Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers

So late posting this week. Having a hard time getting my **** in gear. Do you have days like that? I hate it when that happens.

On the bright side though, I am counting my pennies to see if I have enough moolah to go the WIFYR conference in June. I'm drooling at the possiblity. This is such a fabulous opportunity for picture book authors and illustrators, and it is practically in my backyard. I have been twice and I loved it.

Of course, it's not just for picture book authors, but they do have a fabulous picture book class taught by a fabulous picture book author. Not many conferences cater to us picture book people. WIFYR stands for Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, so that covers a lot of territory. There are lots of good classes to choose from.

This year, there is also a fabulous writing contest. The prize is $1,000. Wouldn't that make your day. If you want to find out more, check here, or here.

When is the conference? Where? June 18 - 22. Sandy, UT.

Count your pennies. Maybe you can go too.

Linda Garner

Choose Your Voice

I love author visits. I am currently teaching writing classes for first, second, and third grade at a charter school. Yesterday I taught dialogue and tomorrow I will teach about voice or point of view. POV is the way writers usually say it. I like to call it voice.

I like to call it voice, because it reminds me that voice is what lets us know what's going on a characters head. Every story has a storyteller, and the storyteller is the one with the voice. That's the person who lets us into their head.

In books we have the unspeakable privilege of getting inside a character's head. This rarely happens in tv or movies. In books it happens all the time. We hop inside a characters head easily when the book is written in first person. The storyteller is a character and we see the story through their eyes.

Here's an exampler of first person from The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills.

"I sat on a stool back by the woodstove with Clemmie on my lap, so no one would step on us. I couldn't stand it! They all wore black, black like the coal mines that killed my papa. He didn't even like black. He liked all the bright colors of the day. So why were they wearing black, I wondered."

When the storyteller is a narrator, we can also see into a character's head but it happens a little differently. The narrator tells us what the character is thinking or feeling. Usually the narrator only tells us about the thoughts and feelings of one character. Head hopping is when a narrator talks about the thoughts and feelings of lots of characters. It is hard to pull off. Sticking with one is usually a good idea. This type of writing is called third person.

Here is an example of third person from the book Lu and the Swamp Ghost by James Carville.

"My poor swamp ghost! Lu thought. He may have no family, but he does have a friend. Quietly she eased away from the table, loaded a basket, and lifted a key from a hook on the wall."

Recently I started wondering if there is such a thing as second person. It makes sense that if there is a first person, and a third person, there should be a second person.

Voila, I found it. Second person is when the storyteller addresses the audience. It is not very common in fiction, but is often used in non-fiction, especially how to books. Since I am a lover of picture books, I looked for examples in picture books and I found a few.

Here is an example of second person from The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems.

"Oh, Don't worry. I'll take care of it! I promise I'll water it once a month. What?! Everybody knows that puppies need plenty of sunshine and water! Oh...I get it. You don't want me to be happy, do you? You don't want me to take a piggy back ride on my puppy! Or play tennis with it! You just don't understand."

All three styles can be very engaging. Choose your voice. The choice is yours.

Linda Garner

Just the Way You Are

Happy Valentines Day, dear reader. I appreciate the time you share with me. I appreciate your comments and your support. I hope you have a wonderful day and that you share it with someone you love. Today, remember that you are loved, and that I like you, just the way you are.

Just the Way You Are

I like your eyes. I like your nose.
I like your elbows and your toes.

I like the way you laugh and shout.
I like your insides and your out.

I like the happy way you walk.
I like to listen when you talk.

I like the way you think and feel.
I like the part of you that’s real.

I like you when you’re on the go,
And even when you’re movin’ slow.

I like to see you jump and run.
I like you ‘cause you’re so much fun.

I like to watch you sing and dance.
I join you when I get the chance.

I like the spunky clothes you wear.
I like the way you wear your hair.

I like the sparkle in your smile.
I like your attitude, your style.

I like you when you’re happy,
and even when you’re sad.

I like you when you’re snappy,
and even when you’re mad.

You’re gentle, brave, and helpful, too.
You’re funny, cheerful, honest, true.

