Tip of the Day: Oh, go ahead and order that pizza for dinner. Have you ever regretted ordering a pizza?
My online critique group has an opening and we've advertised for a writer to fill it. We posted messages describing the group on the SCBWI and Verla Kay message boards. The applications have been coming in steadily, along with the writers' backgrounds and writing samples.
I'm so impressed by the quality of the writing we're receiving. Surely this can't be representative of the slush pile. Aren't we always told things like 90% of the slush is unreadable? I want to read all the stories we're getting. I'm going to have a hard time picking a favorite. How do editors pick only a few of the books they receive for the handful of slots open in a publishing season?
I'm attributing it to the places we posted: SCBWI and Verla Kay's Blueboards. If a writer is serious enough to be looking for a critique group with defined deadlines and reading the message boards regularly ... maybe that winnows out a lot. Reading our high-quality applications has confirmed for me the value of putting "SCBWI member" on a query letter. I know some editors and agents have said that doesn't make a big difference to them, but I have now become a believer in it.
But I'm not an editor. I don't have to pick a manuscript with an eye to future sales figures. I want a critique partner. This is a great opportunity for me to think of what I'm looking for in a new critique partner.
And that's hard to say. The critter relationship develops over time. It takes a while to get in a groove with matching my critiquing style to someone's writing style and vice versa. If you needed a new critique partner right away, what would you look for?
This is what I've decided on:
-- someone with enthusiam. This is a novel writing group, and it takes a lot of enthusiam to see a novel through the long process.
-- someone with faith in himself or herself. Because you can't see through the long process without that either.
-- someone with discipline. Or else that novel will never get written.
I've noticed that these are all long-term attributes, which might be hard to spot in a writing sample. Can I read a writing sample and spot enthusiasm, faith, and discipline? Is anyone reading my writing looking for enthusiasm, faith, and discipline, proving I'd be great to work with in the long run? Oh, great, one more aspect of my writing for me to worry about!
-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Muddle through the Middle
Tip of the day: If you have on-line grocery service in your area, order it BEFORE you go on vacation to arrive AFTER you get home. It's one less thing to do when you get home!
So, welcome to part-two of my three part blog series on beginnings, middles, and endings.
Today we are talking about the middle. Some of you may know it better as the %*^*# middle.
Yes, the sometimes mucky, sometimes miserable, hardly ever mesmerizing, middle.
Why do authors often get lost in the middle of writing the book? I think it can be for a number of reasons.
1) They have no idea where they're going.
2) They know where they're going but don't know how to get there.
3) They don't have a clear idea of what the book is really ABOUT and what is really driving the story.
4) They haven't clearly defined what the main character WANTS.
5) The excitement has worn off and the negative self-talk starts, making it more and more difficult to just keep writing.
So what do we need to remember in the middle? Again I'll refer to the book, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO CRAFTING STORIES FOR CHILDREN, by Nancy Lamb. (If you haven't figured it out by now, this is a pretty good book and has some really helpful information in it).
In a story, there should be a "central plot point that propels the hero from beginning to end, from one scene to the next, from one act to the next." In screenwriting, they call this the 'Throughline.'
Some screenwriters think of the Throughline as the embodiment of the main character's conscious desire."
Now here is the good part, so listen up - "Somewhere at the closing of the second act of a screenplay, or the end of the middle of the book, the character's conscious desire breaks down. What he wants is denied him, either by choice or by the force of outside circumstances. This breakdown exposes a deeper motivation that propels the character forward, a motivation he was originally unaware of. This thirst--this force that motivates the hero and drives the action--becomes a secondary, but equally powerful, Throughline."
If you're having trouble with your middle, perhaps you need to stop and think about what your character really wants, and what obstacles are getting in his way, and what motivations come out as a result of those obstacles, revealing perhaps an even deeper motivation. Sometimes this may be an external desire versus an internal desire. He wants to build a treehouse to have a place of his own, but WHY does he want a place of his own?
