ReviMo starts TOMORROW. I hope you are registered (registration here, closes at midnight) and primed to REVISE!

Below is a little gift, from me to you. I hope it will inspire many revisions!

Download or print for future use!

Recap of the ReviMo Rules:
You must (to be eligible for prizes):
1. Register (here). Registration closes at midnight CST 1/11/14.
2. Each day you REVISE (you are on the honor system!) January 12-18th and COMMENT on the day's post, you may enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. January 19th, I will have a separate Rafflecopter giveaway for those people who have revised 5+ days.
3. What counts as REVISING? Making significant and thoughtful changes to a Picture Book Manuscript. If you go through and change a few words that doesn't count! I want you to research and DELVE DEEP! Let's rip our MS apart and put together a best seller! *Fingers crossed*

Wordy Bird, "What’s wrong with my picture book text?" http://cleverbirdy.blogspot.com/2013/12/whats-wrong-with-my-picture-book-text.html

Mem Fox, author of Goodnight, Sleep Tight and Yoo-Hoo, Ladybug!, "20 Dos and Don'ts," http://memfox.com/for-writers-hints/for-writers-20-dos-and-20-donts/

Ame Dyckman, author of BOY+BOT and Tea Party Rules, on how to cut down PB word count! http://writeroutine.blogspot.com/2012/10/wriwopi-ame-dyckman-and-bot-astic-give.html

Linda Ashman, author of Rain and Peace, Baby, "Rhyme Clinic," http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2013/12/rhyme-clinic-with-linda-ashman.html
"Beyond the Bad Beginning," http://www.juliehedlund.com/linda-ashman-november-12-x-12-featured-author/ 

Corey Rosen Schwartz, author of Three Ninja Pigs and Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears, "How to Get a Black Belt in Rhyme," http://www.juliehedlund.com/corey-schwartz-august-12-x-12-featured-author/

Alayne Kay Christian, author of Butterfly Kisses, "Revising or Polishing Your Picture Book Manuscript," http://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/revising-or-polishing-your-picure-book-manuscript/

Iza Trapani, author of Haunted Party and Rufus and Friends - School Days, "Rhythm and Pattern in a Picture Book," http://blog.janicehardy.com/2012/05/guest-author-iza-trapani-rhythm-and.html

Readability Calculator, http://www.online-utility.org/english/readability_test_and_improve.jsp

What's your favorite blog post on revision?

Feeling bold? How about a Picture Book Dummy?

One way to help see story problems is to make a picture book dummy. If you are like me, this process is much more daunting than it should be.

Take 8 sheets of paper. Fold in half. Staple (outside with regular staple; in the middle if you are a nerd and have a long arm stapler – GUILTY!).  Et voilà!

Tara Lazar, "Picture Book Dummy, Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout," http://taralazar.com/2009/02/22/picture-book-construction-know-your-layout/

Debbie Ridpath Ohi, "Writing and Illustrating a Book for Simon & Schuster," http://inkygirl.com/inkygirl-main/2012/5/15/writing-illustrating-a-picture-book-for-simon-schuster-books.html

Linda Ashman, "The Wisdom of Making Dummies," http://www.howtowritepicturebooks.com/1/post/2013/10/the-wisdom-of-making-dummies.html

Have you made a PB dummy before, was it helpful?

Meg aspires to be an agented, published children's book author. It's one of her goals for 2014, so it's on like DONKEY KONG publishing world! She has two kiddos, Peep 4 and Speed 2 (nicknames!) who inspire many story ideas and keep her laughing.
 
To find out more about Meg and ReviMo, click here to read Elaine Kiely Kearns interview.

"Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do — the actual act of writing — turns out to be the best part."
-- Anne Lamott "Bird by Bird"

"There isn't really much to say regarding my literary career. It has been made up of two elements: 'hard work' and 'stick to it.'" -- L.M. Montgomery

ReviMo Get Set . . . Linda Ashman - What You'll Need for Your Revision Journey

 

What You'll Need for Your Revision Journey

by Linda Ashman

Happy New Year! First of all, kudos to Meg for using ReviMo to focus attention on revision, often regarded as the ugly stepsister of writing. Lots of people ask me, “Where do you get your ideas?”—but rarely does someone say, “Tell me about your revision process.”

