 by Kelly Carey There is something tantalizing about the clean slate that January brings. It’s the kick-off to a wide-open year of possibility. It’s a time to try something new. Something big. Something that might nudge you out of your comfort zone. Perhaps you’re a picture book writer but a novel has been kicking around in your head. Maybe a middle grade novel in verse has been tapping your shoulder. If you have a project that feels daunting and requires a brave inhale - let January be your sword. January is powerful – she has potential and so do you. This is the moment to Go Big January! But, since we are 24 Carrot Writers, we will not be stumbling willy-nilly into this new endeavor. We need a plan! Let’s map out five best practices to make the most of Go Big January.  Step 1: State Your Intention Make the whispering muse LOUD! Write your Go Big January idea down—on your goal list, your calendar, and in an email to yourself (set to resend daily). Scribble it in excited—not angry—capital letters. Use a joyful, colorful pen. Not a pencil. This new endeavor deserves permanence. Then share your intention with a trusted writer friend or your critique partners. Post your Go Big January project hopes in the 24 Carrot Writing Facebook group. Title it: Go Big January! The encouragement will pour in, I promise. 2. Grace Over Goals Normally, 24 Carrot Writing encourages measurable goals. But this endeavor is different. It’s unfamiliar territory and you don’t yet know your stamina. One hundred words a day? Maybe. A chapter a week? Possible. For this out of your comfort zone project let word counts and chapter targets rest. This month is about grace, not goals. Give yourself space to figure out how the work flows. There will be time for goals later.  3. Be a Mad Scientist Remember middle-school brainstorming sessions? Get in that frame of mind. Try everything. Be a mad scientist with this new project. You might blow something up. Who cares? It’s only January. You’ve got time to pull out the fire extinguisher, sweep up the burnt debris, and try again. Let every crazy idea out. That self-editing monster? Lock it in a drawer. Shove a granola bar in its mouth (fine - leave it a water bottle too), but do not let it out. You’re going to mess up. That’s the idea. Tip over. Fail. Then learn, reset, and keep going. 4. Embrace the Discomfort You’re trying something new which means it will be hard, and you will feel awkward. It would be easy to reach for what feels familiar. But Go Big January is not a time for relaxing into comfort - that’s what July beach days with their sunglasses and fruity drinks are for. January is about hearty foraging through snow drifts, crackling fires, and brave mugs of cocoa. Do not fall back to your more comfortable projects. If you primarily write picture books, but your Go Big January project is a YA novel – don’t retreat to picture books this month. If you’re working, you’re working on your Go Big January project and only that work. Those other projects have eleven other months to intrude. Not this month. This is Go Big January. 5. Take the Full Month (or More) Don’t change course until you’ve given your Go Big January project the whole month. Only at the end of January should you take stock and reflect. Don’t scrap the project or second-guess your big plans until you have devoted a solid 30 days of effort. Maybe Go Big January will spill over into February or better yet March. Wahoo you crazy mad scientist you! Afterall, you still have an enormous chunk of the year ahead, so you have time to experiment, be adventurous, and let this project gain traction. That’s what January—and a fresh year—is all about.
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 Ah, the luxury of winter breaks. This morning I sat, warm coffee mug in hand, and read poetry, and as Mary Oliver's exquisite word-art saturated me, this one in particular spoke to my heart:
Lines Written in the Days of Glowing Darkness Every year we have been witness to it: how the world descends into a rich mash, on order that it may resume. And therefore who would cry out to the petals on the ground to stay, knowing as we must, how the vivacity of what was is married to the vitality or what will be? I don't say it's easy, but what else will do if the love one claims to have for the world be true? So let us go on, cheerfully enough, this and every crisping day, though the sun be swinging east, and the ponds be cold and black, and the sweets of the year be doomed. (Mary Oliver 2012) This is our 24 Carrot wish for you this year, dear fellow-writer: That you will know, despite of whatever the last year held, how the "vivacity of what was is married to the vitality of what will be" and that you will "go on, cheerfully enough" knowing that the trees will bud in the spring and the sunflowers will bloom in the summer. Season's Greetings and bright bookish wishes for the New Year! The 24 Carrot Crew  Our 2025 guest bloggers have shared fascinating tips and wonderful practical advice all year long. But they aren't done! We've asked them to select the perfect items to put at the tipity-top of every writer's holiday wish list. Peruse their selections to find the best writerly tools to improve your writing space, catapult your creativity, and make your 2026 writing activities sparkle.
