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“You enter the extraordinary by way of the ordinary.” ~Frederick Buechner
Workshop:
Six Conversations for Writing Creative
Journals
“Good travel writing is always in demand.” Diana Tonnessen
Your
presentation will depend on your audience, your purpose, and your focus. If you
have decided to try out the travel magazine markets, then you will need to
study their style as to whether to develop essays or articles, and a specific
voice. If you are developing chapters for your own personal memoir then an
essay or a story vignette might be a better fit. Or perhaps as a memoir, or a
mini adventure to family members only, a series of letters might be more
appropriate.
Magazine editor Tonnessen recommends, “Tell me something I don’t know.
Take me with you when you go. Tell me a story I
can’t put down.” That advice applies whether your audience is private or
public.
And
if you are a fiction writer, your research on locations and settings can do
double duty as an article for a magazine, or an essay for your blog, as you
build your reading audience.
Go over the above suggestions and categories and note which style you
prefer to read yourself. That will most likely be the style you are most
comfortable writing.
Walk through the different styles of travel books or
magazines you enjoy and outline a few articles that appeal to you and see how
they were set up. What stood out? How might your content be adapted to that format?
How can you give it a personal voice?
All articles will have an opening hook, but have a
variety of methods, and will give a focus indication of the main area
of interest: museum, seaport, bookstores, restaurants, landmarks to name a few.
Usually there are three to five paragraphs to explore the subject and then a
closing summary that returns to the opening lead.
It sounds very much like the sharing we automatically
do with friends and family when we are excited about a trip we’ve just taken,
or a new restaurant we tried out, or a wonderful family day with young
children, or teen children, or as a couple.
Action
Steps:
1.
Take one specific episode of your trip and write it up three ways: as a letter,
as an essay, and as an article with each answering Tonnessen’s requested
details.
Share: Which style
did you write most naturally? Were you surprised?
Read deep, marcy
Workshop: An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
The omniscient author/narrator knows
everything about everyone including each one’s thoughts and motivations, even
when the characters themselves don’t know. It allows many views of viewing an
incident from many personalities and perceptions. And this narrator assumes
complete control as to what information to share.
Think of a detective taking down all the
statements of witnesses at a robbery or accident scene. The reader will get a
wide scope and insight that a single character cannot give. And it can show
friction if the statements conflict with each other.
However this style also creates emotional
distance. We don’t really know what the characters are feeling. Both tone and atmosphere
are set by the narrator as to whether he unravels the story with a touch of
amusement or sarcasm or compassion. Can the reader trust him?
For the younger audience the choice can be
confusing if not done with great skill. Charlotte’s
Web, by E. B. White, and Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne are two examples of the omniscient view done well for this age.
A YA audience may find this POV helpful when
reading on a topic or activity that is painful or contradictory by giving them
emotional space to process diverse ideas. However it can also cause disengagement
or more confusion if lacking a strong thread.
Action Steps:
1.Take a key
scene that you have written and re-write it as if a neutral observer fly on the
wall detached narrator. You cannot enter your character’s thinking. Values and
judgments are implied.
2.
Now reread your original scene and note what you lost and what you gained in
understanding from this different perspective.
3.
Can you strengthen your choice version by implementing new insight?
Share: Did any details surprise you?
Read deep, marcy
Workshop: An
Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“Discipline
is the key to all that follows, the bedrock of productive writing.” Kenneth
Atchity
Three: Set Specific
Goals
Goals
are a working tool that will change many times as the months go on. They can be
fluid to the story, but stay concrete towards the overall schedule. This is
where we take all the various parts that attach to writing and spread them out.
What can be done in tandem? What is sequential? What part need greater blocks
of time-which can be done in short bursts. It’s the long view.
Goals
are meant to be an aid and not a taskmaster. If they become overwhelming then
redesign them into a more conservation format. Or if they are too easily attained,
then consider making them a little tighter.
