~By Amanda Smith

When I spend a day in a classroom as a substitute teacher, I always feel as if I’m the one learning something new. A couple of weeks ago, when I was elementary art teacher for the day, I was reminded of some very important writing truths.

The art teacher had left instructions for the Kindergarten class to add a few finishing touches to their art projects. When they were done, I dismissed them to “free draw.” All of them huddled around the big, round open studio table, grabbing scissors, glue, string, construction paper and markers. All except one boy. He clenched the Sharpie he had used for his art project tightly in his fist and asked if he could write a story instead.

“Go for it.” I said.

“The Troll Sbardee,” he wrote.

“The Troll Story,” I read.

“Oh, I got that right? I wasn’t sure,” he said.

“Well, actually, that’s not quite how you spell it, but when we write for fun, that doesn’t matter so much,” I said.

He beamed. Ah, a kindred spirit.

He went to work writing his sbardee, and I roamed the room, admiring art work, untangling balls of yarn,  and reminding kids not to run with scissors. Towards the end of the period my little writer came up to me, proudly waving a paper. Happy clusters of black Sharpie letters danced on both sides of the page.

“I finished!” he said. “I finished my story.”

“That’s wonderful. Will you read it to me?”

He held the paper in both his little hands and in a ceremonial voice, read his story of the princess troll. It was funny. It was action packed. And someone got eaten. It was perfect.

“That is a great story,” I said. “You have some interesting characters. I would love to see what they look like. Do you think you can draw a picture of them?”

He scrutinized me, with a most serious little face. And then he said, “This is a word story. This is not a story for pictures. I don’t have time for that.”
 
Lessons learned, dear fellow writers:
 1. Write for fun! Get the story on the page in happy word clusters. You’ll have plenty of time during the revision stage to worry about spelling, sentence structure, arc, pacing, and all those other academic things. But first, just enjoy the act of creating.

2. Know what you’re writing. You might not know what you are creating when you start, but sometime during the process, ask the important questions.

• What genre am I writing?
• Who is my audience?
• What is the heart of my story?

3. Stick to your guns. Critique partners are gifts from heaven. Great feedback can place you squarely on the right track. But ultimately, you know what you want to accomplish, and where you want your story to go. Suggestions are just that. Make sure to stay true to your vision.

4. Manage your time wisely.
​
But mostly. Have fun writing those sbardees!

By Annie Cronin Romano

Two weekends ago, I went on a writing retreat with three of the four members of my writing group. It had been 20 months since our last one, and planning this one had been a challenge. From nailing down a weekend when all four of us could go (obviously we didn’t succeed there) to finding an affordable, comfortable place to work distraction-free, there were several obstacles to overcome. But it was important to us, as a group, to do this. Why do this? You ask. Good question. 

1. There are no “home life” distractions. No one feels compelled to do the laundry, or clean the bathrooms, or rake the yard. Your kids can’t suddenly ask for a ride to the movies. It’s just you and your writing.

2. There are no (or far fewer) time constraints. You don’t have to stop writing in fifteen minutes to prepare dinner for the family or do the grocery shopping. This unrestricted time can free up your creativity and get the ideas flowing.

3. You’re not alone. There’s a group mentality to help maintain focus. You’re all there together for one purpose. I’m a fairly disciplined person, but even I admit that I would be tempted to lounge around, sleep late, read a book, or surf the web if it was just me on a writing weekend. Sure, I’d write. Just maybe not as intensely as I do with others around me who are focused on their work. Having fellow writers with you creates an accountability you might not have if you’re alone.

4. Even the breaks are productive. When we get up to make tea, grab a snack, or just stretch for a few minutes, we often use that time to bounce ideas off each other. We ask each other questions about plot, word choice, and characterization. When writing alone, that’s not possible. But when you’re with fellow writers, you can tap into each other’s writing strengths and knowledge.

