Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life

William Faulkner once said, “I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o'clock every morning.” Gosh, I wish it were that simple for me. Honestly, I don't believe writers wait to be inspired before they write. The challenge might be more that they ignore the everyday happenings in their busy lives that can inspire their writing.

Imagine this..

A young mother at the end of a hectic day has at least one more chore to do before she can plop into bed for some much needed rest. It's bedtime for her little girl; the one who wants to be sung to sleep every night. Weary, the woman trudges upstairs for their bedtime routine: go potty, change into pajamas, brush teeth, read story and say prayers. Along the way, the little girl has asked about going to the zoo soon, shared every single thing that happened at preschool that day, and asked for a drink of water.

Finally, it's time for bed. The woman stifles a yawn and plunks into the rocking chair beside her daughter's bed. She hoists the little girl with the binky planted between her pouting lips and a pink blanket in tow onto her lap, and settles into that one special position that is comfortable for both of them. Then she begins to rock and sing. She sings of frogs going courting and tiny little Thumbelina. The woman sings songs her mother wrote when she was just a little girl. She rocks and sings until her legs ache and her throat is horse, yet, the little girl's eyes are still peering up at her pleading for more. Now what will she sing? She's gone through every nursery rhyme and childhood song she can think of.  The woman's mind wanders to Christmas, which is still months away. She knows decorating, baking for the neighbors, and the sending of cards will be added to her overloaded schedule. But then, she remembers the music. The wonderful hymns of peace, love, and joy that fill the season. So she pushes her feet against the floor once more and, as the rocker goes back and forth, she sings of stars at night and the night wind speaking to a little lamb and a little drummer boy who visits a special baby and gives him the gift of his music.

In the days that followed, the woman would use Christmas music to lull her daughter to sleep time and again. Each time she sang of that little drummer boy, her mind would wander to a young shepherd in the fields on the night of Christ's birth. He would be afraid to leave his sheep and join the other shepherds who were eagerly seeking out the baby the angels had just told them about. Then, in a moment of great faith, he agrees to go with them and, as a result, he saw the Holy Family and his life was forever changed.

Years passed. The little girl with the blanket and binky started school. The woman turned her attention to her life-long love of writing. In those early days, she sought inspiration and found it in the image of that young shepherd who stepped out in faith and left his sheep behind to visit a baby in a manager. That story becomes her first published book for children.

All around us, in the mundane and the extraordinary moments of living, inspiration is there. We only have to open our minds to all it has to offer us as writers.

Cheryl C. Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. She is the author of Little Shepherd, A Christmas Kindness, Macaroni and Cheese for Thanksgiving and the recently released, Amos Faces His Bully. A blogger and book reviewer, she lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two daughters. She also has a son who is married. Visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com and her children’s book blog at https://childrensandteensbookconnection.wordpress.com

Writing for a Younger Audience

By: Stephanie Burkhart 

Question: I’m confused! Is my story a children’s story, middle grade (MG) , young adult, (YA) or new adult (NA?)

Answer: Here’s the target age for the following: children’s stories: 3-7 years old, middle grade: 8-12 years old, young adult: 13-18 years old, and new adult: 18-30 years old. 

Question: So what’s the difference between middle grade and young adult?

Answer: In middle grade stories, a protagonist usually deals with rites of passage and first times. Voice is so important in these stories, so it’s essential to capture the voice of a young protagonist with believability.

In young adult stories our protagonist will be a bit more introspective and possess a little more sophistication. Again, voice is key here. When a story’s narrator sounds like an adult and not a youth, then the story loses credibility. 

Question: What type of stories appeal to a younger audience?

Answer: Something unique and diverse. The world is full of different cultures and ethnicities. There’s different abilities, different socio-economics and unique settings. Our younger readers know the world is full of vast cultures and unique people so bring that out in your writing.

Consider that deceased parents, spunky heroines, and dystopias have flood the recent market. Consider a different spin or a different approach.

When writing for a younger audience consider the following: #1: the narrator’s voice must sound like a young person, not an adult. #2: dialogue must not be too stiff or frequent. It must sound authentic. #3: No information dumps. Show! Don’t tell everything to the reader in the first 30 pages. Unravel the story slowly and savor the discovery. 