Finally, if you aren't an outliner in general, it can be very helpful to stop about 1/3 of the way through the book you're writing, and plan out where the book is going. In the past, when I've gotten lost in the middle, it was usually because I didn't have a good map and had taken a wrong turn a ways back. So, I turn around, delete a bunch of pages, take notes so I'll have a better map on the next trip, and I start on the journey again.
Happy traveling!
~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed
So, welcome to part-two of my three part blog series on beginnings, middles, and endings.
Today we are talking about the middle. Some of you may know it better as the %*^*# middle.
Yes, the sometimes mucky, sometimes miserable, hardly ever mesmerizing, middle.
Why do authors often get lost in the middle of writing the book? I think it can be for a number of reasons.
1) They have no idea where they're going.
2) They know where they're going but don't know how to get there.
3) They don't have a clear idea of what the book is really ABOUT and what is really driving the story.
4) They haven't clearly defined what the main character WANTS.
5) The excitement has worn off and the negative self-talk starts, making it more and more difficult to just keep writing.
So what do we need to remember in the middle? Again I'll refer to the book, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO CRAFTING STORIES FOR CHILDREN, by Nancy Lamb. (If you haven't figured it out by now, this is a pretty good book and has some really helpful information in it).
In a story, there should be a "central plot point that propels the hero from beginning to end, from one scene to the next, from one act to the next." In screenwriting, they call this the 'Throughline.'
Some screenwriters think of the Throughline as the embodiment of the main character's conscious desire."
Now here is the good part, so listen up - "Somewhere at the closing of the second act of a screenplay, or the end of the middle of the book, the character's conscious desire breaks down. What he wants is denied him, either by choice or by the force of outside circumstances. This breakdown exposes a deeper motivation that propels the character forward, a motivation he was originally unaware of. This thirst--this force that motivates the hero and drives the action--becomes a secondary, but equally powerful, Throughline."
If you're having trouble with your middle, perhaps you need to stop and think about what your character really wants, and what obstacles are getting in his way, and what motivations come out as a result of those obstacles, revealing perhaps an even deeper motivation. Sometimes this may be an external desire versus an internal desire. He wants to build a treehouse to have a place of his own, but WHY does he want a place of his own?
Finally, if you aren't an outliner in general, it can be very helpful to stop about 1/3 of the way through the book you're writing, and plan out where the book is going. In the past, when I've gotten lost in the middle, it was usually because I didn't have a good map and had taken a wrong turn a ways back. So, I turn around, delete a bunch of pages, take notes so I'll have a better map on the next trip, and I start on the journey again.
Happy traveling!
~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed
Thursday, June 26, 2008
A2A Chat with Stephanie Kuehnert
Tip of the Day: If you want to see a great example of how an author can set up his or her own book tour, check out the GIGS section of Stephanie’s Web site.
I’m so excited that Stephanie Keuhnert, author of the forthcoming I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, is visiting us at Author2Author today.
From Steph’s Web site:
“I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE is:
A raw, edgy, emotional novel about growing up punk and living to tell.
The Clash. Social Distortion. Dead Kennedys. Patti Smith. The Ramones. Punk rock is in Emily Black's blood. Her mother, Louisa, hit the road to follow the incendiary music scene when Emily was four months old and never came back.
Now Emily's all grown up with a punk band of her own, determined to find the tune that will bring her mother home. Because if Louisa really is following the music, shouldn't it lead her right back to Emily?”
Doesn’t that sound awesome? I’m so excited to read this debut book by a cool local Chicago author and I won’t have to wait much longer as it will officially hit shelves in just under two weeks (July 8th!). Now on to our A2A questions:
A2A: Where do you most of your writing?
SK: I do most of my writing in my office, which is covered with lots of music memorabilia and photos and notes to myself and resembles my messy bedroom as a teenager. That is important because it was the period when I got most serious about writing, so my muse comes from that time period. Also in the photo are my three cats who are often crawling all over me when I'm trying to write. For a change of pace (and more sunlight), I sometimes move to the dining room table.