All the members of my writing group write fairly consistently at home. But we recognize that doing this intense write-in retreat really helps us get a significant amount of writing accomplished. A group writing retreat can rejuvenate your writing, whether you use it to brainstorm story ideas, plot a novel, revise a story, or free write to move your creativity into high gear. So round up some writing colleagues and organize a retreat of your own. And let 24 Carrot Writing know how it goes! 

~Annie

 ~ By Amanda Smith
 
Upon returning my novel, my one critique partner pointed out I had a couple of high-frequency words. She suggested I word search them, just to see how often they come up.

At first I thought it would be a quick exercise of replacing a couple of “saunters” with something better, but her simple suggestion sent me on a two-week mission to find and eliminate high frequency and weak words from my novel.

This exercise helped me realize something about my drafting process. When I first drafted the novel, I sometimes put in commonplace reactions, such as “she smiled” or “he frowned”, because my instinct tells me the character will have some kind of reaction. The thing is, when I am in the midst of drafting, my characters’ emotional arc, as well as their personalities, are not yet fully developed.

It was only in the revision stages that I really knew exactly who each character was, and where a particular scene or reaction fell in their emotional arc. Going back to all those “smiles” and “shrugs” and “frowns” via a word search, I now had the bigger view to fill out the descriptors with more personal, meaningful reactions. Sometimes that meant adding a paragraph, and in some places a scene, that was missing to complete the emotional arc of the character.

Doing word searches also allowed me to designate certain words or traits to specific characters. We all have words we love to use – our personal vocabulary. I made sure that certain words (especially slang or teen expressions) were used sparingly and only by certain characters.

How do you do a word search?
If you write in Scrivener, the search box is in the top right hand corner of your screen.

• Make sure “Manuscript” is selected in your binder to ensure Scrivener will search your whole manuscript and not just a selected scene. Type the word you want to search in there, e.g. smile
• By clicking on the drop-down menu (arrow next to magnifying glass), you can select if you want to search for whole words, phrases etc.
• A list of the scenes containing that word will appear in your binder on the left-hand side. When you click on a scene, your search word will be highlighted. You can edit the scene right there, and Scrivener will save your edits.
• When you are done with that word, click on the x in the search box to clear your search. You are now set to type in the next word in your search.

If you write in Word, “Find” is in a box on the top right of your screen.

• When you click on "Find", a Navigation box will open on your left-hand side, with a list of all the places you used that word.
• The search word will be highlighted in your text.
• You can navigate your search with the arrows, and you can edit in the document as you go. 
• Clear the search by clicking on the x.

 
Where do you start?
There are some words that are high frequency for most writers. Start with that list. Here are a few I searched:
Walk                                                                        Nod                                                     Turn
Smile                                                                       Laugh                                                   Just
Go                                                                            Little                                                    Tiny
Really                                                                      Very                                                     Look

Then there are some words more specific to your own writing. These are some of the ones I searched:
Saunter                                                                   Snort                                                      Dorky
Stroll                                                                       Gaze                                                        Like
Feel                                                                          Seems

Word searches are also handy to make sure you consistently spell character names the same way. Minor characters in particular, like the teacher that appears maybe twice in a novel, or a tricky last name, can trip you up

By Francine Puckly
 
Here we are. Two weeks into the New Year. How’s it going? According to statisticbrain.com, only 68.4% of resolutions make it to the end of week two. And the percentage of people who report success in achieving their resolutions? A whopping 9.2%.
 
Like soaring over a lovely green meadow, our goals and resolutions are colorful, pristine and doable when we’re flying at a bird’s eye view. But it looks a whole lot different when we’re in the trenches doing the work. There’s a lot of mud.
 
So two weeks in, when one third of all people have given up on their goals for the year, let’s talk about some basic tools to keep us on track in 2017.
 