Reference: Writer’s Digest, MAR/APR 2016, “4 on 4,” complied by Jessica Strawser, pages 28-29.

Question: Good, well written, young adult also appeals to the adult audience. Think Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and the Maze Runner. Who was your favorite character in the Harry Potter Series?  Why?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She enjoys coffee, adores chocolate, and is a Den Leader for her son’s Cub Scout den. Her books with 4RV Publishing include: The Giving Meadow, Brady’s Lost Blanket, Joseph’s Cradle, and First Flag of New Hampshire.

THE GIVING MEADOW:

Caterpillar travels through a meadow learning how to care and share. 

REVIEWS: 

5 Stars, Tami Dee, Amazon Reviewer:  The Giving Meadow is a charming story about friendship, generosity, kindness, and support when changes occur which are out of our control.

5 Stars, Katherine Boyer, Amazon Reviewer:  The lessons depicted in this lovely, brightly illustrated book include, but are not limited to, sharing, friendship, acceptance, understanding and generosity.

5 stars, Beverly Stowe McClure, Amazon Reviewer:The Giving Meadow is a nice book to add to a child's library. Early childhood and kindergarten teachers could use this book in their classes as a fun read to teach children about the small creatures in their world. I recommend this book for little ones ages 4-8, for animal lovers, even the crawly kind, and for everyone who enjoys nature and a gentle read at bedtime. 

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON http://amzn.com/B00J3FBY9Y

B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-giving-meadow-stephanie-burkhart/1022481362?ean=9780982588697

PUBISHER'S LINK: http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/burkhart.php

Tapping into Emotion - by Stephanie Burkhart

Happy Holidays from the Burkharts

First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holiday Season! December has just flown by. I'm pooped. Thankfully, the only thing I have left to do now is bake cookies for Santa with my boys.

My boys are a hoot. Joe is 6, Andrew is 10, and they're my best resources when it comes to observing emotion, especially in kids. It's said that watching people is one of the best ways to understand human emotion. When writing for children, the best way to understand their emotions is to not only watch them, but interact with them.

Kids are so open and honest. I teach the 3's at my Sunday preschool and it's very rewarding. I've learned through my writing to keep the following in mind: physical signals, mental responses, and internal sensations.

Andrew is easy. When he's happy, he smiles like a Cheshire cat. When he's excited, he waves his hands. When he's disappointed or frustrated, he pouts and scowls. All these physical signals are what we writers can use to convey emotion and connect with readers.

Joe has sensory processing issues. When he's excited he talks a mile a minute and hand flaps. When he's frustrated, he wails and cries big and loud. All his physical signals are "amped up" compared to Andrew's.

It's easy to observe physical signals – a smile, a laugh, a tear, but as a writer, only you can add the depth required to a character to make them come alive.

Last week we had a Christmas party for the preschool children. Each got one cookie and a cup of milk. All the kids smiled. Who doesn't love a cookie? Cookies taste sweet and sweet makes children smile. (I suppose if it was salty we'd get a frown.)

See how internal sensation, mental responses and physical signals play into emotion? Put them all together and you'll round out your characterization.

Question: Do you "people" watch? Do you take notes? How has people watching helped you a writer?

Joe reading one of his favorite books, Spider in Our Mailbox 

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 Dispatcher for LAPD. She loves burning bayberry candles for Christmas. She puts a star on the tree and bakes cookies for Santa with her boys. Her 4RV books include: The Giving Meadow and First Flag of New Hampshire.

Reference for this blog: The Emotion Thesaurus, Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, ISBN: 978-147-5004953, 2012

Find me on the web at:

Website:

http://www.stephanieburkhart.com

Blog:

http://sgcardin.blogspot.com 

Spring Rains

Spring Rains By Suzanne Y. Cordatos Did you make any writing resolutions this past New Year? How are they going? In January, my writing friend set ambitious goals: Submit work more often. Research and query agents. Enter contests. Query. Revise. Again. And Again. I meet with this writing friend every week for a hearty breakfast of eggs, critiques, conversation, inspiration and motivation. (BTW, if you haven’t yet found a writing friend, it is easier than you might think. Join a formal association, or simply make a few public comments that you “are a writer”. Fellow writing souls will emerge from the woodwork.)In March, her effort paid off big-time. Her manuscript was in the hands of agents and contest judges, right on schedule. Even better, the novel we had labored over for two years (longer for her) was placed among the top four finalists of a contest. Her work would be read by a top NYC publishing house! The top finalist would be handed a gold-plated book contract! Yippee! Right? Not so fast.