 Kirsten W. Larson is the acclaimed author of over 30 nonfiction books for young readers, including The Fire of Stars (Chronicle Books, 2023), and This Is How You Know: How Science Happens (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025). Learn more about Kirsten here.
Supplies/Instructions 1. Square tiles – I used ones from a vintage store, but check your local hardware store 2. Tracing paper (for more vintage feel) or regular printer paper 3. Dishwasher Safe Mod Podge & foam brush 4. Small ¾ inch felt furniture pads Print out personalized picture to size on tracing paper. Cut/apply picture to tile using the Mod Podge instructions. After drying, apply felt pads to the bottom corners of each coaster. Enjoy!  Kristi Mahoney is a 24 Carrot Writing regular contributor and the author of Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians (Gnome Road, 2024) and its sequel, Owls Make Terrible Teachers (Gnome Road, 2026). Learn more about Kristi here.
 Michele Regenold is an Author Accelerator-certified book coach specializing in MG and YA fiction. She helps writers with big ambitions realize their goals through 1:1 coaching. Michele is a writer herself, and is represented by Mary Cummings with Great River Literary. Contact Michele on her website.
 Kelly Carey is an award-winning children’s fiction author from New England. Her debut picture book, How Long Is Forever? (Charlesbridge, 2020), illustrated by Qing Zhuang, received a glowing review from Kirkus and was named a MUST READ by the Mass Center for the Book. She is the co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing and is represented by Sharon Belcastro of the Belcastro Agency. Learn more about Kelly here.
 Amanda Smith is a co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing. Her poems can be found in Bless the Earth (Convergent Books, 2024) and the Writer's Loft Anthologies, Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures (2023) and Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children (2020) To learn more about Amanda, visit here.
 Guest blog by Vicky Fang Having a main character that can drive multiple books is a key part of creating a chapter book series. But how do you create a series-worthy character? I’m sharing my process in creating the Ava Lin character and series in hopes it will provide fellow writers with strategies to make a chapter book character hold up across multiple books
Ava Lin (Candlewick, 2024 and 2025) is the protagonist of my latest chapter book series, and I’m constantly coming up with new ideas for her. She’s a six-and-a-half year old Chinese American girl who loves bubble tea, treasure, and animals. She’s continually getting herself into confusing social situations, and dives in headfirst with hilarious and unintended results.  AVA LIN, BEST FRIEND! (Credit: Candlewick, ©2024 Vicky Fang) Ava has been a great character to write over and over again. She has become like a member of our family. Whenever we find ourselves cracking up about an earnest, relatable, or hilarious misunderstanding, my kids say “that has to go in an Ava Lin book.” She is a way to look at our honest mistakes and laugh about them. CREATING A GREAT CHARACTER When I approach characters, or teach others to create characters, I like to start with a basic template that includes:
It can be helpful to pick one aspect of your character and exaggerate it. For Ava Lin, I chose her earnestness. This earnestness results in many of her essential qualities: curiosity, optimism, resilience, frustration, etc. By choosing something that gave me a clear sense of how she would react to many different situations, I gave myself a character that would easily scale to many different stories.  AVA LIN, ONE OF A KIND (Credit: Candlewick, ©2025 Vicky Fang) I also started sketching ideas of what Ava might look like. I usually do this whether I’m planning to illustrate or not, as it helps me solidify my mental picture of the character.  Early sketches for Ava Lin, ©2022 Vicky Fang BUILDING YOUR STORY The story and the character go hand in hand. So when I start thinking about the story, I might have to go back and adjust the character, or vice versa. After I have a sense of the character, the key question I’m trying to answer next is: What do they want and why can’t they have it? Ideally, your character’s exaggerated trait contributes to the reason they can’t have what they want. You may have to go back and forth between the pieces, adjusting until you get to something really meaty. This is what makes for a great story: when your character’s own traits exacerbate the obstacles in the way of getting what they want. For Ava Lin, her earnestness causes her to dive into social situations that she doesn’t really understand. More than anything, she wants a best friend! (This is the goal I picked for the first book.) But how do you make a best friend? How do you know when they are your best friend? Ava’s headlong efforts backfire on her, and she has to find ways to figure it out. Fortunately, the very earnestness that causes Ava’s missteps also helps her overcome the obstacles.  AVA LIN, BEST FRIEND! (Credit: Candlewick, ©2024 Vicky Fang) After you write the first draft of your story, take a step back and think about if the themes of the story and your character and plot are all working to create the best tension and resolution possible. Does your character have a satisfying arc from the beginning to the end? Does the voice of the story align with your character and the theme? DEVELOPING A SERIES With Ava’s earnestness getting her into social situations she doesn’t quite understand, it was easy for me to come up with many different story lines for her. In Best Friend!, she wants a best friend and also a super cool notebook. In One of a Kind, she wants to win the most kindness tickets, but loses track of actually being kind. In Super-Duper Happy, she wants to find a connection with her grandmother while also trying to win a gold medal in the school walkathon.  AVA LIN, SUPER-DUPER HAPPY (Credit: Candlewick, ©2025 Vicky Fang) In general, characters that are relatable and proactive will be easier to build a series around. But there are many different ways to do this! A character might be relatable because they explore one emotion that we’ve all felt—maybe it’s fear, or shyness, or recklessness, or hope. A character might be innately proactive, or they might be driven to action by external factors. Find the story that fits your character, and shape your character to fit your story. They both need to work together. GO FORTH AND WRITE!
