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July 2002 - Issue 39
Writing for Children In this issue we analyze what's necessary for writing
a children's story. It's really high-tech and not that easy anymore.
ALSO... Visit EmporiumGazette.com We have our guidelines available for your convenience and have posted our planned monthly themes so you can submit your writing to us. Even our back issues are available. Sign up to receive the Emporium Gazette monthly.
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STUFFED ANIMALS FAST TRACK PUBLISHING: FROM ANOTHER ANGLE OH HORRORS! CHILDREN'S WRITING POETRY WORLD ANIMAL WORSHIP
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This is the writing challenge for the month of July. If you decide to accept, only you will be the final judge. Remember back to when you were a child. Go waaaay back. Think about that one fantastic thing you got -- what was it? Did you get it as a gift for a birthday, holiday or from a parent, relative or friend? Let all the emotions take over. That was your special day. Why was it special? What change did it have on you? Think. NOW! Write at least one page on whatever you thought about. That's right, create a short story, any genre or a poem, from that special item. * * * * * If you have a quick or interesting way to break that writer's block and get your creative juices flowing, email us with it and we'll share it with others as a challenge.
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Stuffed Animals Are you a writer with a young child? If so, you may want to try interactive story telling. Your ability to spin a tale may be even more valuable than you thought. That gift may even help you raise your child in ways you hadn't considered. I'd been dreading my visit to the dentist ever since I'd broken most of my right bottom wisdom tooth. That apprehension turned to interest a few minutes after I sat down in the long, low seat beside the dentist's porcelain spittoon. Instead of pulling the tooth, I ended up swallowing a dose of wisdom twice as strong as what I'd walked in with. The dental assistant who treated me wasn't a writer, yet she seemed equally versed in the art of spinning stories. For nearly two decades she'd been weaving yarns about her son's teddy, "Bear," and using those to help her teach him life's many lessons. She explained how she would create a story where "Bear" would get into trouble as young boys inevitably do. However, the circumstances of her stories were always "strangely" similar to something her son had been experiencing. Her trick was that she would have her son offer suggestions how Bear might resolve his problems. As you can imagine, this would either prove helpful or make things worse, depending on the wisdom of her son's solution. The secret of her success lay in making sure the child had plenty of opportunity to steer the story in a direction that interested him. The story, after all, was about his alter ego. Besides, a child's perspective will likely help the writer in you as much as it keeps your kid spellbound. I could only sit there with my head back and my mouth open, mumbling my admiration. The insight of her simple solution had dazzled me and I'd almost forgotten about the pain in my jaw. As usual, wisdom had crept up behind me and hammered me over the head like a Chinese gong before I'd notice it coming. Maybe you should consider turning that favorite
stuffed animal into a test pilot for your child's life. If Bear crashes
and burns, it can't hurt nearly as much as it might if your child should
suffer a similar fate. Give it a try on your little one, and see how
it works for you. * * * * * Wanda Brinkman is a doctor of marine biology and spends much of her time immersed in her work, however, she enjoys tickling the senses of readers almost as much as observing light-emitting fish. She has written a series of science fiction short stories she hopes will be published under the title "Shardes of Space."
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Ten (10) completely original pieces that span and combine the genres of music with interesting twists: Ireland Down Under: Ireland with a
touch of Australia All are available to preview
in either Real Player or Windows Media Player format. It's a free listen
or you may purchase your copy of the audio cd format online!