That’s not surprising. After all, ideas are glamorous (Inspired! Brilliant! Clever!). Revising, on the other hand, is painstaking, repetitive, and—yes—sometimes tedious. And yet, as one of my former bosses liked to say, ideas are a dime a dozen. Sure, they’re essential. But turning ideas into something tangible and usable, well, that’s where the treasure is.

And where the real work begins. It’s not easy to transform a scrap of an idea—no matter how brilliant—into a compelling and marketable manuscript, so it’s good to be prepared.

I’m a big fan of lists (they make me feel more organized than I am). So, as you tackle your revisions this week—and beyond, I hope—here’s my list of things you’ll need for the journey:

1. Stamina. Ideas often arrive in a momentary flash of inspiration. Revisions, on the other hand, require hours, weeks, months—sometimes years. Be patient with the process—and yourself.

2. A playful spirit. Carl Jung said, “The creative mind plays with the objects it loves.” Presumably, you’re a writer because you love stories, language and words. So play with them! Experiment with voice, rhythm, structure, point of view. What brings your story alive?

3. Openness. Sometimes the story you begin with isn’t the one that wants to be told. If your idea starts taking you in a new direction, follow it. You can always go back if it turns out to be a dead end (and don’t be afraid of dead ends—sometimes they point us in the right direction).

4. An objective eye. If, like me, you find that the revision process sometimes brings on a severe case of brain fog, it helps to step back. Go for a walk, clear your head, and ask: What is this story really about? What am I trying to say? How can I say it more simply, clearly, and concisely?

5. A sharp knife. (A metaphorical one, of course.) If you’re writing picture books, in particular, be merciless with those long, rambling descriptions, and anything that isn’t visual and doesn’t move your story forward.

6. Small rewards. Writing is hard work, so it helps to have some carrots to keep you motivated. My own carrots? Cookies. Yep, a couple of cookies, or maybe a scone or muffin—along with a good cup of joe—keep me going through the afternoon lull. Walking, gardening, and trips to the library help too.

7. Commitment. There’s always a point in my revision process where my manuscript looks so messy, convoluted, and ugly that I’m ready to abandon it and move on to something “easier.” After many years of writing, I’ve come to accept that it always gets worse before it gets better. And I know it won’t get better unless I keep slogging through the morass. If I’m not willing to do that, I’ll never finish anything.

8. A touch of perfectionism. Save this one for the end of the process, after you’ve gotten all your ideas on paper, experimented, trimmed, and essentially completed your story. Now is the time to be a little bit obsessive—to clarify that slightly confusing passage, find exactly the right word, trim anything extraneous, fix typos, make sure your meter is flawless (if you write in verse), and polish, polish, polish.

9. Faith. I’m not talking higher powers here, although if you’ve got those connections, by all means, use them. I’m talking about faith in yourself. It’s tough when you’re struggling with a story. What’s the point? Who wants to read this? No one’s going to buy it. Chances are, no one’s pushing you to write this manuscript—or any manuscript, for that matter—so the motivation’s got to come from within. No one can guarantee that you’ll sell your story—but you can guarantee that you’ll do your best work and finish it.

Above all, as you pull out those scraps of ideas and half-finished manuscripts this week and beyond, remember why you’re a writer. Because you love words, perhaps. Or love stories, or art, or books, or writing as a form of self-expression. When you’re struggling through your manuscript for the fiftieth time, it’s good to remember the “love” part. Yes, revision can be a slog. But, for me, it’s a joyful slog. Enjoy the process.

Thanks for inviting me, Meg. And happy revising to all!

Thank you Linda!

 

Linda Ashman is the author of more than 30 picture books. Her books have been named to the “Best of the Year” lists of The New York Times, Parenting, Cookie, and Child magazines, New York Public Library, Bank Street College of Education, the IRA/CBC and others. She's also the author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a "how-to" handbook for writers. For more information, visit lindaashman.com or howtowritepicturebooks.com.

