artwork by Michelle Haas

New Year's resolutions aren't something I typically cheer about. I end up frowning at the mirror a month later, wondering why those five pounds didn't melt off while I was eating my weight in carrots. That doesn't mean I never make writing goals for myself ... a little nudge, shall we say, to keep me writing all year long. With 2019 just a couple days away, here is a list of writing goals to incorporate in the new year with hopes of improving not just one's writing but one's chance of publication in 2019. Cheers!

Write daily. What I learned from participating in the 2018 NaNoWriMo challenge, and writing 50,000 words in November, is that I must set daily writing goals to truly immerse myself in my writing. It's fine, and even healthy, to take a day or two off between stages of perfecting a manuscript, but it helps to keep that bus a movin' as consistently and often as possible, so as not to lose touch with your characters and plot. Otherwise, you might find yourself having to backtrack and re-read much of your work, just to get back into the rhythm of the story.

Query. As a staff writer for a Pittsburgh newspaper, I really didn't take the time to do much querying of my fiction work over the past several years. I plan to rectify that in 2019. Though the (exhausting) process requires researching viable agents/editors, perfecting the query letter/synopsis/pitch, making sure the submission is truly error-free and follows submission guidelines (which vary widely), etc., it's important to remember that the manuscript or personal essay or poem isn't going to publish itself. If the goal is to publish, you HAVE to eventually take that leap of faith and put it out there.

Organize. With three completed young adult and picture book manuscripts ready for submission, plus an additional three young adult WIPs and one women's fiction WIP, I'd be a dolt not to organize my queries. Don't annoy your favorite agent by inadvertently sending a second query, for the same work, because you didn't keep track of your submissions. There are many ways of organizing your queries. I used to use a basic notebook, handwriting in every submission with contact info, date, response, etc. This past spring, I developed an Excel spreadsheet that allows me to keep a digital record. Here's my query template. Feel free to use/alter. Writer's Digest has also created a number of excellent writing tracker spreadsheets, available for free download here.

Save. Saving your manuscript only on your computer is risky business. My husband finds it hilarious that I have a sizeable box of USB flash drives with every copy of everything I've ever written. I keep one such flash drive in a location outside my home. Another option, something I intend to do in the new year, is to upload files to an external hard drive or cloud storage using Google Docs or Dropbox or the like. Periodically emailing recent copies of WIP files to yourself, or a trusted other, may also suffice. I've done that with recent work, but none of my older files. Again, risky business. If your home office goes up in flames or computer crashes, you want to be able to retrieve your work digitally, somehow.

Read what you write. In 2019, I plan to read at least two books a month in my writing genre. Since I write mostly picture books, young adult and (just recently) women's fiction, I must make time to read books in those genres. Read. Read. Read ... what works, what doesn't work, and everything in between. You will be a better writer for it.

Write what you love. I love reading epic fantasy but have never tried my hand at it, because the world-building seems like it would be beyond my capability. If you love reading a particular genre, but have never given it a go, maybe 2019 is the year to get out of your comfort zone and write what you love.

Finish. I won't lie. Two of my WIPs began their journey over five years ago. I'm about 150 pages in on each of them. Sometimes it's easy to start a new project but also easy to give up when the words stop flowing. I am making it my goal, in 2019, to really take a good look at what I've got in my WIP folder and determine what is worth finishing. Then do it. Just do it. If you have multiple projects that got off the ground quickly but stalled, maybe they are worth another try. Finishing takes work. If it didn't, everyone would be a published author.

Rah, rah, ree ... Kick 'em in the knee. Have a fantastic start to your new year, my writerly friends. Hit your goals and make 2019 something to cheer about! I'm rooting for you.

Artwork by Michelle Storm Haas.

#SundayRead #WIP #writingtips #writingtip #writer #SCBWI #amwriting #amquerying #powerofpages

Spell check is an amazing tool, but it can only do so much. No matter how many times a writer edits a draft, some words are commonly confused. I usually spend a ton of revision time doing a "search" of my Word doc to confirm I haven't mixed up a "their" or a "there" or a "they're." Below is my own personal list of least favorite tricky words worth a double-check, because sometimes my fingers type one thing while my brain is thinking something else.

Accept/Except
Accept - to agree to do or receive - e.g., I happily accept this book award.
Except - not including - e.g., Everyone is going to the library except you.