 Goals
should be:
First—Specific
Second—Measurable (think quantity)
Third—Attainable (think action)
Fourth—Relevant/realistic
Fifth—Time-bound (think deadline)
Michael
Hyatt sets up “Work Objectives” to identify—focus—agree—prioritize—accountability.
Then set the deadlines within each segment.
Here
are some possible action steps to consider applying to your project.
Personalize them as needed.
Action Steps:
Choose One Priority Questions: Ask
1.
What are the specific steps I need to
take to make this happen?
2.
Which of these steps can I do without
any additional knowledge? Which ones need research-a class- etc.?
3.
Examine a time frame. What goal for the
next year. Break it down into monthly-weekly-daily goals.
4.
Set realistic goals. Re-examine. Have
you built in some gap time? Are there seasons of the year that you have more
time/less tim? How could this
impact your schedule?
Setting Goals For Writing
Reading:
Set
yourself some reading goals as well as writing goals
1. Look for
three books in your area of interest from three different authors to read over
the next two months
2. Pick up a
cheap second hand copy of a book you really like to read and mark-up as a study
of character development/plot twists/ sensory details/action etc.
3. Read
constantly—it all connects
Writing:
 Identify goal. Identify major obstacles to
goal. Identify what skills and knowledge are needed-cost. Create a plan and
then work backward. Ex. Rough draft a novel in one year.
Set
yourself clear writing goals
1. 1st
three chapters by date…
2. Polished
first chapter by…
3. Zero rough
draft by…
Process Your Feedback
Choose whatever method will work the easiest for you. You want to be able
to check your progress but the process should not take over your schedule or
your writing time. Here are two possible versions.
1. Daily
log: work accomplished, work undone, work not visible, working
relationships, potential problem, 1st thing to do next, brief
comments re your feelings/attitudes.
2. Project
Log: clarify notes, changes, what worked what flopped, what needed more
time, participants, season of year-anything that could change next time.
Quantities/Dates
3. Supplies/Records
Log: This helps keep track of research notes, appendix material, reference
books, library references, possible marketing connections, organizations and
any correspondence.
Share: What is your first priority? What
deadline have you set to accomplish it?
Read deep, marcy
Next
Session: Picture Books
Workshop: An
Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“The
recognition of one’s genuine material seems to involve a fall from the phony
grace of good intentions and elevated expectations.” Patricia
Hampl
Two: Grow
Notebook Material
 Develop
a notebook, or notebooks, system that works for you to keep track of subjects
and ideas throughout your writing, reading, and daily life. This is more than a
journal. However you design your note taking I suggest two versions—a
handwritten notebook and a computerized app. Each will feed a different part of
your imagination and creative thinking.
Sources
include: reading in multiple genres and ages, life experience, social values,
family, friends, questions, quotes, Scripture, art, observations, creative
exercises, overheard conversations, music and nature, for example. All become material
to draw from. Write down anything that stabs your heart and don’t worry if it
seems random. Some ideas take years to grow.
 The
key here is to notice the ideas and material from your heart and soul that
otherwise might get swept away in busyness. Over time you may discover that you
are aiming in a general genre direction or a specific voice age or a recurring
theme.
(Leonardo's Notebook)
Action Steps:
1. Decide if
you want one notebook with several divisions, or a few smaller notebooks that
keep reading and writing separate? Consider which system you are most likely to
give up trying to keep and list the reason why.
2. Choose the
simplest version of the one you least like and write in it everyday for a week
a source that inspired you positively and a thought or observation that
bothered you that day.
3. Do you think
your reason is still a factor or have you changed your mind? When might you
want to use this system, if ever?
Share:
1)
From the source list
above which creative fuel sparks ideas for you? Which is a source you hadn’t
considered?
2)
Which is your
favorite method of tracking ideas? Why?
