by Annie Cronin Romano As writers of children’s books, we are told to read the latest works out there in our genre to be aware of what’s selling, what topics might be saturated, and what areas are lacking. However, this past week I read two middle grade novels that were published about twenty years ago: Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick, and Tangerine, by Edward Bloor. Both books had been recommended to me numerous times by young and old alike. It took me a while to get to them as I have been doing what is recommended: reading more recently published children’s books to keep up with the current market. But the last time I saw my sister, she asked me if I’d read those books yet. “I loved them! So did the kids! Read them!” Because I’m smart, I don’t argue with my sister, so off to the library I went. I am so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed both of them. Freak the Mighty particularly touched me as I work with special needs kids. And Tangerine won over my heart as this young boy stayed true to his passion of soccer while struggling to discover the truth about a family secret (I’d say more but I don’t want to give it away!). But what struck me the most about both of these novels was their timelessness. They are as relevant today as they were twenty years ago. This made me consider my own writing. Will the stories I’m writing be relevant down the road? It’s a vital question. Some books can be dated and may not carry over well in the future. Others have a timeless quality to them and can be appreciated long after their initial publication. While longevity is not necessarily a prerequisite for publication, it’s something to think about when writing. So while it is important to keep up with the current children’s market, don’t ignore those oldies but goodies. They have a lot to teach us about the craft of writing. ~Annie
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by Annie Cronin Romano The most recent precursor to a critique from one of my beloved critique partners was as follows: I've attached my thoughts on "XXXX." Don't kill me!!! Or go ahead and swear at me, curse my name around your home and secretly spit in my tea... She (I’ll call her “Kelly” because, well…that’s her name) had no reason to be nervous. She is still a beloved critique partner. Despite the fact that I have frequent opportunities to spit in Kelly's tea, I’m pleased to say I’ve refrained from any retaliation of the sort. In all honesty, if I had taken my revenge on her critique, I would have had to spit in a few teas and lattes. You see, Kelly wasn’t alone. Our other critique partners—also beloved—had pointed out similar weaknesses and flaws in my manuscript. It stings to get harsh critiques of your writing. Especially when it’s not the first draft. But it stings less when the critiques are constructive. And honest. And it stings even less when you realize your critique partners have given you a gift: the insights to make your writing the best it can be. While I usually wait to make changes to a manuscript following feedback (I like to let the critiques “simmer”), I was so struck by the consistency in their comments that I immediately started my next draft. Then another. Then another. I weeded carefully through their suggestions. Some were considered and dismissed. Others I’m still pondering. But the biggies—those blood red, high-in-the-air flags which all my writing partners waved in my face—those were the flaws I targeted for repair. Without honest, constructive criticism, those are flaws I may have overlooked for a while…or missed completely. A solid critique group helps writers achieve their best work (See blog from October 2014: The Importance of a Writing Community). So be strong when reading those tough-to-take critiques. Sometimes the ones that hit the deepest nerve can be the most revealing and helpful. When it’s ready, I’ll resubmit that picture book manuscript for the third (and probably not the last) time to my critique group. While I hope their feedback is glowing, all of them have keen eyes and a solid knowledge of strong writing, so I expect—and hope—for more constructive comments. And I promise I won’t spit in their tea. (*wink*) ~Annie The registration for NESCBWI's Anual Spring Conference opens tomorrow, February 4 at noon. Do you plan to go? Why should you? This is why we go: Francine: SCBWI has been a large part of my life since I joined my first critique group back in 2006. Registering and attending the annual spring conference is one of the main writing highlights of my year. It begins with the excitement of choosing my workshop selections from the smorgasbord of options offered each year (oh, the possibilities!), and it culminates on the conference weekend with three glorious days spent learning new aspects of the craft and engaging in heartfelt conversations over lunches, dinners and evening glasses of wine and tea. Yes, most years it requires an act of God to pry me away from my family demands for three days, but I've never regretted the