Children's Article Writer's Need Challenges Too

The Lieurance-King summer 2008 article challenge is winding down. This challenge has been…ahem…a challenge. This is my second time around and I have learned a lot from the working writer’s coach Suzanne Lieurance. However, I am behind ten articles. Ya think I can reach the finish line and win the gold? In the meantime please visit my bio page at Ezine articles. I hope you visit it and give me some feedback.

Also feel free to use any of my articles on your blog or website with my resource box at the bottom. Thank You.

I will let you know after September 1 if I make it or not.

Write it down,

Carma

Monday Links: Children's Writer's Resources and More!

Welcome to Monday Links at Carma’s Window. I brought you three today and they are full of rich information. It may take days to sort through it all. However, you can do what I do. Bookmark these links and go back to them later. Please do a brief read through.

Carol Hurst’s Children’s Literature site is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and more. This website is beneficial to writers, teachers and parents. My favorite section of the site is the Featured Children’s Books because it gives you a list of activities to do at home and in class with children and links to other sources.

Jane Yolen's site for childrens writers is full of good tips, humor and practical axioms. Her long list of FAQ’s is worth the visit. Here is a sample:

Question: "Can I publish on the Internet?"

Answer: "Of course you can. The word "publish" simply means to make public. And by putting it there, you will be published. But will you be edited? Will you be read? Will you get paid for your work? No, possibly, and not much. Also, once something is on the Internet, the piece may not be of interest to a print publisher. So the decision is yours."

I highly recommend this site. One of Yolen's random thoughts on writing and childrens books is:

Now, I am one of those people who makes a distinction between being a writer and being an author. A writer puts words on a page. An author lives in story. A writer is conversant with the keyboard, the author with character. Roland Barthes has said: "The author performs a function; the writer an activity." We are talking here about the difference between desire and obsession; between hobby and life. But in either case, I suggest you learn to write not with blood and fear, but with joy.

The Word Pool another great resource with all kinds of Q & A’s sections and writing resource materials.

Write it down,

Carma

Crispin, The Cross of Lead: Book Review

Title: Crispin The Cross of Lead

Author: Avi
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 261 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (May 3, 2004)
ISBN-10: 0786816589
ISBN-13: 978-0786816583

Newbery Medal winner of 2003, Crispin The Cross of Lead is an action packed historical novel set in the 1380’s of England’s peasant revolt. The protagonist is a thirteen year old peasant boy known only as “Asta’s Son” (Asta being the boys mother) because he has never been called by his own name. In fact he doesn’t know he has a name until his mother dies. The village priest discloses he baptized him and gave him the Christian name of Crispin.

Also, after Crispin’s mother dies the only home he has ever known is burned to the ground. Crispin is forced to begin his life as a fugitive for thievery and murder. He is declared a “wolf’s head” by the corrupt steward John Aycliffe, for crimes he didn’t commit. This means that anyone can kill him like a common animal and collect a sizable reward.

Feudalism is the way of life for many in 14th century England. There are countless taxes that lowly peasants must pay and constant violence. People were either very poor or very rich. Common people had no say over their destiny. The church is unable to protect parishioners and subject to many cruelties.

"Time was the great millstone, which ground us to dust like kernelled wheat. The Holy Church told us where we were in the alterations of the day, the year, and in our daily toil. Birth and death alone gave distinction to our lives, as we made the journey between the darkness from whence we had come to the darkness where we were fated to await Judgment Day."

There are plenty of chase scenes as well as undisclosed plans shrouded in mystery. Avi develops a couple of compelling characters but Bear, a traveling juggler, will become Crispin’s deliverance from the bounty hunters that follow them everywhere. The relationship between the juggler and the peasant become the heart of the story. Avi weaves an expert tale of trickery and betrayal and brings history to life.

About the Author: Teachers told young Avi that his writing didn't make any sense. Little did they know he had dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult. Yet, with boundless talent and the encouragement of an understanding tutor, Avi kept writing. Today, he is the prize-winning author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing But the Truth, and dozens of other popular books for young readers.