CHALLENGING BUT DOABLE GOALS
How do your annual goals look and feel now that you’ve launched the new year? Even the most thoughtful goals are set to challenge us. After all, it wouldn’t be a resolution to improve our craft or elements of our daily lives if we thought we were already perfect. But if you feel your goals are slipping away after a mere two weeks, it might be time to regroup and revise. It’s better to adjust than to abandon. Check out two of Annie’s goal-setting blogs:  (Take Control of Your Goals in the New Year) and (The SMART Key to Your Carrots). Be sure your goals are completely within your control and not relying on divine intervention or other miracles from the publishing industry!
 
ROUTINE
Staying on track is tough work. Daily life can derail the best intentions. Children aren’t the only ones who benefit from routine! I’ve come off a very busy and highly disruptive ten weeks, but I realized last week that I had exactly 30 days without any scheduled travel or guests in my home. It presented the perfect starting point for a 30-day challenge to reestablish a routine that I crave and need. As Twyla Tharp insists in her book The Creative Habit: Learn It and Live It For Life, creativity is “augmented by routine and habit.” Our routines are repeatable and doable, and we’re far less likely to skip doing important daily tasks that feed our creativity, projects and goals.
 
FOCUS
Once we have a schedule it’s still difficult to stay on track with our goals if we’re constantly distracted by…well, everything. Phones and computers ding and demand our immediate attention. Laundry piles whisper to us. But, good news! We can shut them out.
 
The Timer
My number one go-to tool is the timer on my phone. Over and over, day after day, it is the one thing that picks me up by my plot-straps and gets me back to the page. With a clock ticking, I have permission to focus. And the timer works for everything from plotting to decluttering my workspace to free-writing to help me break through writer’s block. You can also time energy-draining habits such as Twitter, television breaks, or those cute little videos on Facebook that suck up precious time.
 
Lockouts
For laundry, you just have to shut the door. But for people trying to reach us about anything and everything, here are just a couple of electronic solutions:

• Silence your cell phone during your work time and, even better, tuck it away. At a minimum, you can set it to airplane mode to stop the dings while you’re hard at work.
• Manually turn off the Wi-Fi on your computer, tablet or phone.
• Put a lockout app to use. Some of these apps include, but aren’t limited to, Cold Turkey, SelfControl, and FocusMe.

 
TRACKING
Research shows habits are formed in 21 days, and the best way to make a change is to hold yourself accountable.
 
Pens, Stickers and Charts
The easiest trackers of all—red pens, stickers, and the like—can be used to mark daily accomplishments and provide visual satisfaction of having completed your tasks. Good old-fashioned charts have come to my rescue more than a few times as well. I used a chart to track my progress during NaNoWriMo, and I have a 30-day chart for the next few weeks to make sure I’m re-establishing routine. Keep those goals in front of you.  
 
Apps
While I prefer the paper method for tracking a streak, Kelly showcased Habit List in December (Make 24 Carrot a Habit - Get the Habit List App). There are several other tracker apps out there in the electronic world, including Twords, Productive, Coach.me, Momentum, and Habatica (which includes tracking your rewards! How cool is that?!).
 
With appropriate and challenging goals, a conscious commitment to routine and focus, as well as a tracking method, you’ll be able to keep a tight rein on your goals. This year, let’s blow past the 9.2% success rate!
 
~ Francine
​

by Francine Puckly
 
A number of years ago, I began my illustrious side career as taxi driver. I shuttled my kids to school, various music lessons, drama, hundreds of soccer and baseball practices, student council meetings and friends’ houses. The numerous hours allocated to driving substantially cut into my personal reading time, and one-half of every roundtrip was spent alone in the car. After having exhausted every last FM radio station and my expansive iTunes library multiple times, I somewhat reluctantly turned to audio books for sanity and entertainment.
 
There were fits and starts with this new form of story consumption. I was skeptical that I could pay attention to a story while driving, and I struggled when certain readers had voices and cadences that didn’t keep my attention, or worse, downright irritated me. But over time I tweaked my selections, and I have come to embrace this form of reading. I actually look forward to driving now!
 
It was a huge surprise to me to find that I remember plot and subplot structures, character flaws and descriptions, themes, clues, and imagery far better with an audio performance than when I read a paper version of the same story. I believe there are a few reasons for this.

