Children's Book Writer

Hot Summer Day Writing Prompt

2011-07-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

The goal of this prompt is to describe an action or situation for your MC on a hot summer day. Choose a specific setting (beach, school, park, etc) and focus on how the details of the summer day might impact your MC's thoughts or actions/reactions. Is it a lazy summer day? One filled with tension? How do the sensory elements influence the dynamics of your story? Set your timer for 15-30 minutes and write. When you are done, read what you've written and see if you were able to firmly anchor your character in time and place.

A Character Inventory

2011-07-12T19:21:00.000-07:00

This week's exercise is to write a character inventory. Start with basic physical characteristics, such as hair and eye color, then go deeper. What are your MC's quirks? Likes and dislikes? Where is he from, who are his parents and what do they do? What about his friends and enemies? A complete character inventory helps to make your MC more real. It helps the writer to add depth when writing a story, and it helps you to stay true to your MC by justifying his words and actions.

Set your timer for 20-30 minutes and try to write a well-thought character inventory.

Twenty-five Words for July 2011

2011-07-05T01:07:00.000-07:00

Here are this month's 25 words. The object of the game remains the same: set your timer for 15-30 minutes and try to write a children's story using as many of the words as possible:

Fog
San Francisco
Heart
Noodles
Slurpy
So far away
Forgotten
Crazy
Chinatown
Crashing waves
Pigeons
Flappity-flap
Oh no!
Clang
Bang
Whoops
Sizzle
Starry night
Mistake
Golden Gate Bridge
Telephone
Delicious
Did you see that?
Toys
Cable Car

Person, Place, and a Thing

2011-06-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

In this writing prompt, choose one MC from the list below, a setting, and a thing. Set your timer for 15 minutes and write a children's short story that involves all three. Extra points for incorporating a conflict and a resolution.

Person:
1. Boy, age 8, with an almost funny sense of impending doom.
2. Boy, age 6, who loves sports.
3. Girl, age 4, who greets each day with unbridled joy.
4. Girl, age 8, who feels that she has a superpower, but isn't sure what it is yet.

Place:
1. A very proper private school where kids wear uniforms and recess is very orderly...or is it?
2. Home, comfortable wonderful home, which for some reason is not so perfect for harried parents.
3. The neighborhood park. You never know who you're gonna offend.

Thing:
1. A brand-new baseball glove.
2. A red sweatshirt.
3. A cell phone.
4. An unhatched bird's egg.

Open Window Writing exercise

2011-06-22T21:53:00.000-07:00

This is an especially fun exercise to do with a group. For this exercise, Imagine your main character looking out a window, either at his school, home or other location where he spends a lot of time. Write about what he sees and how the scene outside his window impacts his emotional state. Does it create a longong, resentment, despair? Write for 15-30 minutes.

If you are doing this as a group exercise, discuss how your intent as a writer may or may not intrude upon what your character sees, and your influence on your character's emotional response.

Character's Biography Writing Prompt

2011-06-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

For this prompt, think about the MC in your current work in progress (WIP.) Where was he born? What hospital was he born in? Is there a funny story about the events leading up to his birth? What was his first day of school like, and who was his first best friend? Set your timer for 15 minutes and write a bio for your MC, starting with his birth up until his age in your WIP.

Twenty Five Words for June 2011

2011-06-07T05:34:00.000-07:00

Here's this month's twenty five words. The object of the game remains the same: set your timer for 15-30 minutes and then try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the words (or short phrases) in the list as possible.

Hollow
Hippos
Toothy
Ribbon
Lightening bolt
Swish swish swish
What a surprise
Dazzle
Listen
Puff puff
Clang
A sky so blue
Smooth
Happy
Wave
Dance
Crowded
Screech
Did you see that?
Tusk
Snore
Slight
Marble
Lavender
Pie

Birdseye View

2011-05-31T05:59:00.000-07:00

Adult characters are able to look at a situation from an objective standpoint. Teen, tween, and child characters are not as adept at being objective. In fact, a totally objective MC might not be very interesting. The reader wants to know what the MC feels, his motivations, his private thoughts, and how these things are expressed through the MC's actions.

For this prompt, describe a minor traffic accident between a mom driving a minivan and a kid on a bicycle, as seen through the eyes of the MC. The MC may be a bystander or the kid on the bike. Who was most at fault? Would the MC have any moments of objectivity? Write for 10-15 minutes.

Postcard Writing Prompt

2011-05-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

This prompt requires postcards or pictures from a vacation.

Choose two postcards, they can be related or unrelated. Select a character, for example, an eight year old child, or thirteen year old boy. Using both postcards to establish the character's setting, write for 15-30 minutes about a dilemma that involves something depicted on one of the postcards. Extra bonus points if you used two completely unrelated postcards.

Three Strange Things Writing Prompt

2011-05-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

Write for 10-20 minutes about three unrelated objects, and try to craft a children's story around them, using between 700-900 words. Here are the objects:

Chocolate
A clown
A very small town

Message From the Stomach Writing Prompt

2011-05-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me, "Can you write from the gut?"

How is that different from writing from the heart? How can the stomach guide a character's actions and behaviors? So, here's the prompt:

You haven't eaten all day, your stomach is in knots and you're shaking from hunger. Oh, and you're a thirteen-year old girl who ditched school just before lunchtime to hang with her boyfriend, only he never showed up. Your mom texted you, saying she knows you're not in school and that you better get yourself home to face the consequences pretty quick. Only you're not sure you want to go home. You want to know what happened to the boyfriend. Was he ever your boyfriend? Write for 10-15 minutes about where you are going, what you're going to do when you get there, and write from your hungry, aching gut.

Twenty-Five Words for May 2011

2011-05-04T18:22:00.000-07:00

We haven't played this game in a long, long time. Perhaps it is time to revisit the weekly writing prompt? Thought we'd at least try one, just to see, so here it is, twenty-five words for May. The object is the same: you get twenty-five words (or short phrases) and 15-30 minutes to write a children's short story, poem or a few paragraphs using as many of the twenty-five words as possible:

Wow
Super-sparkle
Dipsy
Wrapping paper
Life
Finest
Leaves
Funny
Kaleidoscope
PJ Fuzzybottoms
Topaz
Brilliant
Big grey elephant
Cool
You'll never believe
Magical
Button eyes
Blueberry pie
Upside-down
See-saw
Wrangle
Flutter
Hush
Noodle
Heart

Update to the Main Website

2011-01-30T15:50:00.000-08:00

I've updated the main website to include a calendar template. It's useful for planning out your writing year.

Check out the main website at www.prokidwriter.com

Twenty-Five Words for November 2010

2010-11-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

A writing exercise I like from my old Brown Bag writing group is “Twenty-Five Words.” We go around the table and, one by one, say a word (or short phrase.) It can be any word that comes to mind, or sometimes words based upon a pre-determined theme. The object of the exercise is to write a story using as many of the words (or short phrases)as possible. Here are twenty-five words for November. Set your timer for thirty minutes and try to write children’s short story. Try to use as many of the words as possible.