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Fast Track
Publishing: There is a fast and relatively easy way to get published. Statistics don't lie and they're in your favor when you write about science and math for children. The statistics? About 85% of the people who want to write for kids want to write fiction. On the other hand, 85% of editors looking for children's writers want people who can write non-fiction. The biggest need in children's non-fiction is for writers who can make math and science interesting and fun for children of all age levels. That said, let's take a look at what can be done to take advantage of this "fast track to publishing." Don't dodge this opportunity just because you're not a math or science major. Get past "don't know much about science or math" and investigate the opportunities to write either books or magazines articles for children's publishers. And another thing, once you've become a published writer you will have better opportunities to place your fiction. Below are the things you need to know to become published by this time next year. You don't need to be a science or math major to write about these subjects for children. Your local library is full of interesting information on math and science. There are hundreds of magazines for adults with enough science and math articles to start you down the road to several interesting topics for kids. Your area colleges and universities are full of math and science professors to interview about their latest research. In fact very often you'll find it hard to terminate an interview with these science and/or math enthusiasts. They love to talk about their favorite topics -- their work. There is also the Internet. Many college professors have their research topics and updates on their university web sites. Those who do are usually more than willing to correspond by e-mail with writers. Several years ago I was helping a friend do research for a series of snake books. One of the snakes to be covered was the anaconda. I found the USA's leading expert on anacondas on the Internet. The dear man mailed my friend the galley proofs of his about-to-be-published book on anacondas. He also granted her a number of interviews. My friend is still using that information on books and articles about snakes. I've used bits and pieces of the information myself. We both gratefully acknowledge our "anaconda expert" every time we get our articles or books on snakes published. The key to non-fiction writing is the "Wow Factor." The way to getting your math or science books or articles published is not your subject knowledge, but your marketing expertise. The Wow Factor is a topic point that makes your reader say "Wow, I didn't know that!" Kids are curious. You must learn to attract them to your topic with an interesting, intriguing point about your chosen topic. An article about hummingbirds that begins with the scientific name for the little bird followed several paragraphs on mating and migration is likely to put any reader to sleep. New and/or amazing information is what is needed. For example: those beautiful little hummingbirds we love to watch sipping sugar water out of our backyard feeders are carnivores. They eat meat. Now are you ready to read on about hummingbirds? Did you know hummingbirds were carnivores? Do you want to know what kind of meat they eat? See? It is the "Wow Factor" that will draw readers to your book or article. What's more, it is this "Wow Factor" that will sell your piece to an editor. Marketing 101:Who's your audience? Decide how old your reading audience is before you begin to do your topic research. If you want to write for early readers (ages 5 to 8), your non-fiction article should be about 500 words long. Your sentences and paragraphs must be short and simple. Also, be sure your vocabulary is simple. Think in terms of one and two syllable words. For the kids ages nine to eleven, an article of about 600-800 words is good. You still need to keep you sentences and paragraphs short, but the vocabulary can be a bit more advanced. For the junior high bunch, a non-fiction article might be between 750-1,000 words. It is still a good idea to write short sentences and paragraphs to keep the kids' interest. Short sentences and paragraphs leave nice, friendly white space on a page. Faced with a page full of solid type, kids are apt to be discouraged and stop reading. For high school students, a thousand-word article is appropriate. The subject matter could be covered in greater depth and the vocabulary could be near adult level. It is still a good idea to watch the length of your sentences and paragraphs. Teens have short attention spans. Non-fiction books for each age group will be longer, but the vocabulary level and short sentences and paragraphs still apply. For help with age-level vocabulary (K-6 grade) look up a copy of Alijandra Mogliner's Children's Writer's Word Book (available in most libraries and book stores). Once you know the age of your audience you will be better prepared to find topics of interest and an attention-grabbing point (Wow Factor) for your article or book. All you have to do is think like a kid the age of your target audience. (Can't think like a kid? Do some on-site market research at your local library or book store.) Once you start looking for interesting science or math topics to write about you'll find they pop up everywhere. News broadcast, newspapers, magazines, trips to the zoo, strolls around the block, or coffee break conversation have the potential to reveal new topics to turn into publishable articles or books. Did you know meteor showers happen all the time and several Internet sites post event calendars for them? Do you know where squirrels sleep if there are no hollow trees? What makes a lake erupt? Can a new math formula really show us the universe? What is the connection between math and music? The questions are endless, as are the publishing possibilities. What are you waiting for? Make 2003 your year to be published and paid. * * * * * Lucile Davis is a freelance writer and author of 18 children's non-fiction books. She does freelance work for newspapers, magazines, businesses, and organizations. She is also an instructor for The Institute of Children's Literature, an accredited correspondence school advertised through Writer's Digest and other sources.