 Guest blog by Pam Vaughan When people hear the word tenacious, they often imagine someone scaling a mountain or running a marathon against all odds. But for children’s book writers, tenacity often shows up in quieter, humble ways like rewriting a story for the tenth (or hundredth) time, sending one more query after a string of rejections, or asking for feedback even when it stings.  When I worked on my latest picture book, Tenacious Won’t Give Up (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2025), I lived its title every step of the way. There were endless drafts, puzzling plot points, and moments I wondered if the story would ever click or if I should just move on. But how could I write a book called Tenacious and give up? What kept me going was the story’s potential and the encouragement of my writing partners - picture book writing isn't a solo climb after all. They reminded me that persistence isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Sometimes tenacity is a whisper of inspiration or a nod of encouragement. After some passes from editors, one editor responded this way: “Hmm, this one’s tricky! I really love the title and the core of what it’s going after. The story isn’t quite special enough yet. Perhaps a lighter touch on the message might do it? If Pam rethinks it, I’d be happy to take another look.” At first, I saw it as a pass. But then three phrases jumped out:
 I studied all of the editor’s other books, searching for what I was missing. Then I rethought, revised, and refined the manuscript with fresh perspective and trusted feedback. When we resubmitted, the editor said yes. That experience taught me that tenacity isn’t just about trying harder…it’s about trying smarter. Sometimes pushing through isn’t the answer. Listening is. Adjusting is. As children’s authors, we hope our readers keep learning, growing, and believing in themselves. Our own creative journeys mirror that same message. Tenacity isn’t all grit and grind. It’s also patience, openness, and trust. Here are a few ways to cultivate your own quiet tenacity: 1. Find Your Team Children’s literature thrives on community. Join a critique group, trade pages, or share ideas with other writers. Feedback may sting, but it’s a gift that grows your resilience. 2. Redefine Success Tenacity isn’t about never falling; it’s about getting up curious. Instead of asking, “Did I get published?” ask, “What did I learn from this draft or rejection?” Every insight is a step forward. 3. Celebrate Small Steps Every revision, query, or idea scribbled in a notebook counts. These tiny acts of persistence build the foundation for stories that will one day connect deeply with readers. If you’re revising, waiting, or doubting your story today know this: you’re not alone. Your persistence matters. Your words matter. And your tenacity, quiet, humble, and grounded in community can carry you through. How has tenacity shown up in your writing journey? Share your story in the comments so we can all cheer each other on!  In addition to Tenacious Won't Give Up, illustrated by Leanne Hatch, Pam is the author of Missy Wants a Mammoth (Pixel+Ink, 2024), illustrated by Ariel Landy. She is the director of the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and a co-assistant regional advisor for New England SCBWI and holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from the Heller School. Learn more about Pam here.