Bated/Baited
Bated - in suspense - e.g., I waited with bated breath for the next Robert Galbraith novel.
Baited - with bait attached - e.g., I baited my readers with the promise of a new revision blog by the end of the week.

Climactic/Climatic
Climactic - forming a climax - e.g., The thriller's climactic ending left me breathless.
Climatic - relating to climate - e.g., The suspense thriller, set during monsoon season, included climatic elements such as high winds and pouring rain.

Defuse/Diffuse
Defuse - to make a situation less tense - e.g., The librarian had to defuse a fight over who got to shake the best selling author's hand first during a reading.
Diffuse - spread over wide area - e.g., The librarian diffused the collection of board books, creating reading areas in every corner of the elementary school library.

Disinterested/Uninterested
Disinterested - impartial - e.g., Many writers have a disinterested group of beta readers, instead of a biased parent, take a look at a manuscript before sending it to an agent.
Uninterested - not interested - e.g., The young adult novelist was typically uninterested in writing picture books.

Flaunt/Flout
Flaunt - to display ostentatiously - e.g., I like to flaunt my book collection by storing all my titles in wall-to-wall shelves in each and every room.
Flout - disregard a rule - e.g., And I sometimes flout the rules and begin a sentence with a conjunction.

Loath/Loathe
Loath - reluctant - e.g., I am loath to put down a really good book.
Loathe - to hate - e.g., I loathe a poorly edited manuscript.

Peek/Peak
Peek - to glance or look quickly - e.g., I never peek at the last page until it's time.
Peak - highest point - e.g., J.K. Rowling is at the peak of her writing career.

Their/There/They're
Their - possessive - e.g., I like their book.
There - a place - e.g., I would go there to find a book.
They're - contraction of they and are - e.g., They're going to the library.

Your/You're/Yore
Your - possessive - e.g., I like your book.
You're - contraction of you and are - e.g., You're going to the library.
Yore - past or former times - e.g., The books of yore were written on parchment paper.

**Affect/Effect
Easily one of the most common, if not THE most common tricky word combos, I spent 20 minutes trying to do this justice and gave up. Essentially, affect is usually a verb, and effect is usually a noun, but there are exceptions. Go to Grammarly's full-length post on this for more details. And good luck!

With the new year just around the corner, here's hoping this helps all of you with personal goals of cleaning up that work-in-progress. Don't let those tricky words get you down.

Time to revise, my writerly friends!

Thank you, Michelle Storm Haas, for your always lovely artwork.

#amediting #amrevising #WIP #NaNoWriMo #amwriting #writingtips

First drafts can be messy. There are a gazillion ways to go about revising a novel first draft. I've found the following basic steps, done in the order presented, help me wrangle the monster and push forward to something resembling a second draft. These initial steps do NOT cover the fine line editing that a final draft will need.

1. Properly format. Using industry standards found here on writersdigest.com, format your manuscript. This should include one inch margins on all sides, a 12-point font such as Times New Roman, an automatic page number in the header, double spaced lines, etc. I have found the Writer's Digest format info to be the safest bet for submitting a clean manuscript.

2. Set chapters. Even if you aren't 100% sure you know in what order they will end up, determine chapters, give them a working title, and "insert" a hard page break after each, so the chapter becomes its own entity.

3. Print a hard copy. I've always worked best by going "old school" with physical paper in my hot, little hands. There are many benefits to using a hard copy during the first draft editing process, as my next revision steps will attest.

4. Post-It. When reading the first draft for the first time, have handy a red pen and five different colored sticky Post-It notes. While reading, make notes in the margins and use the Post-Its to physically color-code the following initial concerns:

• Plot: Plot issues should be noted and dealt with as a first priority.
• Requires research: Indicate anything that requires further research. If your story includes something based on something real (city, person, type of job?), and you don't know enough to write intelligently about it on your own, mark the spot with a designated Post-It.
• Character: Post-It any character concerns, such as stereotyping, ineffective voice/dialogue, poor choice of name (too close to another character's name, not right for the time period), and so on.
• Pacing: I usually use a red Post-It to note any area of my manuscript that seems slow. A novel will naturally have highs and lows when it comes to pacing, but too many red notes too close together in the manuscript will literally serve as a visual "red flag" that your pacing needs work.
  
• Formatting: Note issues such as a lack of chapter headings or paragraph indention, missing punctuation, a blank page after a chapter, etc. Basically, you're looking for anything that looks off about the formatting. Because this is a first draft (and, likely, there will be many others after it), this step must be done each time you finalize a new draft, as changes have the potential to create new formatting issues.

