Posts Tagged writing tips

Top 20 Writing Resolutions for 2024

By on December 27, 2023   /   Articles  

Like you, I’ve got a full lineup of goals for 2024. The new year offers a time to look at what’s most important. My most pressing and concrete goals are a home-run revision that grabs the reader (my writing world), and to meet help my son and daughter finish the school year strong (my personal world). However, my general goal is to make a difference on all fronts. If I tackle each goal with the idea of making a difference and thinking of others, good things tend to happen.

Here is my top 20 list of writing goals for 2024:

  1. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. (This is the No. 1 rule from my amazing literary agent, Joyce Sweeney.)
  2. Give the reader just enough detail so they’re dying to know what comes next.
  3. Choose a setting that adds to suspense and advances the story.
  4. Immerse myself in the main character so the reader feels like they’re experiencing the story through their five senses (think Avatar).
  5. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
  6. Each scene has urgency for the characters to reach their goals (or not).
  7. Conflict. Every scene filled with conflict. Conflict between characters. Inner conflict. Think all the Rocky movies.
  8. Transformation. How do the characters change? What do they learn? How do we journey through their transformation?
  9. In revision, know what to take out and what to leave in. I know this one’s easier said than done. A mentor once told me to defend each word like a lawyer defends each client.
  10. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
  11. PPR. In fantasy football, it’s points per reception. In writing, it’s “Pitch, Polish, Repeat.” Got this one from author/illustrator Fred Koehler. PPR forces me to examine each piece of writing and whether it’s ready for the world.
  12. Which stories are in my heart, and which stories are in my head? Put them together for a force of  words.
  13. HUMOR. Use it to entertain and drive the story forward. Author Jonathan Rosen taught me a cool technique in which you state three things, and the third item is so bizarre it makes you laugh.
  14. Self-deprecate. Readers love a character with flaws. Makes the character believable and relatable.
  15. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
  16. Misdirection. Like a magician, surprise the reader in a delightful way.
  17. The Ticking Click. Got this one from the head of the Seymour Agency, Nicole Resciniti. From the opening chapter, have the main character race against the clock to reach his or her goal.
  18. Goal, Motivation, Conflict (GMC). Also from Nicole: What is the main character’s Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in each scene. (For more writing–and agenting–wisdom from Nicole, click here.)
  19. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger to leave the reader wanting more. R.L. Stine of Goosebumps is the master of this.
  20. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
In the end, it’s about writing a book that makes a difference. Hope you reach your goals in 2024!

That’s not all, folks!

For more writing resolutions and goal-setting tips, check out this post from MUF member Meira Drazin, and this one from Dorian Cirrone.
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AI as a Tool in Children’s Writing

By on December 22, 2023   /   Articles  

Steering the literary world into a captivating era, the integration of artificial intelligence in children’s

AI-generated image from the prompt: “a robot writing something at a computer”

book writing has sparked both curiosity and conversation. With the creative landscape continually evolving, the marriage of AI and storytelling has opened unprecedented avenues for authors and publishers alike. From crafting imaginative narratives to curating interactive experiences, the role of AI in shaping children’s literature is a fascinating intersection where technology meets the timeless magic of storytelling. In this blog post, we delve into the intriguing realm of AI-powered children’s book writing, exploring its impact, possibilities, and the enchanting stories emerging from this innovative collaboration.

Okay…now here’s the part where I do the thing all those news anchors do when they’re being cute: That entire opening was written by ChatGPT with the prompt, “write me a one-paragraph introduction to a blog post about using artificial intelligence in children’s book writing”.

Now, I know you probably  want to go back and read it again. Go ahead…I’ll wait.

Weird, right?

AI-generated with the prompt: “Cover of a children’s book about a blobfish who learns the true meaning of Christmas

Artificial intelligence is the sort of thing that drives people to extreme perspectives, especially when you apply it to a specific context like kidlit. I’ve read plenty of articles warning that AI will be the downfall of all creativity, and to be fair, I’ve come across more than a few YouTube channels devoted entirely to generating picture books using AI with what seems to be the sole purpose of flooding the market and turning a profit.

But the thing is, AI is a tool. You can use tools for all sorts of things, both good and bad. My toddler demonstrates this regularly when he whomps his brothers with the play hammer on his workbench. 

In this post, I’m choosing to highlight AI as a tool for good. We won’t delve into all of the implications for children’s publishing (my friend Susan did a great job with this a few months ago in her post, “What Does AI Mean for Middle Grade?”). The reality is that there will always be people out there who use the hammer for whomping. 

So how does AI support true creativity and help middle grade authors craft awesome stories? Here are three things I’m really excited about:

VISION BOARDS

AI-generated series with the prompt: “a sprawling metropolis built on the surface of a clementine”

A lot of authors conceptualize elements of their stories by using vision boards. They’ll collect clippings from magazines, search clip art databases, and even draw illustrations themselves. The idea is that a visual reference can help kickstart the creative drive and supplement the process of generating new ideas. Artificial intelligence is really great for this! Specifically, we’re talking here about generative AI (like DALL-E). AI image-generating engines can give a real boost to writers in a creative slump. For example, if you’re trying to envision a scene but having trouble nailing down the descriptive language, you could use a simple prompt such as “murky swamp” and get a whole collection of AI – generated images that could serve as reference points for drawing the scene.