Write it down,

Carma

Get the Lead Out! Sign up for the Working Writer's 2008 Fall Boot Camp

I am nearing the end of the Working Writers 2008 Summer Boot Camp directed by the Working Writer’s Coach, Suzanne Lieurance. This twelve week intensive writing course is one of the best writing courses I ever invested in.

Before Boot Camp I did not know how to stay focused and I did not know how to use a marketing plan to organize my time in a productive manner.

Under Suzanne’s direction I learned how to focus and more importantly I was able to identify my niche. Instead of waffling all around, I gained a sense of purpose.

Boot Camp is not a solitary venture. You meet other writers who want to get off the fence they are straddling and/or seasoned writers who have hit a slump. You form a support network with first-rate writers and develop lasting friendships. Additionally, you are exposed to published authors from several genres through the many online classes available. And of course your writing improves dramatically. Further, you practice the craft of writing.

You’ll be happy to know that a new Boot Camp is beginning September 2, 2008. There are a limited number of spaces available. Don’t delay. Click on the Working Writer’s Coach link below and then click on the Boot Camp tab to find out more information.

Become a “Working” Freelance Writer!


Write it down,
Carma

Loser: A Book Review

Title: Loser

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: HarperTrophy (July 29, 2003)
Hardcover: 218 pages
ISBN-10: 0060540745
ISBN-13: 978-0060540746

Jerry Spinelli’s Loser is a special book. The first sentence “You grow up with a kid but you never really notice him” hints that this story may be about a kid with low self esteem or about a bully who beats up on a kid. Well the book is not about either one of these scenarios. The book is about a kid who really likes himself and accepts himself as he is despite the cruelty of his classmates.

At first he sounds like a kid who has ADD. Donald does not like to wait on anything. He has trouble being still and thinks he runs faster than anybody. He is the first one at school every day. You might think a kid who loves school this much would be a straight A student. Not so for Donald Zinkhoff. His writing is sloppy, he can’t stop giggling in class when the teacher says a funny word, he’s clumsy, can’t play the flute, “Twice during the number Zinkhoff’s flute yips like a pinched sister. …and Zinkhoff never notices.”

However, it doesn’t take much to make Donald happy. He wants to sit in the front row but because of his last name, Zinkhoff, he is always last in everything until 4th grade when his favorite teacher reverses the seating order. “Yahoo” Donald says!

The story chronicles Donald’s progression from first through sixth grade. It is a journey of a boy with a lot of social problems. Most of them diminish but never disappear. I kept waiting for Donald to triumph in some way but the author did not have that in mind for Donald. His poor performance at sports makes him an outcast. When he blows a race that costs the school the championship, the other kids name Donald Loser!

This story is more for adult readers because I don’t think many teenagers would want to read about a 12 year old and not many 9 to 12 year olds want to read a slow action story. Middle grade kids will enjoy this book when read with adults. There is some action at the end when Donald gets lost in a snow storm and doesn’t even know it.

The book does demonstrate the pure love of his parents and sister and I do believe it shows that a strong family unit can overcome imperfections that all of us exhibit at one time or another. Also, I think this is the reason Donald is a success in a losing way. He may not measure up to what other kids and adults think he should be but because of the love of his family he will survive in a hard world.

About the author: Jerry Spinelli is the author of more than a dozen books for young readers, including Maniac Magee, winner of the Newbery Medal; Wringer, a Newbery Honor Book; Crash; and Knots in My Yo-Yo String, his autobiography. He grew up in Norristown, Pennsylvania, where he once dreamed of becoming a major league baseball player. All of this changed at age 16, when his poem about a football game was published in the local newspaper. From then on, he wanted to become a writer.

Write it down,

Carma

The Power of the Verb is a Must for Children's Writers

Children love action stories. The best way to pull a young reader into your story is to use power verbs with the active voice and your story will come alive. Active voice is when the subject is doing the action. “Mike drove the car into a ditch.”

In college I learned to use the wonderful heavy, intellectual passive voice. I loved to write out the “where to’s”, “moreover’s”, “in as much as’s”, “to be’s” and so on. Very dry but very impressive with the sound of authority. However, these particular passive words are not good choices for a children’s story if you want to grab their attention.