Workshop: An
Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“It’s about being who we are--that will determine
what we do.” Jay Kesler
Even our dream projects have the ability to grind us
down emotionally, mentally, and spirituality because of excessive demands, or
time constraints, or unexpected urgent issues that upend our day. It’s easy to
get sidetracked from our creative process. And get sidetracked from finding our personal creative voice
for our stories. There are whole books written on creative process, so here are
just a few basic thoughts that might help focus you on developing voice and
story over time. And although I’m only mentioning a few possibilities this blog
became so long I’m dividing it into three parts and will post again on Saturday
and Tuesday before we dig into specific categories beginning with Picture Books
next week.
One:
Identify Your Creative Process
Creative
Process in writing requires three parts: generate the material, shape the
material (either to audience or form), and read/polish the material. Or create,
construct and craft. All three need to be
fed—all three interconnect.
One
of Sarah Domet driving philosophies for her book, 90 Days To Your Novel, states, “If
you do not write on a daily basis, or a near daily basis, you are not a
writer.” Yet, knowing how
jumbled my own schedules have been over the years, I think the key is really consistency.
Whether writing daily, bi-weekly, weekends, or for once a month mini marathons,
once you choose what works within your life—make a commitment to it and don’t
let go except for disaster interruptions.
 James
Scott Bell advises becoming “a snatcher
of time.” He recommends taking a blank weekly calendar and darkening all
the blocks that are obligations. Then look at the empties. Fill them up with
writing appointments.
Time
is a rich commodity. Take your creative pulse. When are you most alert to write
new material? What can you nurture in slower stages of your day? Find your
balance between create mode and critique mode and keep them separate.
Also
be aware that there are often three main obstacles to goals that can effect
your process. Perfectionism. Fear. Procrastination. Being stuck can also be
part of the creative process too thought, so when that happens take time to ask
questions to the answers you do not know. But sometimes we need to have a concrete
time in order to write towards. Sometimes the story needs space to unfold and
we need to give it the quiet and time to develop.
Action Steps:
1. Keep
track of how you use your unscheduled time over the next week.
2. Pay
attention to whatever obstacles block your creative projects. Perfectionism. Fear.
Procrastination. Write down one action or shift in thinking that you use to
overcome this attitude no matter what you are doing.
Share: How can you
adapt this defense to your writing time?
Read deep, marcy
Workshop:
An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“No
literature so transforms the reader as does the literature of childhood:
shaping, molding, uplifting, explaining, and informing.” Jane
Yolen
Genre
Another voice that impacts our stories is the genre
in which it is delivered. Again for this introduction we’re doing a broad
overview and will dig deeper as we discuss the different genres along the way.
For general
discussion though a genre is considered to be a kind or type of literature that
shares a common set of characteristics. For example, a mystery has certain
ingredients that a reader expects to find, as does a romance. Extensive world
building is considered a foundation to fantasy, sci-fi and historical genres,
but could be considered sluggish and intrusive in a contemporary or adventure
genre even when the setting is a critical factor.
However
the set-up isn’t always apparent. For instance, if we look at formulaic
fiction: some categories are generally mysteries, romance, sports stories, or
westerns and yet all of these can also be classified under realism as well.
Also the lines can blur when two or more genres are combined like a western
sci-fi, such as Firefly, or steam
punk, or a detective series with romance. Classics often cross genre
lines, are well worn, and continue to ‘sound’ across generation-to-generation
hearts.
Usually
though, when two or more genres combine there is still one main thread that
carries the main genre voice.
Here
are a few commonly considered genres as suggested by Rebecca J Lukens.
Realism: a story
that is possible. Effect follows cause without intervention of the magical or
supernatural. Outcome will seem reasonable and plausible. Usually the
representation of action that seems truthful. Under its umbrella are: problem
realism and social Issues, animal realism, historical realism, and sports
stories.
Formula
Fiction:
follows distinct patterns, it doesn’t eliminate a writer’s creativity but it
does restrict it within certain boundaries: mysteries, thrillers, romance often
fall into this category.
 Fantasy: “the
willing suspension of disbelief”, which creates another world and asks the
reader to believe in it. Fantastic Stories include a wide diversity such as Charlotte’s
Web, The Borrowers, and then moves
into High Fantasy as well where the focus is on conflict between good
and evil. Science fiction stresses
scientific laws and technologies
Traditional
Literature:
The focus here is on folktales with stock characters and the emphasis is on
plot or action or theme, as well as good versus evil. Includes: Fables with brief
story morals, and lessons, usually with animals, Myths, Legends, Folk Epics.
