NEW CHILDREN’S BOOK REVIEW SITE: READERKIDZ.COM

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Kristen Remenar, children’s librarian, national speaker and SCBWI-MI colleague shared information about www.readerkidz.com, a new review site hosted by people deep in the field of children’s literature:

“Our mission is to provide teachers, librarians, and parents with the resources and inspiration to foster a love of reading in kids, K-5. . If you need help finding just the right book for elementary kids, or if you’re writing for that age group and want to see what educators like, go to readerkidz.com.”

Kris is a contributor to the site and each of her reviews made me want to stop what I was doing and read that book!

 

REVISIONS: WORD AND PHRASE FREQUENCY CHECK

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I’m revising my middle grade historical fiction manuscript, CHASING HOME, and am at the point of fussing over word choice. This is a perfect time to enlist the support of the word frequency and phrase frequency checker (http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp) at the website www.writewords.com.  It’s so easy to use. Paste in a document or parts of a document, click “Submit,” and almost instantly it counts how many times words are used. All my pet words and phrases, weak verbs, and the dreaded “the” pop up and stand at attention like obedient soldiers. Little do they know most of them are  getting the ax.   

Another great use for this checker is to see how often characters’  names appear. If the main character’s name appears less than the villian, something ain’t right.

New Mentor Monday Blog Series Begins Today! Melissa Shanker

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The first Mentor Monday interview is with Michigan’s own Melissa Shanker, winner of the 2011 SCBWI-MI Mentorship Award.  Melissa is mentored by the accomplished author, Kristen Wolden Nitz, who can be found at http://www.kwnitz.com/. The interview follows: 

Please provide a brief description of your mentor and your winning manuscript.
    I am fortunate to have Kristen Wolden Nitz as my mentor. She’s the author of SUSPECT, a young adult mystery that made the ALA’s list for best YA fiction, as well as two imaginative MG books and several sports themed non-fiction books – so obviously her experience crosses many genres. 

    The manuscript that won the award was my YA novel, A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF AN ORDINARY GIRL. It’s a story about an under-the-radar teenage girl who discovers the ugly truth about the boy she loves and then risks everything to save the girl she hates.  Over the course of one week, I do some horrible things to my poor protagonist, including making her an accomplice to murder. She emerges from the rubble a little beat up, but a lot wiser about love, friendship, and the power of truth.

Why did you decide to apply for the SCBWI-MI Mentorship Competition? 
    I’m at a point in my writing where I think my work is coming closer to the level of the authors I admire.   A consistent and experienced writing presence in my life, like Kristen, will be just the motivation I need to make my writing worthy of submission and hopefully acceptance by an agent or editor.  In other words, I need a taskmaster to kick my butt, and Kristen is up for the job.

Did you find the application difficult? If so/not, why? 
    I don’t think there is a writer in the world that enjoys writing a one-page synopsis.  So yes, I found it difficult, but also helpful. Whenever you’re asked to summarize it forces you to step back and take a look at your novel as a whole.  Sometimes that bird’s eye view can have the reverse effect – the tiny hiccups you noticed close up, look like big black holes from far away. 

Why do you believe your manuscript was chosen? 
    Oh, didn’t they tell you?  I was the only one that entered the contest.  

    Kidding. No, I was told that the voice of my protagonist, Addie, is smart, self-aware and funny without being self-pitying.  While the plot does share some common coming-of-age teen elements, the judges thought my writing was confident and compelling.

What do you hope to accomplish during the course of the mentorship (improve craft, revise this manuscript, develop new project/s, etc.)? 
    My mentor and I are working on a brand new novel that I am immensely excited about.  It’s a middle grade novel, part mystery/part humorous contemporary fiction.  Kristen is a whiz at pacing mysteries, and she’s completely organized and meticulous – two areas my family will tell you I fall woefully short.  I’m confident she will be a huge help. 

How will you know if the mentorship was a success for you?
    I already know that it’s a success.  

If you could choose any mentor in the course of history, who would it be and why? 
    Wow. That’s a toughie.  My favorite contemporary writers are Sara Zarr, Laurie Halse Anderson, Gary Schmidt – and Lauren Myracle is a machine…but I think I’d have to pick John Green because he’s so darn cute, and if I were his mentee he might let me join the Nerdfighters. Side note: Can you say “mentee” without feeling like a completely pretentious idiot? I cannot. 

