Tips for Early Chapter Books

Joe reading First Flag of New Hampshire.

By: Stephanie Burkhart

My son, Joe, is now a first grader, and he loves to read. The reading program they use in his school is called EXCEL. His reading teacher says Joe is an advanced reader for his age, and her focus is reading the children early chapter books. Now more than anything, Joe wants to be flat like Flat Stanley.  What's a mom who is an author to do? Wink.  Write a book for him!

Series like Flat Stanley and Magic Tree House are a big hit with him. The main characters in those books are about his age and always seem to go on a great adventure.

Ways to Appeal to Children

As I prepared to write my first early chapter book series, my research offered some valuable tips/advice:

Write the main characters close to the age you're targeting. Flat Stanley appeals to my son because they're both young boys.

Use everyday experiences. Going to school, making friends, trying to fit in, getting along, playing sports (don't forget dance classes and gymnastics) tend to draw those young readers into the stories.

Don't forget – children need adults in their lives to give them guidance.

Target your genre to appeal to children such as mysteries, school, friendship, science fiction, or animals.

Think of the message you want to send – for example, responsibility, heroism, citizenship, respect for others or respect for the Earth. Then take these messages and bring it down to a simple concept. Flat Stanley helps other people and solves mysteries.  He wants to fit in despite being flat.

Focus on character voice. Make your characters sound age appropriate.

Make sure your ending is clear and resolves whatever problem or message you were trying to communicate.

Consider using pictures/graphics. At this age the children reading want to be able to visualize the young heroes they're reading about.

I've noticed Flat Stanley's books fall between 50 and 100 pages and have about 10 chapters. Keep that in mind as you prepare to write.

Now…how do I make son flat?

Question: Do you have tips to share when it comes to writing early chapter books? What types of early chapter books do you notice appeal to young readers?

Author Bio: Stephanie Burkhart is a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. She enjoys exploring California, volunteering in her sons' classrooms and being a taxi service. She's addicted to coffee and adores chocolate. Her books with 4RV Publishing include The Giving Meadow and First Flag of New Hampshire.

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Stop Whining, Already!

by Suzanne Cordatos

www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com


Are your characters a bunch of whiners? Characters who whine are like static blizzards on TV. The white stuff adds a lot of noise, but it sure isn't entertaining.

My critique partners pointed out the static in my work-in-progress after reading a scene with a typical brother-sister spat. The dialogue? Believable. The action? Lifted from life. Well then, I opened my mouth to debate their thumbs-down verdict. What’s the problem? A total lack of value to the story. Ouch!

Look at these similar scenes:

            “Give it back,” demanded Jon. “It’s mine.”

            Julie ran around the room, the key dancing from her fingers. “You’ll have to catch me.”

            “Give it back OR ELSE!” Jon grabbed at her hand and got a fistful of long hair.

            “MOM, Jon pulled my hair!”

            Mom came to the door, an angry expression denting her brow. “What’s going on?”

OR

            “Give it back.”

            Julie danced the key out of reach from Jon’s grabbing fingers. “Only if you show me.”

            “If I open the box,” said Jon, “can you keep a secret? Can you handle the truth?”

            Jon and Julie shook hands. Mom came to the door, eyebrows raised. “What’s going on?”

           

Which story would you keep reading? In the first example, I wanted to tell the kids to settle down--The End. The scene contains “loud” action. Running, grabbing, pulling hair. Yet what does it add but a sibling relationship scene that is already familiar to just about everybody? No surprises. No story.

The quieter example propels the reader into a story filled with conflict and tension. Conflict does not have to involve spectacular car chases and fist fights. I want to turn the page to discover answers: What’s in the box? Can Jon trust Julie? Can Julie keep a secret? Can she handle the truth? What truth? How will they answer Mom? All of that in fewer words than the first example!

The more surprise and tension, the faster readers will turn your pages. Check scenes for these points:

            Is the dialogue a time filler?

            Would it change or harm the story if cut?

            Is there tension on every page? In every paragraph? In every sentence?
            Can the action or dialogue be blended with another scene?

            Does the scene add value on multiple levels? Characterization? Plot? Setting? Mood?

            Does the scene conjure questions that compel readers to turn pages?

Questions for you: 1) Did you ever cut a major scene for the sake of a story? Were you glad you did?
                             2) Any guesses what's in Jon's box? 

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!

Turn Up the Heat and Win BIG

Turn Up the Heat

                                                                                                                                                                     By Suzanne Cordatos

                                                                                            www.suzannecordatos.blogspot.com

One of the best ways to spend a summer afternoon is watching a sailing regatta. Lovely and peaceful, there is nothing quite like a fleet of colorful spinnakers billowing over sunlit waves, cool breezes kicking through the summer heat. As a bonus, no engine noises mar the view.

If you tally up the bruises afterward, participating in a race might be more akin to tackle football. My brother-in-law returned from two E-Scow regattas in one week proclaiming “My bruises got bruises!” With a wide smile, this sailor showed off his thighs streaked with multiple marks in shades of purple. Beaten up by a boom, apparently.

