Revising for Structure

When I finish the dummy for my current picture book project, I’m going to dig back into my magical realism middle grade novel.

Here’s an amazing post that came in an e-newsletter today. It’s perfect and I know it will help me. If you’re revising your NaNoWriMo magnum opus, it might help you too.

The Five Commandments of Storytelling

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• Don’t Let Craft Advice Silence Your Authorial Voice
• A Beginning Reader for St. Patrick’s Day
• What You Need to Know About Query Letters
• Inspiration for Writers
• Funny Picture Books Need Golden Hearts

2012 2013 advice agent agents author authors blogs books challenge character children's books contest creativity fiction help hints ideas information inspiration literary literary agents NaNoWriMo NaPoWriMo novel novels november picture book picture books plot poem poem a day poetry professional promotion publication publicity publishing resources revision social media structure submissions writers writing

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NaNoWriMo Tip #3: Create a Character Outline – GalleyCat

Galley Cat will be offering great tips for writing your novel every day this month. Check out the day’s post and the archive.

NaNoWriMo Tip #3: Create a Character Outline – GalleyCat.

Don’t Tweet that Query!

Read this, if you are tempted to pitch your book to an editor on Twiiter (unless it is a special Twitter event AND you have done your homework about said event.)

Dr. Syntax: Tweet Not Your Query, Author, or, Why I Don’t Read the Slush Pile Anymore.

From Author Holly Lisle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Novel Revision

Here’s a terrific post about how to revise a novel. Bookmark it or print it out!

One-Pass Manuscript Revision: From First Draft to Last in One Cycle | Holly Lisle: Official Author Homepage.

An Ongoing Word Count Challenge Group for NaNoWriMo Dropouts Like Me

I never seem to win the NaNoWriMo challenge, but I really enjoy the support and motivation. There are other challenge sites and support groups for novelists online. Here is one I found today.

Inkygirl Wordcount Challenge (1000, 500, 250 wds) – Inkygirl.com.

Make a Dummy to Perfect Your Picture Book Manuscript

If you have a list of ideas for picture books and are wondering what to do next, or if you have a picture book manuscript that has been rejected, here’s an excellent article about making a picture book dummy. It will help you check your structure and correct common problems.

Post-PiBoIdMo Day 4: Wendy Martin Makes a Dummy « Writing for Kids (While Raising Them).

Falling Leaflets: What Agents Say About National Novel Writing Month

Here’s a useful article with advice from agents about what to do after you finish your NaNoWriMo novel.

Falling Leaflets: What Agents Say About National Novel Writing Month.

What happens After You Finish Your NaNoWriMo Novel in a Month? – Scribendi.com

If you’ve finished your draft during NaNoWriMo this year, congratulations! You are probably glad it’s over and you are ready to take a break, maybe do some holiday shopping and clean house. The good news is that taking a break is the best thing you can do for your book.

When you’re ready, here’s some great advice about how to revise.

What happens After You Finish Your NaNoWriMo Novel in a Month? – Scribendi.com.

Margot Finke’s Secrets of Writing For Children

I think the very best part of participating in these November challenges has been climbing out of my hole a bit and meeting other writers. On Shar Mohr’s blog “My Picture Book Writing Journey,” I found many resources, including this one. If you write for kids, take a look. You may want to add it to your favorites. (By the way, Shar’s hen also authors an adorable blog.)

Margot Finke’s Secrets of Writing For Children.

2012 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 30 | Milk Poem | WritersDigest.com

Today is the last day of the Poem a Day Challenge. I did not finish my NaNoWriMo goal, but I did write a poem every day. Now, it’s time to go through them and choose between 10 and 20 for the chapbook competition. You can enter too, even if you didn’t post. Today’s link leads to the final prompt, a “milk” poem, and the community’s responses.  There you will also find a link to the submission rules. Revision is allowed, and so are some poems not written during the competition, but most should have been created for the PAD challenge. You have until January to submit. (I get involved in other things and forget, so I will probably put mine together much sooner.)

This has been a wonderful experience, and I know that my efforts have been read by more people than would have seen most printed journals. I’ve met some wonderful new poets. I plan to keep posting my own warm-ups here, but other challenges loom and it might not be daily. Thanks for following and I hope you had fun, too.

2012 November PAD Chapbook Challenge: Day 30 | Milk Poem | WritersDigest.com.

Milk

White as

winter, poured

icy from

the refrigerator

 

White as

Grandmother’s

sheets.

delivered to the doorstep

 

White as

summer clouds

in my

first cup

 

White as

cream

for Dad’s coffee

from the top

 

White as

light

through the morning

window.

 

White as

simple

beginnings:

milk.