time spent among my fellow writers and illustrators or the effort it took to get me there! The craft discussions and key note talks replenish my writing well, and the camaraderie amongst my colleagues sustains me through the deadlines and projects that lie ahead. Amanda: When I first got serious about writing, I had no idea where to start. I had a good, solid picture book manuscript, a beginning to a novel, and a bunch of cute ideas. A friend of a friend suggested I join SCBWI. After a Google search, where I learned about the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, I became a member just in time to sign up for one day of the Spring conference. Like a giant wave that is both majestic and terrifying, that day overwhelmed me. I walked away with a deep conviction of how little I knew. I walked away in awe of the process involved in making a book and with my head bursting with new information. I walked away with an insatiable hunger to learn more, grow more, WRITE MORE! And so, I return every year to discover those things that I still do not know; to learn and be inspired by amazing authors; to rub shoulders with agents and editors and put faces with names; to volunteer and serve; to connect with like-minded people who share my passion for words and stories and books; and to fill my writer's cup. So I can pour out stories onto pages for another year. Oh, and that solid picture book manuscript that got this whole thing started. Not so solid. I learned that too. Kelly: "Seems like a lot of mice scrambling for a small piece of cheese,” I commented to the stranger setting next to me at the SCBWI conference. I was overwhelmed looking at the crush of SCBWI conference goers heading to their next seminar. “It’s a big piece of cheese,” she replied. “Really?” I asked. “Say that again.” She did, and then she started our support group, is my partner in 24 Carrot Writing and without a doubt the most wonderful reason to go to the SCBWI conference. You will find inspiration from the wonderful speakers and enhance your craft at the informative workshops, but the best reason to attend an SCBWI conference is the opportunity to connect with a fellow writer. Strike up a conversation with the writer who sits down next you – you may just find your Francine! Annie feels so strongly about conferences as a way to connect with others in the writing community, she wrote a whole post about it here. Hope to see you in Springfield,MA April 24-26! Go! Sign up! By Annie Cronin Romano It is three hours and forty-five minutes until midnight on New Year’s Eve. A clean slate looms on the horizon. A fresh list of writing resolutions awaits me. My email notification chimes but I ignore it. I’m spending quality time with my hubby and kids carefully scrutinizing every act on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. Important stuff. As I head up to bed just after midnight, I glance at my phone and check my email. After all, maybe I’ll jump into the New Year with 20% off at Pottery Barn. And there is an email from Pottery Barn. It even offers free shipping. But suddenly I don’t care as my gaze drops down to the familiar subject line we writers simultaneously wish for and dread…RE: Query. As soon as I spot the word “unfortunately,” I know it’s a rejection. A rejection from an agent. A carefully-researched agent. An agent who rejected me at 8:15 PM on New Year’s Eve. One last kick in the pants before I squeaked my way out of 2014. Except I’ve read it at 12:11 AM on January 1st, 2015, so it’s a rejection to start off my new year…with a whimper. At first, I want to scream, “Really? On New Year’s? Are you kidding me?” (My actual words were less suitable for print and blew resolution #1 right out the window.) Then I thought…Tequila. That will show them. (Resolution #2 crushed.) Perhaps a box of chocolates? I’m sinking fast. What stinks more than getting a rejection on New Year’s Eve? Working on New Year’s Eve. Yup. That’s when I realize it. The agent who’d rejected me had been working on New Year’s Eve. That’s the kind of agent I want. One who gets done what needs getting done. Even on a holiday. (Okay, I realize this agent may just be anti-eve and anti-social, but I’m trying to be glass half full here.) I wasn’t writing that evening, but this agent had been responding to my query. I was impressed. Yes, an offer of representation would have been immensely preferred, but you see where I’m going with this. I read lots of picture books to keep my mind charged with my genre and my eyes on what’s current. And I have to admit, there are many I don’t care for. I may read ten in one afternoon and truly adore only one of them. If that. I recently shared this observation with Kelly, a 24 Carrot Writing colleague, who pointed out, “That’s similar to what agents say when they reject manuscripts.” This just didn’t resonate with me. (Ring any bells?) Except they’re swamped with queries. Hmm… So my New Year’s resolution for 2015? Don’t take the rejections too personally. Even if they come on a holiday. Writing is