A2A: Are you a plotter or a plunger?
SK: I'm a bit of both. When I get an idea I jot some initial things down in my journal. Then I start writing the scene that is coming to me the strongest. I keep writing the strong scenes for awhile, figuring things out along the way, but by the middle or so, I tend to need to outline for a better sense of overall story.
A2A: What do you do when you get discouraged?
SK: Listen to music mostly. Music is always my outlet when frustrated, but songs also really inspire me, so sometimes it can lead to a solution for whatever in my writing happens to be troubling me. I also read. Good books make me strive to do my best.
A2A: What are you working on next?
Currently, I am writing about a teenage boy who is trying to figure out why his twin sister committed suicide. He works through this with his sister's best friend, who has a lot of trouble of her own. I'm incorporating the Persephone myth (my favorite Greek myth) into it and there's a musical element, too, of course.
I will have to stop working on that soon to do revisions on my second novel, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA, which just sold to MTV Books a couple weeks ago. The brief summary of that one is: After years of feeling like an outcast in her suburban town, sixteen year-old Kara McNaughton finds her place among a group of punks, skaters, and other misfits who hang out at a local park, but as the teens try to cope with bad relationships and broken homes, life spirals out of control.
You can read more about it, including an excerpt on my website.
A2A: What's your favorite part of writing?
SK: The revising stage. Sometimes I can really nail a scene on the first try, but it's pretty rare. Shaping the first draft is hard and is where I am most likely to get discouraged. Revising is a challenge, but it's where I see the book really transform into what I want it to be and I get the most pleasure out of that.
Thanks so much for visiting us at Author2Author Steph! We can’t wait to read your book!
Kristina, Miss Soon-to-Pub
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Readying Requested Revisions (or Write, Write, As Fast As You Can)
Tip of the Day: Save copies of your work to your hard drive, a removable disk, AND email them to yourself. You can't be too careful where your blood, sweat, and tears are concerned!
It's amazing to me how after completing five novels equaling tons of drafts, I still don't know when my books are truly as good as they can get on my own. Let's take Novel #3 for example, the one I'm currently revising based on an editor's feedback. The Draft #s below span the time between January 2005 and June 2008.
Draft #1: I got 50 pages in before deciding that 1st person present tense wasn't working.
Draft #2: Changed to 3rd person present tense. Yes, you heard me right, 3rd person PRESENT. Finished book in a record 3 months! Got feedback from an agent's assistant saying it read like a synopsis.
Draft #3: Rewrote entire book to 3rd person PAST tense. Oh yeah, that worked much better. It was surely perfect then, since it was fast-paced, funny, and hooky! Sent it to my CPs.
Draft #4: Ooops, not perfect. Revised based on CP feedback. Sent it to a published author for an ms critique exchange sure it would WOW her.
Draft #5: Got back author feedback. Oh yeah, the MC isn't always likable, is she? Hmmm, gonna have to fix that.
Draft #6: Revised whole book from top to bottom, adding many pages and scenes, making the MC much more likable and her motivations much clearer. Sent some queries/pages to agents.
Draft #7: Oh, the MC is STILL not likable enough? Really? OK.... Revised AGAIN and beefed up even more areas that were lacking, including trying to tighten the voices of some of the many characters to make them more distinct. Think to myself I should probably cut/combine some of the characters, and I should probably tone down the MC's sarcasm/snobbery. But meh, nah, after 7 drafts I'm SURE I've got it down fine! Sent full to editor who requested it based on a query.
Draft #8: One year later, I hear back from the editor on the full. She likes it! Except she thinks: (1) I should probably cut/combine some characters, and (2) I should tone down the MC's sarcasm/snobbery. HA! She read my mind, right?
Draft #9: I do what the editor says and give it to my CPs again.
