Where would I be without my computer? It’s hard to imagine writing without it! It’s where I create, revise, submit, and network. Although my computer takes center stage, I have several other tools in my writing belt that make writing just downright easier. Here are a few of my favorite writing tools that you might want to add to your writing arsenal. Rhyming Dictionary – In the prehistoric age of rhyming, people used to have to sit there and think of rhymes. Boy, did that take a lot of time. (Ahem . . . not that I would know about rhyming in the prehistoric age!) However, I was thrilled when I discovered the hard-copy rhyming dictionary. I spent hours thumbing through it, but it was still took a ton of time to plow through alphabetical listings and sound/spelling combinations.Then—ta da! (Can you hear the music??) I discovered an online rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com . (Crescendo!) I’m sure there are others out there, but this is my favorite. When I’m working on a rhyming manuscript, I pull up my document page on one side, and the rhyming dictionary on the other and go back and forth to my heart’s content. Which brings me to my next useful tool--the double wide computer screen Double Wide Screen – . I was happy with my standard computer screen for years and years, but my computer engineer husband said I would really like a double screen. “No, I won’t,” I insisted. I thought his repeated suggestion was just the rantings of a guy who thought more computer anything was the answer to all of life’s problems. Then, he got me one for Christmas. Wow! It was cool! I could pull up two documents at the same time, side by side. It was like the time my son told me we should get a DVR. I resisted for years. But when I finally got one, it was so cool. Suddenly, I had the giddy power of pausing, recording, and scheduling in my hands! In both instances, I thought—I should have done this sooner! Binder of text – When first began writing, I went to the library and checked out a ton of picture books each month. When I read ones I liked, I typed the text, printed it out, and kept it in a binder. I categorized them into rhyme and prose. It’s been a great reference tool. When I search through it, I can see how certain stories are structured and it gives me ideas about how I might structure mine. I not only see different types of rhyming patterns within a stanza, can see the larger structure of repeating rhyming choruses, different types of wordplay, and how the author created pace and timing. It took time to make, but it’s been a valuable reference tool. Book of Baby Names – This is available online too, but I still have two books of baby names that I refer to. One is a small, alphabetical book with common baby names, and the other is a big book categorized by country. When I’m looking for a specific type of name, especially for educational projects that specify diversity, it’s a handy research tool for coming up with the right character names. Children’s Writer’s Word Book – This is a handy book as well. In addition to providing word lists for grades K through 6th, it has dictionary-like entries with alternatives for different grade levels. This has been a great tool when I needed to find the right grade level word for projects for educational publishers. What are your favorite writing tools? Lori Mortensen is an award-winning children’s book author of more than three dozen fiction and nonfiction books. A writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature for seven years, Lori is a frequent speaker at schools and SCBWI conferences and is represented by Eden Street Literary in New York. Recent picture book titles include Cowpoke Clyde & Dirty Dawg (Clarion), named one of Amazon's Best Picture Books of the Year, Cindy Moo (HarperCollins, 2012), Come See the Earth Turn – The Story of Léon Foucault (Random House, 2010), and In the Trees, Honey Bees! (Dawn, 2009). Learn more about Lori and her books at www.lorimortensen.com.
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Life's been throwing me a few curveballs lately—mostly snow and ice. In the past 42 days, my son's been to school only eight times. Between our family vacation, holiday break, and crazy Wisconsin weather, I've been drifting along and fumbling through the chaos of winter. (To be honest, though, I've felt this way for most of my time as a parent!) Over this time we've made impromptu fortresses, gotten creative with meals (and the times of day we eat them), and, admittedly, my sleep and work routines have been messed with. It's hard to get back into the everyday swing. I know the kids have enjoyed the unplanned time off, but Mom is a little anxious to get back to the "structure" of things. For me, it's satisfying to have a plan before the day begins, and I'm a huge fan of to-do lists. Days seem to unfold more smoothly when there's at least a basic idea of how its beginning, middle, and end will play out. As I'm sinking back into a writing rhythm, I'd like to share a bit how I plan and outline. For picture books, I love to storyboard. What is a Storyboard? A storyboard is a visual plan that helps me shape an idea before writing it, or when working on a revision. I can never avoid the unexpected in writing or in life (and surprises can be fun!), but being able to visually map out a story is one way I can be more efficient with my time and creative energy. To a busy mom and freelancer like me, time and energy are my two most precious resources. I think most of you have probably experienced how both can be easily squandered when we don't guard and plan out our writing time seriously. What Does a Storyboard Look Like? Storyboards look differently, depending on whose storyboard you're viewing. I first learned about storyboarding when I was young and visited Walt Disney World—where film animators first draw rough scene sketches to plot out their movies. Back then, I drew in my sketchbook daily and imagined myself doing "real" storyboarding one day. I didn't end up becoming an illustrator, obviously, but I do make storyboards for what I consider my best ideas—the ones I want to write. My storyboards are much simpler than a Disney animator's. I draw approximately 14 or 15 rectangles on spiral notebook pages to represent the number of spreads in an average picture book. If I'm developing a new idea that I haven't drafted yet, I draw stick figures and put keywords about the action in the scene. This helps me "see" that my idea has the right amount of action—a series of events—and how my text will integrate with interesting pictures. (I'm aware that the one I actually have a photo of is shamefully lame...) If I'm polishing a picture book final draft I've already got, I'll actually cut up my manuscript and number each piece. Then I arrange them on the table or floor. I'll label what goes where within small boxes on a a 32-page or 40-page printed PB template (thumbnail below). This helps me see where my writing might be too text heavy or where there isn't something fresh and action-based