? Do we think children under a certain age "can't handle" the subject matter? Do we think it's better to entertain than to educate until children reach school age? Or does crudeness sell more books?

Read More

What's your story REALLY about? (Hint: forget the forest, just show us a tree.)

I’ve figured out how to get rich.  What’s the secret, you’re wondering?

I’m going to make folks hand over a nickel every time they say:

• “I’ve written (or I’m writing) a story about bullying.“
• “It’s a kids’ story all about grief.”
• “This is my book about divorce and/or remarriage and/or gay families.”
• “It’s an illustrated picture book about eating right.”
• “I’m writing a story about consideration / politeness / good manners.”

You get the idea.  These are all great concepts, each and every one.  But they are also all lousy kids’ stories.

The truth is, they’re not stories at all. 

Because a story is not about the great big FOREST that is your concept.  A story is about the tiny, individual trees that live in the forest.

Finding the trees in the forest

Have you made this mistake?  I know I have. 

Read More

55 juicy story starters to light up your story the campfire way

Stuck for inspiration?  Try writing your story the campfire way.

Have you ever built a campfire?

Maybe you know the trick already:  you don’t start by taking huge logs and setting them ablaze.  That would never work. 

You start with tinder, small fluffy things that are nothing like the fire you want to create.  From tinder, you work your way up to kindling - bigger things that also catch fire easily.  Once you’ve got some momentum going, THEN (and only then) can you start burning the real stuff:  twigs, and eventually, small branches, and only then… are you ready to set fire to some logs.

That’s how stories work, too.  Even if you want to write a HUGE story, you have to start small.

There are so many big ideas out there, waiting to be written down, that it can seem overwhelming.  So don’t set out to write about the BIG ideas.  Small ideas – whether from your own imagination or from story starters like these – are the tinder that will set your story ablaze. 

That’s where these 55 story starters listed here come in.  These 55 small ideas can help you set fire to millions of stories… if you let them.

Read through the lists.  If one or two don’t click, just move on.  If you get to the end of the list and you haven’t found one… I’ll give you a list of random generators for millions more ideas that just might inspire you instead.

Deal?

Let’s get sparking those stories!

Read More

Building an author mailing list: PART 2, Calls to action.

 

You know you want one.  You know you NEED one.  But how do you GET one in the first place?

(If you’re not convinced yet, go back and read Part 1 of this 3-part series to find out why you need an author mailing list.  And then take a look at Part 3, which takes you through the (super-easy) steps to get started.)

The best way to build your mailing list is… to let readers know it exists.

Sounds simple, right?

But are you doing it?  The way to do it right is with a call to action at the back of your book.  Calls to action are known as CTA in the marketing business, so that’s what I’m going to call them here.

Notice I said marketing business.  Lots of writers feel kind of slimy when they think about marketing.  If you do, that’s something you’ll have to get over.

A back-of-book CTA should be super-simple.  This is a two-step format that every reader will recognize:

Read More

Building an author mailing list: PART 1, Do you need one?

Do you need an author mailing list?  Yes, you do.

Seriously.  You need a mailing list, period.

This is Part 1 of a 3-part series that will convince you that you do.  And prove that it’s super-easy to get started.  Part 2 will show you how to get readers to sign up, and Part 3 is the nitty-gritty how-to (but don’t worry, it’s easy to get started).

If things were different, if Amazon and other sites told you who was buying your stuff, or gave you access to their information, then I might not think you need a mailing list at all.  Then again, do you want those sites to control your relationship with readers?

Didn’t think so.

Amazon is not your friend.  Amazon wants to suck your buyers in, then grab their info so they can sell them other writers’ books. 

Pretty nasty, huh?  So that means you’ve got to look out for yourself.  (Not to mention that you may want to sell through other sites, besides Amazon.)

Still, you might not understand exactly why you need a mailing list.  Maybe one of these sounds like you…

Read More

Holidays overwhelming you? Here are 3 easy ways to jingle readers’ bells.

How can you even think about writing with a holiday coming up?

Writing may be the last thing on your mind at this time of year.  So let’s get right to the point with three quick MUSTS you’ve just got to have in your children’s holiday book.  Don’t worry, they’re simple, too.