You’re talented and very smart.
You have a kind and loving heart.

And even on the worst of days
When nothing goes quite right,

I like you in the best of ways.
I like you day or night.

And though you’re always changing,
You don’t have to change for me.

I like you just the way you are.
Be who you want to be.

Warmly,
Linda Garner

p.s.

Hey this would make a great picture book, wouldn't it.

That's the Way the Publishing Cookie Crumbles

I've had a lot of disappointments in publishing this year. Picture books are a hard sale at the moment. They are expensive and time consuming to produce. Editors are hesitant to take on picture book projects and agents are wary. I get the nicest rejection letters from agents.

Earlier this year, two different publishers changed their minds on picture books they had promised to publish. I was surprised and sad, but I moved on quickly. No sense in wallowing in it. I sent a new manuscript right away. Back to the waiting game.

The biggest loss when publishers change their mind is the loss of time. It takes a long time to get that manuscript through the acceptance process, and another long time to get the book illustrated. If the process gets short-circuited along the way, the time loss is huge.

It was this level of disappointment and frustration that led me to take a serious look at publishing an e-picture book. E-publishing for picture books is in its infancy. There are some commercially produced e-picture books available, but only a handful of indivually produced e-picture books. There is not a lot of accessable info about the process, and the tools that commercial publishers use to produce an e-picture book aren't available to Joe Author.

Still with a little bit of help (okay, a lot of help), I was able to get A Valentine Disaster up on kindle. It was a rush job, because we wanted it out before Valentine's Day. It went live on Kindle some time last Friday. We've had a few sales already.

It will make a great Valentine Surprise for someone you love. Ordering is one click away on the sidebar of this blog. If you don't have a kindle, you can get a free kindle app for your computer or phone. Click here to download.

We will also have the pdf version available on our website soon. We're still under construction. Check back in a couple of days. http://www.picturebooksrock.com/

I love picture books. I love the kind you can hold and touch. If you're like me, you can almost smell the flowers and taste the cookies. E-books have a different feel, but they have some advantages. They take up less room. They are less expensive. They are not limited by publisher's imagination.

I have more e-picture books on the way. Hang on for the ride.

Linda Garner

Too Difficult for Grownups

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.”Madeleine L’Engle

I love writing for children. Some people have the mistaken idea that writing for children is easy. Some think that you water down good literature for children. A few even try to talk down to children. That can never work.

If you think about it, children are, in truth, small people. They are intelligent and have wonderful brains and active imaginations. They are developing understanding and compassion, along with a sense of humor. What they lack is experience.

Are some topics too complicated for children? Not many. Children's minds are capable of understanding more than we give them credit for. As adults, we limit the possibilities because of our lack of understanding.

I love children's books with big ideas and important topics. When writing for children think simplify rather than water down. Distill the story to its purest essence and simplify the vocabulary according to the age of the intended audience. Does this mean you can’t use big words? Not at all. It means that each word should be well-chosen and no word can be wasted. Children love the magic of words. What child has not been captivated by Jabberwocky?

Since I love writing for the picture book crowd, my manuscripts must be under 1,000 words. This leaves no room for fluff. Every word must count. Since picture books are usually read aloud, they must be interesting to adults as well as children. A well-written picture book can captivate readers of all ages.

Picture books are a hard-sell in today’s market, perhaps a side-effect of our media craze. The high cost of publishing a picture book is a factor, and the recession isn’t helping. (Oops! I forgot that the recession is over.) E-readers are just beginning to become picture book friendly. I suppose there will always be room in the publishing world for an extraordinary picture book. What will make it extraordinary? Will it be quirky, delightful, funny, unusual, original, or all of the above?

Excuse me. I’m off to write a quirky, delightful, funny, unusual, original picture book.

Linda Garner

Now About That Floor

Ever have one of those days when you’re itching to write, but everything gets in the way? I’ve been dying to get to my computer, but there are dishes to do, and my floor needs mopped. I have phone calls to make and laundry to do, and the flowers need weeding… And on top of that my phone keeps ringing. Everyone needs me. I need to write.