Lark
Fantastic
Helicopter
Island
Sparkle
It's about time
Randomly
Coarse
Choppy
Pip-squeak
Silly goose
Wander
Peak
Pop
Gallup
Adventure
Sweat
Rock
Game
Frightful
Bing
It's you!
Something wonderful
Gritty
Musical

Updated Main Website

2010-10-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

I've updated the main website to include helps for new authors who do school visits. Check out the Resources section and the Templates section for a sample memorandum of understanding and a sample book order form. www.prokidwriter.com

Twenty Five Words for October 2010

2010-10-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here are twenty five words for October; the object is the same as always: set your timer for 15-20 minutes, and then try to write a paragraph or short story using as many of the words (or short phrases) as possible:

Inside
Windy
Water
First aid
Sunscreen
Bug juice
Bicycle
Oh no!
Through those trees...
Behind you
Splatter
Lonely
Busy boy
Exotic
Scaly
Bumbling
Oof!
Amazing
Long-lost
Dance with me?
What in the world...
High-heeled shoes
Click-clack
Smile
One more

Twenty Five Words for June 2010

2010-06-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

Here are this month's twenty-five words. The object is the same, set your timer for 15-30 minutes, then try to write a short story or picture book text using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible.

Black and white
Imagine
Rooster
Dolly
Blueberry pie
Chuckle
Roadster
Spaceman
Cloudy day
Breeze
Uplift
Cackle
Mansion
Surf
Stars
Visit
Tickle
Knit
Jangle
Surprise
Oh my
Grand
Juicy
Cool
Swift

The Sailor Dog Book Review

2010-05-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of Margaret Wise Brown's recent birthday, I picked up a copy of The Sailor Dog and attempted to read it to a small child. He was more interested in playing with his toy cars, so I read the book for myself, enjoying the dramatic narrative of a dog, Scuppers, who is a sailor.

The story is detailed and rhythmic (though not in rhyme,) following Scuppers' life pretty much from birth to becoming a sailor. He travels around the world and eventually lands in a foreign place. Brown captures the feel of adventure and the call of the sea with an economy of words that still feels rich. Illustrations by Garth Williams are strikingly bright.

There is something familiar about picking up this book, though I have never read it before. Perhaps it is the trademark gold spine of the Little Golden Books, or the feel of the chipboard cover in my hands. I think every child should have at least one classic Little Golden Book in her or her library, and at least one book by Margaret Wise Brown. It is a right of childhood.

Happy Birthday, Margaret Wise Brown.

A Very Big Bunny Book Review

2010-05-17T12:29:00.000-07:00

I picked up this charming picture book at Kitson's Kids store in Anaheim,in the Downtown Disney district. It was an impulse buy, but I'm so glad to have found this treasure. It is simply a beautiful book - in story, in illustration and in execution. A Very Big Bunny is about a big bunny named Amelia who doesn't fit in at school. But when a very small bunny joins the classroom, Amelia learns to overcome her past hurts, and learns what becoming a friend is all about. Very young children will love this book, and both children and adults will enjoy the simple yet heart-felt message about getting along.

Quick Website Update

2010-05-07T13:34:00.000-07:00

I updated the main website a little while back to include a sample marketing plan. These are things that worked for me, though your mileage may vary. I tried to hit the major components of an Internet and locally based marketing effort. While I have personally found that school readings and library readings have not resulted in immediate book sales (even when order forms are sent home with students prior to the reading,) they have consistently resulted in additional bookings to do (paid) author visits. Always give students a bookmark or sticker about your book, imprinted with your website address. You never know when a parent or PTA member will use that info to contact you for a future booking.

Twenty-five Words for May

2010-05-07T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here is this months' Twenty-Five Words writing prompt. The object is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible. This is also a timed prompt, so set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes and then begin.

Here are the words:
Camping
Lake
Tree
Acorn
Bunny
Rustle
Caw! Caw!
Whoosh
Dark
Twilight
Hurry
Slow
Hike
What was that
Bark
Scat
Gleaming
Bandana
Campfire
Bat
Tent
Lantern
Battery
Missing
Deer

Small Writing Exercises

2010-04-27T01:36:00.000-07:00

I'm fighting through some plot and subplot issues, so to distract myself, I made up some little exercises to work on. You can try them, too.

Pick a MC, a setting, and a problem from the lists.

Main Characters:
1. Thomas Mousertown - big orange cat
2. DeLay Homer - city kid, age 13
3. Celeste Winkers - country girl, age 8
4. Barnaby - old dog
5. Catcher - young dog

Settings:
1. School, lunchtime in an outdoor area designated for eating
2. Farm, in a field where sheep are kept
3. City library, just before closing
4. Hospital waiting room
5. Home, in the kitchen, just after a meal

Problems:
1. Hunger
2. Illness
3. No parents
4. Parents fighting
5. Parent dating
6. Something lost
7. Something found
8. Anxiety for no logical reason

Write a paragraph for each exercise below, using the character, setting and problem you selected. For extra credit, try to tie all the paragraphs together through a hook that propels you from one paragraph to the next.

Exercises:
1. Voice - establish the character
2. Anchor - establish setting, time and place, through descriptive narrative
3. Dialog - showthe problem through dialog with a supporting character
4. Tension - escalate the problem in narrative or dialog
5. Push - take the character out of his/her comfort zone somehow.

Twenty-Five Words for April 2010

2010-04-06T01:35:00.000-07:00

Here is this months' Twenty-Five Words writing prompt. The object is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible. This is also a timed prompt, so set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes and then begin.

Here are the words:

Cookie
Parlor
Sleep cat, sleep
Stretch
Rascal
Tinkle
Twinkle
Nom, nom, nom
Stop that
What was that?
Over there
Peculiar
Wonderful
Terrible
Toot
Zoom!
Member of the
Numbers
Too many
Twirl
Cows
Fighting
Escape
Princess
Kaboom!

Twenty-five Words for March 2010

2010-03-01T00:39:00.000-08:00

Here's a writing exercise that I like from my old Brown Bag group. It's called "Twenty-five Words." The object is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible. This is also a timed prompt, so set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes and then begin.

Here are the words:

It is true. Really.
Bubbly
Big eye
Cool
Winner
Sweet cow
Gloves
Run, run, run
Faster
Bulldog
Pepper
Roll away
Guitar
Clang
Clatter
Rustle
Crisp
Dark
What was that
Pineapple
Sunlight
Echo
Kiss
Everywhere
I can see you

Tax Season

2010-02-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

I updated the main website at www.prokidwriter.com with a new template. It's an Excel spreadsheet to help writers keep track of income and expenses on a month by month basis. I found it useful during the tax season.

Twenty-Five Words for February 2010

2010-02-02T00:52:00.000-08:00

Still my favorite writing exercise from the brown-bag writer's group. The object: write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words as possible. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes. Here are the words:

Heart
Teddy
Bunny
Quick
Oh my, what could it be?
Terrible!
Huff
Puff
Dandelion
Water Lillies
Buzzing
Crazy Rabbits
Ocean
Boiling
Common old goose
Kite
Windy
Storm clouds
Delicious
Spicy
Sleepy
Dazzle
Bengal tiger
Suddenly
Nibble

Storyboarding Exercise

2010-01-12T07:46:00.000-08:00

This is an exercise in developing story structure. Take an existing short story or picture book that you have written and break it up into 15-24 short scenes. (Think about how it would look if made into a picture book.) Once you have your scenes, think about how the pictures for each scene might look. For each imagined picture, identify and describe the following:
- The characters represented in the picture
- The main emotion and desired emotional impact for the picture
- The subtext for the picture (underlying theme, relationships between characters, etc. Something not directly expressed within the text.)
- The action represented in the picture
- The setting represented in the picture
- The conflict or tension represented in the picture
- The hook to the next page (can you identify why a child would want to see the next picture? Is it because of what the character is doing, the colors on the page, or ?)