Staying Organized and Motivated During Difficult Times: Lessons from Writing Through Crisis9/17/2025  Guest blog by Kirsten W. Larson The idea for my latest book, This Is How You Know: How Science Happens (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025), illustrated by Cornelia Li, a lyrical love letter to science, emerged during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. To say that Spring 2020 was a difficult time to maintain creativity is an understatement. We were in lockdown, and my entire family was home. My kids loved nothing more than to spend breaks between classes hanging out in my office. It was lovely, but disruptive to getting any writing done. And then there was the news. It was so difficult to stop doom scrolling and actually write. What did I have to offer the world in the face of such tragedy? Yet somehow, books got written during those chaotic times – including mine. If you’re facing your own difficult season right now, whether it’s personal challenges, political and economic uncertainty, or just “life,” some of the techniques I honed during the pandemic just might help you stay on track. Create Boundaries Around Your Creative Work Time When I started writing in 2012, my kids had naptime – an hour, maybe two in the afternoon if I was lucky. To get any writing done, I learned to shut down all distractions – email, social media, etc. and concentrate solely on getting words on the page. I prioritized whatever magazine article or book I was actively writing, not watching craft webinars or writing blog posts or anything else that could be done with partial attention at other times. In the intervening years, I have become a full-time freelancer and writer, who could write whenever she wanted. But in early 2020, I quickly realized, if I was going to get anything done, it had to be before the rest of the family woke up. I was going to have to pretend like it was naptime and focus relentlessly. Your creative work block doesn’t have to be first thing in the morning. But, it’s critical to identify your peak creative hours and treat them as non-negotiable. During these protected periods, eliminate digital distractions entirely as best you can. Yes, if you have children or aging parents, you may have to respond to texts or urgent phone calls. But, if you can, silence your notifications. Close out your email. Resist the news, TikTok, and Instagram. Consider using social media blocking tools like Freedom or Forest or removing social media apps from your phone to remove temptation during work sessions. The key is recognizing that our devices are designed to capture and fragment our attention. Even a quick check of messages can derail creative momentum for twenty minutes or more. You can read more about this in Deep Work (Grand Central Publishing, 2016) by Cal Newport. By creating technology-free zones around your most important work, you’re not just protecting time, you're protecting the “deep work” necessary to write.  Harness the Power of Accountability Partners I have had an accountability partner, fellow KidLit author Marcie Colleen, for about eight years. She’s my secret weapon. During COVID-19, our accountability relationship became even more important for getting the work done. Every morning, which is when we schedule our creative work, Marcie and I text each other at 5:30 a.m. to check in. In that text, we each set a goal for our work time, which runs from 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. It could be a chapter in a novel, 1,000 words, a comic outline, or revising a picture book draft. We aim to be as specific and measurable with our goals as we can. And then, at 7 a.m. we check on progress toward the goal. Knowing I will report to Marcie keeps me focused and on task instead of checking email or scrolling the news. There are different ways to structure these partnerships. Some accountability partners have write-ins, either in person or over Zoom, which forces members to be “butt in chair” and just write. Others trade email goals and check ins or do it via social media (though be careful with the latter, so you don’t end up distracted). And, of course, your creative work time should be whatever works best for you and your partner. Look for accountability partners within your existing writing communities like classes, critique groups, or online communities. Marcie and I met through the 12x12 Picture Book Writing community and became critique partners before we became accountability partners.  The Daily “To Do”: Make Invisible Work Visible I’m a big “to do” list person. My daily calendar and “to do” list have always contained a mix of both work and family “to dos,” including scheduling kids’ doctors’ appointments, carpool runs, or grocery shopping. I am a big advocate for putting both household and personal tasks on your list. This might seem obvious, but many creative people fail to account for the time and energy these responsibilities require. Childcare, exercise, oil changes, and fixing the leaky sink aren’t just things that happen in the background, they’re real time commitments that limit our availability for other work. By making this invisible work visible on my to-do list, I can plan my creative time more realistically. I also get a motivational boost from checking off these essential tasks, rather than feeling like they’re just draining time from my “real” work. Tackling To-Do Lists I keep both monthly and daily to-do lists in my writer’s notebook. The monthly master list serves as a brain dump. It includes my creative project(s) at the top, other work tasks that must be completed that month (critiques, newsletters, teaching, etc.) but also any major household tasks and items I need to help my kids manage (like college applications). The list takes up two pages in my notebook. It’s huge. However, if I looked at it every day, I would be paralyzed. Instead, each day, I select about three work “have to dos” (the top priority being my primary creative project) and three home “have to dos” (one of which is exercise). Then I can add up to three “nice to dos” total from my work and home lists. I’m careful not to overload any single day. If I put more than about five things down for work on any one day, I start to feel stressed, mostly because I worry I can’t get it all done. This approach for including both work and home tasks and limiting them comes from Catherine Price’s wisdom in The Power of Fun (Dial Press, 2021). Embrace Flexibility Within Structure The final lesson from writing through crisis is the importance of flexibility. Sometimes life gets complicated. Kids get sick (or we get sick) and need to regroup. We move. A pipe bursts. That’s ok. We have to “nurture our inner artist” as Julia Cameron says in The Artist’s Way (Tarcher, 2016). That may mean stepping back sometimes to fill ourselves up, but always trying to stay in touch with our work, even if it’s just 15 minutes of journaling or brainstorming ideas for your novel.  The Long View Writing This Is How You Know during the pandemic reminded me that sometimes our most meaningful work emerges during difficult periods. Protecting your creative time, using an accountability partner, and crafting realistic “to do” lists can help. I hope these small steps will help you get your words on the page too.  Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA, but now writes books for curious kids. She is the acclaimed author of over 30 nonfiction books for young readers, including The Fire of Stars (Chronicle Books, 2023), an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor book, as well as the craft book Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A step-by-step revision guide (Both/And, 2023), praised as “a must-have for every nonfiction picture book writer’s bookshelf.” You can also find her hosting the Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations podcast, which takes a deep dive into the craft and business of children’s nonfiction.