Sometimes it is necessary and OK to use boring verbs because they get the job done quickly but they should be only about 5% of your writing and be spread through out the story. Do not concentrate them all in one chapter or paragraph.

When you are writing your next article or story and are stumped, check out the Power Verb list. Feel free to print out this post and place it near your computer. Just for fun see how many can be used as a sentence. For instance Act! Choose! Drive!

Here Are Your 104 Power Verbs To Read Out Loud

Abolish, Accelerate, Achieve, Act, Adopt, Align, Anticipate, Apply, Assess, Avoid,

Boost, Break, Bridge, Build, Burn, Capture, Change, Choose, Clarify, Clobber, Confront, Connect, Conquer, Convert, Create,

Decide, Define, Defuse, Deliver, Deploy, Design, Develop, Diagnose, Discover, Drive

Eliminate, Ensure, Establish, Evaluate, Exploit, Explore, Filter, Finalize, Find, Focus, Foresee

Gain, Gather, Generate, Grasp, Identify, Ignite, Implement, Improve, Increase, Innovate, Inspire, Intensify

Lead, Learn, Leverage, Manage, Master, Maximize, Measure, Mobilize, Motivate, Overcome, Penetrate, Persuade, Plan, Position, Prepare, Prevent, Profit,

Raise, Reconsider, Reduce, Refresh, Replace, Resist, Respond, Retain,

Save, Scan, Shatter, Shave-off, Sidestep, Simplify, Slash, Solve, Stimulate, Stop, Stretch, Succeed, Supplement

Take, Transfer, Transform, Understand, Unleash, Unravel, Use, Win.

“Words are, of course, the most powerful
drug used by mankind.”

~ Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936), English author

Write it down,

Carma

Why Writing For Children Can Be the Perfect Job for You

Read on to find out what the Perfect Job for Stay-at-home moms could be.

If you're a stay-at-home mom with small children, writing for kids can be the perfect part-time job for you. Here's why:

1) You're in contact with kids 24/7, so you know what kids think about and how they talk. This can be very helpful when trying to develop story lines that kids would enjoy reading. It will also help you write dialogue that sounds like things kids would actually say these days.

As a mom, you probably also read many picture books to your own child or children. And, as every writer knows, one of the best ways to learn to write picture books and other stories for children, is to READ these types of materials. So just think - each time you read to your child, you'll also be doing something to develop your own career as a writer.

2) Since your full time job is taking care of your family, you'll probably only have short snatches of time during the day and evening to write. But this is perfect for writing short works for kids - things like picture books, easy readers, and even magazine articles and short-stories.

And, if you carry a pocket-size notebook with you during the day, while you're watching the kids play at the park, or supervising them as they go about their daily chores, you can take notes for story or articles ideas. And, please note, it IS important to jot down a few notes about your ideas. Otherwise, by the end of the day you will have forgotten them.

3) In addition to writing stories and articles FOR kids, you will also develop a wealth of topics for writing ABOUT kids - articles for parenting magazines, for example, or even tips for classroom teachers.

And, there are usually at least a couple of small regional parenting publications in every large city, so you can gain publishing credits by starting out writing for these publications. If you're good at it, you might even eventually gain your own regular column in one of these publications.

4) You can develop professional connections and associations with other moms who write, so you'll have other adults to communicate with on a regular basis every day. Many moms can feel isolated when their only contact during the day is with their children. But as a children's writer and mom, you can become part of a professional network of other stay-at-home moms who write for children.

5) You'll build up your writing skills and publishing credits through the years, so by the time your children have grown and left the nest, you will probably be able to make the transition from part time children's writer to full time children's writer fairly easily if you so desire.
As you can see, for moms who like to write, writing for children offers the perfect part-time career.

Click here to join the Children's Writer's Coaching Club and learn how to write for children.

Learn to write for children


Find out how you can get a free ebook called "Tricks of the Trade: How to Write for Children," plus additional information about writing for kids, by visiting the National Writing for Children Center at http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com or Suzanne Lieurance's website at http://www.suzannelieurance.com