5. Rearrange. Once I've read through my manuscript and Post-It noted all initial issues, I decide if rearranging any chapters/scenes would help my plot, pacing, or character introduction. This can be tinkered with harmlessly by shuffling hard copy pages until you like the changes.

6. Revise. Before I start digital revisions, I save my first draft under a new file name, keeping the original first draft file in case something goes horribly wrong. Using the new version, I take care of any plot and research edits first, including moving any chapters/scenes as I determined during the rearrange phase of this process. I then work my way through the Post-It notes, by color, which allows me to focus on very specific issues one at a time. This helps me complete individual mini-goals and not get overwhelmed by the sheer number of edits.

Once I have completed each phase of the editing process, I can consider myself the proud, or not so proud, owner of DRAFT #2.

Which is a whole other type of messy.

Stay tuned for future blogs about revising your little darlings!

#editing #amediting #amwriting #WIP #SCBWI #nanowrimo

Why should you finish what you start?

I'll be perfectly frank. I took almost the entire week of Thanksgiving away from #NaNoWriMo. My mother came to visit. We had an entire other family of friends sharing Thanksgiving Day meal, so our home needed lots of "prepping." My oldest daughter was in from Atlanta. I hadn't seen her in months. She brought the significant other, a young man I sincerely hope sticks around for years to come. Despite being on a bit of a NaNoWriMo roll, and managing to exceed my daily word goals almost every day of the challenge, I didn't want to disappear into my office over the holiday to keep the NaNoWriMo bus moving along. I wanted to spend time with the people I love. I needed a break, so I took one.

Needless to say, by Sunday, November 25, I had eaten and socialized my way into a 12,000 word hole. Finishing NaNoWriMo on time, with 50K, wasn't looking so promising.

But I pushed on. Here's why:

1. "Almost" is nice, too. I worked so hard the early part of the month. To give up, with only 12,000 words to go, when I had managed to write over 5,000 words on my best day, seemed like wimping out. I decided it was worth trying, even if I didn't make it. I had written more in three weeks than I usually write in three months. Why give up?

2. Finishing feels like a serious victory. I actually burst into tears of joy when I glanced down at my word count and realized I had jumped right over that 50K mark without even noticing. Goals are not always easy, but getting there is sweet. So, so sweet.

2. The story is worth the time. When I jumped right over 50K (without noticing), I was in the middle of a really tense ending scene. I was in the zone, baby. It was good stuff. It was a story that needed to be told, not just because I wanted to get to a certain word count number, but because the story is solid and worth spending a month to tell.

3. I said I would. Any goal, once it's out there, is a goal to be achieved or tossed away, like so many coins in the fountain. I said I would finish. It took a lot of effort to get even close, so not seeing it through, even from behind and with the likelihood of failure, would have felt like a goal lost for the wrong reasons.

Don't give up. Keep trying. Finish what you start. I'm rooting for you. You've got this.

Write on, my friends.

#NaNoWinner2018 #WIP #SCBWI #writingtip #writers #winner #fiction

Simply put, the beginning of a novel introduces characters and sets up conflict. The ending resolves the conflict and, usually, wraps things up. When writing a first draft, it’s natural for the MIDDLE of a work-in-progress to be a bit of a mess, while we writers try to get from beginning Point A to ending Point B, without putting readers, or ourselves, to sleep.
 
If you are tuckered from struggling to make it up and over the mountain that is the middle of your WIP, no worries. Here are several suggestions for fighting through the MESS-in-the-middle blues.
 
1. Flesh out character backstory. The more a reader knows about the “why,” the more he or she can connect with a character. Middles are for character development, both protagonist and antagonist. Dive into the second or third layers of those onions. Without strong, interesting characters, a story is just a series of actions without heart. A fast-paced action novel has its place in the market, no question, but use your messy middle to give readers a reason to also emotionally connect with and root for (or against) someone.
 
2. Drop in plot-furthering events. You know you want to get from Point A to Point B. What events can make that happen? Compile a list of sticky situations or specific events that will further your plot. This can be as simple as:

• Frank bumps into his ex at a bar and meets her new lover.
  
• A suspicious person is seen looking in Frank’s window.
  
• Frank receives a threatening letter with a dozen black roses.
  
• A riot occurs outside Frank’s massage parlor.
  