 

AI-generated image with the prompt: “loveable sidekick”

This works really well for characters, too. For one of my books a few years ago, I used an avatar creator to construct my main characters ahead of time. I’ve always struggled to describe physical attributes of characters in my stories, and I thought it might help to have pictures of them tacked all around my writing desk. It took me a few hours, but it was worth it to help me flesh out physical details. Now, that same process would take only a few minutes using prompts in a program like dream.

SEAMLESS RESEARCH

Research is foundational to most creative works, even works of fiction. I was working on a spooky middle grade a few years ago and probably spent hundreds of hours researching paranormal investigators, types of ghosts, haunted locations, etc. A lot of that process involved sorting through websites and combing for specific information that related to my story. Artificial intelligence can do this much more quickly and efficiently. Google’s chatbot, Bard, can organize Google’s extensive database of information into a neatly packaged summary that feels like it was written just for you (because it was!). Of course, for non-fiction writers who rely heavily on accurate information, additional fact-checking will be required, but it’s still hard to argue with the ease of having a personal research assistant at your beck and call. Bard even arranges things in bullet points. I love bullet points!

BOOK COMPS

When I was querying agents a few years ago, one of the things I struggled with was coming up with appropriate comparisons between my books and previously published works. Book comps are an important aspect of pitching a book, and while there is much debate about the value of referencing your creative works in relation to similar titles, it is a reality of the publishing world. That said, the process of sifting through thousands of other titles (many of which a reasonable person could never hope to have read) is extraordinarily time consuming. By now you probably know where I’m going with this. AI can do it for you! Just check out this example from ChatGPT in the screenshot below. I asked for comp titles for my latest middle grade book (which goes out on submission this January!). If I were pitching my work to an agent or editor, this list could be really helpful. Bonus… This is a great way to discover some wonderful new writing!

I hope you found this admittedly brief list thought-provoking. Of course, the lingering question remains… is AI going to completely upend children’s publishing? Personally, I don’t think so, and neither does AI. I mean, obviously I asked, and ChatGPT’s response is a fitting way to wrap up this post:

“…the essence of storytelling and the emotional connection fostered by children’s books are unlikely to be diminished. Instead, AI may complement human creativity and expand the possibilities for engaging young readers.”

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STEM Tuesdsay– Award-winning STEM/STEAM Books– Writing Tips & Resources

By on December 19, 2023   /   Award-winning MG STEM Books, STEM Tuesday  

What makes an award-winning book?

This month, we’re spotlighting award-winning STEM/STEAM Books. The selected titles are a diverse bunch, covering a variety of topics, book categories, and age ranges. Yet the books all have one thing in common — they have tapped into their creators’ curiosity and passion. These books reveal that an author’s connection to their topic can create some incredible nonfiction.

Author connections

What kind of connections do these award-winning authors have to their books? Let’s look.

Cover for Outdoor Schoo: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting

Tapping into personal interests: Jen Swanson, author of Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting said, “I grew up with a creek in my backyard and practically spent my entire childhood running around outside along the creek, climbing trees, tromping in the forest, and much more. Writing this book was awesome! because it helped me to relive my childhood in a lot of ways. (Read the full interview here.)

Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan, author of Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research, said something similar in her book’s author’s note: “Writing this book about wildlife scientists was a childhood dream come true.” In an interview with Lydia Lukidis, Pagel-Hogan recounted all the wildlife she brought home as pets as a kid.

Tapping into cultural identities: According to her website, Braiding Sweetgrass author Robin Wall Kimmerer is “a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.” Her book grew out of not just her professional background, but also her cultural background and indigenous beliefs about nature and our connection to it.

Tapping into curiosity. Sue Heavenrich, author of Funky Fungi isn’t a trained mycologist but tapped into her curiosity to write her award-winning book. Sue said, “My interest was piqued when I interviewed mycologist Kathie Hodge about an insect-infecting fungus for an article in a local newspaper. She took me on a fungus-looking walk, and showed me her workspace at her lab. That article never got published, but it made me think about fungi in a different way.” (Read the entire interview here.)

Funky Fungi book cover

Helping students connect to their writing topics

Students have the best chance of crafting high-quality informational writing when they connect with their essay topics. Here are some tips for helping your students forge connections.:

  • Whenever possible, give students a choice of informational writing topics, and encourage them to explore those they are most passionate about or interested in.
  • Help students explore who they are connected to: their families, communities, culture, schools, and more. A valuable tool for this is to construct Heart Maps, a tool created by Georgia Heard. You can learn more about Heart Maps and using them to inform student writing here.
  • As Sue Heavenrich’s experience shows, sometimes all it takes for students to connect with their writing is to provide some information about the topic to spark their curiosity. By definition, we have to know something about a topic to be motivated to learn more. You could spark student curiosity by providing nonfiction picture books to give a taste of a topic or by sharing primary source material like videos or historic photos. Ask students to write down what they notice, what they wonder about, and how they could learn more. (Read more about this process here.)

Informational writing on any topic can sing when writers can tap into who they are when they write.

This is an image of Kirsten Larson.

Kirsten W. Larson is the author of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illustrated by Tracy Subisak (Calkins Creek), A True Wonder: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything illustrated by Katy Wu (Clarion), and The Fire of Stars: The Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made Of, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle). She also recently released, Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book (Both/And) for adult writers. Kirsten lives with her family near Los Angeles. Find her on social media @kirstenwlarson or at Kirsten-w-larson.com.

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