tough. So is being an agent. Hopefully someday soon one of my manuscripts with resonate with an agent who will sing out, “I have to sign this writer immediately!” And if she realizes that on July 4th, I hope she’ll let me know. Happy 2015! Keep writing. Keep your chin up. ~Annie By Annie Cronin Romano Some days are not writing days. Some days my “butt” is not “in chair” clicking away at my next masterpiece. This is a fact of life for me. As determined as I want to be, as focused as my writing goal may be, there are some days that the actual act of writing simply doesn’t happen. Why? Because life keeps coming at me. Sometimes it comes faster than I’d like. Kids get sick. Work gets busier. Appointments take longer than planned. Holidays approach and guests come to visit. And that writing time I promised myself can become tough to come by. But it does not have to be time lost. Often, as I’m sitting in traffic, I’ll wonder about a plot point in my novel. Does it make sense? Should I cut that scene? What if I did X instead of Y? I’m plotting! When I’m sitting in the waiting room at my son’s orthodontist appointment, I look around the room and try to imagine how the children are feeling. Nervous about getting braces? Excited because their braces are coming off? What if they weren’t kids at an orthodontist’s office? What if they were __________ at the _________ trying to do ___________? I fill in the blanks and write it down on the ever present notepad in my bag. I’m brainstorming! These are examples of being productive even when I’m not actually writing. Although I may not get to sit and write every day, I strive to contribute something to my craft on a daily basis. Mentally working on my story’s plot, brainstorming an idea for a possible picture book, reading books in my writing genre, researching an agent on my phone while the soup warms on the stove for a sick kiddo. These are all ways to keep the creative juices flowing! Do not get down on yourself if you aren’t able to write every day. Instead, if you can’t physically write, mentally write. Answer the “what ifs” in your storyline. Grab ideas from the hustle and bustle around you. Try to visualize stories from the everyday routine, then twist them inside out and upside down. And jot them down. Do this and you won’t lose the muse! ~Annie Writing is a solitary pursuit. As writers, we pour our beverage of choice, settle into our favorite writing spot, pull out our laptops or notebooks, and then brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise. If the phone rings or the washing machine beckons, we try to ignore those distractions. When children arrive home from school or loved ones pull into the driveway, we may find ourselves grumbling just a tad—it’s okay to admit it—wishing we had just a few more precious minutes of silence in which to create. This mental isolation may be one of the most significant missteps writers make. Not in their writing itself, but in being writers. Writing requires concentration, and this often necessitates minimal distractions. But it is time well spent when writers, before or after emerging from their cozy creative burrows, connect with other writers. When I began pursuing writing as more than a pastime, I’d sit at my computer and write. Alone. I stumbled across SCBWI’s website ten years ago and thought, “This could be helpful.” I joined. An acquaintance told me, “You should go to a conference.” But it took me another six years to finally attend one. I’m not ready for that, I imagined. Conferences are for writers with more experience than me who know what they’re doing. Umm…WHAT? No. No. NO! After registering for my first New York SCBWI conference, my husband asked, “How do you feel?” My reply? “I think I’m going to vomit.” The conference was three months away and I had turbo jet planes dive bombing in my stomach. Three months later, I realized attending that conference was the best thing I’d ever done for myself as a writer. But not just for the obvious reasons of honing my craft, networking with agents and editors, and being inspired by keynote authors. The most important lesson I took away was how much my writer spirit had been wanting by not becoming involved earlier with the writing community. Maybe I was intimidated by it. Perhaps, because I was unpublished, I didn’t think I belonged there. Maybe I'd been fearful there would be a sense of cut throat competition. Nothing could be further from the truth. Becoming engaged with fellow writers brings support, camaraderie and encouragement from others who know what it’s like to feel that unyielding call to put pen to paper—or fingers to keyboard—and create. Since first attending that SCBWI Winter Conference, I have attended more conferences and workshops. I’ve connected online with other writers and writing groups. And I’ve met friendly, creative individuals who have encouraged me to persevere in my writing. I now write more than I ever did before. Just when I start to feel low or worn out, I meet another writer experiencing similar struggles, I