to illustrate—perhaps I've got too much dialogue or too many scenes that happen in the same place? (Read: BORING!). This particular cut-and-arrange technique was very eye-opening when my editor asked me to paginate ONE PLASTIC BAG for the first time and I realized that I could cut (or needed to add) a few words based on where the page break would fall. Tip: When storyboarding a 32- or 40-page picture book, remember that you'll usually start text on page 5 (not page 1). There will also be pastedowns and possibly endpapers, and consider if you'll need one or two pages of backmatter for nonfiction. This exercise is really eye opening and helps convince new writers of the need to tighten and slash word count. Occasionally I storyboard in between drafting and polishing, too. When I have a number of "alternate paths" or scenes (I blogged about that at ReviMo), I'll often use entire sheets of paper to storyboard, so I can see the entire book from start to finish and make sure the entire story flows. This was very helpful for my forthcoming book, WATER IS WATER, because, well, a book that involves a creative water cycle journey can have many paths! Before I could finish a final draft, I needed to make strong choices about the order of scenes. Of course, I always take out the page numbers and most illustrator notes before submitting a manuscript to my agent. Editors and Art directors will add their own clever and creative stuff to my text and make it even better than I imagined—which often presents a few unplanned twists. Those twists, however, are a good part of the process. I'll take the surprising chaos of working on a book under contract anytime, even if it messes with the "structure" of things. Have a wonderfully creative, efficient, and productive writing day! Miranda Paul loves to draw but is way better at writing. She is the author of One Plastic Bag (Millbrook, 2015), Water is Water (Neal Porter Books, 2015), and a to-be-announced title (Millbrook Press, 2016). In addition to being an instructor for the Children's Book Academy’s newest course on grammar, she is the founder and administrator of RateYourStory.org, an online service dedicated to helping writers prepare their manuscripts for submission. If you're ever hosting a karaoke party or a Disney movie marathon, she'd love to be invited, so follow her on Twitter (@Miranda_Paul). Read more online at: www.MirandaPaul.com. We all have those bits of writing wisdom that we pick up along our way like gold nuggets. As we collect them one by one,they shape our writing, give us hope, and light the way on our unique writing journey. At the beginning of this New Year, I offer five of my favorite nuggets of writing wisdom that I've gathered along the way. 1. Get it Right - When I began writing many years ago, the goal seemed to be how quickly I could stuff my manuscripts into the mailbox and flip up the red flag. Writing was so exciting, I couldn't wait to launch my manuscripts into the hands of those all-important editors in New York. That approach was a big, but common mistake. Thankfully, as I continued writing, my attitude changed. Writing was no longer about scribbling off that last line and sending it off in a breathless rush. It was about getting it right, no matter how long it took. What was I trying to say? What was the best way to say it? I developed my own personal standard of excellence. Manuscripts would not leave my hands until it was the best I had to offer. 2. Put it Away - After working on a manuscript for weeks or months, everything inside urges you to send it out. “It’s finally ready!” you cry. But wait! Instead of sending it off when you’re ablaze with writing glory, put your manuscript away. If you have a critique group, this is a great time to share it with them. Time after time, when I think something’s perfect, I discover there are still flaws that I couldn't see when I was immersed in the project. So put it away for several days at least. Longer is better. Work on something else. When you read it again, you’ll be amazed at what you didn’t see before, such as poor transitions, leaps of logic, and weak words. Although it was all there in your head, usually certain ideas and details never make it onto the page. The ability to read a manuscript cold—and still have it shine—is a true test of a manuscript’s readiness. Remember that editors will be reading your manuscript with the same cold, detached objectivity. 3. Trust your instincts – When you immerse yourself in children’s literature it’s easy to wish that you’d written all those incredible children’s books too. At first, I sometimes felt like an eager puppy scrambling along behind all of those wonderful authors who had it all figured out. If only I could be like them. If only I was living the sort of life that inspired those stories. Of course, that sort of thinking led nowhere. In time, I learned to trust my instincts. When I attuned myself to my world and what created a spark in me, manuscripts blossomed under my fingertips—and it was a delight to write them. 4. Keep Going – Many years ago, I attended an SCBWI writing conference and heard the writing team of Judith Enderle and Stephanie Gordon review first pages. Attendees submitted the first page of their writing projects and Judith and Stephanie would give the anonymous author their feedback. Although I don’t remember anything they said about anyone’s manuscript, I heard one thing that hit me like a ton of bricks—“If you only knew how many times we've been rejected,” they said.Contained in that one sentence was a treasure of information. To me, it said that they wrote a ton of manuscripts—not just a handful that they shopped around forever. They worked on one project, then another.It said that in spite of rejection, they kept going and succeeded. It said that even great authors get rejected. Wow! Who knew? It was a ray of hope that continues to light my way in the writing world. 5. BIC – Butt in Chair – This is an oldie, but a goodie, proclaimed by none other than legendary author, Jane Yolen, who I met at a Highlights Foundation Workshop several years ago. In the end (no pun intended!), it comes down to showing up at the computer, sitting down, and getting it done. There’s no substitute. Here’s to a successful New Year, strewn with nuggets of writing wisdom and publishing contracts! Lori Mortensen is an award-winning children’s book author of more than three dozen fiction and nonfiction books. A writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature for seven years, Lori is a frequent speaker at schools and SCBWI conferences and is represented by Eden Street Literary in New York. Recent picture book titles include Cowpoke Clyde & Dirty Dawg (Clarion), named one of Amazon's Best Picture Books of the Year, Cindy Moo (HarperCollins, 2012), Come See the Earth Turn – The Story of Léon Foucault (Random House, 2010), and In the Trees, Honey Bees! (Dawn, 2009). Learn more about Lori and her books at www.lorimortensen.com. |
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