When you are done, take a look at the "big picture." Are all of your imagined pictures sufficiently different? Taken together, would the pictures alone tell the story? Do the imagined pictures go along with the words on the page? Did you have difficulty envisioning a picture to go along with the words?

Twenty-five Words for January 2010

2010-01-05T00:20:00.000-08:00

Here are 25 words for January. The object of the prompt is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the 25 words as possible. Set your timer for about 20 minutes.

Pop
Cheep
Run fast
Favorite
Happy
Street
Seafood
Urchin
By the way
Oh no!
Pillow
Puff
Plop
Sniff
Do you hear that sound?
Elephant
Clink
Circus
Garden
No really...
Slick
Slime
Crackle
Steamy
Day by day

Sensory Elements - Writing Prompt III

2009-12-29T00:15:00.000-08:00

We continue exploring the senses to add texture to a narrative. For this prompt, your main character is eating lunch at the school cafeteria while watching his brother, sister, girlfriend or boyfriend. Choose an emotion to explore in the narrative - anger, jealousy, love, hate, etc. Relying mostly on the sense of taste, write a paragraph describing the emotional state of your MC as he observes someone close to him. Write for 15 - 30 minutes.

Sensory Elements - Writing Prompt II

2009-12-22T00:02:00.000-08:00

This prompt continues the exploration of sensory elements in narrative development. The setting is a school cafeteria. Your MC has just walked into the cafeteria on a winter day. He also has some sort of a conflict or problem. Select one from the list below or make up your own. Set your timer for 15 minutes and write a narrative that relies mostly on what your MC hears as he goes about getting and eating his lunch. Can you use this sensory element to create tension that heightens the MC's problem, and move the narrative forward in time?

Problem or Conflict:
1. MC has OCD and is worried about how he will successfully get his lunch and eat it in the lunch period.
2. MC is avoiding his ex-girlfriend, who he can hear in the cafeteria.
3. MC is new to the school, and does not know how to navigate the cafeteria.
4. MC has a much popular younger sibling who is in the cafeteria, causing the MC much anxiety and jealousy.

Sensory Elements - Writing Prompt I

2009-12-15T00:49:00.000-08:00

In writing the narrative part of a manuscript, writers sometimes rely upon describing what is seen by the main character, when other senses could also be used to add texture to the paragraph or page. This prompt explores the sense of smell. You can either begin with the starter, or take a narrative paragraph from your own manuscript. The object is to rely on the sense of smell first, and to use the sense of sight secondarily, and write a narrative paragraph that successfully moves the character forward in time, or accomplishes some other goal.

Starter:

It doesn't feel very late, but I am starting to worry that I'm not supposed to be here at all.

Using Said - Writing Exercise

2009-12-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

Characters chortle,look, shrug, shriek, stammer, glare, and speak their dialog in a variety of ways. It is often recommended to use "said" most often as a dialog tag, because "said" tends to disappear while reading. "Said" is less distracting.

So what do you do when you need a character to do more? In this exercise, work with your own WIP, with a section that contains plenty of dialog. Remove all the dialog tags and replace them with "said." Read your work. Now, try to convey the action and emotion of the scene within your narrative without changing the "said" tags. Use all the senses to help you.

Were you able to do it? How many "said" tags did you find had to be replaced?

Twenty-Five Words for December 2009

2009-12-01T01:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the last 25-words prompt for 2009. The object is to write a story using as many of the 25 words (or short phrases) in the list as you can. Set your timer for 20-30 minutes.

First
Last
Nobody knows
A clue
Peaches
Eyebrow
Clutter
You'll never guess
Absolutely
Nope
Tennis
Pinch
Ouch
Fender
Autograph
Elephant ears
Helmet
Possum
Friendly enough
Wistful
Snack
Booklet
Blustery
Kaboom
Magic

1000 - 800 - 500 - 50 Word Exercise

2009-11-24T00:52:00.000-08:00

Can you write a picture book or short story in 1000 words? How about 800 words? 500 words? 50 words?

For this exercise, write a picture book or short story complete with beginning, middle and end in 1000 words. Then, read what you've written and try to edit it down to 800 words (or as close to it as you can come.) Then read what you've written and try to edit it to 500 words. Can you do it?

When you've gotten the word count down as far as you can, try writing a 50 word synopsis of your story.

The object of the exercise is to be aware of what words you use to write your story, and to help you identify ways to tighten up your work. In picture books, every word counts. (Hints: look for weed words like just, like, so; remove passive voice; use action verbs. Can you come up with others?) You may find that you need every single word in your 1000 word picture book, or you may find that you can edit out 200, even 500 words and end up with a better story.

Writing a 50 word synopsis helps you understand how to concisely convey the core of your story and its emotional impact.

Starters - Prompts for PBs

2009-11-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some starters for picture book stories. The object of this prompt is to write a picture book or two (or three, or four) using the starter as the first line in your book. Note that the first line sets up a premise for the story. Remember to write a beginning, a middle and an end. Extra points for using the starter line as your ending line as well.

Starters:

1. Benjamin Cat and Peyton Mouse were the best of friends.
2. With a waddle, a wiggle, and a big angry quack, Mama Duck searched for her naughty little ducklings.
3. Brown Dog is missing.
4. Good-bye, good-night, sun down, twilight.

Up-Tempo Writing Prompt

2009-11-10T00:43:00.000-08:00

This is an exercise in writing fast and furious, to set a lively mood, to create anxiety, or to give a character a definitive purpose for a short period of time. The object is to write quickly in a descriptive narrative, to move from point A to B in your story in an up-tempo way. Select a situation from the list below, set your timer for 15 minutes and write without pause. When you are done, read what you've written and see if you were able to get from your starting point to your destination in a quick and lively pace. What mood were you able to set? Did you establish tension on the page? How did you accomplish it?

Situation:

1. Your MC must take her sick brother from the house to the hospital. The MC doesn't know what is wrong with her brother, and fears he might be dying. En route, she tries to figure out what might be wrong, as well as contend with obstacles along the way, such as a traffic jam, a police officer, an injured dog in the road.

2. Your MC is angry at his girlfriend, who he suspects of cheating. He follows her one day to see if she meets up with another guy. As he follows her, he comes dangerously close to becoming a stalker instead of a boyfriend. As he realizes what he is becoming, his anger turns inward, to himself.

3. Two high school friends have a falling out. One friend wants the friendship to continue, the other wants it to end. Each will do whatever it takes to have it her way, until one friend says something unforgivable. Write from the POV of the friend who wants it to end.

4. A parent searches the bedroom of your MC, looking for drugs. Your MC doesn't use drugs, but the parent is certain there are drugs to be found. After tearing apart the room, the parent tries to defend his/her actions, still certain that drugs are hidden somewhere.

25 Words for November 2009

2009-11-03T00:05:00.000-08:00

Here's a writing exercise that I like from my Brown Bag group. It's called "Twenty-five Words." The object is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible. This is also a timed prompt, so set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes and then begin.