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From Another
Angle THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHILDREN'S TELEVISION We must view young people not as empty To light up a youngster's world, your goal is to enter the child's arena and stay there. Writing for children's television is not a training ground for "adult" writing, nor was it for children's books, short stories, or articles. Eavesdrop on children's conversations and talk to them. Be prepared for a universe you never knew existed. Remember Art Linkletter's "Kid's Say the Darndest Things?" A four-year-old came up with this not long ago: "I'm covering my ears now. Don't talk." About the time you think you have it down pat, the kid will come up with something out of left field. Yes, in this foreign country of writing for children's television, it will take all your creative energy to lure a child away from his own exciting inner life to the television screen, get him to listen, and make him laugh. "Sesame Street" is an outstanding example of a program that has kept several generations of children glued to the TV screen. Sarah Chase, a senior communication major and Independent Collegian's features editor, titled an article, "All I Need to Know in Life, I Learned on Sesame Street": "In our country's time of tragedy maybe all we need to do is look back at Sesame Street and learn a lesson from it. * * * Of course, the muppets' cares are much less worrisome than ours, but they do teach the basics. Love your neighbor. Tell your friends how much they mean to you. Don't let Oscar get to you. Eat lots of cookies. Sing. Dance." The next step along the road to writing for children's television is to decide on the age group to direct your writing. Guy Hallifax, writer for a wide range of children's animation including "Bob the Builder," in a "Scriptwriter" magazine article says, "Children are divided by commissioners and schedulers into age groups that represent average levels of intelligence, education, and experience. Roughly these are 2-5, 6-8, and 9-11 years." Now that you have an age group and idea in mind, it's time to learn about scripts. You'll find the answers at your library or bookstore. The TV Script Handbook by Alfred Brenner is one example. How to develop a premise is the start-the thought processes and steps that go into working one out. In such instructional books, you'll learn the lingo and how to tread from premise to teleplay. To see a child as a candle to be lit, strive for originality. According
to Guy Hallifax, it's from there that tomorrow's classics will emerge,
not from clone shows. * * * * * Susan Long Turner is co-author with Russ Turner of "Wings Born Out of Dust" which is available now from 23 House Publishing and is also available in trade paperbacks and hardback at other major online bookstores. Visit her Website
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TAX - FINANCIAL WOES? Have your income taxes given your checkbook the financial equivalent of writer's block? e-mail your tax questions to James G. Rogers, C.P.A., a 26-year veteran of the tax code and an author himself. Mr. Rogers knows the problems authors and others face dealing with this annual chore. For a $5.00 fee, all of which goes to support the Gazette, you can have your answers e-mailed back to you promptly so you can get back to writing. You can even pay by credit card at our secure server. Go to: http://www.23house.com to leave your question.
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NEED A WRITING CONTEST
JUDGE? Sue Long Turner is an award-winning author who has been writing professionally for more than forty years. "I kept three children and a goldfish fed writing for a variety of publications in addition to working full time for television and ad agencies. Now that I'm retired, I enjoy helping others do what I still love to do." Ms. Turner provides brief but thorough critiques for a reasonable fee or honorarium. Her comments are objective, encouraging to the experienced writer, and compassionate to the beginner. All categories, including poetry. Contact: sueturner@texasinternet.com
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Oh Horrors!
Children's Writing When was the first time you got scared? Can't remember back that far? Writing horror for children is a fine art that can be easily mastered by following simple guidelines. Ray Bradbury once said that we should remember our childhood vulnerability as we approach our writing. Remember the monster under the bed? The closet? Or even that mean bully or adult? The vacation? The campout? The basement? Monster: To scare you, the monster must have some human traits but not necessarily be human. Don't forget that Frankenstein had a soft side, a childlike quality. That was the redeeming social grace that endeared him to us, yet all the while his raging anger was to be feared. Still, your monster need not be human. Stephen King used a dog, Amityville was a house and Bradbury used a town with a circus. So perhaps that cute little bunny isn't really so cute, now. Graphic violence: When dealing with children, the amount of violence must never be graphic. You can cut off someone's head, but you needn't go into the gory details of the act. Our imagination will supply the proper amount of gore to a violent scene to scare us, perhaps, sometimes, too much. Anticipation: Without it, there is no story. We read and all the while have created our little anticipated ideas of where the line is going. A good writer will lead you down the rosy path to scare the tarnations out of you from time to time. Pacing: Notice I said from time to
time previously. You can't have high terror the whole time. You must
pace your story, make it a roller-coaster ride of highs and lows. But
remember, all during the time you must have the niggling in the back
of the mind. The reader has to be at the edge of the chair hoping and
waiting for the next big scare. Your characters in the story are the actual ingredient that some writers skim over in favor of the monster. Don't. Hero (or Heroine): This is the person that the monster has singled out. The monster needs to make our hero feel vulnerable and alone. Usually the creature will zero in on the one weakness or fear our hero has and then use it to the creature's advantage. The depth of your hero's character is the crux of your story. Friends: Not all your hero's friends should buy into the monster theory. By doing this there is more room for story advancement as the creature attacks those that don't or won't believe. Even when the monster is in the room, there should be those that don't believe. Adults: This is children writing specific. Adults are usually the enemy of children and therefore can't be trusted. Of course, there's a broken rule every minute. You'll have one adult who will believe – if not help evolve the monster – and could be crucial at the proper moment. That's the writer's call. Sometimes adults aren't involved in the story at all or play superfluous parts. Non-believers: You gotta have the nay-sayers, what more can be said? Plot: Your hero, no matter how grave the situation, must have an out; a reasonable, logical out. If you fluff your hero's escape, you'll lose your reader. I was once told by a writing friend of fantasy that when you put a wizard into battle, you'd better have a way out other than zapping him away. A proper wizard would never go into battle with the idea of zapping away when things got tough. This is true for your hero and monster. If things get tough, have an out for either of them to continue the story line; otherwise, kill the character at that moment. Sex: Excuse me, you're writing for children. The only sex they have is boys and girls. Jeesh! So there you have it. Shadows, lots of shadows, a good friend or two, a friendly monster of some sort who just happens to know your one major fear or fault, and a lot of people that don't believe in you, but you believe in yourself and your ability. If you need a bit more help, R. L Stine has a book or two out that the kids seem to enjoy. Read them for a bit more insight. * * * * * Robert Nailor is the author of "Three Steps to Reality" which is a Celtic fantasy. He is also the Poetry World editor and Production Manager for The Emporium Gazette.
