Willard the Dragon - a children's favorite

      Willard the Dragon first appeared in Suzanne Cordatos' book Sneeze Fire, illustrated by LuisaGioffre-Suzuki. Children loved the Willard books beginning then and continuing through the second book Camp Dragon-Fire.

     The author shared the following pictures of her books for sale and in the hands of young readers:

 
           On the left, Willard on display. On the right, Suzanne with her books.

A young reader

                                              On the right

 Willard found his way to Turkey.

         

      The Willard the Dragon books can be found on the 4RV Bookstore, as well as through brick and mortar stores and other online stores. 

Willard the Dragon Goes to a renaissance faire

Suzanne Cordatos with one of her books

     The Connecticut Renaissance Faire is a fantasy book reader’s dream come true as they host a different author each day of their fall show. The Connecticut Faire is an annual event held over several weekends in early fall. The Faire organizers invited 4RV author Suzanne Cordatos to present Willard the Dragon Sunday, September 3 from 1-3pm at the fairgounds in Lebanon, CT.

     The Norwich Bulletin reported:  Scheduled authors include Connecticut residents Amber Boccetti, Suzanne Cordatos, Liz Delton, A.L. Davroe and Ashley York; Massachusetts residents J.M. Aucoin and Michael Bailey; and Virginia resident Kim Headlee.

 

 

 

a "street" at the faire

      Suzanne states, "Having fun, just sold the set to a nice pregnant couple building a children's library for their first baby. A rainy day, so it is slow, but the organizer invited me to come back over Columbus weekend."

 

 

 

 

        The Willard the Dragon books, Willard the Dragon: Sneeze-Fire and Willard the Dragon: Camp Dragon-Fire, can be found on Suzanne's page at the 4RV Bookstore online.

        Learn more about Suzanne Cordatos' books: visit her blog: http://suzannecordatos.blogspot.com/

Viral Social Media, Dissected

Viral Social Media, Dissected

By Suzanne Cordatos

                                             www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

www.thelostcrownofapollo.wordpress.com

The Singing Salutatorian

How well do you remember commencement speeches? With 24,000 high schools in the USA, I’d guess 48,000 valedictorian and salutatorian speeches this year were highly forgettable, no matter how well they were received in the moment. In under a week, however, Wethersfield High School’s Greg Corning has garnered 29,000 hits--and counting--on YouTube with his salutatorian speech.

Mouse-squeaks of jealousy vie for attention in my brain with admiration over his cleverness at going viral. How did he do it? What did he say? What did he eat for breakfast? Can I have some, too?

Which way to the readers?

I've been brainstorming ways to "trap" new readers and "train" them to want my upcoming books. It sounds manipulative, but it is simply a matter of locating my potential audience and figuring out how to provide them the opportunity to read a book I think they will love. I’ve got time, about a year—plenty of time to dissect the success of other writers. 

Choosing popular songs from each of his four years of high school, Greg Corning sang his speech, changing the words of hit songs to be meaningful to his classmates. Apparently, WHS endured heavy renovations this past year, because his take on Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball got a big reaction.

Viral-ness isn’t necessarily our goal as writers, but book promotion? Absolutely. Sweeping the globe with my best ideas between book covers? Sign me up! Like the recently viral (but now ancient) Gangnam-style dance, it’s impossible to predict what wacky idea will gain a huge following next, but let’s pick apart this WHS speech like an unfortunate subject of a high school Biology lesson to see what scratches its way into our memories. Perhaps we can add one or more of these ideas to our next book promotion to boost its popularity and success. The Salutatorian's speech hit all of these hot buttons:

Popular – within seconds, the audience recognized the songs and could hum along to every note.

Familiar—like blue jeans, people like what is comfortable. The songs were familiar, and his words told stories everyone already knew about their shared experience.

Surprising—nobody expected a song in place of a speech. The matserial was familiar but fresh. Like editors say, there is no new story under the sun, just different ways of telling it.