This sailor’s pride in accomplishment got me thinking as a writer.  Main characters need “bruises on their bruises” to bring their challenge to a satisfying conclusion.

     Are you too easy on your characters?

Beginning writers tend to love their characters too much and hesitate making their situations awful. Readers identify with characters and live through them: How would that character deal with something that, in real life, would be too scary to face?  

Real writing fun starts when you dig holes deep enough to make your characters show their stuff. From the first pages, plant seeds—personal qualities—that will eventually help him or her save the day. One of my main characters wants to learn how to whistle just like her father. She works hard at it, puckering over and over. Perhaps your character has an uncanny ability to communicate with animals or throw his voice. A girl’s hair-braiding skills can be employed to rope-weaving. That whistle turns into a life-saving signal in the book’s climax.

No matter how outrageous the situation, your characters’ challenges will be met in a way that is believable if you have planted the seeds to their success early on. Your readers will root for him or her to jump figurative or literal chasms.

  Is your villain nasty enough? Has he/she/it gone soft?

Think of any villain you love to hate. My current favorites are the actors on ABC’s Once Upon a Time series. Lana Parilla plays Snow White’s Evil Queen. Her colleague, Robert Carlyle, plays a delightfully devious Rumpelstiltskin.  Both seek to fulfill their own agendas at any cost. Sparingly, authors can use superlatives to add weight. If Voldemort was merely trying to give Harry Potter a bad day once in a while would his triumphant end be worth reading thousands of pages? As the darkest wizard in generations, with a name people feared to speak, Voldemort was a worthy opponent for the good vs. evil quest.

Your readers deserve the smartest hero or heroine (even if they don't start out that way) and the toughest nemesis you can dream up. Well-earned victory over a true villain makes it worth the effort to bang up your character with a boom. 

Pile on bruises on the bruises! 

Your readers will forgive you—and enjoy the ride.

Being a Writer: Learn the Craft of Writing

Being a Writer: Learn the Craft of Writing

By Karen Cioffi

In the June 2010 issue of The Writer, author Jane Yolen discussed the need to learn the craft of writing in an article titled, “Dedicate Yourself to a Writing Apprenticeship.” She explained that the process is slow and long, but is necessary to being a writer, to learn the craft of writing.

If you’re wondering what the craft of writing is, it’s proper writing technique, grammar, and style. These writing elements include structure, formatting, clarity, and in fiction writing, plot, character development, point of view, and dialogue. Even knowing the particulars in the genre you write is important.

So, what exactly is the meaning of the word ‘craft?’

Wikipedia’s definition is, “A craft is a branch of a profession that requires some particular kind of skilled work.”

Merriam-Webster refers to ‘craft’ as an occupation requiring “artistic skill.”

And, TheFreeDicitionary.com mentions membership in a guild.

Between all three definitions we know that a ‘craft’ is a branch of a professional group or guild. It is a career or occupation, not simply a hobby.

Interestingly, there are various avenues that can be taken to become an accomplished or professional writer, but each one has the need for learning, practice, time, and commitment. Some writers may go to school and get degrees, others may learn from a coach or mentor, others from trial and error, failures and successes. But, whichever path is taken, there is a lot of work that goes into becoming experienced and knowledgeable in being a writer. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.

But today, with the easy-to-do-it-yourself self-publishing explosion, writers may not be viewed as professionals. Certainly, most people have read a self-published book or e-book that lacks proper grammar, structure, and even clarity. These products are easy to spot, but yet they’re available for sale, and the authors consider themselves writers.

While it’s great that those who want to write have a vehicle to publish their own work, especially in this overwhelmed publishing market, those who don’t take the time to learn the craft of writing do themselves and others an injustice. They make the self-publishing book market murky and the label of ‘writer’ less professional.

This shouldn’t be the case.

Think of a professional musician. Imagine him playing an amazing piece, smooth, fluid, and beautiful – every note is perfect. Now imagine another musician; this one isn’t in tune, can’t read the music, misses notes, and sounds awful. Which musician do you want to be?

You should want to be the professional; the one who offers polished and experienced work; the one who earns a reputation for quality.

According to WritersHelper.com, it doesn’t matter what your experience level is, there is always room for improvement. Writers should strive to “study ways to improve their craft.” While this may take time and work, it is easy to find the needed help and resources.

To begin, do a search for online writing instruction; try the keyword “learn to write.” You can also check your local schools for adult education classes, or take some college writing courses. There is an abundance of writing information available, much of it free or very inexpensive; take advantage of it.

Being a writer means you need to learn the craft of writing, and continue honing your skills.

~~~~~
Karen Cioffi is a multi-award winning author, freelance/ghostwriter, editor, and marketer. For more on writing and marketing visit http://karencioffiwritingandmarketing.com and sign up for her FREE newsletter, A Writer’s World - you’ll get 2 FREE ebooks: Book Promotion: The Bare Basics and Power Queries.