It’s true. I need to write. Writing satisfies me. I love the magic of words, the sound of words, the flow of words. I love to shape and twist words and make them dance. I love to roll them around in my head and spit them out in new patterns. I love the music of words. I love to listen to the sound they make as they sing in the corners of my mind.

Rewrites. I love rewrites. I really do. I sent my publisher a picture book. They liked the idea, but not the story. They wanted a different perspective. I completely rewrote it. They loved the changes, but… They want less tension. They want less mystery. All the things I love about the story, they want me to change. Okay, not all.

At first I wanted to say, “Whose story is this anyway? By the time we’re done with this story will I even be able to recognize it? Do you get how much this will change the story?” But I thought it over and decided what a great problem to have. They like my story and they are willing to help me make it better. I decided to make it an adventure. Am I a good enough writer to make it work?

I think I am. I hope I am. I can’t wait to try.

Now about that floor.

Linda Garner

Trimming the Fat

Cut here. Snip there. It's best to use a scalpel, not a machete. This is delicate work. Is that blood? Did I nick an artery? Could I get a little oxygen?

I’m talking about dejunking my writing.

When writing a picture book, it’s best to be thrifty with words. This has been a hard lesson for me, because I adore words. I love the sound of words and the feel of the rhythm as the words slide over my tongue and fly through the air. I love word pictures and descriptive phrases. However, in a picture book,the fewer words, the better.

Last year after attending a writer's conference, I did major surgery on three of my favorite picture book manuscripts. I learned at the writer's conference that most publishers will no longer look at picture book manuscripts that are over 1,000 words. Why? It is because they are not very marketable. Neither Barnes and Noble nor Borders will pick them up. Can you guess who drives the market? Barnes and Noble and Borders would be a good guess. Most people are looking for a quick read in a picture book. Busy parents want to shorten the bedtime routine.

I had three wonderful picture book manuscripts that were well over 2,000 words. They were beautiful. They were my darlings. Could I do it? Could I trim them down to less than 1,000. Was it possible? Where to start? I took the challenge.

First I decided to trim the fat. In a picture book , an obvious place to look for fat is description. Since half of a good picture book is pictures, make the illustrations count. Don’t describe anything that can be shown in illustrations. It was surprising how many words I could lose by making my manuscript illustrator dependent. Snip. Snip.

Still, I had a long way to go. Next I looked for details that weren’t essential to the story. No matter how clever, or delightful, if the story didn’t hinge on it, it had to go. This bought me a few words. Cut and trim.

Dialogue can breathe life into your story, but in a picture book, dialogue sucks up a lot of words. I looked carefully at dialogue. Which dialogue made the story better? Which dialogue could I do without? Where could I tighten things up. Trim here. Snip there.
This was encouraging. Maybe it was possible. Drum roll, please. Word count? Aargh. Still 150 words to go. Trim the fat. Essentials only. Can I do it? Can I?

I looked for ways to economize on words. I cut unnecessary articles, like a’s and the’s. I hit the delete key again and again. Is there a shorter way to say this? Could I find one word that could replace two or maybe three? Snip. Cut. Trim.

Would my story survive? At first, I felt that death was imminent, but I had to try. As the process continued, I grew more hopeful. Toward the end, I became passionate, exhilarated by the challenge.

At last, triumph. My story was leaner. There was no trace of fat, not even an ounce. Was it still a story? That’s what you want to know, isn’t it? Did the story survive?

I feel a strong pulse, but she’s lost a lot of blood. Time will tell, but I think she’ll pull through. Oxygen, please. Stat.

Linda Garner

Just Like Christmas

It was just like Christ-mas. That darling fed ex man left a package on my door. I couldn’t wait to open it, because I knew what was inside. It was the galleys for my book, Some Secrets Hurt. Was it a stubborn package, or was I all thumbs? Friend Husband had to help me.

My heart was dancing as we pulled out the beautiful pages and gazed at them in wonder. My dream is coming true. The artwork is lovely, the layouts are perfect, and the words are meaningful. The message is real and helpful. It is a message of hope and a message of healing. This project was inspired and I really cannot take the credit for it, but I am so grateful to have been included.