It doesn’t matter what holiday, either.  Easter, Chanukah, Shavuot, Eid, they’re all totally different… but the best books have so much in common that you’re going to succeed no matter what you’re writing about.

1) STORY. 

Do you love a great story?  So do kids.  Unless you’re writing nonfiction (and maybe even then), you’ll want to make sure your book has a good, solid story.  That almost always means tension.  Your character shouldn’t just wake up, prepare for the holiday, celebrate the holiday, and go to bed happy.  That’s not a story; it’s a diary entry, and not a very interesting one.

Save your story by giving your character a real problem.

Read More

Idea theft: how safe is your story?

“That’s MINE!”

You can hear the cry in probably every kindergarten in the world… and perhaps every gathering of writers, as well.

Oh, we don’t shout it out loud.  But we THINK it, huddling protectively over our story ideas as though someone was going to steal them if we let them out of our sight for a second.

Well, I hate to break it to you:  you can’t copyright an idea.  You also can’t copyright your book’s title.  The only thing that’s protected by copyright is the story you write – the whole exact story.  (Here’s more on copyright and book titles, if you’re interested.)

But the happy flipside of that is that theft is really rare in the world of children’s writers.  So you can comfortably chat about your story ideas, your titles, or anything else.  Your ideas won’t be stolen, for instance, if you …

• workshop them in a class or course
• submit them to a mainstream publishing company
• talk about them at a party
• work on them on a laptop over a public network, like a coffee shop

Most writers actually have one of two main concerns when it comes to story theft: 

Read More

15 Kindle books under $10 that will help you write a great children’s book… and 3 to skip at any price.

I read a lot of ebooks these days, because we’re about a bazillion miles from the nearest English-language bookstore.  And like always, I love reading… about writing.  But I don’t love spending a ton on writing books.  It makes writing feel like a self-indulgent hobby, an extravagance.  So I’m always on the lookout for cheap, high-quality writing books.
Happily, there are many good books out there for not much money.  But how can you sift through them all and decide which ones are worth even the little that they cost?  Here, I’ve sifted through the cheapest and best I could find to offer you fifteen good ones and three stinkers.

What do I look for in a writing book?

First, here’s what I don’t look for - a few pet peeves I try to avoid, including:

• Generic cover with a typewriter or something writerly that screams, “I’m going to spend all my time turning out a series of a dozen books on writing books… instead of writing books myself.”  Shudder.
• Puns that promise you “the write stuff” or any other pun-ishing approach to writing it “write.”  Groan.
• Books that start by telling you that “some people” think kids’ books are super-easy to write.  We know, we know.  Don’t lead with this – it’s not news.  Blah.
• Out-of-date books that are re-released for Kindle with no new content.  Ugh.

 

Different genres of writing books

Before you buy any book, make sure you know what you’re buying.  The book’s description should tell you clearly what type of book it is:

• Is it a “basics” book that will give prompts and help you actually write the story?
• Is it an “industry overview” book that explains the business of publishing?
• Is it a “nuts and bolts” book that tells you how to get your book ready for a specific format, like Kindle?
• Is it a “promotion” book that shows you how to market a book you’ve already written?

None of these is the WRONG answer, by the way.  You need different books at different points in your life and even different days of the week.  If you’re not sure from the description of the book, be very wary.  Read reviews to try to find out.  Click to see the preview.  If you’re still not clear on what you’re going to get out of the book… give up and try the next one on the list.

The books

So without further ado (dontcha hate when they say “without further adieu…”?), I now present… the books.  I know I promised cheap Kindle books in the headline.  But I’m going to do you an even bigger favour and divide these books up into three price ranges:  super-cheap (under $2), way cheap (under $7) and still pretty cheap (under $10).  Beyond that, the books here appear in no particular order.

Super-cheap (under $2)

#1… $1.99 How To Write a Children's Picture Book by Darcy Pattison (Nov 28, 2013).  A terrific value even at a few bucks more, you cannot go wrong with this detailed book, that gets into the real nitty gritty of the writing and publishing business.  I OWN THIS BOOK.

#2… $0.01 The Business of Writing for Children: An Award-Winning Author's Tips on  Writing Children's Books and Publishing by Aaron Shepard (Mar 25, 2014).  As of this writing, it costs only one cent, way less than what I paid (I think $0.99 or $1.00?).  Buy it!!!  I OWN THIS BOOK.