Like spring rains, however, rejections started pouring down on her good efforts and optimistic spirits. For the past few weeks, her writing pen has barely slogged across the page. Have you ever felt that way? Why do we writers torture ourselves like this? Her self-torture: If she hadn’t submitted more, she’d be swimming happily right now in her pool of dreams, a pool deep with fantasy contracts and book signings. Why do you bother to write? I keep trying because stories have shaped my sense of empathy, my understanding of the human condition; fiction binds us together as people of a planet who share the human experience: its dreams, sadness, and hopes. Stories help create empathy for others and transport us out of the mundane. Find out why by reading some of your favorite old classics. Those treasured, dog-eared books you dragged around? The ones whose characters felt more like friends than the kids down the street? I found myself—the values/views/themes/beliefs I hold dear to my heart—in specific sentences of those books. Single lines that rang true. Bits of dialogue. Unforgettable settings. Characters who triumphed over obstacles. The joy of watching flowers bloom and helping others reach their potential? It’s behind the locked door of The Secret Garden. The value of a good cry? Who didn’t cry over the beauty of life and self-sacrifice in Charlotte’s Web? A sense of adventure and the belief that small people can make a big difference in the world? Just ask Frodo and Bilbo Baggins. The deep sense that Mom cares no matter how bad I am? It’s in the bowl of soup that Max’s mom left at the end of Where the Wild Things Are. After Max’s misadventures, the soup was still hot. Writers make a difference. Published or not. I sat across a conference lunch table from Newberry Award writer Jerry Spinelli a few years ago and heard about a manuscript he still keeps tucked away – a novel the editors don't care to publish. What if he had stopped writing when they said no to that first try? Whatever is on your heart that needs to be said to the world—it matters! Whatever keeps pushing the keys on your keyboard, the words that speak to your heart, it really does matter.

What inspires you to keep writing through rejection? Visit Suzanne's blog Ideas Tingle and Bite at

Time Management Woes by Katie Hines

Right now, I am both a writer and an editor, a wife, and a mom who is an empty-nester. Of course, that doesn’t mean family matters don’t come between me and my writing/editing, because they definitely do. In some ways, I feel like my children are young again as I spend time babysitting my two preschool grandchildren--boys, and my are they busy! I also have the regular duties of things that must get done. You know, the obligatory cleaning, cooking, shopping, and laundry, etc. Whew, and you thought staying at home was a cinch.

I’ve read on the internet and in emails different ways to manage your time, from making lists, to mental lists, to setting aside blocks of time, and so forth. Whichever I decide to try first, I’ll just dump some laundry in first. Slacks needed for tonight go in the dryer, and my husband’s permanent press shirts go in the washer.

Now I can concentrate. At first, the whole list thing sounds good, so I try that. Excited about the possibilities, I dutifully create a list and record on it all the activities I want to accomplish. Then I promptly get overwhelmed by the length of it! What to do? I decide I will make two lists: one for the writing/editing, and one for household and wifely stuff. But I still get overwhelmed because now there are not just one, but two lists staring at me.

What to do? I decide that I would put one of the lists in the drawer, so I don’t have its beady little eyes piercing me all day long, and its mouth yammering for me to pay attention to it. Problem is, whichever list I am working on, I am still conscious of that one whose priorities I haven’t even touched upon.

Forget the lists.

How about blocking out times for writing/editing, and another for family/house related activities? Sounds good, doesn’t it? But herein lies the question: Do I concentrate on household things first, or write first? No matter whichever one I choose, the other is going to hover in the back of my mind. Then I get serious. And doggone it, I am going to write first, then work on house and family.

But here comes another problem: Do I read my writing emails first, or actually write or edit first? If I read through my emails first, then I don’t feel like writing at the end of it because I take the time to read the articles and blogs, all of which can consume a lot of time. Scratch the emails. I decide to write first. Open computer, open Word. Open document. Sit and stare. Where is my muse? Turns out, I haven’t had any coffee, so I go make some and drink it thankfully.