Range of emotion— from funny to sentimental, practical to emotional to inspirational, the range of emotions in his lyrics kept the audience awake and interested, poised for what’s next.

Audience-focused—audience members could feel as if parts had been written expressly for them alone.

Heart-filled—presented with sincerity, nobody doubted that the speaker cared for the audience and was fully committed to his idea. No hesitation, no apologies for the unconventional method. Simple and heart-felt.

QUESTION: Have you discovered any other hot buttons that work to attract attention? Have you used any of the above tactics to achieve a desired result in your own promotions?

Your BIG idea

by Suzanne Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Move over, Katniss. Step aside, Harry Potter. I’ve got an idea for the next great series complete with beloved characters and breath-holding action sure to spawn a trilogy of movies and scads of marketing paraphernalia—or do I? Is my idea BIG enough?

Many writers make New Years' resolutions to write more, so an efficient use of one's time would be to analyze an idea thoughtfully before committing months (and years) to writing it out in the first place. Here’s how to tell if an idea is series-worthy:

Passion for the Project

First and foremost, how passionate are you? A series of books takes a steady commitment of time and energy. At a conference, a series writer once expressed the fond desire to put her cast of characters on an island and blow it up; she was tired of writing the same characters, over and over!

Cast of Characters

Are your characters multi-dimensional? Is Villain purely bad—or have you given Villain a believable back story to explore the genesis of their evil actions? Is Hero reluctant at first? Have you given Hero the space and means in which to grow into the role? Have you populated your cast with interesting characters to interact with Hero and Villain in a variety of settings/plots?

Setting

Is your idea conducive to world-building? Where do your characters live and work? What do they eat? What do they do for fun? What animals/creatures exist in this world? Both fantasy and realistic stories require world-building for a believable backdrop that gives elbow room for Hero and Villain to explore.

Brainstorm 

Brainstorm story ideas quickly. Make a list. Include silly, random ideas:

•   Hero and Villain butt heads on a mountaintop, skiing Bond-style in a chase that has a steamy, wet end in a ski lodge Jacuzzi.
• Villain sneaks behind Hero onto a rocket headed for the international space station which must be diverted from an impending disaster before oxygen runs out. 
• Hero discovers his love interest is related to Villain in an unexpected way, complicating what Hero thought would make an easy demise for Villain.
• Villain finds and destroys the object Hero seeks.

Does your list stop cold? Could you go on and on? With a small list—or with a story focused more on a relationship between a limited cast—perhaps the idea is best served by a short story or novella. If your story ideas seem boundless at the brainstorm stage, perhaps you have the kernel of a good series.

How do you determine what form a new idea should take? Novel? Short story? Article? Series? 

Write THAT book

by Suzanne Y. Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Boots crunch on six inches of new powder and carve a fluffy white trail up the Connecticut hills. Like a scene on a greeting card or a Norman Rockwell painting, we drag an empty red sled and carry a rugged knife capable of allowing a suburban family to saw a perfect 7-foot pine from the tree farm a short drive from our new house. My preschoolers run and hug one of the first trees they see and declare it perfect. Feeling like a lumberjack, my husband gets to work with the saw and the fresh pine smell rushes our senses with nature’s holiday goodness as our fingers get sticky with the resin we can’t help but touch.

 

“I have no memory of that – of a real tree in the house,” my now-teenage daughter announced the other day as she made up her own verses singing “Deck the halls and fluff the branches! Fa la la la la-a-a-, la la la la!” She referred to our family’s annual ritual of fluffing the plastic Christmas tree branches to look more real, spreading the packaged greens apart while I silently regretted not buying a pack of “pine scent sticks” to tuck into the tree branches. Then it hit me: How did I succumb to this fake tree? When did I allow this change to happen to my family? What do you mean you have no idea what a fresh pine tree smells like at Christmas?!?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,
but what happened to the pine smell?

Writers, it is up to us. 