In my experience far too many lives have been damaged by sexual abuse. It is a rare family that has not experienced this heartbreaking betrayal of trust. It is time that a caring community steps up to the challenge and begins to put kids first.

According to the Parent Handbook distributed by the Salt Lake County Children’s Justice Center “Current statistics show that one out of every four girls and one out of every six boys will be sexually abused by the time they reach adulthood. People who sexually abuse children are rarely strangers to the child victim. In fact, the abuser is most often well known to the child (i.e. a relative, family friend, or neighbor). Abusers can be male or female; adult or juvenile; of any race, religion, or socio-economic status.”

If that doesn’t frighten you, you need to read it again.

Some Secrets Hurt is for everyone. It can be a child’s first instruction in avoiding the nightmare of sexual abuse. It can be a tool for a parent who wants to prevent sexual abuse. It provides information for a parent who has discovered sexual abuse and is unsure of the next step. It can strengthen a child who is experiencing sexual abuse, and help them find the courage to tell. It can promote comfort and healing for those who have unresolved issues relating to sexual abuse.

Who is Some Secrets Hurt for? Who is it not for? If you are a child, if you have a child, if you know a child, if you have been a child, Some Secrets Hurt is for you.

Some Secrets Hurt is being published by Shadow Mountain and will be released September 16. Every home should have one. My hope is that it will make a difference for children and families everywhere. Won’t you join me, and stand up now for our kids.

Linda Garner

P.S. My thanks to Brandilyn Speth, my talented friend and illustrator. Her illustrations are magic. You will love them. My thanks to all the wonderful people at Shadow Mountain who are making my dream come true. We would love to hear from you. Feel free to contact us: LindaGarner@somesecretshurt.com, Brandilyn@somesecretshurt.com Watch for our informative website: http://www.somesecretshurt.com/. Coming soon!

Share the Magic

Recently *Friend-Husband and I spent an afternoon in the Springville Art Museum enjoying Unbound; their display of original picture book art by Utah Illustrators. What a delightful event. I think you should go.

Picture books are my first love. They are such a magical blend of words and art. It’s fun to share this magic with someone you love, especially if that someone is a child. I have spent many a pleasant afternoon cuddling on a couch with a grandchild and a delightful picture book.

Twenty seven artists are represented in the display. Their original framed art is displayed with a bio about each artist. It was great fun to read about each of these talented artists whose picture voice brings a special kind of magic to the words. Each page in a picture book is a work of heart; a special blend of love, hard work, and art. It is also a treat to see the diversity in the art, from water colors and oils to computer designs, and every combination between. Some illustrations are in vibrant brilliant colors, others are soft pastels. Each picture has a personality as real as my own.

After soaking in each of the fabulous illustrations on the wall, Friend-Husband and I found a cozy spot on a comfy couch in the same room and read from the same picture books which were also provided.

Some of our favorites were: Mrs. McBloom, Clean Up Your Classroom, written by Kelly S. Dipucchio and illustrated by Guy Francis; Martha Moth Makes Socks written and illustrated by Cambria Evans, Fanny’s Dream written by Caralyn Buehner and illustrated by Mark Buehner, Armadilly Chili written by Helen Ketteman and illustraded by Will Terry, The Frog with the Big Mouth written by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Will Terry, The Alphabet from Z to A (With Much Confusion on the Way) written by Judith Viorst and illustrated by Richard Hull.

The display is at the Springville Museum of Art, 126 E. 400 S., Springville, Utah, and runs through December 28. Admission is free. Every Saturday at 11:00 a.m. through Dec 27 there is a Story Hour featuring one of the artists. The picture books are also available for sale in the Museum Gift Shop. The museum hours are different each day so check the web site http://www.sma.nebo.edu/. You will also enjoy looking at the Unbound blog; unboundsma.blogspot.com.

This is great day for magic. Share some picture book magic with someone you love today.

Linda Garner

* Friend-Husband is a term my Mother used in her writing, when speaking about my Father. I was a little jealous that she thought of it first. Mother has been gone for 6 years and isn’t using it any more. I thought maybe she wouldn’t mind if I picked it up now.