Connect on Instagram: @kirstenwlarson Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kirstenwlarson Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstenLarsonWrites Web: Kirstenwlarson.com  Dear Fellow-writer in the Query Trenches or on Submission, Hi there. I recognize you by your thin smile and guarded eyes when non-writers ask how your writing is going and tell you that they know someone who had just (self-)published a book. Also, by your impressive thick skin and your duck-like quality of letting rejections run off your back like, well, water. Also, and mostly this: I recognize you by your Gatsby-esque extraordinary gift for hope and the bravery by which you wear your heart on your sleeve. And I want to write you a little note of encouragement, because this brave thing that you are doing, putting your heart out there time and time again, just to hear “it is not for me”, or “I didn’t connect to your work the way I would have liked to,” or the deafening silence of no response – this brave thing is really, really hard. Oh, you pretend that it is not. You make light of it by playing rejection bingo, or comparing fastest rejection times, or celebrating “champagne” rejections. You tell yourself it is the industry and publishing is just really tough right now, and that might be true, but honestly, it was just as tough last year, or five years ago. The truth is, it gets tiring carrying so many nos. It is challenging to keep believing in your stories and the quality of your work. I see you. I feel you. I am you. And so, I just want to say that it is okay to feel the heaviness of this process. Every rejection is someone saying no to your dream. That hurts. But that does not mean your dream is worthless or unattainable. So, wallow for a bit. Acknowledge the sting, but then take action:
And remember, fellow-writer. Your dreams, your words, your stories, YOU are worthy, Write bravely, Amanda  by Kelly Carey I have let dozens of distractions knock me off my writing goals the past few months. Some have been fully necessary while others have been suspiciously less worthy. Regardless of the reason, the result is the same. I’m woefully off track. Like a lawn mower left too long in a garden shed, I feel like I need someone or something to knock the rust off, fill me with motivating motor oil, and push me out into the yard so I can whip, whip, whip my creative blades. Good news! It’s June! And June Year’s Eve is my favorite goal blasting holiday! You and I are only halfway through 2025 and that means we have six months to earn our carrots and put happy check marks next to the goals we set back in January. Get those goals out. They might look like an overgrown knee deep lawn that should have been better tended, but don't worry! Rev up a weedwhacker attitude and review your completed tasks. Then use June Year's Eve to map out a winning strategy for success. Think of the warm feeling a solid 24 Carrot Writing year would bring and let that motivate you! Need a little more motivation? Try these:
 ~ by Annie Cronin Romano I have been an associate agent for nearly four years and have participated in quite a few virtual conferences and pitch sessions. Last month, I had the privilege of attending my first in-person conference (as an agent) at a writing conference in Boston. It was wonderful to finally meet writers face-to-face, chat with agenting peers, and feel that creative energy buzzing in the air. Such a positive atmosphere! So imagine my concern when a volunteer who was working the pitch check-in desk shared with me, “You know, nearly everyone waiting out there is terrified. I keep telling them how nice you all are, and to just breathe, but they are so nervous. They seem to feel this is their best shot to get an agent, I think.” Now, this should not have been news to me. As a writer myself, I have done a few agent/editor pitch sessions in which I shared my pitch or read my opening pages. But it’s been a few years since I’ve been on the writer’s side of the table. My memory is clearly failing me. What could I do to put these lovely writers at ease? How could I let them know that a pitch session is not something to be anxious about, but rather is an opportunity to connect with industry folks and gain perspective on how you're presenting your work? So I decided to put together a list of advice for writers thinking of signing up for an agent pitch session to help ease those to-be-expected and understandable nerves. Pitch Session Preparation Tips:
I hope these tips will help writers feel a bit less anxious as they wait outside their next agent pitch session. Butterflies are perfectly normal, but remember, agents are looking forward to meeting you and hearing about your work. Your manuscript could be their next treasured project! And you may not land an agent that day, but you can learn how to better pitch your book to increase your manuscript’s chance of standing out in future submissions. So… breathe, smile, and enjoy the process. You’ve got this! Annie Romano is one of the founders of 24 Carrot Writing, as well as a kidlit and adult fiction writer and an associate agent at Olswanger Literary, where she represents adult fiction. To learn more about her, visit her website at www.anniecroninromano.com.