How might city kids learn about the woods or a farm if they have never visited one? When a girl loves to dance, can she imagine herself on stage? What does it feel like under the hot lights in front of an audience?There’s probably a book for that—and if there isn’t? Write THAT book!

Prolific American author Jane Yolen has a lot to say about what and how to write in her book, Take Joy. Her advice on what should go into your writing? "The wind in your hair, the slate of sky overhead; a child's quick intake of breath". In other words, the little discoveries that perhaps only you have bothered to notice. Cultural holiday traditions from far away or long ago can feel as alive as a simmering pot when you read about them in a storybook; the tinkering of tools in a workshop crafting homemade wooden toys; the warmth of Mom’s kitchen, her flour-coated hands expert on the rolling pin or helping pudgy little fingers press hard enough on the cookie cutters; tangible vibrations of voices lifting together in joyful song to the heavens.

When writers describe life’s moments (big or small, important or seemingly trivial) through words and characters and stories, we offer readers a window into an experience they might completely miss out on otherwise. Not just pretty holiday moments, either. Young people learn empathy by identifying with a character and experiencing tragedy or illness without having to go through the trauma themselves. Through books, we get inspired to discuss ethical dilemmas and explore different paths our lives might take. If we didn't learn about life through books, our world would be limited indeed. 

Please share one of your special holiday moments – it is important! Let’s not miss out!
Happy Holidays, everyone!

Destination Imagination

By Suzanne Y. Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Ever have one of those days when your characters run out of breath and fall flat on the page no matter long you keep at it? When my fingers sludge instead of dance on the keyboard, and my rear is shape-shifting to the desk chair, it is time to go on a road trip. Destination? Imagination.

Art Imitates Life – so LIVE!  It is the best way to breathe life into your writing. Do something creative besides writing. Find a creative project at home or try one from the list below. Include family members who might feel second fiddle to your characters!

        

  Try these and use your senses as guide: Sights, smells, sounds, textures, tastes.

·      

      Museum

Soak in any collection. People watch. Are kids curious, bored, dragged behind Mom? Is anyone sketching? Are they good? Observe paintings from a distance and close up. The woman’s hat with a ribbon? It’s a smudge of color with a curling swipe of black. Simple, isn’t it? Stop at a craft store on the way home for inexpensive supplies—and try it. How does it feel to put a paintbrush to canvas? Frustrating? Exhilarating? Do the paints smell funny? Pretend to be Monet—or one of your characters. How would each react?

·      

      Hotel Lobby

Take a seat in a fine hotel lobby. Note details in elegant carpets, gorgeous flower arrangements, uniforms of desk clerks. If they serve tea, go for it. Select the best dressed guest and imagine you or your character has an appointment, or is swept off your feet. What happens next?

·      

     Historical Site

Where I live in New England, you can climb aboard a whaling ship at Mystic Seaport, listen to sea chanteys and pull on ropes pretending to be a sailor. The blacksmith’s ring on the anvil and mob caps of Sturbridge Village churn up historical adventures. Warm your fingers to wood fires and smell the goose stew cooking at Plimouth Plantation, or card wool in Old Wethersfield. Your hands feel soft from the lanolin in the wool.

·       

      City Park or Hiking Trail

A walk and fresh air is all you need. Listen to leaves rustle. Look for insects lugging a load. What creature might be living in that hollow tree? What if it needs a friend? What if it wants to go to outer space?

·       

      Airport                              

Even without a passport in hand, a Departure Board at an international airport is a great Destination Imagination. Rome? Tokyo? Toledo, Ohio? Who is going where? Business travelers with a purpose? What’s in the briefcase? Make it up. Any tearful good-byes? Joyful hellos? A family in matching T-shirts? Make up their emotional reasons. Imagine taking your characters on a trip. Where and why? Anyone afraid to fly?

·       

      Memory Lane

If you are housebound or seriously time-crunched, close your eyes and take yourself there.

What places take your imagination to greater heights? Let us know!