Sit back down, open my computer again. Open document. Am sitting and staring again. Geesh, muse, just show up, okay? So, in order to jump-start my muse, I backtrack in my document one chapter, and reread what I’ve written. Fortunately, that is enough to get me going again, and I begin to write.

Then another problem occurs to me. I haven’t set a specific amount of time to write. So, how will I know when I am done? I could just write until I got “written out,” but that’s not always good because sometime you have to persevere to get past a tough spot. Sigh. I decide on a time frame, and begin to write again.

My cell phone rings.

The dilemma: Do I answer the phone and stop writing for a little bit, or do I ignore it and keep writing? I peek at the screen. It’s my eldest daughter. My fingers hover over my keyboard. The phone keeps ringing. What if she has an emergency? What if she just wants me to keep the boys? What if she’s just saying “hello?” I agonize. I have voice mail. I decide to not answer it, but wait for the voice mail signal to come through. Nothing. Guess it wasn’t important after all. I turn off the cell phone. I reread the last paragraph.

I hear a buzzer. It’s the dryer, letting me know its cycle is finished. If I don’t get the clothes out now, they will wrinkle, and I’ll have to do them all over again, or worse, iron them. Okay. I leave my computer, and head to the laundry room. The clothes are dry and I’ve averted a wrinkle catastrophe by hanging them up. Unfortunately, it takes longer to wash the clothes than it does to dry them. It took me about five minutes to hang the clothing up, so in about five more minutes I’ll need to go put the freshly washed clothes in the dryer.

Back to my computer.

Now where was I? I reread the last couple of paragraphs, check a detail earlier in the story, and am in the middle of typing a new paragraph when the washing machine beeps. Doggone, I HAVE to have those clothes dry and ready for our evening out tonight. Harrumphing just a bit, I leave my computer and go put the wash in the dryer.

Back to my computer. Again. I’m staring cross-eyed at my document, wondering what is going to clamor for my attention next. All of the sudden, a Skype picture pops up, superimposing itself over the document I’m working on. It’s my youngest daughter, checking in from college. I haven’t talked to her in two weeks. I chat with her a few minutes and we catch up.

Looking at my document. What can go wrong now? I stare at it. My muse has disappeared, along with my desire to even try to write. So, I work my way through my emails and associated blogs/articles.

I glance at the clock, and realize my favorite daytime show is about to come on. Deciding to further manage my time, I take a TV break. I’ll get back to my story later today, after things have settled down. Maybe. Whatever. Tomorrow is a new day, and I'm sure it will go better than today.

Closing my computer, I head to the living room. Surely, nothing else can disrupt my schedule now. I’m worn out from such a busy day of writing...

Bringing Inspiration to Life - By: Stephanie Burkhart

As a writer, a good story idea often comes from inspiration. Once we find that inspiration, it's often our muse, which fans that inspirational spark into a flame. I never thought of myself as a children's/young adult author until I found the inspiration working in my church's Sunday preschool program. We call our program "Little Church" and I help to each the 3's with two other wonderful women, Maureen & Shirley.

For Easter 2009, the ladies wanted to do an Easter play for the children. With a spark and a twinkle in their eyes, they said, "Steph, you're the author. Can you write us a play?"

My first gut reaction: panic! Me, write for children? Then Juliet, my muse, whispered in my ear. I found my courage and bantered ideas around with the ladies.

Children love nature. Nothing amazes them more watering plants and watching them grow. They love picking fruit. A sunny day brings a smile to their faces. While the story of Jesus' resurrection may be hard for them to grasp, a caterpillar's growth and change into a butterfly is one young children understand.

Out of that, my book, "The Giving Meadow" was born. Caterpillar hatches out of his egg and tumbles through a meadow. Along the way he meets a frog, ladybug, bee, and a snake who all help him along his journey. When we presented the play to the children that year it was a big hit.

Then I showed it to Vivian at 4RV. I value her opinion when it comes to writing children's stories and she offered me a contract. It was a wonderful surprise that warmed my heart.

The heart of my blog today is this:

Inspiration is all around us so don't be like me and panic. Smell the roses. Soak up the sunshine. Plant a flower and watch it grow. Don't be afraid to follow your muse.