Try for scenes that naturally include tension (emotional or physical) between friends and/or between foes.
 
3. Be disorderly. Don’t obsess about writing scenes in the order you think they should fall in the story. THIS IS A FIRST DRAFT. If needed, you can rearrange scenes later, during the editing phase. Write scenes in an order that keeps you writing, pushing your word count higher and closer to that Point B ending. Re-order at a later date, when you’ve managed to get the bones of the novel down and are ready to push up your sleeves on that second, healthier, not-so-disorderly draft.
 
4. Skip it. There are going to be scenes that require more research. There are going to be scenes that require the right emotional frame of mind. There are also going to be scenes you'd just rather avoid writing at this moment. Don’t waste valuable time on something that slows you down. Write a simple synopsis paragraph about the chapter or scene you are avoiding. Use that paragraph as a placeholder. Skip over what you dread and write the scenes that excite you or that you feel prepared to take on. By the time Point B is in sight, you will be more motivated than ever to return to the placeholders and make "the end" a proper finish.
 
5. Refrain from editing. Again, THIS IS A FIRST DRAFT. Going back to “clean up” the first third of your story, every chance you have to sit down and write, may be a subconscious attempt to avoid dealing with the messy middle. Early over-editing could result in never getting to Point B. If you really can't silence your inner editor, only go back a few pages (a chapter or less) from your last stopping point, so you can scratch that editorial itch, reacquaint yourself with where you left off, and allow new writing to flow.
 
6. Do the math. Set daily goals, weekly goals, or monthly goals (National Novel Writing Month – Nov.). Keep track of word counts. Hold yourself accountable and get it done.
 
Most novels have three acts. Act II may be the hardest to write, but, eventually, you’ll breach the top of that MESS-in-the-middle mountain and find yourself barreling down the slippery slope toward Point B. That’s a time to celebrate. You can do it!
 
Happy writing, my messy friends.
 
Artwork courtesy of Michelle Haas.

WRITER'S BLOCK —

Curse the thing. it happens to the best of us.

Here are 5 TIPS for dealing with the doubt and breaking through to progress your writing.

1. Just keep writing. Hit a slow spot? Stalled in the middle of a thought or don't know where to go from here? Write something, anything. Even if it's the phrase "I don't know what to write," over and over again, keep those fingers on the keyboard and at least go through the motions. Eventually, out of sheer boredom and stubbornness, you'll return to the glory that is your work-in-progress.

2. Walk away. Literally, go for a walk to clear your head. Take a bike ride. Jog around the block. Weed the flower beds. Whatever. Physical activity can free your mind up, allowing you to work out the issues with your story in your head while your body is otherwise occupied. You're still actively solving problems, just looking at them from a different angle.

3. Give yourself a deadline. Whether it is jumping in on an annual writing challenge (such as NaNoWriMo - writing a 50K word novel in the month of Nov.) or joining a critique group that meets ever second Tuesday of the month or having your mom call you every night to get a progress report, make yourself, and your writing, accountable to someone else. News reporters must meet daily deadlines for their editors. So can you. It's much harder to make excuses for not writing when you make your progress a spectator sport.

4. Send the self-editor on VACA. Rather than edit a page to death before moving on to the next, consider writing without looking back at your work until you've hit a certain page count goal (or even wait until you are completely done). Editing your own work can be just as gratifying after the story is down. Don't use the excuse "I'll just clean this up a bit" to avoid moving on and pushing through whatever "block" you've bumped up against. Choosing to accept a crappy first draft can be incredibly freeing.

5. Read. We've all gotten lost in a good book when we should be working on something. In the case of writer's block, sometimes picking up a book in the same genre in which you are working can actually help get the creative juices flowing again. We'll call this "research." Go one step further ... sit down and read the first several chapters of a book you've already read and loved. Read it, this time, for structure and really analyze what worked and what didn't. Lay the book aside and think about your own work and how you can improve it, based on what you just read. With luck, this will be enough to move that writer's block out of the way.

Out, damned spot ... um ... writer's block. Be gone.

Happy writing, my friends!

#amediting #writersblock #WIP #NaNoWriMo #amwriting #writingtips #writetip #shakespeare

Seems only appropriate...

One day after I hit the 10,000 word milestone for my National Novel Writing Month project, "Charlotte's Choice," I wish to talk to you about quality vs. quantity.

There is no perfect process when writing the "next great American novel."

Let me say that again.

There is no perfect process.