If you haven't read Linda Ashman's The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Picture Book Writing, I highly recommend it!

ReviMo Get Ready . . . Ann Whitford Paul & Susanna Leonard Hill Love Being Picture Book Authors

Why I Love Being a Picture Book Author

by Ann Whitford Paul

What I love about writing picture books is that they feel like pearls, small, perfectly shaped and shining with rhythm. I love spending time making sure each word expresses not only the story, but the emotion behind it. Even move I love imagining adults and children, sitting skin to skin, sharing my words. My hope is that those children will like my book enough to want to hear more books and then learn to read their own books. What would a society be without a reading population! The responsibility we bear to start children onto that path is both humbling, terrifying and exciting.

That's really lovely. Thank you Ann! 

I became inspired to write after years of bedtime reading to my four children and now to my grandchildren. My publications include many award winning prose and rhymed, fiction and non-fiction, picture books, plus a collection of poetry and three early readers. Some of my recent titles include Tortuga in Trouble, Word Builder and If Animals Kissed Good Night. I’ve also published a craft book for adults titled WRITING PICTURE BOOKS: A Hands-on Guide from Story Creation to Publication.

http://www.annwhitfordpaul.net/ 


If you are writing picture books and do not own Ann's book already, I highly recommend purchasing it!

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Why I Love Being a Picture Book Author

by Susanna Hill

I was that kid with her nose in a book.

Oh, I did other stuff too - climbing trees, riding ponies, playing The Orphanage Game with my siblings (you know, the one where we pretended we were mistreated orphans running away from the evil orphanage lady? :)), trying to set a world record in pogo-sticking, and making my little brother laugh at the dinner table so he spit milk out his nose.

But many a happy winter evening or summer afternoon or precious ten minutes before classes began found me lost in a story.

So it's really no big surprise that I also love to write.

My writing career began with that seminal piece: "My Cat".

That was the whole story.

It was written above a picture of - you guessed it - my cat.  It may have been less a story than a way to make sure everyone knew what the picture was of.  Who can tell?  I am no artist :)

My work increased in word count from 2 to a bunch more than that for stories such as The Girl And The Witch.  I dare you to guess what that one's about :)

In middle school I moved on to dabbling in epic poetry (The Gods And Goddesses of Ancient Greece is a thrill a minute, let me tell you :))  I wrote some truly special Nancy Drew mysteries, and I wrote horse stories of all kinds.

In high school and college, I imagined I could write "literary fiction" - heavy emphasis on the imagining.

And then, for one dark period in college which is best forgotten, I experimented with romance novels (on a dare :))

I always loved to write, but as you can see I didn't really know WHAT I wanted to write.

When my first child was about a year old, I found out.

I wanted to write picture books.

I loved having them read to me as a child.

I loved reading them with my own children.

There's something special and magical about picture books that no other genre can touch.

For children, they're about exploration and wonder and delight.

For parents they're about sharing something you love with someone you love; about that special time with a beloved child curled in your lap while you open the treasure chest of reading and show them the beauty it holds.

For writers they're about capturing the moments that matter in childhood - the emotions and milestones and struggles and achievements - to educate, entertain, and enchant.

I love the way picture books feel in my hands.

I love the smell of the ink on the paper.

I love the words and the pictures.

I love the difference they can make in children's lives.

And I love the magic :)

ME too. Thank you Susanna!!!!

Susanna is the award winning author of nearly a dozen books for children, including Punxsutawney Phyllis (A Book List Children's Pick and Amelia Bloomer Project choice),No Sword Fighting In The House (a Junior Library Guild selection), Can't Sleep Without Sheep (a Children's Book of The Month), and Not Yet, Rose (a Gold Mom's Choice Award Winner.) Her books have been translated into French, Dutch, German, and Japanese, with one hopefully forthcoming in Korean. Her newest book, Alphabedtime!, is forthcoming from Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, in Fall 2015. She lives in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley with her husband, children, and two rescue dogs.

If you are writing picture books and have not taken Susanna's class, Making Picture Book Magic, I highly recommend it!