Draft #10: I am currently making the changes my CPs are suggesting.... ***
WILL DRAFT #10 BE IT????? WILL I EVER KNOW FOR SURE IF I'VE GOT IT DOWN????
Knowing that an editor is waiting for it, I could see myself totally doing like 3 more drafts before sending it into my agent based on my Jumping the Gun history, but then she'd probably forget she even requested it!
***Oh dear lord, this is sad. Until I just wrote this out, I was calling my current revision Draft #6.2. I was a bit off.
How do you all know when your novel is READY and as good as it can get? And do you get extra worried that it will actually NEVER get done, and revise incessantly when you have a requested, uncontracted revision? Or is it just me? (Please tell me it's not, even if to only humor your poor blogger.)
Deena, Miss Recently Repped
It's amazing to me how after completing five novels equaling tons of drafts, I still don't know when my books are truly as good as they can get on my own. Let's take Novel #3 for example, the one I'm currently revising based on an editor's feedback. The Draft #s below span the time between January 2005 and June 2008.
Draft #1: I got 50 pages in before deciding that 1st person present tense wasn't working.
Draft #2: Changed to 3rd person present tense. Yes, you heard me right, 3rd person PRESENT. Finished book in a record 3 months! Got feedback from an agent's assistant saying it read like a synopsis.
Draft #3: Rewrote entire book to 3rd person PAST tense. Oh yeah, that worked much better. It was surely perfect then, since it was fast-paced, funny, and hooky! Sent it to my CPs.
Draft #4: Ooops, not perfect. Revised based on CP feedback. Sent it to a published author for an ms critique exchange sure it would WOW her.
Draft #5: Got back author feedback. Oh yeah, the MC isn't always likable, is she? Hmmm, gonna have to fix that.
Draft #6: Revised whole book from top to bottom, adding many pages and scenes, making the MC much more likable and her motivations much clearer. Sent some queries/pages to agents.
Draft #7: Oh, the MC is STILL not likable enough? Really? OK.... Revised AGAIN and beefed up even more areas that were lacking, including trying to tighten the voices of some of the many characters to make them more distinct. Think to myself I should probably cut/combine some of the characters, and I should probably tone down the MC's sarcasm/snobbery. But meh, nah, after 7 drafts I'm SURE I've got it down fine! Sent full to editor who requested it based on a query.
Draft #8: One year later, I hear back from the editor on the full. She likes it! Except she thinks: (1) I should probably cut/combine some characters, and (2) I should tone down the MC's sarcasm/snobbery. HA! She read my mind, right?
Draft #9: I do what the editor says and give it to my CPs again.
Draft #10: I am currently making the changes my CPs are suggesting.... ***
WILL DRAFT #10 BE IT????? WILL I EVER KNOW FOR SURE IF I'VE GOT IT DOWN????
Knowing that an editor is waiting for it, I could see myself totally doing like 3 more drafts before sending it into my agent based on my Jumping the Gun history, but then she'd probably forget she even requested it!
***Oh dear lord, this is sad. Until I just wrote this out, I was calling my current revision Draft #6.2. I was a bit off.
How do you all know when your novel is READY and as good as it can get? And do you get extra worried that it will actually NEVER get done, and revise incessantly when you have a requested, uncontracted revision? Or is it just me? (Please tell me it's not, even if to only humor your poor blogger.)
Deena, Miss Recently Repped
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tips of the Day
This blog will be short and sweet, since apparently I need to learn to take my own advice (see Tip No. 1). So instead you will get Emily's Five Random Tips of the Week That Really Have Nothing to Do with Anything:
Tip 1 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: When you have a busy week, it's probably best to write your blog entries before the week begins.
Tip 2 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: When you have a busy week, it's also probably best not to get distracted by the numerous dance shows on TV.
Tip 3 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: Has anyone else noticed there are a lot of dance shows on TV this year? Just when you think you've seen all kinds of dance, bam, there's a new dance show. I'm not complaining or anything. I'm just saying there's a lot of dancing going on. (Oh, I guess this isn't really a tip, more of an observation. I guess that's strike 2 against following my own "tips.")