First, I can’t jump ahead. Ever read a suspense novel and can’t stand the thought that the character might be killed off?  And then you find yourself peeking at who’s still alive on the last pages? Well, guess what? You can’t do that with an audio book! It’s maddening, but because I have to stay firmly in the current section of the story, it makes me acutely aware of how the author is teasing the story line and emotionally engaging me as a reader.
 
Second, you read (or hear) every last word. There is no speed-reading or skimming or “let me see what’s going on at the beginning of the next chapter” sorts of cheating. By noting adjective and verb choices as well as passages of descriptions you love and those you might find tedious, you’re able to see what works for the story and how those techniques may or may not apply to your own writing.
 
Third, pauses are emphasized. I can (and need to) shut off the recording for a few minutes between sections to analyze how the author has wrapped up phrases, chapters or complete sections. This reflection helps me discover how the author has left me hanging until she presents the next morsel for me to consume.
 
If you’ve never tried audio books, here are a few hints to help you get started:

• Pull out that list of recommended reading you’ve compiled from conferences, friends, and book reviews and select three or four books that are available in audio form. Request all of them through your library loan service.
• Give each audio book only 5-10 minutes to see if you can enjoy the reader’s performance of the story. If you don’t like the reader, you’ll hate listening to the story. (You can go back and read a paper or electronic copy of that book instead!)
• Once you’ve listened to a few novels, start a list of readers you love. I’ll listen to any story told by Simon Vance, Jenna Lamia, and John McDonough, to name a few. But it’s important to generate your own list based on your preferences. Also, be sure to ask around. I’ve collected reader names from friends, as well as my local librarian who also enjoys audio books.
• Designate certain books for the car. I have an active imagination (I’m a writer, remember?) so I can’t read scary things before I go to bed. Since this is when most of my reading occurs, I save all thrillers and suspense novels for daytime driving!

 
So whether you’re painting a room, taking a solo cross-country trek, or driving in circles dropping your kids at various activities, expand your reading time in the new year! 

Good luck and happy reading! 
~ Francine
 

by Francine Puckly
 
For a few years now, I’ve been contemplating hopping on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon. I’ve held off for a number of reasons. First, I compose my initial drafts longhand, pen to paper, which makes tracking word count a bit tricky. Second, it’s No-School-November, a month in which school administrators conspire against writers by slotting in numerous half days or complete days off for everything from parent-teacher conferences to elections to holidays. The final reason, not to be taken lightly, is that immersing myself in an international phenomenon with social media chats, blogs, and the like would most likely make me less productive when I hear that hundreds or thousands of other people are writing faster than I am.
           
That said, I had been researching my next book on and off for six months and had muddled over the plots, subplots, characters and setting. I was ready to tackle the next novel, and I desperately wanted to have a large chunk of the book on paper before the holiday season hit. There were no good excuses not to dive in.

I decided to customize a NaNoWriMo challenge. As a longhand writer, I determined how many pages I could write in one day. I created a monthly calendar with the goals written in, first by week then by day, with an overarching monthly goal as well. Those goals were all well and good, but I knew I couldn’t go it alone. I’ve tried that. When things get tough, I fall off the writing. First one day. Then another. Then another.
           
Instead, enter my accountability partner. Now, I probably should have asked her first before I made her my partner, but since we’ve been having weekly phone chats and setting goals together for three or four years, she gladly accepted the appointed position. I asked nothing of her except to receive daily texts stating that I had completed that day’s goal.
           
Only eight days into my challenge, her presence has saved my writing day three or four times already. My energy is flagging. Small (and big) crises that have hit my life this week would have been excuses to adjust my goals. But my accountability to her is priceless. She responds to every text, congratulating me, encouraging me to keep going. It’s a beautiful thing to be on this journey with her.  
           
If you have aggressive goals for a future project, don’t go it alone. Ask a trusted colleague to be your accountability partner. Everyone benefits from having a cheerleader who understands the game. And the flip side of that, offer to be someone else’s rock for their project.
           