 ~ by Amanda Smith Before leaving on a revision retreat in the summer, I left my two boys with detailed instructions on cleaning their closets. One of the check boxes stated: Are you ready to get rid of some of the soft toys in your closet? If so, put them in my room. No, I am not being unreasonable. Both my boys are on the other side of 16. It’s time. Throughout the years, I'd broached the snuggie-subject, only to be brushed off with a “not right now,” but this time, three days into my trip, my husband sent a picture of two containers, lovingly covered with spread bandanas, like colorful funeral shrouds.  Sometimes revision is exactly like getting rid of loveys. Friendly, fluffy, comforting words that are just hanging out in the closet of your manuscript – really not bothering anyone. But these words are taking up space, making it hard to maneuver, or to add anything more useful. Here are a few strategies for letting go: The “not right now” mentality: Sometimes we save revisions for later, because at the moment it seems too hard to cut, or we don't know what to do in the space that is left. The cure: It is easier to make big cuts on paper. Print out your manuscript so that you can cross out sections without actually deleting anything yet. As you cross out, make notes in the margins or on sticky notes of all your ideas to fix, connect, or fill those spaces. The benefit: You get a big picture overview, and nothing has been irreversibly altered, but you've made room for new ideas. Cutting ruthlessly: Sometimes words and scenes that were necessary to make your story grow, are no longer needed. They belonged to your draft’s childhood and might actually get in the way of your manuscript launching. Ruthless revising asks, Marie Kondo-style, "Is this still useful? Do I still love it?" You may combine this with the "not right now" strategy by doing it on paper, but commit that when you have crossed it out on paper, it must be deleted from the manuscript. No backsies. The cure: Ruthless cutting, especially of backstory and info dumping that you initially needed to get to the heart of the story, leaves more space for the all-important story. The benefit: A mature manuscript. Sad goodbyes: At some point you will have to actually delete from the actual manuscript. This is sad and painful, because as writers we take care to write well, to weigh words, and to measure sentences, and we take pleasure in the result of our labor. Sometimes when we have to purge, we might need to put those words in another room under a colorful bandana just until we're sure. The cure: For each project, keep a darlings folder. When you cut something from a manuscript, paste it into a document in your darlings folder. That way you can still honor the words. You can tell them, “You are beautifully written and precious, but you are pre-writing and not needed here. Your job was to get me where I needed to go. You did that well. Thank you.” The benefit: Well, just in case, and because letting go is hard.  After my older child went back to college this fall, I slid open his closet to put away some linens. On the shelf, at eye level, sat Shamu, the beloved orca that resided in his bed since he was two until well into his middle school years. Next to Shamu sat Baby Tiger, the white tiger hand-puppet whose cuteness always resulted in belly laughs which morphed into a sweet gentleness in this boy and ended in a hug-fest. Every time. On the top shelf were a few other carefully selected fuzzy friends, including the puppy his preschool teacher gave him the day his baby brother was born. I nodded with approval and relief. Because sometimes we should also unapologetically hold on to the good stuff.
How do you know if it's good stuff? Ask how it contributes to your story. Does it lead to belly laughs or hug-fests like Baby Tiger? Does it reveal something about the character? Hold onto it! Ask whether the scene helps your character on his journey. Does it mark a big life moment for your character, like Puppy? Some words carry deep emotional value, even if they don't necessarily move the plot forward. Whether they are precious memories that promise safety and comfort like Shamu, or whether they bring the character's heartache or suffering to life, curate some space for a few of these emotionally laden scenes. Because as much as we have to eventually clean out the carnival prizes and scruffy beanie babies of our manuscript, some friends (and words) are keepers. |
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