Here are the words for November:

Insider
Brrrr
Grumbly pig
Whisper
Smoky
Bandit
Scurry
Chilly
I don't believe it
Stir, stir, stir
Hurry up
Slow down
Happy girl
Pokey
Mope
Dazzle
Tennis
Legend
Wait for me!
Violins on the roof
Click-clack
Pluck
Almond
Basket
Way up high

Exercise Your Supporting Characters

2009-10-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

This is a writing exercise to help develop your supporting characters. Start with a scene from your latest work in progress. The scene should contain a fair amount of dialog between your main character and one other character. The object of the exercise is to rewrite the scene so that the dialog is between your main character and a different supporting character. The goal is to determine how each character would respond to the main character in the scene. For example, if your scene is a confrontation between the MC and the school bully (antagonist,) where the bully confronts the MC in the parking lot at school and tries to pick a fight over a perceived slight, change the scene so that the confrontation is between the MC and his mother over a perceived slight. (Leave the setting the same.) Then change it to the MC and his best friend over a perceived slight. What has to change? How do you maintain the tension of the scene? How does the atmosphere of the parking lot change? And, do the voices of each of the characters ring true?

IF you don't have a WIP, try writing the scene described above, between (1) MC and a bully; (2) MC and his mother or father; (3) MC and his best friend; (4) MC and his girlfriend.

A Prompt, A Game

2009-10-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a game to try. You need a pair of dice to play. The object is to write a paragraph or short story using the dice to determine how many words to write per sentence. So, you roll the dice to get a total number, and then write a sentence in as many words as you rolled. (Roll a total of 6, write a sentence with 6 words. Roll a 9, write a sentence with 9 words, etc.) Stop when you've had enough, or after 15 minutes.

This is also a fun one to try in a group writing practice, or over coffee at the local caffeine joint. Extra points for most readable, or most weird. Winner gets chocolate!

Teen Speak Writing Prompt

2009-10-13T00:46:00.000-07:00

This prompt is to explore how a teen character perceives his or her world. Pick a character, and a starting sentence and then write for 15 minutes about a situation that you make up for your character. Imagine how the specific character might think or feel as you envision and write about his or her situation. Keep everything in first person present.

Characters:
Freshman girl, decidedly average. Has one or two close friends, no enemies. Does not stand out, does not have any special talents or activities, no vices, no conflicts that she is aware of. Is a B student.

Junior boy, high maintenance, low achiever. Has one or two close friends, many peripheral friends, but can't seem to maintain any relationships with anyone. His closest friends constantly give up on him, only to be reeled back in. Always on the verge of getting into trouble, but never follows through on anything, so never actually gets into trouble.

Senior girl, attractive but empty. Has a hidden secret. Has many friends, but nobody really knows her. Not particularly smart, but an A student. Takes easy classes. Assumes she will go to college.

Starting Sentence:

I can't believe anyone dresses like that, every day, for school...

I'm thinking that maybe this time, it's my fault, and there's nothing I can do to make it up to her...

I wonder if I can pay someone to take my SATs for me...

25 Words for Oct 2009

2009-10-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

Here's a writing exercise that I like from my Brown Bag group. It's called "Twenty-five Words." The object is to try to write a children's short story or picture book using as many of the twenty-five words (or short phrases) as possible. This is also a timed prompt, so set your timer for 20 or 30 minutes and then begin.

Here are this month's words:

Back again
Gusty
Sparkles
Night sky
Toad
Lobster
Ham-bone
Pickles
Long
Fuzzy
Gum
And then...
Never
Ker-pow!
Poo
Whooo
No owls here
Creek
Crackle
Spark
Hot
Sleepy
Original
Splat
Forever

More Prompts Archived

2009-07-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

I've archived May, June, July 2008 writing prompts to the website

update to website

2009-05-28T08:59:00.001-07:00

I've added Feb, Mar, April 2008 writing prompts to the blog archive at www.prokidwriter.com Over the summer, I'll add the rest of 2008-2009 writing prompts and move over the other content as well.

Twenty-Five Words For May 2009

2009-05-05T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here are twenty-five words for May. The object is the same: set your timer for about 30 minutes and try to write a children's short story or picture book text using as many of the twenty-five words as possible.

Flowers
Showers
Easy
Canyon
Family
Festival
Who are you?
Busy
Inside-out
Upside-down
Teeny
Walk like a duck
Talk, talk, talk
Brilliant
Razzle-dazzle
Oops
Baby's sleeping
Gotcha
Almost had you
And then...
Gigantic
Run
Fresh fruit
Chunky
Sweet

BrownBaggers: Since we don't have Brown Bag over the summer, I'll be moving everything from this blog over to prokidwriter.com and will try to maintain a writing prompts area there, so this will be the last prompt for this blog. Have a good summer and hope to see everyone in October!

Dialog Challenge Writing Prompt

2009-04-09T00:48:00.000-07:00

This prompt is to help you explore creating conflict between characters through dialog. Start with a page or so of dialog from your current manuscript and read through it once. Then set it aside. Think of the characters' situation and identify the conflict. Is the conflict addressed in the dialog? Do the characters discuss the conflict outright, or is the conflict the subtext of the dialog? Consider the dynamic of the characters - is one more dominant than the other? Does one character have the upper hand? What if you were to reverse this somehow?

For this exercise, try re-writing one page of dialog from your current work-in-progress. Think about subtext and how it might be used to create conflict or friction between the two characters. Also, don't use any tags, just write the back and forth dialog and keep it flowing. Write for 15 minutes.

Twenty Five Words For April 2009

2009-04-02T00:55:00.000-07:00

The object of the twenty-five words exercise is to write a story using as many of the twenty-five words below as possible within a thirty-minute time frame. Read the list once, then set your timer, and try to write a picture book or children’s short story. (Try not to overthink!)

Short
Mini
Skirt
Mudslide
Down
Pretty
Actually
I was going to say
Once again
Tardy
Magical
Feather
Remember me?
Blue
Good deed
Dad
Cougar
Friendly
Sleeping
Myth
Postage
Flicker
Don't tell me what to do
School bus
Clank

Dear Diary Writing Prompt

2009-03-26T00:41:00.000-07:00

This is an exercise in first person POV, inner dialog, self-revelation, etc. Create a character (male, female, bunny, etc) and write a diary entry for this character. Choose one of the starters below, or make up your own. Write for 15 minutes.

Dear Diary:
1. I did it, I finally did it, and if I could step off the planet now and be done with it, I would...
2. Oh the cat, the cat! Why did I ever agree to the cat?
3. Once again, I feel like I'm not even here. If I screamed, would I make a sound?
4. I've never been so hungry in my entire life...

Action Sequence Writing Prompt

2009-03-19T00:28:00.000-07:00

For this prompt, write an action sequence between the protagonist and at least one other character. Your goal is to maintain a sense of forward direction, at a fast-paced clip. In order to maintain the tension of the scene, think about what is motivating the protagonist, and what is standing in his way, rather than upon simply the descriptive (sense of sight) of what is happening. You can write a sequence using your own characters and situation, or choose from the list below:

Characters:
1. Big Jim, the largest kid in school, is bullied into a confrontation with Julie, a "mean girl" from his homeroom. Big Jim knows a secret about Julie, one that would stop the confrontation cold, and also ruin Julie's life. How far can Julie go before Big Jim explodes? Or does he?

2. Joe and Steve, brothers, must race against the clock to rescue their horse, which has fallen into the creek. The normally slow creek is suddenly wide, deep and fast, the horse is terrified, and Joe and Steve are almost out of options. Then Steve attempts a rescue, but falls in. Joe spots a bend in the creek where he thinks he can grab the horse - or should he save Steve instead?

3. Six girls, as part of a gang initiation, must brawl. Two of the girls are best friends. Before the brawl, they make a secret pact to not fight each other. But suddenly, they find themselves the last two standing. Do they keep their pact? Does one betray the other? Are they both betrayed?