#3… $0.91 Formatting of Children's Books and Comics for the Kindle, by Charles Spender (November 13, 2012).  The Amazon page for this book now directs you to this site (5th book down in the list) to download a free (& totally legit) copy.  What a nice surprise!  With 35 mostly-positive reviews, and a price tag like this, what are you waiting for?  I OWN THIS BOOK (now).

Way cheap (under $7)

#4… $2.83 The Easy Way to Write Picture Books That Sell by Robyn Opie Parnell (Oct 20, 2013).  Not my favourite, because I didn’t really click with her writing style and the book was a little basic for me.  She’s very enthusiastic, though – if slightly redundant in her advice.  This one is high on confidence but low on technical details.  A great suggestion if you’re just starting out.  I OWN THIS BOOK.

#5… $4.99 The Children's Writer's Guide by Simon Rose (Sep 22, 2013).  This one also falls into the category of good books for beginners, dealing with issues like naming your characters, turning ideas into stories, making time to write, dealing with rejection (important!) and more.  For under $5, it’s like a writing course in easy portable ebook form.

#6… $4.59 A Self-Publisher's Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish by Joel Friedlander (Mar 24, 2011).  The only non-kids’-book specific book you’ll find on this list (and similarly, the only non-kids’-book-related blog on my blogroll, for the same reason).  If you ever hope to self-publish, Friedlander won’t steer you wrong.  You’ll get an overview of the publishing industry and what has changed with the advent of ebooks, as well as crucial lists of what self-publishers do wrong and how to fix them.  True, a lot of the pieces are available free on his blog, but come on - $5?  And most have been expertly revised to suit the book form and flow from chapter to chapter.  I OWN THIS BOOK.

#7… $2.87 Picture Books: The Write Way by Laura Salas and Lisa Bullard (November 13, 2013).  Recommended despite the “write” pun in the title.  This book deals with ten BIG problems that writers encounter when their stories meet up with editors for the first time.  It assumes you have a story that is already written and goes through this list of ten biggies step by step.  I love a book this focused and on-task, and as a result, this book is now ON MY WISH LIST.

#8… $6.28 Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly by Gail Carson Levine (August 27, 2013).  You don’t get much more cred than Levine, creator of such books as Ella Enchanted.  Mainly geared towards teaching middle-schoolers how to write, this book has clearly struck a chord with adult writers as well, judging from its positive reviews.  If you consider yourself an expert or advanced writer, this may not be the book for you given its young adult focus.

#9… $3.67 The Busy Writer's Tips on Writing for Children by Marg McAlister (November 22, 2012).  Another one I’d never heard of.  Amazon says the writer, Marg McAlister, has written more than 60 books for children – which may be, but not a single one is listed on Amazon; all they have is her books on writing for writers.  But she’s in Australia, which may explain this, and her own website, writing course, etc., look legit.

Still pretty cheap (under $10)

#10… $7.62 How to Write a Children's Picture Book and Get it Published by Andrea Shavick (July 29, 2011).  I admit, I hadn’t heard of Shavick or her book, but it looks well written enough, and her personal website is professionally done, which tells me that some effort has probably gone into the book as well.  If that sounds like it’s setting the bar pretty low, you should see some of the so-called writing books out there.

#11… $9.38 Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole (Nov 6, 2012).  I love it when bloggers write books!  You can check out their writing and the quality of their advice for free ahead of time.  Mary Kole is a pro in both areas, and this book is ON MY WISHLIST.

#12… $9.17 You Can Write Children's Books by Tracey E. Dils (Sep 10, 2009).  Another one that was new to me, but what an encouraging title.  Lots of great reviews, too, showing that this is a beginner’s guide that may be worth the (under $10) investment just to have on the (virtual) bookshelf.  While I haven’t read this book specifically, the Kindle edition is an update of an earlier book published by Writer’s Digest, so I expect that it is well-produced, slick and upbeat, like most of their other books… a format that was very, very encouraging to me when I was just starting out.