Tip 4 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: Since there's so many dance shows on TV, don't you think there'd be an influx of dance-related books?
Tip 5 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: If these dance books do exist, please tell me. Because I'm really in the mood to read a YA dance book. Because goodness knows I can always use another procrastination tool this week to keep from blogging and working.
That is all. Thanks in advance for the book suggestions.
Tip 1 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: When you have a busy week, it's probably best to write your blog entries before the week begins.
Tip 2 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: When you have a busy week, it's also probably best not to get distracted by the numerous dance shows on TV.
Tip 3 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: Has anyone else noticed there are a lot of dance shows on TV this year? Just when you think you've seen all kinds of dance, bam, there's a new dance show. I'm not complaining or anything. I'm just saying there's a lot of dancing going on. (Oh, I guess this isn't really a tip, more of an observation. I guess that's strike 2 against following my own "tips.")
Tip 4 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: Since there's so many dance shows on TV, don't you think there'd be an influx of dance-related books?
Tip 5 of EFRTOTWTRHNTDWA: If these dance books do exist, please tell me. Because I'm really in the mood to read a YA dance book. Because goodness knows I can always use another procrastination tool this week to keep from blogging and working.
That is all. Thanks in advance for the book suggestions.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Crazy book ideas that won't go away
Tip of the Day: Writers will love reading Donald Westlake's novel The Hook. It's a great book, and being able to appreciate the publishing references and novel-writing angst makes it even better.
It's good to know the market. It's also good to write the story that cries out inside your brain, begging to be released. Sometimes the stories in my head seem like they might make it to a reader interested in the premise. Other times ... where does my brain come up with this stuff?
Examples? For years and years, I've wanted to write a novel about a girl in Dark Ages England from an eeler family. That's right, catching eels. Because teen girls love dead eels, don'tcha think? But I know so many characters in this story! It won't go away, even though I suspect nobody in their right minds would read it.
I also have an idea about a historical novel set in the Outerbanks of North Carolina, about a small community who scavenge whales. It starts (in my imagination) with my main characters, a teen girl and her sister, on the beach surrounded by whale guts, harvesting the, uh, parts and stuff. Are you sensing a theme here? It really makes me wonder what I did in a past life. There will be Spanish shipwreck treasure involved too. I'm not sure exactly how, but I figure the book needs some sort of plot other than kids throwing blubber at each other.
The problem is that I find too many things interesting, which is probably a side effect (or cause) of being a writer. I torture my family with it. I'm always reading them obscure information.
Me: "Here's something interesting ... whitework is white thread embroidered on white cloth. It got started with German nuns who couldn't afford thread so they picked apart linen, but now it's an art form."
Darling preteen child: "Mom, that's the opposite of interesting. What's the word I want? Oh yeah. BORING."
Me: "Boring people are bored and interesting people are interested."
I'm not sure what that means but I say it a lot. "Bored" is unfamilar territory to me because I can always start making up stories in my head. It's just that they're not always great stories. And I suspect that I don't have only one story in my heart that begs to be released to the world. I have lots of stories. I just have to concentrate on the stories that are interesting to people other than me.
What stories occupy a piece of real estate in your brain, even though you doubt they'll ever see the light of day?
-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer
It's good to know the market. It's also good to write the story that cries out inside your brain, begging to be released. Sometimes the stories in my head seem like they might make it to a reader interested in the premise. Other times ... where does my brain come up with this stuff?
Examples? For years and years, I've wanted to write a novel about a girl in Dark Ages England from an eeler family. That's right, catching eels. Because teen girls love dead eels, don'tcha think? But I know so many characters in this story! It won't go away, even though I suspect nobody in their right minds would read it.