ReviMo Rev it up! Tara Lazar - Why I Love Being A Picture Book Author

by Tara Lazar

I love being able to work in my pajamas all day. I even take my girls to school and pick them up wearing my jammies. I don't care about the stares. I know the other parents think I don't have a job anyway.

I love being able to work in bed all day. I have a breakfast tray/desk and two husbands that make it possible. (Wait...TWO HUSBANDS? Yes. First is Mr. Lazar, Alan, who works in our home office so I have to grab whatever space I can. The second is my stuffed husband that supports my back.) Jammies + bed = comfort = excellent writing vibes.

Finally, what I love most about being a picture book author is THE READERS--the kids. I love creating new places for them to visit, new characters to love, and new stories to expand and inspire their imagination. My goal has always been to write some child's most favoritest book. Bringing joy to a child's life is the biggest and best reason to love being a picture book author.

Those are EXCELLENT reasons, particularly the jammies writing a picture book a child will love! :D Thank you Tara!

Tara Lazar is a children’s book author, mother, foodie and boogeyman assassin (currently booked at 3am nightly). Her debut picture book, THE MONSTORE, is available now from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A BEAR BOOK follows from Aladdin in September 2014, with LITTLE RED GLIDING HOOD skating your way via Random House Children’s in October 2015.

Tara created PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) as the picture book writer’s answer to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). PiBoIdMo is held on this blog every November. In 2013, PiBoIdMo featured 1,150 participants and over 100,000 web hits.

Less than a week to ReviMo! Alayne Kay Christian Pre-ReviMo Interview

Less than a week to ReviMo 2014! Hooray hooray! Who's totally freaking out? excited?? :D Today I'm interviewing Alayne Kay Christian. Welcome, welcome Alayne! 

First, I would like to thank you, Meg, for inviting me to do this interview and for starting the fabulous ReviMo - Revise More Picture Books Week challenge. Thank you Alayne!

Can you tell us about yourself?

Let’s see . . . I was born in a log cabin ;-) Actually, I was born in a hospital, but our home was a cabin in the Colorado Mountains. I come from a large family with seven children. Having grown up in Chicago, part of my heart will always be there with family and friends. But this city girl has a country heart and prefers country living. Nevertheless, for now, I live in a busy Dallas, Texas suburb where the homes are packed together as if there is no land to spare, which is so not true. Get up on a hill and all one sees is a sea of roofs. I have been married for 35 years to the most perfect man for me. We have one child and one grandchild.

I recently hung up my life coaching hat after twelve years of helping women work toward their desired life. I wanted my focus to be writing. I am bouncing around the idea of offering a writing coach and picture book critique service. First, I need to learn what life as an agented author brings my way.

In addition to getting as many books published as possible, I currently have seven things on my growing dream list: 1) See the northern lights. 2) See the monarchs return to Mexico or wherever they gather. Blue butterflies would be cool too. 3) Learn art and illustrate my own picture book. 4) Live on our sailboat for one year. 5) Live in an RV for at least one year, traveling the U.S. 6) Travel around Europe. 7) Speak at an SCBWI conference.

Can you tell us about your picture book writing journey?

I probably caught the true writing bug back in the early 80’s when I took my first college course in English. I spent a lot of time writing poetry, which I recently learned was not so good from a technical standpoint. I illustrated and wrote greeting cards for a couple years. I sold the cards in craft stores, craft shows etc. I attempted a couple of adult books, which I still haven’t given up on. Then, in 2005 my granddaughter was born and so was my first picture book. It was a long, three-year process from the time I began writing my granddaughter’s birthday book to the day that the beautiful hardcover book was released. But it was well worth it.

The above experience, sent me down a path of learning more about writing for children. I started reading books, taking courses through the Institute of Children’s Literature, and I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. From there, I started getting involved in the children’s book writing community with my focus on picture books. My first step was the 2010 Picture Book Marathon. I joined my first critique group through this challenge. I did the Marathon in 2011, and then I discovered Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 in 2012. My writing community world has grown like crazy since then. I have learned so much through my various writing groups and made some very close friends. I belong to several online critique groups. One of my groups is so close that it feels strange not to be in touch on a daily basis. These groups and their support inspire and encourage me through the ups and the downs of the rollercoaster ride that the writing journey has put me on. Some other challenges that I have participated in are Tara Lazar’s Picture Book Idea Month; Kristen Fulton’s WOW nonficpic week; Allison Hertz’s Doodle Day challenges; Becky Fyfe’s Chapter Book Challenge and my own Sub Six. I am looking forward to participating in your ReviMo - Revise More Picture Books Week!