As a writer, one must choose how to go about telling one's story. Will the process include a 30-page outline (months spent creating) and character sketches for even the most minor of players? Will the process involve fully editing and perfecting each chapter before moving on to the next? OR will the process be more of a visceral, fly by the seat of the pants risk, hammered out over a weekend with no sleep, a vat of coffee, and one's favorite sweatpants for company?

Maybe a combination of all three? Perhaps.

The point is, each writer is different. Each process may also be different, yet, successfully produce a quality piece.

As a participant of NaNoWriMo, the November writing challenge that pushes writers to abandon self-editing for a month and concentrate on just getting the story down, quickly and concisely, I can attest that the biggest challenge, in forcing that word quantity higher, is the realization that the quality of my work is not exactly up to par.

That's really the challenge here, for me, because this process is so unlike my usual way of doing things.

As a past news reporter, I lived with hard deadlines for so long I got used to self-editing my work as I go. That is a handy trick in news writing, but, perhaps, a hurdle in the fiction realm. Although I've completed a 300-page young adult novel, it took me a ridiculously long time to do it. There were times I thought I'd never make it past page 30, since I couldn't seem to stop backing up to the beginning and re-reading (and re-editing) from page one, just about every time I turned on the computer. In that process, I believe some of the personality of my writing fell away. My work became a bit too clean ... a little less interesting. I think I literally edited the joy out of my writing.

Not good.

That is why I chose to do NaNoWriMo this year. I want to cure myself of the habit of overthinking every sentence, too early in the process. I want to put the story first and the pretty sentences second, although I do hope, when I get around to editing, I discover at least a few pretty sentences tumbled onto the page at first writing. This November, there is a freedom in my writing, a freedom to write badly but often. That freedom exists because I've committed to writing 50,000 words in 30 days. The quality must wait. It is the basis of my story and the word quantity that matters, at the moment. NaNoWriMo is all about challenging yourself to throw down words and clean up the mess later.

Yesterday, as I cruised toward my milestone of 10K, I couldn't help but notice the final five pages of that endeavor were, quite frankly, crap. As in fall-asleep-at-my-keyboard crap.

That's a mess that will require a bucket and some sweat and tears, later down the road, after I've met my 50K goal. But at least I will have something to edit in December. Most other Decembers I do not. And THAT is exactly the point of NaNoWriMo. In December, I can put quality first, quantity last ... as I clean up a completed (be it messy) novel.

There is no perfect process, but I'm hoping this one proves a breakthrough for me.

Happy writing, my friends.

#nanowrimo #WIP #AmWriting #AmEditing #WritingTips #WriteTip #SCBWI #nanowrimo2018

Charlotte's Choice
By Brenda Haas

When Pittsburgh writer Charlotte "Charlie" Sutton, 28, receives notification her estranged father Chuck Sutton, 55, has developed symptoms of early onset Alzheimer's and named Charlotte his Power of Attorney, the wayward daughter must return to Lake Erie and the waterfront community of Lakeside, Ohio. Again immersed in the small town she'd run from just 10 years prior, Charlotte struggles to take over the failing family community newspaper, come to terms with the addition of a 15-year-old half-brother she didn't know she had, and find a way to make peace with the hurt she's carried with her for decades.

Make a choice. Take a chance. It's NaNoWriMo time. Above is the short synopsis I've set for my NaNoWriMo project, "Charlotte's Choice" (women's fiction). As we close in on Thursday, Nov. 1, and the start of National Novel Writing Month, I thought I'd give you some thoughts on my process so far and what you can do in just three days to prepare to write a rough draft of that story keeping you up at night.

Don't think you have it in you to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Haven't done anything to prepare? Here are a few shortcuts that can make starting a novel on Nov. 1 just a little easier and less overwhelming, even if you haven't taken advantage of October to prep for the big event.

5 LAST MINUTE tricks to prepare for NaNoWriMo:

1. Create an account. Without a NaNoWriMo account, you won't really feel bound to pursue your goal of writing a novel in a month. It takes only a few minutes to sign up, and it's free. Just do it. Having a live account will give you a nudge to commit.

I went a step further and threw a simple cover together, so my NaNoWriMo Dashboard looks official. Took all of 10 minutes of browsing through my Lakeside photos to find something appropriate for my Lake Erie story. Not awful, if I do say so myself.:)

2. Brainstorm about something you already know a lot about. You don't HAVE to write what you know, but, in the case of NaNoWriMo, writing within your knowledge base may help you get off to a quick start, particularly if you haven't done much prep prior to Nov. 1.