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Poetry World "Writing For Children." When one hears that phrase they immediately conjure up this image of a young adult book or children's story. Seldom does one think of poetry, yet that's where one of the biggest market exists! Yes, writing for children is hard - very stringent rules; but it is also very easy - because you're a natural poet! Eliminate the hard part and leave the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and Harry Potter to others. You're a poet and you enjoy putting words together in rhyming syncopated measures. Think back to when you were very, very young. What were some of the first things you remember? Nursery rhymes? Silly songs? You were assaulted with poetry in only the flimsiest of disguises. And you enjoyed them! When you started reading, most of that which you read was small poetic stories, then it expanded to regular text. By taking the creative genius inside you and placing those words on paper, you could have a quick selling children's story. If you indulge your imagination, you might even visualize the pictures that will appear on each page with your stanzas. Many years ago I wrote a little ditty entitled: Who Will Scare Me Now? I'd never given it much thought until it was published a couple of months ago. A short time after publication, I received an email from a "grandmother" who wanted to share her efforts with me. She'd created an item for her grandchildren and wanted me to see the final product. This kind woman sent me a scanned image of my poem framed in beautiful artwork which she had done. I was speechless. From that idea, I've put the poem on my website in different versions to share with those that visit. I will not share the imaged version that was sent. It had never occurred to me that my work could be displayed like that. At times authors will fall into a form of tunnel vision and tend to see only black and white and this lady opened up a whole new dimension for me. I'd never considered publishing my children's poetry. I'm now dusting off those old files and re-evaluating their worth. Perhaps with some discreet editing these same poems can find life in a child's illustrated book. I realize that I'll not be in the same monetary arena as Ms J K Rowlings, but then again, I will be in the arena - isn't that what it's all about? Gird yourself for battle. The children's market awaits
your poetic ability. Delighting a child is a kudos hard to surpass.. ** * * * * Syd Dunne is a retired news reporter from the Washington, DC area. You may visit her website for more information and other writings.
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at reasonable prices
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Animal Worship The moon rose over the jungle like a giant bowl of yellow cream, the sky's offering to Ganesha, the elephant god. The light would make an excellent hunt. Raham, a young male of the mongoose clan, finished grooming his belly. The awkward humans left offerings to cows, elephants, and barrels full of treats for rats. Why didn't they leave anything for a mongoose? Maybe they had. Raham had always avoided the bald-faced bipeds. Some were as bald as the buzzards who fed on the old and weak, and that troubled him. Any creature that chewed up trees with metal-toothed machines, leaving only stumps, deserved an even wider berth than a stampede of water buffaloes. Still, if there were free food, he decided he'd poke around their rectangular burrows of stone and cooked clay. The humans, despite their dangerous reputation, didn't bother Raham, much. From his observations they were neither quick nor wise. His lightning reflexes and quick feet could get him out of trouble twice as fast as it found him. Raham wiggled through the thick wall of vines and tangled branches that marked the jungle's border with the humans. On the other side he found what appeared to be a game trail. Cautiously, he sniffed the strange black stone that covered the path. It smelled sour, like an old kill, a stench that would wrinkle even a vulture's beak. Raham didn't understand why anyone needed such huge paths to mark their territory. The stinky avenue seemed wide enough for a heard of elephants, but no pachyderms waddled past. This was another of the many mysteries surrounding humans. Why did they insist on taking up so much room only to leave it empty most of the time? Raham was suddenly bathed in light as a strange box with two glowing yellow eyes swished past. Even at this late hour it glistened like wet river stones, but the shiny box, the color of a panther, left another sour stench hanging in its wake. Again he stood alone in the dark. It was no wonder humans worshipped elephants and cows. At least their gassy droppings nourished the soil and provided food for beetles and bugs. Elephant paths grew over with grass, but nothing grew on this human trail, even following one of the wettest monsoons in the jungle's history. Maybe these upright monkeys realized their own deficiencies and offered gifts to their animal brothers in the hope they'd teach them to