Alter Ego Writing Prompt

2009-03-12T00:58:00.000-07:00

Who do you become when you sit down in front of the keyboard? An alter ego has a name, not a pen-name, but a name associated with a defined personality. An alter ego has a voice, one that comes through when you write. An alter ego helps you connect to your teen self, or your child self, when you write.

In this prompt, you will define an alter ego. You can approach the prompt in one of two ways: (1) Develop and write about your own alter ego, the person you become when you write, or (2) Develop and write about your main character's alter ego, the person he becomes when he has a problem to deal with, or the person he becomes when he goes to school. Perhaps at home he is a mindful, thoughtful child who never causes problems, while at school he is impulsive, in-your-face, the class clown or class wild-man.

In developing your alter ego, do at least three preparatory things:
1. Name your alter ego
2. Define his or her top four personality traits
3. Define the boundaries of when and where the alter ego emerges, and identify the trigger that causes the alter-ego to emerge.

Then, slip into the skin of your newly-defined alter ego and write for 15 minutes in you alter ego's voice.

Twenty-Five Words for March 209

2009-03-05T00:44:00.000-08:00

A writing exercise I like from my Brown Bag writing group is “Twenty-Five Words.” We go around the table and, one by one, say a word (or short phrase.) It can be any word that comes to mind, or sometimes words based upon a pre-determined theme. The object of the exercise is to write a story using as many of the words (or short phrases)as possible. Here are twenty-five words for March. Set your timer for thirty minutes and try to write children’s short story. Try to use as many of the words as possible.

Brown cub
Spring is coming
Wait a minute
Flower
Petal
Rain
Smiling faces
Before you say anything
Ants
Juliette
Money
Honey
Bunches
Glamorous
Preposterous
Did you say something?
And then..
Cookies
Oodles
Poodles
Noodles
Kaboodles
Oh stop!
Strudels
You did it again

Sisters Writing Prompt

2009-02-26T00:39:00.000-08:00

I am always intrigued by the dynamic between sisters. The unspoken history, the sibling drama, the ongoing battles for control of the relationship are goldmines waiting to be tapped into for writing inspiration. For this prompt, imagine that you are the younger sister, and write for ten minutes about one of the topics below. Your goal is to try to capture both the closeness of the relationship and the very tenuous bond that threatens to snap at any moment.

Sisters Topics:
1. Your older sister has a secret boyfriend. You don't like him, but you have kept her secret. Now, your older sister has betrayed you in some way. Do you tell Mom about the secret boyfriend, or can you somehow leverage the information to your benefit?

2. Your parents and your older sister have had a knock-down, drag-out fight. You're the good child now. What can you get away with? How long does it last? How does your sister make your life a living hell because of this switch?

3. You and your older sister have always been close. She's more like a mother to you than a sister. You've never really wondered why, until now. What happened to make you take a clear look at this relationship? Is your sister aware or in denial?

4. You are the younger sister, but for some reason, your older sister is acting like a baby. Now you're taking care of her. She can't do her chores, her homework, her hair or even get properly dressed in the morning. Why can't she just snap out of it?

The Character's Parent Writing Prompt

2009-02-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

Adults in children's books are often used to help reveal things about the main (child) character, particularly about the main character's moral compass or self-identity. Adults also mediate, administer justice, and play devil's advocate. While the adult is generally not central to the story, they can play an important role in the development of the main character's journey.

For this prompt, select a scene, a role for the adult to play in the scene, and write for 15 minutes. The challenge is to keep the scene all about the main child character, using the adult to advance the plot or to help the main character reveal something about his motive or emotional state.

Scene:
1. The main character has has helped a friend, who had some sort of personal crisis, arrive home safely. But in doing so, the main character has broken his own curfew. He can't tell what the crisis is, but must make the adult understand why he did it.
2. The main character has had yet another fight at school. No authority figure understands why he fights, up until now, they have presumed that the main character is simply a bad person. The main character actually has a pure motive, and one adult is determined to understand.
3. The main character is depressed and possibly suicidal. The subtle signs have been adding up, but no one has been willing to confront the situation. The main character has a hard time distinguishing reality from fantasy.

Adult Role:
1. A school figure, but not a teacher or counselor. Could be a librarian, a parent aide, a volunteer. Good at mentoring or administering justice.
2. Best friend's Mom, who is unusually uptight, but tries to befriend her child's friends. But she only does so because she has her own child's best interests at heart. Good at playing devil's advocate.
3. A close relative, who is good at keeping secrets. Good at being supporting no matter what. But how far can she be pushed?
4. An elderly neighbor, often has a parallel experience from her own childhood that relates to the child's current experience.
5. The character's no-nonsense parent. Administer's justice and acts as the character's moral compass.

Bedtime Story Writing Prompt

2009-02-12T00:34:00.000-08:00

Bedtime books for the very young are a popular picture book sub-genre. Many follow a basic story arc: showing a small child or animal getting ready for bed; showing a small child or animal who does not want to go to bed (but usually ends up asleep by the end of the book;) or a lyrical story that sets a "sleepy mood."

For this prompt, select a story arc, a character, and an unusual setting and write a short bedtime story for the very young child.

Story Arc:
1. Activities to get ready for bed;
2. Distractions to avoid going to bed;
3. Common bedtime fear and overcoming it;
4. A happy, peaceful bedtime ritual.

Character:
1. Small hedgehog
2. Roly-poly piglet
3. Baby griffin
4. A small fire-breathing dragon
5. The tooth fairy's son
6. A little girl with an annoying baby brother

Unusual Setting:
1. An invisible castle that slowly becomes visible if someone remains awake after bedtime.
2. A frog-filled pond
3. An elfin forest
4. A petting zoo
5. A swamp with a noisy Ogre
6. The 61st floor of a 60-floor highrise
7. An animal sanctuary.

Creating a Book Trailer on Prokidwriter.com

2009-02-10T00:32:00.000-08:00

I posted a new article on things to consider when making a book trailer on the main website Also a template to help storyboard your trailer

Twenty Five Words For February 2009

2009-02-05T03:06:00.000-08:00

A writing exercise I like from my Brown Bag writing group is “Twenty-Five Words.” We go around the table and, one by one, say a word (or short phrase.) It can be any word that comes to mind, or sometimes words based upon a pre-determined theme. The object of the exercise is to write a story using as many of the words (or short phrases)as possible. Here are twenty-five words for February. Set your timer for thirty minutes and try to write children’s short story. Try to use as many of the words as possible:

Heart
Comfort
Pain
Agony
Ego
What if
Hopeful
Woodchuck
Gold
Somebody ought to
Get it?
Good for nothing
Passive
Response
Playful
Cheer
It's going to be me
Scoot over
Fruit gum
Chew
Labor
Candy heart
Purple
Soar
High point

Text Message Writing Prompt

2009-01-29T02:07:00.000-08:00

Your challenge in this prompt is to create tension and set a tone. Here's the prompt:

Your character is a middle schooler who has just gotten a cell phone. Your character has not had time to get his or her phone number out to friends, yet just before getting to school, your character receives a text message. Pick one of the messages below, and write for 15 minutes.

Message:
R U chewing fruit gum?
OMG I cant believe what u did!
I think u r Stacy and not who u say u r.
U wont get away with it. I know.

Character's Secret Writing Prompt

2009-01-22T00:19:00.000-08:00

Millicent Min had a secret. She didn't tell her new best friend that she was a genius. Barnabus Collins, from the old television soap opera Dark Shadows also had a secret. He was a vampire. Melinda, the main character from Laurie Hals Anderson's novel Speak, also had a secret. One so dark and traumatic that Melinda could barely speak.