Read my synopsis, then note my personal history:

I lived in Pittsburgh for 20 years.
I've vacationed in Lakeside, Ohio, since 1989.
My parents divorced when I was three.
I was an only child until I was in my 20s. I also raised two teenagers.
I worked for a family-owned community newspaper for many years.
I've witnessed the impact early onset Alzheimer's Disease has on both patient and family.

Even on a bad day, when my brain doesn't quite know where to take me next in my NaNoWriMo story, I will be able to write about my own experiences.

3. Get to know your characters. Nothing says commitment like fleshing out the voices in your head. Sit down with a notebook and take just a couple hours to create mini character profiles of those you'd like to include in your story. Give each character his or her own page and jot down potential names (both first and last), what they look like, age, occupation, any connection you'd like them to have to other characters, interesting mannerisms, speech patterns, how they dress, etc. To be honest, this is a load of fun!

I knew I wanted my main character to be a young writer with a deep-seated issue with her father, the man who called her a boyish nickname and who, she thought, wished to make her into the son he never had. From there, I continued to add secondary characters. It is through my character profiles that I actually got ideas for conflict and plotting (and sub-plotting) for the story. I did NOT write the above synopsis until long after I had fleshed out some cool characters (who, naturally, had cool stories to tell).

4. Set it up. Where do you want this to take place? What time of year? Whether it is a place you've been to many times before or someplace completely fictional, write down the basics of your setting. Town? State? Planet? If it helps, sketch a map of the surroundings. If the setting is real, create a folder on your laptop to stash various links that will help you pull facts in later, as you need them, to make your representation of the setting more realistic. An easy option is to go to the area's Visitors Bureau website, which may provide historical information and photos.

In my case, the setting of "Charlotte's Choice" will be a piece of cake. I own a property in Lakeside, Ohio, so I live it. Additionally, I'll be setting the newspaper publishing company in a rented space in the back of a marina, something I can take a walk around the corner to research. I'm writing my story in a setting I truly love, so I should have no lack of material to make this place real for my readers.

5. Create a plot synopsis. Once you've got some interesting characters to play with and a place to let them play, jot down various scenarios that allow your characters to interact. Which scenario interests you most? Which would be hardest to write without a lot of research? Which creates the most conflict? Which is safest? Only you can decide how to proceed, but once you hone in on the plot you want to pursue, attempt to write a short synopsis, such as I did above. Think of this synopsis as the back cover of your favorite book. Although I did not indicate such in my synopsis, have SOME idea of what the ending and resolution of the main plot will look like.

For me, the writing of the synopsis really allowed me to connect the dots and gel my ideas into something I could commit to. Hence, "Charlotte's Choice." There's a very good chance I'll change my plot as I go along in this process, but at least I have a base and a starting point for Nov. 1.

For more tips, check out my Oct. 3 blog post on prepping for NaNoWriMo.

NaNoWriMo ... Write on! Happy National Novel Writing Month, my peops.

Hello.
My name is Brenda Haas.
I'm a writer.
I'm also addicted to writing links.

Over the years, I've collected writing links like children collect candy at Halloween. As we race toward #NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, Nov. 1 - 30), I thought I'd offer up my top 5 favs to promote progress and writerly success. Enjoy.

1. NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month occurs every November. The point is to write a fresh, new rough draft, start to finish. With the goal of a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, this site provides that nudge that many writers need to set a goal and keep a goal. This year, I've blocked off the whole month, been prepping like crazy, and am hoping 2018 will be my first NaNoWriMo success story with my proposed novel, "Charlotte's Choice." The NaNoWriMo site provides a wealth of information for novice and experienced writers. Join me on Facebook, @writerbrendahaas, to follow my NaNoWriMo word count progress and weekly blogs with writing tips. I'm also on Twitter: @HaasBren.

2. The Write Life. When I want to find all types of writing articles (freelance, craft, blogging, marketing, publishing) in one place, I pop on The Write Life site. There's a little bit of everything there, and the links they provide have proven worthwhile and from very reliable sources. Excellent resource.