Over the years, I have taken more courses, read more books, and written over 100 manuscripts. In 2013, I set a goal to submit at least six picture book manuscripts. I sent to a few publishing houses, but I focused mostly on agents. And in November, I signed with Erzsi Deak, Hen&ink Literary Studio. Still celebrating that one!

I continue to work to improve my writing skills. My new goal is to have at least one book sold in 2014.

What is your revision process?

My revision process varies from story to story. This is because I am a pantster more than a plotter. I write my stories as they come to me. Some stories come to me with a strong plot but weak character. Some come to me with strong characters but the story arc is lacking. Some stories have too much dialogue – some too little. And so on.

1. Initial draft: I let the story flow naturally.
2. I read through and correct anything that doesn’t seem to flow smoothly. I always try to read aloud.
3. One of my final steps is to look for any areas where I might be able to cut words.
4. For a list of things I look for when polishing my manuscripts, please visit my blog.
5. I submit the story to critique partners and start editing based on their comments. Because I belong to several critique groups, I might submit the story several times. Some of my critique groups tend to give more general comments, others give a more detailed analysis, and others fall somewhere in between. I submit to the group that seems to work best for the level of my manuscript. For example, if it is a first polished draft, I might send it to the group that gives general comments. If I think it is near ready for submission, I might send it to the group that does detailed analysis. If I am struggling in a certain area, I might send it to the group that will give strong opinions on how they might solve the issue. And then I revise accordingly.

How has having an agent altered your revision process?

I have only been working with Erzsi Deak since November. Based on my first couple of experiences with revising manuscripts, I would say for now, my initial revision process will remain the same. But now I have some extra steps as I revise based on Erzsi’s recommendations. Currently, I see it as having a critique partner that I feel I must listen to. With critique partners, I take comments that resonate with me, and I let go of the comments that don’t work for me. With Erzsi, I feel like I have to respect her advice. I want her guidance. So far, I have been surprised at how much revising has been required on stories that I previously thought were submission ready. It is an eye opener. I think in the end, my initial revision process will change because I will learn from Erzsi. I will learn what her style and preferences are. I will learn what editors are looking for. I can already see that my writing style will be changing in the future. I think some of what I have learned in the past will be replaced with new and better knowledge, and making revisions will continue to be an exciting part of my writing process.

You have a wonderful group called Sub Six. Can you tell us a bit about it and how you came up with the idea?

After two years of the Picture Book Marathon and a year of 12 x 12, I realized I had been doing a lot of writing and not much submitting. I had a desire to have another picture book published. I knew that couldn’t happen if no one ever saw my work. I set a goal to submit at least six picture book manuscripts in 2013. I know from my life coaching experience that accountability and support play a big role in achieving goals. I also thought that I was probably not the only one who had been writing and not submitting. So, I reached out to the writing community and Sub Six was born. It has been growing since. We encourage and support each other as we work toward our individual submission goals. We have a monthly tally sheet to report all our submissions to the group. Each month, I post the group’s total submissions and all the names of the people who reported on the tally sheet go into a hat to win a prize. This year, I am working to develop a team of writers to do a Sub Six series on my blog where we will share our tips and answer questions about the submission and query process. People can join the group by sending me a Facebook friend request (if we are not already friends) with a message saying you would like to join or by going to the Sub Six Facebook page and request to join.

LINKS for Alayne:

Butterfly Kisses for Grandma and Grandpa   http://tinyurl.com/m2oh7vy 

Sub Six FB page   http://www.facebook.com/groups/SubSix/

My blog   http://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com/

Thank you Alayne! I love your dream list. If your 7 aren't on mine, I'm adding them!