#13… $9.18 The Everything Guide To Writing Children's Books by Lesley Bolton (Dec 1, 2002).  Looks like a solid overview from this company, that publishes “For Dummies” style intro books, and offers a glimpse of the process of creating kids’ books.  Most of the focus is on traditional publishing, with only a brief, discouraging (and perhaps slightly outdated) nod towards self-publishing.

#14… $9.17 The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books by Linda Ashman (September 25, 2013).  With a ton of published kids’ books under her belt, Linda Ashman feels like a writer you can trust.  Plus, blogger Julie Hedlund says it’s full of “juicy goodness”… how can we resist?

#15… Okay, at $10.15, How to Promote Your Children's Book: Tips, Tricks, and Secrets to Create a Bestseller, by Katie Davis (March 22, 2014), is slightly over the promised price point (but then I gave you one free, so go easy on me).  This is one I haven’t read, but it’s on my wish list now for sure.  With 151 positive reviews (in just over a month?!), this book about a much-overlooked area is what I’d call an Important Read.  How about this positive review from Laura Purdie Salas, co-author of Picture Books: The Write Way (see above):  “I blog, Facebook, and do a lot of promotional stuff, including an online book launch, online teacher extension materials, etc. But Katie's book still offered me tons more ideas for things I want to check out”?  Come on… it’s only $0.15 over!  ON MY WISH LIST.

…And 3 to skip unless they’re free

(and even then, probably skip them)

Why avoid these books?  Even a cheap book isn’t free if you think about the time you have to put in reading it.  Why throw your money away on a book that offers you cheap information that you can find either on the writer’s blog or, worse, on someone else’s – because they’ve just ripped it off and/or spun it to create their book.

#1… $4.71 Publish Children's Books - How to Self Publish and Market Your Kids Books by Caterina Christakos (Sep 1, 2013).  See that image of money bags on the cover???  Yeah, that’s you, raking in the dough over your little rhyming nursery story – NOT.  What a weird cover.  At only 18 pages, this is way too short to call a book.  A pamphlet, maybe?  Just from the preview, I can tell that the writer has no clue how to use a comma, and she uses every opportunity to hype her own book, How to Write a Children’s Book in 30 Days or Less! – which, by the way, has many bad reviews and is apparently full of typos.  Her only children’s book visible on Amazon begins with the sentence, “In every baby’s life, their comes the time when they get to meet their very own guardian Angel.”  Groan…

#2…$1.00 Writing Guide: RIGHT FOR KIDS: 333 One Sentence Tips and Tricks on the Art and Business of Writing Picture Books for Children by Tom Skinner (June 29, 2012).  This book is chock full of three hundred and thirty-three one-liners like, “The industry is very competitive and full of talented professionals,” “You can do it!  (With a few tips + bit of study + practice),” and “A picture book is simple.  And simply irresistible.”  Guess whose book I’m resisting very easily right now?  Pretty easy to avoid given that he has a chapter called “COZ HE WOZ.”

#3… $2.88 Writing Books for Children and Youth (Boot Camp for Christian Writers) by Carolyn Tomlin (Dec 19, 2013).  It’s not the religious aspect of this book that turned me off.  It’s the near-illiteracy of its sweeping generalizations (“There are some writers who look at trends – including what topics are being discussed in the media?” “Writers for children’s books would be wise to know the breakdown of the publisher you wish to submit your work”), and the lack of writing cred of the author.  Despite this lack, she offers copious examples – including a full-text excerpt – from her own single children’s book (“Matthew smiled when he thought about all of his different friends.  They all looked different from him.  Some had dark skin, others light.” Can you tell yet that the book is about multiculturalism??  In case you missed it, how about, “On the next block lived Matthew’s African American friend, Lakesia.”?).  And in case you’re looking for a Christian perspective, I couldn’t find any in this book except in the aforementioned excerpt.

*All prices are as of this writing.  Amazon pricing can fluctuate randomly from day to day and even from minute to minute.

Did I forget to include your favourite book?  Let me know in the comments!

Read More

New life for old stories: 3 that have been done to death – and why you should write them anyway.

Searching for new ideas?  Give it up.  There are no new stories… as it says in the book of Ecclesiastes, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” 

But don’t let that worry you.  Here are three books that have been written over and over and over… but which will always be fresh and interesting, with just a little spin.

Read More