Would you consider mentoring another? If so, what could you offer? (FYI, it is my belief that everyone has something to offer even if he/she is just beginning in the writing world…)
    Yes, of course, if anyone would have me! 


NEW MENTORSHIP MONDAY BLOG SERIES: The Importance of Mentorship

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“We can help a person to be himself by our own willingness to steep ourselves temporarily in his world, in his private feelings and experiences. By our affirmation of the person as he is, we give him support and strength to take the next step in his own growth.” 
                                                    — Clark Moustakas

Four years ago this fall, I won the SCBWI-MI Picture Book Mentorship Award judged by Newbery Award winner, Lynne Rae Perkins. This was a turning point in my career as a writer and author. The nod from Ms. Perkins validated that I had a story worth telling and that she, a gifted author who won the highest honor in the industry, enjoyed reading it. She helped me recognize the value of my words on paper. Could there be a better gift?

My new weekly blog series will spotlight the importance of mentorship in our field and how the act of helping one helps us all. I’ll interview people who have been menteed as well as mentors.

I believe everyone, even those new to the field, has something to offer. Mentoring, whether formal, like the annual SCBWI- Michigan Mentorship Award, or informal, such as offering to give thoughts on a new chapter, is all worthwhile. Who knows what next step you might help someone take? 
    
Watch for my first interview with Melissa Shanker, winner of the 2012 SCBWI-MI Mentorship Award on Monday, November 7th.

Expanded Submission Guidelines for Sylvan Dell Publishing

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Any folklore folks out there? Check out this hot from the presses info:

Sylvan Dell Publishing (www.sylvandellpublishing.com) is expanding into Social Studies (cultures, geography, history) concepts through folklore. Our current focus is/has been fun-to-read (fictional) picture books with non-fiction science and math concepts woven through the story. The back of each of our books has a section called “For Creative Minds” that goes deeper into explaining the science or math facts behind the story. We see folklore , fables, and myths as a good way to bridge the gap between science and social studies. Traditionally folklore was used to explain why things happened (why the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, explain constellations, volcanoes, or animal adaptations, etc.).

What we are looking for:

· Adaptations or retellings of culturally-specific fables, folklore, or myths that explain a scientific concept. Please include links or bibliography to original sources if applicable (to ensure there are no copyright issues).

· Culture must be identified and specific (Cherokee, Navajo, Tlingit, Greek, Roman, Incan, Mayan, etc.)

· If the Native American culture exists today, links to or contact information for their arts council or similar organization would be helpful.

· Please ensure that your adaptation/retelling has a targeted reading level (2nd or 3rd grade is good, no higher than 5th grade).

· Ideally, we would love for the author and/or the illustrator to be of the represented culture (assuming the culture still exists). As noted in our submission guidelines, authors should not submit art unless they are both an author and a professional illustrator. Illustrators submitting samples should follow normal submission guidelines but should also indicate if they are affiliated with a Native American culture for possible matching.

· The For Creative Minds section would include: scientific explanation of concept, information about the specific culture, a map showing historic/current area of culture, etc.

Writing is Not a Profession

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As I struggle with revisions to my midgrade historical novel, I am struck by how perfect the following quote is:

Writing is not a profession, after all; it’s an obsession, a long-term sentence in a rubber room of uncertainty and doubt.
                    
            – New York Times Notable Book winner, Mark Ribowsky

Another Pair of Eyes

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Lisa Wheeler (www.lisawheeler.com), picture book author extraordinaire, shared this resource for free critiquing from industry professionals. Yes. You read that right.  The website is:  http://rateyourstory.blogspot.com/. I tried it out and Margot Finke was my critiquer. She did a great job finding the sticking points in a new picture book manuscript. And she did it for free, quickly, and effectively. Can’t ask for much more than that! Try it!

Jacketflap

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Writers, do you know about this resource? Jacketflap http://www.jacketflap.com/index.asp provides a wealth of information about books, publishers, authors, illustrators…Check it out. It is free and is a good place to start research on publishers prior to submitting — because we all know how important it is to research the most appropriate publishers for our submissions, right?  Right?

Set up your own profile on Jacketflap. It’s easy!

Loving This Quote

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“Write like you are drunk. Edit like you are sober.”

                        — Tamra Tuller, editor, Philomel Books