Millicent Min, Girl Genius and Speak are two contemporary examples of how authors use secrets to create rich, authentic and memorable characters. In this prompt, pick a secret and a situation. Write for 15 minutes about how the character's secret intrudes and creates conflict within the situation. You don't need to resolve the conflict, but try to write about how the character reacts and feels within the confines of the situation, as he or she deals with the secret.

Secret:
1. Teen girl knows her father is having an affair
2. Teen boy has seen his teacher turn into a werewolf
3. Middle school girl has a mentally ill younger sister
4. Elementary school boy is in love with a popular older girl

Situation:
1. A disturbance related to the secret occures while having lunch in the school cafeteria.
2. A family meal in a restaurant is interrupted by a fight involving the secret
3. The secret is discovered during gym class at school.
4. The character is confronted somehow by another family member about the secret

Passed Object Writing Prompt

2009-01-15T00:28:00.000-08:00

This is one we did in a group awhile back, but it can be fun to do on your own, or with your own group. The way it works is that each person in the group pulls out an object from their pocket or purse, and then hands it to the person sitting next to them, to the right. Using the object passed to you, plus whatever you may know about the person who handed you the object, write for 15 minutes a fictional account of why this person is carrying the object. Work in a conflict, if you can. If you're doing the prompt on your own, either pull out a random object from your purse or from a pocket or purse from someone in your household.

When we did this in a group the first time, nearly everyone handed over a set of keys to the person sitting to their right. Then, nearly everyone wrote about driving. Nobody would admit if their fictional characters came close to the real characters, though.

Self-Identifying Statement Writing Prompt

2009-01-08T01:40:00.000-08:00

In a recent SCBWI SD talk by Lisa Shapiro, the concept of the character's self-identifying statement was discussed. Shapiro challenged us to come up with a self-identifying statement and then use this to help develop layers to the character.

In this prompt, select a self-identifying statement,a situation, and a conflict, and write for ten minutes about how the character might react, based upon the character's self-identifying statement.

Self-Identifying Statement:
1. I have to be right all the time, because when nobody likes you, you have to be right.
2. I don't trust anybody, except my Mom.
3. I always use good judgement, because if I don't, something bad will happen to my family.
4. I'm a dork. No matter what happens, I'm still a dork.

Situation:
1. A family get-together with lots of relatives that the character barely knows.
2. A school assembly, like an awards presentation.
3. A school prom, just before the prom King and Queen are announced.
4. A casual lunch with close friends.

Conflict:
1. Girlfriend/boyfriend thinks main character has been cheating.
2. Main character has a secret that someone else has discovered.
3. Main character seeks revenge against an older brother or sister, who has an illness.
4. Main character's close family member is an alcoholic.
5. Main character is in the wrong place at the wrong time, and knows it.

Book Review - An Analysis of Tricycle

2009-01-06T00:33:00.000-08:00

I occasionally stumble across a picture book that takes my breath away. Tricycle by Elisa Amado, is not new, it came out sometime in 2007, and I never saw it at the booksellers. I came upon it this month in the library, where it sat rather unassumingly in the picture book area of the children's section. It was one in an armload of picture books that I checked out, and it was somewhere in the middle of the stack that I plopped down to read, one by one, one of many that I analyse and study each month in an effort to improve upon my own writing. When I got to Tricycle in my reading. It stopped me. I read it three times, and then counted the words and read it again, and then again.

Tricycle is about a girl, Margarita, who lives in a big beautiful house, surrounded by a big tall hedge. She climbs the tree in her backyard and sits in the branches. From this vantage point, she can see the volcano that sits in the distance, spewing fire and smoke on a daily basis. She can also see the shack next to her home where a poor family lives. Margarita sometimes climbs into the hedge, where she plays with Rosario, her little friend who lives in the shack with her brother and mother. One day, Margarita watches silently from her perch in the tree as Rosario and her brother steal her tricycle, dragging it to their side of the hedge, hiding it under a box.

In thirty-two pages and in less than one thousand words, a complete, beautiful story is brought magically to life. It has a heartbeat and a pulse that you don't normally see in the average picture book. The emotional build-up is slow and steady, with an effective use of the volcano - Fuego - as a symbol for the uncomfortable undercurrent between rich and poor, as well as the symbol of developing conscience in the child. The reader sees the difference between those who have, and those who have not, and the beginnings of conscience in a young child. Which is more important - a tricycle or friendship? Having possessions or having concern for others? What is the responsibility of a child - do you worry about yourself, or all of those around you? Do you lie to protect a friend? From the safety and comfort of her family, a child learns to have empathy and compassion for others, even if it means losing something in the process. Even if it means that others might not care as much about you.

The illustration by Alfonso Ruano is in the magic-realistic style. The dream-like quality of the scenes is often thought-provoking. I was struck by two illustrations in particular; the first of the two girls, Margarita and Rosario, meeting in the middle of the tall and perfectly manicured hedge, with Rosario's family's wash hanging from a line on one side, where the ground is barren and rocky. The second shows Margarita, sitting in her tall tree, gazing outward at Fuego in the distance. The size of the child in contrast to the large volcano, her tall tree, even the vastness of the landscape in front of her speaks volumes about how a child can often feel small and afraid.

After reading Tricycle, I checked on the publisher, not believing that a US publisher would take a chance on a story like this. As it turns out, Tricycle is published by a Canadian house, Groundwood Books, and distributed in the US by Publishers Group West in Berkeley. Groundwood Books is an imprint of House of Anansi Press, which began in 1967 as an independent press, focusing on publishing literary works by Canadian writers. Groundwood was established in 1978 and focuses on children's books by Canadian writers. The house receives some funding from the Canada Council for the Arts.

From the writer's standpoint, there is much to learn from. The story opens by setting a mood in the first scene: "I walk outside in my bare feet. The ground is wet and spiky but my feet don't hurt..." These simple words capture the essence of an innocent childhood, and the illustration by Alfonso Ruano present Margarita's priviledged lifestyle in a simple and understated manner. Additional clues are left in the story, scene by scene, so that the reader sees the difference between rich and poor. Childhood fears about personal safety and the safety of friends and family are succinctly explored through images of the volcano, Fuego. In one scene, Margarita worries "I hope fire doesn't fall on us from the sky," as she sits in the safe confines of her family compound, from the perch of her tall, strong tree.

Tricycle is an amazing book in so many ways. It has a rare, literary quality and simplicity of story that is generally difficult to find in today's mainstream picture book market. While it is not a book for very young children, it is a book for the parent who wants to opens doors to conversation between parent and child. Not every parent will agree with the choices made by the protagonist of this story. Perhaps not every child will agree or understand. Tricycle might be most appropriate for the emergent reader, one who isn't quite ready for chapter books, but who doesn't want to read "baby books." It is a story to talk about, to discuss, and to read again and again.

There is a harsh reality that the child reader will be exposed to, an emotional wallop that will leave an impression, but I am reminded of a speech by Susan Patron, author of "The Higher Power of Lucky" in which she spoke of euphemysms of life, and that "children deserve clear-eyed truth." There is a truth in Tricycle. Parents should read this book and decide for themselves if their child is ready for it. Writers who read Tricycle might come to the conclusion that this story's subject matter is more middle grade, and yet, it is presented in a very approachable manner for a child beginning to understand truth from lies, about personal responsibility, and about compassion. It is a book that Groundwood Books can be proud to have brought to print, and that writers of children's books can learn from.