live in harmony with nature. Didn't the humans understand that all animals sang praises to the Creator? Only when the humans joined the chorus would the Creator's symphony sound complete, but Raham had never heard the sour-faced upright creatures sing. They just spat at one another in their hissing snake talk. Padding along the edge of the roadway, Raham kept one eye on the vines and branches. This was the hot season, and cobras could imitate sticks, assuming one's nose didn't locate them first. Raham didn't hate snakes so much as he feared the idea of ending up in one's belly. Few creatures were as quick as a mongoose, but cobras were dangerously close. Occasionally, Raham did enjoy a fresh snake buffet. The mongoose followed the hot black path until he reached the human community. There he found a cooler path of packed dirt through the tall buildings that resembled oversized termite mounds. Maybe here he'd find someone who'd offer him a meal. Raham searched for hours, but found nothing resembling a meal. Cities were fit only for rats, birds and humans. Raham was about to head home when he heard a haunting voice coming from a square opening halfway up a white wall. It was someone singing to the Creator, but it wasn't a bird, a monkey or even a frog. He'd never before heard this chorus. Curious, he leapt to a box and then onto a taller metal barrel before he was able to peer inside. By a pallet on the floor knelt one of the upright monkeys. This one seemed smaller than the humans he'd seen cutting trees. It had wide brown eyes, and a tiny lump for a nose. Raham recognized it as a human child. The boy had no markings to hide him in the grass and only a thin patch of fur atop his head to protect him from the noon sun. With his hands pressed together, the human kit sang with his face raised toward the sky. The song moved Raham, and he swayed to the music, adding his own song to the boy's. Nearby a bird added its part. From the dark shadows inside came something singing a more sinister song. A long dark shape slithered across the dirt floor toward its victim. Raham, didn't hesitate. He leapt at the cobra, but the snake jerked aside. The serpent raised its head and coiled to strike, flaring its collar to make it appear larger. Surprised by the sudden commotion the child screamed, but Raham paid little attention. When the adult human appeared in the doorway with an axe Raham never flinched. Now was no time for distractions. Raham leapt back, barely avoiding the snake's sharp fangs. A cobra of this size demanded his complete attention. Even with Raham's speed he couldn't risk dancing with this snake. With its long muscular body it could strike farther than Raham could retreat. He needed a miracle. An axe swished through the air, just missing both Raham and the snake. When the serpent turned to hiss at the man, Raham leapt on his ancient enemy. It was over in a flash. "Wife, look who saved us!" the man with the thick beard and long mustache shouted. "Find him something to eat. This mongoose is a hero." The man shook his head when the woman appeared in the doorway with a metal plate. "Not bread and milk, woman. Bring a feast fitting a hero, maybe a thick slice of mutton. I've never seen a cobra that large. If our visitor hadn't killed him, he would have bitten me and our boy." Before she could return, Raham decided he'd seen
enough human luxury. He'd already claimed his feast. The snake dangled
from Raham's jaws as he jumped to windowsill and out of the house. Anyone
who sang so sweetly, deserved a guardian angel, and Raham was glad he'd
been guided here. He'd come back another night to sing praises to the
Creator. * * * * * Ronald Wayne Jones is the Managing Editor for Emporium Gazette and author of "Black Breath of the Lutron" and "The Dwarf and the Demon Tongue" which are available through 23 House.
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IS YOUR WRITING ILL? Would you like a second opinion about POV, dialogue, selling non-fiction, or submitting multiple submissions? For a mere $5 diagnosis fee... You can even pay by credit card at our secure server. Go to: http://www.23house.com to leave your questions. No ache or pain is too big or too small for this veteran freelance editor and author of numerous books and magazine articles. If you have more than one question, please check out her site: http://www.coolwell.org/robyn/index.html
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Ron Jones-- Managing Editor Robert Nailor--Poetry Editor and Production Manager Elyse Salpeter--Fiction Editor Mitchel Whitington--Non-Fiction Editor James Rogers--Business Editor Terrie Murray--Travel Editor & Editorial Assistant Sue Long Turner--The Writing Answer Lady Mark Vass - Marketing Editor & Denise Vitola--Editor-in-Chief
© Copyright 2002 by the Emporium Gazette No portion of any article or other writing in this electronic publication may be copied, used or otherwise taken by any person or organization for any purpose or reason whatsoever without the express written permission of the Emporium Gazette.
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