​Hold someone’s hand. Or ask someone to hold yours. You’ll be amazed at the “impossible” things you will accomplish when someone’s waiting for you to check in.
 
Francine

​By Francine Puckly

Beginnings. Everyone loves a good beginning. And, no. I’m not talking about the beginning of your novel or picture book, the one the reader sees. I’m leaving that to Annie.(hook-em-into-your-book.html) I’m talking about when you begin anew: take on that new challenge, go after that dream or bucket list item that’s been nagging at you for months or years, or start that new manuscript that you know, deep in your soul, is what you’re supposed to be writing next.
 
Launching a new project makes us both a little scared and dizzy with excitement. The energy is electrifying.
           
For a little while, anyway.
 
But when the meat of the work begins—when you take inventory of the skills you currently lack, but must acquire in order to bring the project or endeavor to fruition—the energy wanes and you are left with the sobering reality that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing. It takes courage to continue when we inevitably falter along the path.
 
I began four new and intimidating projects all in the same week this fall. What fanfare! Bands played, banners waved, and confetti rained down on me as I sprinted toward my figurative playing fields. But that only lasted a few weeks. Because what I did was begin a new historical fiction novel (something I said I would never do because "I don’t know how to write historical fiction”); took on a sewing project for which I have no skills, no pattern and no training; started alto saxophone lessons which has included trying out various reeds and mouthpieces, none of which sound like music but rather just ear-piercing noise and squeaks; and signed up for a Ladies’ Tap dance class when I’ve never danced a jig in my life. The “good for you!” enthusiasm from family, friends and other spectators only carries you so far. At some point you realize, “I really stink.” And the next thought might be, “Maybe this was a bad idea.” Followed quickly by, “Maybe I should quit.”
 
Energy ebbs and flows. And now that it has ebbed big time, I’ve pondered the following questions: How can we sustain projects when we’re fearful of the next steps and doubt our ability to finish? How do we stare down our fear and intimidation and increase our odds of sticking with a project when the going gets tough? 
 
Here are a few suggestions I’ve put into play.
1. Pull the fear into positive action. I’ve become an expert at recognizing my fear. It makes daily appearances in the form of procrastination, edginess or looking for a quick fix elsewhere such as social media, online shopping, chocolate or whatever else will take away what I’m feeling. One of the quickest ways for me to wrestle it to the ground is to set my timer. For 8, 10, 15 or 20 minutes or whatever, I say, “Don’t think. Just do.” I race toward one unsavory task that I’ve been kicking forward with the clock ticking.
 
2. Care for yourself.
Wait. What did I just say? Yep, that’s right. Take proper care of yourself physically and mentally. You can’t continue a project if you run yourself into the ground with negative self-talk, or by skipping balanced meals, proper hydration, sleep and exercise. Because this is the first thing out the window for me, I have to track it daily in writing. If I stop tracking, I stop doing. “Have you been walking, Francine?” is the first thing my 24 Carrot family asks me when I’m in a mental and physical slump. It’s rhetorical, of course, because we all know the answer.
 
3. Seek out support from trusted sources.
A shoulder to cry on is essential. Those cheerleaders in life must be sought out and embraced when you are tackling something new. Likewise, don’t trust a naysayer with what little energy you have left on a project. Pause before confiding. Will this person be helpful or just convince you to quit?  
 
4. Sometimes it’s okay to quit.
What?! Yes, it is okay as long as you quit for the right reasons. Sometimes this means quitting entirely, like I did with the afore-mentioned sewing project. After spending nearly 8 hours on it one day, I wasn’t even close to being done. It was going to be expensive from a financial standpoint, and even more importantly, it was going to be costly from a time standpoint. I decided I would rather write than sew. So I called my favorite seamstress and let her take over. Someday she’ll read my book, and someday I’ll happily sit on her cushions. It’s a win-win for both of us because we’re both doing what we love. Other times we only “sorta” quit. Like I did with a novel a few years back. I loved my characters but after three drafts, I hated the actual story. I knew the project didn’t hold enough joy for me to spend another year or more revising and rewriting until it was polished. So I lassoed those characters and superimposed them into a new plot! Problem solved. I kept what I loved and abandoned the rest.
 