Lessons from the Golf Course

                                    By Suzanne Y. Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

For the third week in a row, a female executive in an expensive suit hops onto the driving range ten minutes late, balancing on a 4-inch stiletto heel while shoving her other foot into a stiff golf shoe. She nods at the instructor while speaking into the cell phone pressed between her ear and shoulder.

            The golf pro has lost patience, but not her sense of humor. She poses a question. “Are your clients expected to be on time for appointments? Early, right?”

            The executive nods and mutters ‘call you back’ into her phone.

            The pro holds out her hand and says, “Next week, you will arrive ten minutes early for my lesson. You will be dressed for a golf course. You will hand over your phone the minute you arrive, which will be how early?”

            “Ten minutes,” the exec replies, dropping her cell phone into the pro’s open palm.

My neighbor talked me into golf lessons this summer. When we figured out the key to a successful swing was to relax, I asked the pro, “How do CEO types relax enough to enjoy this game?” The story above was my instructor’s reply, hilarious when she acted out the details. That was the day I scored writing lessons along with my first par 3.

Writing Lesson from the Fairway

Keep true to your characters no matter what they are doing. 

People have different personalities and motivations. Characters should approach activities accordingly, whether they are skydiving, washing dishes or being treated in a hospital. How would your characters react to new situations? Brave and daring? Or timid and shy ?

If I put a team of characters together on the golf course, the individuals might:

            -Have brilliant beginner’s luck

            -Be riddled with self-negativity and despair with every swing

            -Sign up out of a golf widow’s desperate attempt to keep up with her missing husband

            -Be frustrated and curse every hole for its unfairness

            -Beat a hasty retreat to the clubhouse bar or befriend the beverage cart driver

            -Bask in the lovely scenery and quiet peacefulness of the course

Much more interesting writing fodder than a simple reporting, "Joe met his friends on the golf course every Saturday."   

More Writing Lessons     

Remember it is a game. Relax, have fun and your writer’s voice will emerge.

Each course, hole, and story is unique; approach each blank slate with confidence and the right tools.

Expect bad shots and rejections. Your best might be around the next corner!

Submit S'more!

Wanna Get Published?

Submit—then Submit S’more!

You've heard how the novels of famous authors were turned down dozens of times before becoming household names? Have you submitted that article or manuscript dozens of times? How often do you submit? Every week? Fantastic! You are leaps ahead of the pack. This article is for the rest of us. The ones who let submission and contest deadlines slide. The ones for whom each rejection paralyzes our pens. The ones to whom our jealous muses whisper our writing is just as good. 

Put your writing in the way of success. The more I submit, the more I refine my craft. Query letters, first pages and synopsis get refined with each submission.View submitting like a game (or competitive sport, even!) and you will develop writing muscles and thicker skin--so each rejection won't feel so much like a personal setback. When you bite into that gooey s'more around the campfire this summer, remember to send out more submissions!

What do other writers do better?  

Submit S'more!

1. Research a wide variety of places and formats to submit work. 
2. Do it.
3. Go in-depth. What are specific interests of editors and agents? What do they want more of—or no more of? Find out by reading blogs, publisher websites, agents and editor interviews online, in magazines, on panels at conferences, etc.
4. Re-work the same idea to submit to different niche publications. For example, while writing historical fiction, can you write non-fiction articles on some of the lesser-known characters or fascinating facts you've unearthed while doing research? This doubles as building buzz for your book release!
5. Enter contests that give you a return on investment for your entry dollars. (i.e. actual writing feedback and getting your work in front of editors seeking what you write.) Pacific Northwest Writers Association annual contest is one that gives you two professional critiques for a reasonable entry fee.
6. Consider writing a business, not a hobby.
7. Keep track of submissions = it becomes more like a game = thicker skin = more submissions = improved chances of publication!

Submission Chart

Find a system that is quick and easy for you to create and use to keep better track of submissions. Make a simple chart, spreadsheet, or use a poster board and markers. A box of color-coded index cards is another way to keep track. Keep it simple and you will use it!