I also have an idea about a historical novel set in the Outerbanks of North Carolina, about a small community who scavenge whales. It starts (in my imagination) with my main characters, a teen girl and her sister, on the beach surrounded by whale guts, harvesting the, uh, parts and stuff. Are you sensing a theme here? It really makes me wonder what I did in a past life. There will be Spanish shipwreck treasure involved too. I'm not sure exactly how, but I figure the book needs some sort of plot other than kids throwing blubber at each other.
The problem is that I find too many things interesting, which is probably a side effect (or cause) of being a writer. I torture my family with it. I'm always reading them obscure information.
Me: "Here's something interesting ... whitework is white thread embroidered on white cloth. It got started with German nuns who couldn't afford thread so they picked apart linen, but now it's an art form."
Darling preteen child: "Mom, that's the opposite of interesting. What's the word I want? Oh yeah. BORING."
Me: "Boring people are bored and interesting people are interested."
I'm not sure what that means but I say it a lot. "Bored" is unfamilar territory to me because I can always start making up stories in my head. It's just that they're not always great stories. And I suspect that I don't have only one story in my heart that begs to be released to the world. I have lots of stories. I just have to concentrate on the stories that are interesting to people other than me.
What stories occupy a piece of real estate in your brain, even though you doubt they'll ever see the light of day?
-- Kate, Miss Apprentice Writer
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Start at the Beginning
Tip of the Day: Leave a book next to the spot where you keep your laptop. When you go to reach for the computer, with no purpose other than to "cruise the Net," grab the book instead!
One of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer Hubbard, whose blog can be found here: http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/, had a post recently where she talked about endings.
I thought maybe I'd do a three-part blogging series on beginnings, middles and endings, because each has it's challenges, that's for sure.
So today, let's talk about beginnings
I know for some people, me included, beginnings are easy. At least they seem easy. They seem easy because the story is new and the characters are new (unless you're writing a series, I suppose). Let's face it - those first few chapters of a new project are normally pretty fun.
The problem is that as you go, writing along, learning more and more about about where the story is going and who the characters are, often times, the original beginning doesn't work any more. So you go back and fiddle with it, wanting to get it right. Then you go back where you left off, and you keep writing, and more is revealed about the story and the character. And you sense the beginning still isn't right.
Does this sound familiar at all? I've heard some writers wait until the very end and then they go back and completely rewrite the beginning once they have the ending written. I've done that once, with FAR FROM YOU. Every other book, though, the original beginning has pretty much stayed, although I often end up adding things to it as I go along and figure out what elements are important to have in the beginning.
I love writing beginnings, and for the most part, I think I do a fair job. But I've heard some first pages at conferences read out loud and from those sessions, I've gotten a sense that plenty of people struggle with beginnings.
Here are a few things to avoid in the beginning of your novel for kids/teens:
~ Too many details that bog that first chapter down, describing the setting of the story or some other aspect that just isn't that important. Kids don't want to read three pages of what the castle looks like. They want to know WHY the character is IN the castle and WHY he can't seem to get out (if that's what the problem is).
~ Too many characters introduced at once. While Jane Austen may have gotten published doing this, it doesn't work so well in kid lit.
~ Talking to the reader - "I'm going to tell you a story about a little girl names Polly Petunia. Have you ever met a girl with a name like that?" Unless your book is going to be like this the WHOLE way and it's part of the overall voice (like J.D. Salinger's THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, for example), it generally doesn't work well.
So what makes a GREAT beginning? Well, of course, one that hooks the reader and wants to make her keep reading. In Nancy Lamb's book, A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CRAFTING STORIES FOR CHILDREN, she says there are five essentials to keep in mind when creating the opening paragraphs. You may not use all of these devices, but certainly you'll want to use some.
1. Give the reader a sense of what the book is about. What kind of book is this?
2. Uncover a problem. Some books state the problem right away, others just hint at it. You really need to do one or the other. Give your reader a sense of what the conflict might be.