I’m by no means out of the woods with my three remaining projects. Days when my fear is front and center are exceptionally hard. That’s when I try my best to focus on the basics—respect myself mentally and physically, reach out to friends, and set the timer and force myself to complete something. Anything.
 
Whatever new project you’re venturing into, take your fear with you but be sure to keep it on a short leash. Throw a few of these tools in your hip pocket and keep going!
​
~ Francine

By Annie Cronin Romano
​
​So, before I start, let me clarify that this blog post is for prepublished writers. If you’re published or even if you have an agent, STOP READING NOW! This post is not for you. This is for those still flailing around in the murky, treacherous depths of the query swamp, for those doggedly pushing forth against all obstacles to land that contract, for those passionately seeking that perfect match of an agent. All others, go peruse Facebook.

Okay. Are they gone? Is it just us prepub folks? Good. (Published/agented writers, if you’re still reading, remember…you were warned.) So, my fine warriors (that’s what you are, you know, and don’t forget it), I’d like to speak about how to handle the success of others. You know…the critique partner who landed a publishing contract. Or the writer in the online group who is lamenting how he’s going to choose which of the five offers of representation he’ll go with. Those victories can be a stumbling block for those still struggling for that big break. I once wrote a blog post on celebrating the success of your fellow writers (see “Share Your Good News” from August 2015). Let me emphasize that every word of that post still holds true. So no crying “hypocrite” here. Writers should share good news without fear of making others feel badly. You should embrace the accomplishments of your writing peers. And the true writer must write because she’d die if she couldn’t pour words onto the parchment and share those stories blistering within. For the love of writing, not for glory. Blah. Blah. Blah. But please indulge me as I take a different (admittedly kind of wallowing) perspective, because witnessing others’ achievements can stir up insecurity in our own abilities. It’s a natural human response and we’re all human. (Except maybe for politicians and the occasional personal injury attorney.)

Anyway, back to the issue: How best to handle the success of your fellow writers. If that golden ring has been dangled inches from grasp (I got a partial request!) and then is torn away with one email rejection (“It just didn’t grab me.”), that’s tough stuff. And if it's followed up by another’s good news? That can cause volatile emotions to gurgle up. Personally, I teeter on a thin wire over a cavernous ravine with one side of me proclaiming congratulations with utmost sincerity and the other side sprinting in self-pity to the cusp of the highest cliff, falling to my knees and screaming, “Why not me?” (Think Brando’s “Stellllaaa!” in A Streetcar Named Desire. I’d yell like that. Except angstier.) Yup. It’s called jealousy. No, wait. It’s called self-doubt. No…I’ve got it. It’s called failure. All those ideas flood our brains at the same time we feel happiness at the accomplishments of our peers. And that can unglue the confidence of the most talented of writers. So here are my three tips to find that balance between joy for others and, quite candidly, self-loathing:

1. Vodka. No, scratch that. 

1. SEIZE THE HOPE. That’s right. Agents are always looking. Books continue to get published. Opportunities abound. When others who’ve been in that frigid query sea with us obtain an agent or get a contract, it gives us hope that there’s a chance for us. (If I was more tech savvy, I’d have added a sound effect here playing “There’s a Time for Us” from West Side Story. Instead, I’ll hum it. You’re a writer. Use your imagination.)

2. JUMP ON THE MOTIVATION TRAIN. Rather than doubting your literary abilities, let those successes drive you to keep writing. Keep revising. And keep submitting. No one ever got a book deal indulging their self-pity in bed. Bed sores, maybe. But no book. Remember, if they can do it, so can you!

2a. Cheesecake. 