Twenty Five Words for January 2009

2009-01-01T01:31:00.000-08:00

A writing exercise I like from my Brown Bag writing group is “Twenty-Five Words.” We go around the table and, one by one, say a word (or short phrase.) It can be any word that comes to mind, or sometimes words based upon a pre-determined theme. The object of the exercise is to write a story using as many of the words (or short phrases)as possible. Here are twenty-five words for January. Set your timer for thirty minutes and try to write children’s short story. Try to use as many of the words as possible:

The thing is...
Pool
Room
Banish
Change
Lost
Cougar
Bear
Camping
Fish
How did this happen?
I forget
Beautiful moment
Sorry
Pursue
Circus
Fight
Craft
Fruit
What do I do now?
Random
Totally
You just made that up
Click
Scratchy

Christmas Day Writing Prompt

2008-12-25T02:43:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick prompt for Christmas morning. Imagine that you are eight years old. Under the tree is a present for you. You don't know what is inside it, but you hope that it is the one present that you really want, the one that you only told Santa about, and no one else. You unwrap the gift and it is the exact thing that you wanted. You're thrilled - for awhile. What will happen to the present when you try to play with it? Will it be ruined? Is it still fun? What if you couldn't play with it for some reason - are you afraid to use it because it's "too good to use" or because you're afraid it will wear out? How do you resolve your feelings? Write 500 words or so.

Emotional Impact II Writing Prompt

2008-10-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

I've missed a few Brown Bags, but here is a prompt suggested by a recent discussion I participated in regarding "going deeper," emotionally, in our writing. The theme for this prompt is fear, from a child's perspective. You can chose any age child you like. Write in first person POV (from the child's POV, not the writer's POV,) for 15 minutes, selecting one of the topic situations below:

Topic Situation:
1. The child is in a swimming pool, surrounded by people who don't realize that the child may be drowning.
2. The child has lost his parent in a grocery store or shopping mall.
3. The child is afraid of the dark, or has some other phobia.
4. The child is on a hike with friends, and has a panic attack.
5. The child is a passenger in a car that is in an accident.

When you are done, read what you wrote. Pay particular attention to the pacing of what you wrote. Does the pacing match the emotion? Then look at the words you chose. Are they age appropriate? Did you use senses other than sight? Can you feel, smell, taste, and see the emotion? Emotional impact has depth that goes beyond one sense (usually sight.) Finally, evaluate the character's vulnerability in the moment. Did you capture it?

Emotional Impact Writing Prompt

2008-10-16T00:01:00.000-07:00

Some writing friends and I have been discussing the notion of going deeper, emotionally, when writing picture books. This came about after hearing more than a few editors say that they are looking for picture books that have emotional impact. So, for a writing exercise, we tried a method (not original) that we've tried before, but with the goal being to try to achieve new emotional depth to our writing. The exercise is this: Read a short story or picture book manuscript that you've already written. Then put it aside and re-write the story from memory, but this time, put the emotional impact of your story in the forefront as you write the piece. Force yourself, if necessary, to write about your main character feelings and how those feelings manifest themselves at each scene or plot point of the story.

When you are done, compare the two manuscripts. Did anything change? Did you discover anything new about the emotional impact of your story?

Sensory Element Writing Prompt

2008-10-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a weird prompt that we tried in a group recently. I wasn't very successful with it, but other people were able to write some amazing stuff. The idea is to write from a prompt, but with one hand touching something cold, extremely warm, or some other tactile (fuzzy, squishy, slimy) object, preferable one where the sensation is at odds with the words that make up the prompt. We used frozen water bottles and wrote about a hot place. Try to write for 15 minutes, keeping your non-writing hand on the frozen bottle. Here's the prompt:

Imagine a whirling, twirling outdoor scene. A hot wind is blowing. A girl, or is it a boy, is running in the tall wheat. There is a look of joy on her face. The sun shines on her face, tiny beads of sweat cluster on her forehead. At that moment, her mother comes out and says, "You're getting your new clothes all dirty, playing in the field like that. Come on, then, settle down. It's going to be a hot day..."

When you are done, read what you wrote out loud. Did the tactile object influence what you wrote? In what way? The idea for this prompt is to be aware of sensory elements, and how they can be used to enhance the scenes you write.

Young Character Writing Prompt

2008-09-18T00:50:00.000-07:00

This is a prompt that I did with my writing group recently. Take a main character from a very young age group - say, 3 to 5 years old. Put the character into a situation that might be easily navigated by an older character, but is perhaps more difficult to grasp from the perspective of a very young child. Write for 15 minutes about what the child sees, hears, thinks, and does in the situation. You can select a situation from the list below, or make up your own.

Situation:
A child goes to the library, where he must be very quiet.
A child goes to a first doctor's appointment.
A child goes to the grocery store for the first time.
A child goes to a theme park for the first time.
A child goes to a wedding.
A child goes to an all-you-can-eat buffet.

A Quick Look At Wordhustler.com

2008-08-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

I took a look at WordHustler recently, to see what it has to offer children's book writers. WordHustler is a web-based service that provides a set of tools to writers (in all genres) to help them manage their manuscript submissions. For a fee, WordHustler will package and submit your manuscripts to the markets you've chosen, complete with SASE, thus freeing up more of your time so that you can focus on your writing.

Fees: Fees appear to be based on a per-project (manuscript) submission. I did not see any indication of monthly fees. A submission under four pages in length will cost you 99 cents to have WordHustler send out for you. Ten pages goes for $3.99, twenty for $5.99, thirty pages for $6.99, fifty for $8.99 and anything longer goes for ten cents a page. The fees include having WordHustler print out your cover letter, your manuscript, attach a SASE and put the whole package into a stamped mailing envelope to send off to the publisher you've chosen, either from their market database or to a publisher you've found elsewhere. Once your manuscript is uploaded to the WordHustler site, it looks like they store it for you. You have password-protected access to your projects area.

I ran a couple of scenarios to see how cost-effective WordHustler might be for me. My average picture book or early-reader submission might run six pages. Add a cover letter and I have seven pages total. WordHustler would charge me $3.99 to submit my manuscript for me. What would it cost to submit myself? Here's how my costs break down:

.084 cents - paper for manuscript plus cover letter
.32 cents - HP printer ink for 7 pages
.18 cents - one 9x12 white envelope, pull-and-seal, heavy duty
.055 cents - one #10 envelope for SASE
.59 cents - SASE postage (assuming 2 ounces)
.01 cent - paperclip (decorative)
1.00 - postage to mail packaged manuscript,2 ounces, First class, coast-to-coast

Total: $2.24 to submit a picture book manuscript on my own, or I could pay WordHustler $3.99 to do it for me. They would also use mailing labels, making the submission look neater than what I would normally be able to achieve on my own.

Next, I looked at a middle-grade manuscript, and assumed the editor wanted to see the first 3 chapters, a 2 page synopsis, and a cover letter, or 28 pages total. Here are my costs:

.34 - paper
1.28 - ink
.18 - one 9x12 envelope
.055 - one #10 envelope for SASE
.42 - SASE postage (for reply only, assume manuscript can be recycled.)
.14 - small binder clip
1.68 - postage to mail packaged manuscript, 6 oz, First class, coast-to-coast

Total: $4.10 for this submission if mailed on my own. Wordhustler would charge $6.99 to send this for me.