Poetry
Non-fiction: information such as biographies, science, history and how-to.
Which One?
How
to choose? What do you read? What are your interests, background experiences, and
particular passion? For example, are you a docent anywhere or do you have a
lifelong of a particular sport or hobby?
Do
you write short or do you write long? Do you love research? Are you visual?
And
ask yourself the bottom line question: Why do I want to write and be honest
with yourself.
Action Steps:
1.
Take that same
memory you used in last week’s action step and now choose two different genres
for one of the age groups you wrote your blurb for.
2.
Write up a paragraph
or page in each of those genres. It doesn’t need to be an opening. Pick a
situation where a new reader would be able to identify the genre because of
your setting and dialogue and details.
3.
Let the pieces sit
for a few days and then re-read. Does one voice sound more natural than the
other? Does one version make you want to write more?
Share: Which
genres did you choose to experiment with? Why?
Read deep, marcy
Workshop:
An Introduction to Writing for Children and Young Adults
“The
memories must turn to blood within us before the images, ideas, the sounds of
the heart can come forth.” Katherine Paterson
Hopefully you enjoyed working on the journal exercises
last week and are discovering a voice or theme that you want to develop. Don’t
worry if you are still not sure about an age for your personal voice. The other
side of voice is the story’s voice, which is usually heard through the
narrator. So first, it’s important to recognize the voices of each age
category, and then hear how they develop into genre, which we’ll look at next
week.
 All of the below
divisions are general. And each publishing house may have specific guidelines
for their readers within each category division. If you have a particular publisher that you enjoy, request a
copy of their catalogue if there isn’t one online.
Twice a year Publisher’s Weekly
puts out a specific issue geared solely for the children and young adult
markets. It’s an excellent resource to study publishing houses and new trends.
Check out your local library for a copy of the most recent edition. Note which
books grab your interest and why and write them down in your idea file, or
reading file. However, also remember that the market changes at a rapid pace, so it’s
more important to find out what age and genre and topic you love rather than
follow trends, which can change in an instant.
Voice-Age-Interest
Picture
books: Tend to separate into two
main categories age wise. Ages 3-6 are predominately the more familiar versions
where the author and illustrator’s talent merge to create a visual and auditory
voice that invites their readers into a new experience.
Storybooks lean more to the 4-8 year olds
and are heavier in text with illustrations that maybe highlights as opposed to
integrated storytelling—basically both text and illustrations could stand on
their own. However both categories also intermix across all ages, which can add
a little confusion.
Easy
readers: Predominately for ages 7-9, 1,000-1,500 words.
For Pre-school-1st
grade there is often repetition and simple concepts.
For
2nd –3rd grades there is a more developed plot and more
complex sentences.
Chapter
Books: Age range usually stretches from 7-10, 40-80 pages,
1,500-10,000 words, usually 8-10 short chapters.
Middle-grade 9-12,
10,000-16,000 words, 64-150 pages, and usually contains cliffhangers, even for
the quiet stories.
YA 12 + can range from 120-150 pages on average, (to much
longer depending on genre and publisher) 16,000 words, and can address complex
subjects. Many houses differentiate between the lower age of 12 to 15 with some
subject and language boundaries, but accept more intensity with the upper end
of 15 to 18, as long as the material is pertinent to the story itself and not gratuitous.
Action Steps:
1.
Choose one memory
from last week’s action steps that really caught you by surprise and/or
intensity.
2.
Pick two age
categories from the list above. Find one publisher’s online catalogue and read
the blurbs for them. Notice which
ones you begin to skim over and which grab your interest.
3.
Now draft your
moment as a blurb for each of your two categories.
Share: Do
you find yourself leaning towards a particular age yet? Why? And are you
surprised?
Read deep, marcy
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