3. BE PATIENT. Hard work pays off. The majority of writers toil away for a long time, through draft after draft, critique after critique, manuscript after manuscript, before they finally hear that magnificent “Yes!” It takes time, and we all have dues to pay. Except perhaps a few Hollywood stars who decide they want to write a sweet little children’s book and then get a seven-figure contract and a hardcover on the shelves within a year. (Sorry, famous Hollywood writers. I adore you on the big screen. And your book may be good. But I want to tear out your vital organs and throw them in a Vitamix every time I walk by your NYT bestseller. No hard feelings. It’s not you. It's me.)

4. Wine. (I know I said three tips, but I’m feeling generous.) Number four is because it’s okay to feel frustration and need a boost.

5. Chocolate. (Five tips? Yup. I’m a giver.) I added chocolate because it’s also okay to need a hug, and let’s face it: chocolate is a hug in food form. I hear when writers get published, some go all fancy (hey, sales drop off, agents quit) and shift from Hershey’s to Ghirardelli or even Godiva. Is that true, published/agented writers? Probably not. But see? Caught ya! knew you’d read this even after I politely suggested Facebook. You’re a stubborn, nosy lot.

So there you have it. Your conflicting feelings are justified. You inner turmoil is validated. You can feel joy for others’ successes and still want to curl up in a ball. But don’t do the latter. Have your drink and some sweets. Then grab onto the hope. Stay motivated. Be patient. Let any frustration you feel propel you forward.

By the way, everyone in my writing group loves and supports each other unfailingly. But when I get to the point of having good news to share (I don’t use the word success because if you’ve set your mind on being a writer and you actually write something, you’ve succeeded. Don’t forget that.) As I was saying…when good news comes along, despite all my writing group’s “so proud of you” and “your success is our success,” oohing and aahing, they may really want to kick me in the shins and head for the liquor store. And I’ll buy them chocolate. Because I get it. We’re all in this together, prepublished friends. Forge ahead! You are warriors!

To the published/agented writers who continued to read this despite my pleas for privacy, you need to work on your listening skills. And I love you. Keep on writing and inspiring your prepubbed friends to do the same. (Hey, I figure if you read this after I told you not to, you’ve been there and deserve a carrot for your compassion. I'll buy your book. There you go. Now scoot.)
​
~Annie

by Francine Puckly

​Ah, summer. <sigh> I savor the long, warm days and the hum of my fan throughout the night. Sunscreen-smudged issues of Time and Coastal Living are packed with my notebook in my “portable office” tote, along with my pink sun hat and fluffy beach towel. I crave summer days and the pause in my usual, jam-packed schedule. The break is necessary to sustain my creative work through the cooler and more grueling months of the year. Yet…
 
Today I find myself adrift, gazing back over my shoulder to the shores of writing, longing to drop anchor in the waters of my writing community. While I’m not ready to resume full-tilt, it’s time to reconnect with friends and writing partners. Fortunately, events and workshops abound, and I don't have to look far.

For those of us In MetroWest Boston, we can tap into workshops and events hosted by Indie bookstores, such as An Unlikely Story (www.anunlikelystory.com), The Blue Bunny Bookstore (www.bluebunnybooks.com) or Tatnuck Booksellers (www.tatnuck.com). Author events, writing workshops, or just sitting amidst other bookish people is tonic for my soul, and I can partake in events that last a few hours, a day or even for several weeks. Check your local bookstores for events. It might just be what you need to get back to the page. 

In additional to booksellers, various writing organizations also offer events during the summer months. In my area, I can tap into The Writer's Loft (www.thewritersloft.org) or Grub Street (grubstreet.org). And I'd be remiss if I forgot SCBWI (www.scbwi.org)! As Assistant Regional Advisor for SCBWI New England, I’m thrilled to be involved in the Meet and Greet events scheduled for August. If you, too, are bobbing around on open seas with a broken compass and need to find your way back to your people, be sure to check out our events (or SCBWI events nearest you).