Put columns across the top of your chart such as:

Title   

Editor or Agent    

Pub/Agency House   

Source of Contact     

Date Sent

Date Reply Expected

Date Actual Reply

Comments/Follow-up Requested

BE OPTIMISTIC
Nobody said this was easy or fair, but thicken your skin and submit s'more. Add extra columns to the chart above for Income and #Sales. I printed several blank charts and three-hole punched them into a binder. I scribble with whatever pencil or pen is handy to jot down the details on the chart as I send them out and receive replies. You will see more rejections—but a golden ticket might be hiding in the Wonka bar, too!

QUESTIONS: 
How many times did you submit the same writing before it was accepted for publication? 
Have you found exceptional contests or other methods of getting your work out there?

Take the Fifth

by Suzanne Y. Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

When a story has you hanging by your nails on the edge of a cliffhanger, how often do you correctly guess what happens next? Fifty percent of the time? Five?

If you can name the whodunit in the first chapter or can identify the mysterious thing lurking at the back of the dark adventure before the hero gets there, be honest. Don't you feel cheated? Wouldn't you rather feel the tingle of terror?  If you predict the next trick up James Bond’s tuxedo sleeve, doesn’t the movie get boring?


As writers, it is our job to craft the surprises. The trick is, how?

Stories—Picture Books through Adult—lose their luster if the author doesn’t have richer surprises in store. Translate boring to mean “stop reading” (or the nastier “I’ll never buy another book from that author”) and you’ll understand the importance of the surprise.

Exercise Creativity Muscles

Not sure from which SCBWI (children's writer society) keynote speaker I heard this golden nugget, but here’s a solution that works for me and is easy to implement in your own Work-in-Progress:

Need an escape hatch? Heroic deed? Creepy creature? Make a list. Write down the first solution that comes to the top of your head.

Jot down more ideas. Work fast. Don’t think too much.

DISREGARD the first three on the list. Your readers will think of these quickly as you!

Delete deus ex machina—Greek for any solutions handed down by the “gods” without the hero’s direct involvement. Maybe there's another blog topic in here, but you don't want readers to feel like it would have been impossible to guess the outcome.

Now, take the fifth . . . or sixth idea on the remaining list. This is the one more likely to be a creative solution unique to your book—and not the stock scene played out in a hundred books and movies already.

The Ah-Ha Moment

If your solution is believable and true to the world you've created, true to your character's skill set and talents hinted throughout the story, readers will come to the reveal surprised but think, “I should've seen this one coming.”

How to Choose a Writing Conference

How to Choose a Writing Conference

By Suzanne Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Wee Willie Writer runs to a workshop

Uptown and Downtown never does she stop,

Tapping on an editor, crying through her tears,

“Won’t you look at mine, please?

I’ve worked on this for years!”

As my teenage daughter puts it, writing workshops exist for people like me to meet other “crazy obsessed writers.” Okay, I’ll admit I am in the danger zone of listening to the voices in my head and trapping them on paper. But a writing conference is valuable beyond the friendly camaraderie. It can be a key to vaulting your writing from habit to career. I have attended conferences of several different styles; each has benefits and drawbacks.

Questions to consider before signing up:

1.     Do you dream of one-on-one attention from a top editor or agent?

Consider the face-time you actually get. Is it a pricey extra? You might get a thoughtful critique on pre-submitted work—or a quick minute to pitch an idea. Is there mingling time or meals with editors/agents included? Research to avoid disappointment or unnecessary cost.

2.     Want to make friends with new fellow writers? Want to learn from published authors?  

If you crave being around people who “get” you as a writer, tap into the energy of a large networking conference. If you want to learn from experienced folks, consider a small, selective program requiring a writing sample for admission.

3.     Do you have a specific genre or interest group? Do you have specific needs (such as writing better dialogue or how to plot a novel?)