3. Reveal character
4. Pose a question to the reader. When a kid reads the first sentence of CHARLOTTE'S WEB - "Where's Papa going with that ax?" he wants to know, where IS Papa going with the ax?
5. Anchor the story in time and space. But be careful, because you don't want pages and pages of detail surrounding this. We just need to have a sense of where we're at, what time period, etc.
I think writing a good beginning is a little like walking a tightrope. It's a combination of character, conflict and setting, saying just enough about each, but not too much.
So - do you find beginnings easy or difficult? I would love to have you share a first line from a WIP or one of your books.
I'll start. The first line from FAR FROM YOU, my YA novel in verse coming out in January is - We're alone with only the cold and dark to keep us company.
~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed
One of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer Hubbard, whose blog can be found here: http://writerjenn.livejournal.com/, had a post recently where she talked about endings.
I thought maybe I'd do a three-part blogging series on beginnings, middles and endings, because each has it's challenges, that's for sure.
So today, let's talk about beginnings
I know for some people, me included, beginnings are easy. At least they seem easy. They seem easy because the story is new and the characters are new (unless you're writing a series, I suppose). Let's face it - those first few chapters of a new project are normally pretty fun.
The problem is that as you go, writing along, learning more and more about about where the story is going and who the characters are, often times, the original beginning doesn't work any more. So you go back and fiddle with it, wanting to get it right. Then you go back where you left off, and you keep writing, and more is revealed about the story and the character. And you sense the beginning still isn't right.
Does this sound familiar at all? I've heard some writers wait until the very end and then they go back and completely rewrite the beginning once they have the ending written. I've done that once, with FAR FROM YOU. Every other book, though, the original beginning has pretty much stayed, although I often end up adding things to it as I go along and figure out what elements are important to have in the beginning.
I love writing beginnings, and for the most part, I think I do a fair job. But I've heard some first pages at conferences read out loud and from those sessions, I've gotten a sense that plenty of people struggle with beginnings.
Here are a few things to avoid in the beginning of your novel for kids/teens:
~ Too many details that bog that first chapter down, describing the setting of the story or some other aspect that just isn't that important. Kids don't want to read three pages of what the castle looks like. They want to know WHY the character is IN the castle and WHY he can't seem to get out (if that's what the problem is).
~ Too many characters introduced at once. While Jane Austen may have gotten published doing this, it doesn't work so well in kid lit.
~ Talking to the reader - "I'm going to tell you a story about a little girl names Polly Petunia. Have you ever met a girl with a name like that?" Unless your book is going to be like this the WHOLE way and it's part of the overall voice (like J.D. Salinger's THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, for example), it generally doesn't work well.
So what makes a GREAT beginning? Well, of course, one that hooks the reader and wants to make her keep reading. In Nancy Lamb's book, A WRITER'S GUIDE TO CRAFTING STORIES FOR CHILDREN, she says there are five essentials to keep in mind when creating the opening paragraphs. You may not use all of these devices, but certainly you'll want to use some.
1. Give the reader a sense of what the book is about. What kind of book is this?
2. Uncover a problem. Some books state the problem right away, others just hint at it. You really need to do one or the other. Give your reader a sense of what the conflict might be.
3. Reveal character
4. Pose a question to the reader. When a kid reads the first sentence of CHARLOTTE'S WEB - "Where's Papa going with that ax?" he wants to know, where IS Papa going with the ax?
5. Anchor the story in time and space. But be careful, because you don't want pages and pages of detail surrounding this. We just need to have a sense of where we're at, what time period, etc.
I think writing a good beginning is a little like walking a tightrope. It's a combination of character, conflict and setting, saying just enough about each, but not too much.
So - do you find beginnings easy or difficult? I would love to have you share a first line from a WIP or one of your books.
I'll start. The first line from FAR FROM YOU, my YA novel in verse coming out in January is - We're alone with only the cold and dark to keep us company.
~Lisa, Miss Pinch Me I'm Pubbed
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