I'm already feeling better about seeing my friends again. How about you?
​
Happy chilling! And happy reconnecting!
~ Francine


August SCBWI New England Meet and Greets:
Portsmouth, NH Seacoast
Tuesday, August 30
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Portsmouth Book and Bar, 40 Pleasant Street, Portsmouth, NH
Contact: Joyce Shor Johnson at thewritejoyce@gmail.com
 
Western MA
Wednesday, August 10
6 p.m.
Packard’s Restaurant, 14 Masonic Street, Northampton
Contact: Sera Rivers at writeloudly@me.com
 
North MetroWest MA
Tuesday, August 16
7:30 p.m.
Kimball Farm, 400 Littleton Road (Rt. 110) Westford, MA
Contact Kris Asselin, palara@nescbwi.org

Central/Northern Vermont
Saturday, August 13
2:00-4:00 pm
Park at 64 State Street (beside Christ Episcopal Church)
Montpelier, VT
Get a Gelato from Chill or an iced tea from the Long Branch Café, both right across the street. Rain site: The Long Branch Café.
Contact: Katherine Quimby Johnson at NorthernNERA@nescbwi.org
 
Metro West/South
Tuesday, August 16 
7 p.m. 
West End Creamery, 481 Purgatory Rd, Whitinsville, MA.
Contact Francine Puckly at EventsARA@nescbwi.org 

Concord, NH (Illustrators)
Tuesday, August 23
6:30 p.m.
BAM, 76 Fort Eddy Road, Concord
Contact Denise Ortakales at denise.ortakales@gmail.com

​By Annie Cronin Romano

    “Where’s Papa going with that ax?” said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast.  
    “Out to the hoghouse,” replied Mrs. Arable. “Some pigs were born last night.” 
    “I don’t see why he needs an ax,” continued Fern, who was only eight.

As you probably know, the above excerpt is the opening of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, a classic in children’s literature. When I was a child, it was one of my favorite books. When I read the first page and realized those cute little piglets could be in danger, I kept reading. Fern’s concern about a threat to the piglets is established right away, and I had to find out if and how Fern could stop this horror from occurring. I was hooked. The same goes for picture books I love. I’m compelled to read past the first page in picture books whose openings create a strong curiosity about a situation:

    On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town,
    where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow 
    or the black of soot from chimneys,
    Annabelle found a box filled with yard of every color.

    In these first lines of Mac Barnett’s Extra Yarn (illustrated by Jon Klassen), I was pulled in by my wonder of how this colorful yarn was going to affect the plain little town. 

Although both these examples of opening lines grabbed me quickly, others may need to read further to know a book is a keeper. In novels, authors have some time to lure the reader in. A writer of longer works can take a few paragraphs to set the tone, or even a few pages to a chapter or so to bait the reader into the character’s voice or world. But in picture books, you have the first page. You’ve got to hook ‘em fast and come out swinging. It’s vital to the life of your story. Be it picture books or novels, if the author doesn’t capture the reader early on, the chance of losing the reader increases. A lot.

But what elements make a strong hook? What is it that pulls the reader in? To help you with examining your openings, I am going to give you an assignment. Don’t worry. There’s no exam at the end. I’ll use the honor system! 

• Focusing on the category in which you write, list some of your favorite books. 
• Next, list some books you never finished…ones that lost you in the first chapter or two. Or for picture books, choose ones that fell flat for you on the first page. 
• Head to the library or bookstore (you probably own your favorites) and read the opening page or paragraphs. 
• Note what grabbed you in your favorites. Study what seized your attention. Was it the voice? The immediate world building? Strong senses the opening elicited in you? A unique premise? A creation of curiosity?
• What was lacking in those books you never finished? Analyze where and why the openings of those unfinished books lost your interest. 
• Finally, examine the opening of your work in progress. Does it contain elements that will compel the reader to turn the page? Or does it fall short of the mark?

This exercise can help clarify what makes a strong hook and what doesn’t.  Study the first pages of other works to help make your book’s opening the strongest and sharpest hook it can be. Then reel ‘em in!

~Annie