Christian writers, mystery and crime, children’s, romance and historical, to name a few, offer conferences/monthly meetings. Check online for session titles and faculty. Will your specific goals be addressed?

4.     Want alone time to actually write?

If a quiet house is your impossible dream, consider a writing retreat center or vacation destination in the company of other writers. 

5.     How much time can you commit? How far from home can you travel?

One-day workshops, weekend conferences, a week-long immersion or exotic retreat . . . there is a writing conference that fits you and your time/budget constraints.

“The agent will make me a star!”

Ahem. Reality check. Writers do break into publishing from conference connections, but most writers get constructive criticism. Armed with thick skin and your best work, you will hone your skills.

Let me know in the comments: Which writing conferences have you enjoyed?

The Benefit of Telling

The Benefit of Telling

by Suzanne Young Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

Writers hear it often: Show, don’t tell.

I am not going to argue with that sage advice. I want to ask: Do you tell people that you are a writer?

Do you say it confidently? Apologetically? Like your lunch is stuck in your throat?

A friend once confided that her husband believed she was having an affair—until she confessed her secret habit. Writing!

I used to keep writing a secret, too.

Bottled up, writing was a genie in the corner of my soul—released only when I was left alone for great gobs of time. I used to hide notebooks in the bathroom cupboard for middle of the night urges—of the writing muse kind. I used to tell myself I would free the genie “someday” when I made it big. 

Stephen King, Jackie Collins, J.K. Rowling BIG. Until then, what was the point of baring my soul?

Not anymore. “Someday” is a faraway land that doesn't exist. Now exists. Today exists. If you are writing today, say it out loud. Now! “I AM A WRITER.” Your writing will grow wings.

Benefits of telling:

            Say those four words with confidence.

            Write more often, now that you do it openly!

Seek out writing connections every time you leave the house.

Join national associations; they exist for nearly every genre.

Attend regional conferences

Receive help from local critique groups.

Contribute to local critique groups.

Foster writing friends, as close as neighbors. The “You write? So do I!” is bonding excitement.

Enter contests and improve your chances to occasionally place—or even win.

Your family may surprise you and take your goals seriously.

Long-term networking efforts will pay off when it comes time to promote your work!

Let me know in the comments how sharing has affected your work!

Break Out the Pearl -- guest article

by Suzanne Cordatos  
  

Somebody had to sort through Grandma’s boxes. She was still kicking—in fact, had played a rippling “Happy Birthday” to herself on the piano the evening before at her 100^th celebration. Women born in Iowa at the turn of the century have as much spunk for life as the chickens she once chased in the yard for dinner. But Grandma’s nursing home room didn’t have much space, and boxes were taking over dad’s garage.

Any moment not writing (or thinking about writing) is a moment wasted. My twin sister shares this passion, and we balked at the task. Mounds of hand-crocheted doilies in the puke-orange color Grandma favored were no heirloom. These things had already been picked over; no muses here. Travel memorabilia filled the last box: A small velvet bag filled with fool’s gold. Puzzle books for boring hours. A jar labeled with Japanese characters. Hmm . . . inside, an odd-shaped thing floated in a dark liquid. An oyster shell. Could there be a pearl inside? It would probably stink, but we cracked it open. A pearl, perfect in every way nestled inside.

For several decades after its purchase, Grandma never enjoyed her pearl. Did she forget she had it? As writers, we sift through reams of ideas, mostly junk. What covers up the pearls in our writing? Brilliant brainstorms get layered with detritus of new projects and mundane chores. What nuggets can we glean from panning the stream, perhaps from a new spot? A different point of view or adding sensory details might be all that is needed to refresh a scene.

A hundred years at the computer might not do as much for your writing as visiting the setting of your story, joining your kids on a nature hike, or tasting ordinary food outdoors. Life experiences connect the dots sometimes more completely than Grandma’s puzzle book. In the thick of life—when the good, bad and ugly cram together—we could given the lens through which we find a shell and see a pearl. 
Suzanne Cordatos