hear a children’s writer give an inspiring speech, or I listen to an agent’s unique tips on voice or plot or characterization…and I’m on track again. Ready to tackle my writing with fresh insights and renewed energy. Do not underestimate the value of connecting with the writing community. Be it SCBWI, Facebook or Twitter contacts, critique partners, writing groups, workshops and conferences…they all play valuable roles in keeping writers centered and focused on their writing goals. Yes, I still prefer to write all by myself, with a cup of hot tea close at hand, a candle burning, and my dog resting her chin on my laptop. But without the companionship of the writing community, I’d be less productive, less motivated, and far more tempted to hurl my computer out the window during those moments of writing frustration. So, if you haven’t done so yet, discover the writing world beyond your four walls. Join SCBWI, attend writing workshops and conferences, start a writers’ group, join a critique group, and network with fellow writers online. Write on your own. But be a writer with those who share your passion for the art of the written word. I promise…we don’t bite! ~Annie THE SMART KEY TO YOUR CARROTS ~Annie Cronin Romano If you’re planning on jumping aboard the writing carrot cart, the first thing you’ve got to do is set a writing goal. This may sound straightforward, but it’s not quite as simple as you might think. Setting goals is, in itself, a kind of art. “I am going to write a novel” is not going to cut it. Why? Believe it or not, it’s too broad. Of course, you need this overall objective, but you’ll want to break it down. To be viable, writing goals, like all goals, need have certain elements. In business and education, these are called SMART goals. Really! I’m not making this up. Let’s take a look at these, shall we? SMART is an acronym which stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely (or Time-based). These are the characteristics you want your writing goal to have. First, your goal needs to be specific. What are you going to be working on? A poem? Generating ideas for picture books? A chapter of your novel? Researching agents? Decide what project your goal relates to and specifically state it. “I’m going to work on a picture book draft.” Good start. Making your goal measurable will help you gauge your progress. How much are you going to accomplish? You need your writing goal to state how you are going to measure your progress. Are you going to write three poems? Come up with five picture book ideas? Complete one chapter of your novel? “I’m going to complete a 600-word picture book draft.” Even better. Is your writing goal attainable? That means you’ve got to be realistic. Ah, we writers are totally based in reality, aren’t we? When my book hits the NY Times Bestseller List… Be honest! We’ve all thought it! And there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet it’s crucial that your writing goal is based in reality, or you’ll set yourself up for failure. Life will get in the way and prevent you from meeting goals from time to time. That’s okay. But if you only have two hours free this week, then setting a goal to write ten chapters of your book is probably not feasible. Make sure you have--or are willing to make—the time. You want to push yourself…just not over a cliff! “I’ll draft, revise, edit and my entire novel, research editors, and have my manuscript submitted by the end of this month.” Whoa! Really? Good luck with that. “I’m going to complete a 500-word picture book draft by the end of the month.” Now you’re getting somewhere, Sparky! Be relevant. “This week, I am going to teach myself how to make the perfect chocolate soufflé.” Good for you. I always wanted to try making one of those myself. But what does that have to do with writing? Unless you’re writing a cookbook or a culinary memoir, that goal isn’t relevant. Make sure to keep your goals in line with your writing project. “This month I am going to read four middle grade novels with 1st person narrators to get myself in the mind frame of 1st person point of view for my book.” There you go! Relevant! Timing is everything, isn’t it? And having a timely, or time-based, goal is key. Saying you’re going to write a novel is terrific, but if you don’t give yourself a time frame, you could still be saying that ten years from now. Set a deadline and stick to it. “I will draft the first three chapters of my novel by May 15.” Ha! You got it! Consider all these SMART goal elements when setting goals for your writing. Of course, you’ll have a big-picture goal (I’m going to write a young adult novel), but breaking that goal into specific, doable pieces and sticking to your deadlines will help you make progress and meet your ultimate writing goal. Now go set those SMART-y pants goals and earn those carrots! Chocolate, that bottle of wine, a round of golf, a trip to the book store, a beach day, chocolate…did I suggest chocolate already? Hmm… ~Annie |
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