Aside from handling the submission of your manuscript, what else do you get for your money? Some immediate things come to mind:

- Off-site data storage: I don't know about you, but I've been evacuated twice from my home because of wildfires. I took the computer with me the first time, not the second. What would you do if you lost all your work? Even if you have it backed up, where is your back-up stored? Once your work is uploaded onto WordHustler's site, you've got off-site storage of your stuff. (You should of course continue to keep copies of your work on your own computer.) If WordHustler really doesn't charge a monthly fee, just a per-project fee, you're getting a great deal. I don't know of any cheaper way to get off-site data storage.
- Project management: Wordhustler gives you a handy way of keeping track of what you sent to which publisher, what got rejected, when it was rejected, and all that good stuff. You can see your submissions history and (hopefully) use that history to make some good decisions about future submissions. If you don't already have a system that you use, WordHustler provides a good one for you.
- Protected storage: I'm always leary about putting up my work on a site where I don't have a lot of control. WordHustler appears to use protected storage so that your work can't be crawled by search engines. It uses authentication methods to keep your work secure from unauthorized access.
- Extended Office: WordHustler calls this their VirtualOffice. You can set up your service so that they receive your SASE replies, and they update your project status for you. You can check your project status wherever you happen to be. I'm not clear on all the details on how this works - do they fat-finger in the editor's reply? Do they scan it in? Is there an additional charge for this service? I find the VirtualOffice concept to be very intriguing.

About the only really frustrating thing I noticed about their site was the search capability when I was trying to view their market listings. (Anyone can search for free.) The search didn't seem to search the tags or the body of the text - only the main headings. For example, I tried searching on the word "children" in the agents listings, and got no hits, even though there were several agents listed who handled children's books in their "Interested In" descriptions. I suspect that this is something that will improve over time, or perhaps registered users are provided a better search feature.

I didn't spend enough time looking at WordHustler. I definitely think it is worth a closer look, particularly for the data storage and project management benefits. If WordHustler does not charge monthly fees for storing your manuscripts, this is definitely something that I would be interested in using. I recommend that you take a look for yourself and decide if the services offered by WordHustler are something that might work for you.

Keep The Pen Moving Writing Prompt

2008-08-28T00:49:00.000-07:00

We had a fun prompt in the new Brown Bag writing group. This group does timed writing prompts, where you keep your pen moving until time is called. The prompt was intended to be from a female point-of-view, but one person took the prompt and wrote a story from a male point-of-view. It was surprisingly invigorating not to mention funny. So, here are some prompts, intended to be from a female point-of-view, but the challenge is to start with the prompt and write a story from a male point-of-view. You can write for any age level you choose. Set your timer for 15 minutes and keep your pen moving until time is up.

Prompts: (select one)

She had her suitcase packed...
She opened her little pink purse and out fell a five-dollar bill...
Embarrassed, she covered her face with the napkin from her lap...
The dust swirled around her brand-new shoes as she stood next to the saloon door, waiting for Pa...

Ordinary Tasks Writing Prompt

2008-08-21T01:10:00.000-07:00

The way your character performs a seemingly ordinary task can speak volumes about his motivation. It can help to root him into the world you've created, or show his emotional state in a critical moment. This prompt is designed to help develop your "show, don't tell" skills.

For this exercise, select a task from the list below and write a short description of how one of your WIP characters might perform this task. (If you don't have a WIP character, select one from the characters list.) Try to imagine how your character might act at a point of high emotional conflict in your story arc. What impact does the character's emotional state have? For example, if Fancy Nancy were to clean her room on the day before going out to a fancy meal with her family, would she perform the task differently that if she had to clean her room immediately upon coming home from the restaurant (after she has had her meltdown?)

Ordinary Tasks:
Make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Do math homework
Clean room
Clean the cat's litter box
Set the table
Walk down the block to mail a letter

Character List:
Fancy Nancy
Millicent Min
Splat the Cat
David (from the David Shannon books)

Figures of Speech - Writing Prompt

2008-07-31T00:55:00.000-07:00

Repetition is a common figure of speech, most often employed in picture books. But repetition is more than repeating a word several times in a book, it can and should have a pattern. An older type of picture book called a "read-around" book, used repetition to provide a sense of symmetry and some interaction with the child reader. In the read-around book, the title of the book was the first and last words of the book. A favorite of mine, Just Ben, by Joan Bowden, out-of-print and probably from the 1970's is an example, where the writer begins and ends the story with the words "Just Ben." The child began the story by reading the cover, continued reading to the back of the book, then flipped the book back to its cover to complete the story by reading the words, "Just Ben" from the title page - hence the term "read-around."

For this prompt, try to write a 500-800 word "read around" picture book or short story that begins and ends with the title. A list of suggested titles is below (or make up your own):

TItle List:
There is No Place Like a Zoo
The Best Place Is My Place
It's Only Me.
How About That!
Ellen Is My Best Friend.

Anthropomorphization Writing Prompt

2008-07-17T00:08:00.000-07:00

Animal stories, where the animal has human characteristics, come and go in popularity. Some, such as Runaway Bunny, Stuart Little, and Charlotte's Web remain popular. It is in part due to the strength of the story itself, but also because the animal characters are able to act in ways that children can relate to.

In this prompt, select an animal from the list below, two or more human qualities, and a location. Write 300-500 words that describes the animal main character in terms of how he might behave in his setting, given the qualities you've chosen.

Animal:
Bear cub
Crocodile
Hedgehog
Ferret
Cat
Heron
Crow

Human Quality:
Humility
Generosity
Greed
Pessimism
Optimism
Kindness
Lenience
Cowardice
Courageous
Creative/Creativity
Spirituality

Location:
School
Playground
Train
Plane
Treehouse
Castle

Sensory Details

2008-06-17T00:06:00.000-07:00

This exercise came to me in an email distributed by the Highlights Foundation. Kim Griswald presented this tip at the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, as a way to help the writer understand what it really means to "show, don't tell."
"To find out if you're using all five senses, get a set of five highlighters, each in a different color. Go through your text and highlight all the sensory details, using a different color for each sense: sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch. You'll be able to see right away if you're favoring one sense to the exclusion of others. Sight is the sense most of us favor, though if asked what stays in the memory longest, smells, tastes, or sounds often come to the fore. If your writing leaves a sensory vacuum, go back and add sensory images to enrich your story and allow readers to experience it as if they were there."

This sounded like an interesting exercise, so I color-coded Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson. Here is how it came out:

I used purple for sight, green for sound, orange for taste, pink for smell, and blue for touch.

Next I tried it with one of my picture books:

Ouch. There's a lot of work to be done. I like how Karma Wilson selects words from the various senses to add pop to her story. It's definitely something to learn from.

Letter to Your Character Writing Prompt

2008-05-29T00:27:00.000-07:00

This is an exercise I did with a writing group. It is especially useful when trying to work through difficulties with characterization. In the writing group, we were each having trouble understanding the nuances of our main characters - basically, why our main characters weren't "cooperating." In this prompt, your main character is away for an extended period of time, perhaps at summer camp, or at grandma's house. Or maybe he's away at boot camp for incorrigible youth. In your letter, describe the problem you are having with him (the scene in question, stilted dialog, unrealistic motivations, whatever the problem may be) and ask your main character why this problem exists between the two of you. Try to understand and make connections between how you feel, act and think, to your characters strengths, differences, challenges and core values.

When you have written your letter, read it out loud. How will your character feel when he reads this letter? What emotions will come to the surface? Can he find a way to cooperate with you, the writer? Or is there something about his basic character that will make it impossible for him to do what you think he should be doing? Is there anything you should change as a result?