3. Grammar Girl. Mignon Fogarty founded the Quick and Dirty Tips network and created Grammar Girl, named one of Writer's Digest's 101 best websites for writers. Located on all popular social media venues, Fogarty is any writer's new best friend. Providing info on FAR more than just grammar, she authored "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing" and six other books on writing. She's my go-to source if I'm stumped on pretty much anything. Note: her Quick and Dirty Tips network doesn't just help writers. Info can be found on everything from health & fitness to pets to parenting to money & finance.

4. Writer's Digest. This site is hugely popular for a reason. Tied to the Writer's Digest Magazine (which I've subscribed to for years), the website provides free and not so free opportunities for writers to hone the craft of writing. Including writing prompts, editors' blogs, articles by genre, competitions, seminars, a writing "shop," etc., Writer's Digest may well be the first stop any writer should make on the road to getting published.

5. Fiction University. Blogger Janice Hardy provides seriously great stuff with posts on character development, setting, plotting, editing, revising first drafts, self publishing, submission process, synopsis/query letter writing, etc., the site provides a writer with useful articles on just about any subject.

#NaNoWriMo #AmEditing #AmWriting #WritersLife #WriteTip #GrammarGirl #WriteNow

Let's kick things up a notch with the second of a 2-part post on picture books. Below are tips on taking that first crack at writing a picture book. This blog is primarily for writers who are considering submitting text-only manuscripts, without artwork (but there are still many things an author illustrator can take away from this blog). For additional info/free storyboard templates, see blog Picture Books: creating a dummy text storyboard.

10 TIPS for picture book writers:

1. Know the standard. Picture book layouts usually include page counts divisible by 8, due to how books are printed. A 32-page layout is standard (but flexible). Not all of those pages will include text/pictures, due to blank end pages, title page, publication/dedication pages, etc. USUALLY, you have 29 actual pages, or 14 1\2 spreads, to tell your story.
 
2. It’s in the title. In person, the first thing a potential reader notices is the front cover art, but the title is just as important. Not every marketing effort for a published book will include a picture of the cover. Sometimes the words must be enough to catch a reader's attention. The title should say something about the story and, perhaps, leave just a hint of mystery or include humor to reflect the writer's voice. Don’t be boring.
 
3. Less is more. Most agents and editors are currently seeking manuscripts under 500 words. Remember, actions and descriptions don’t always have to make it into the text. They can be represented through the pictures the illustrator draws to accompany the text.
 
5. Variety is the spice of life. A manuscript should support different pictures for each spread. That can be achieved by a change in setting, a character’s physical actions, etc.
 
6. Rhythm trumps rhyme. Picture books are meant to be read aloud and should have a natural rhythm when spoken. Although rhyme used to be very common, many agents and editors now avoid it (Some DO still accept it, so don’t despair if you are the next Dr. Seuss). Practically speaking, rhyme is more limiting for a publisher. If a book rhymes beautifully in one language, it may lose much when translated to another language.  
 
7. Repetition is good. Often the natural rhythm of a picture book text can be achieved by repeating a phrase or word throughout. Think of the repetition in a picture book as the "refrain" of your favorite song (we've all raised the roof singing "And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon, little boy blue and the man in the moon" but mumbled through the parts we didn't know). Repetition appeals to children, who love to read along and like knowing what comes next.
 
8. Know your audience. Picture books may introduce new, interesting words, but try to keep text appropriate for the level of your reader. Keep in mind, though, that it is the parent who will likely be reading the book to the child, so pleasing them is also important. If you can accomplish both in one story, you may have a winner.
 
9. Storyboard even without illustrations. Where in the text will a page turn? Is there enough change in action/scenery to make each spread different? Will the text create opportunity for the illustrator? These are questions that may be answered by creating a dummy layout of what text will land on what page/spread. A dummy is intended for a writer's creating/editing purposes only. When formally submitting a text-only manuscript, follow the exact formatting submission guidelines posted on agent/editor websites.

The below storyboard templates were created in Excel (originals and PDFs). Use freely and edit to your liking, but please do maintain my credit info in the footer, if passing along to a friend or linking to your own website.

Legal Size Vertical                    Legal Size Vertical PDF
Letter Size Vertical                   Letter Size Vertical PDF
Legal Size Horizontal                Legal Size Horizontal PDF
Letter Size Horizontal               Letter Size Horizontal PDF

Last but, most certainly, not least...

10. READ. To write a picture book, one must first read what is out there. Take time at the library and peruse the picture book shelves. Ask the librarian to point you toward the most popular titles. Analyze them. Learn from them. Then get started on your own!
 
Happy writing, picture book friends!

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