Thoughts about HOW

by

Mari L. Barnes

When it comes to writing for children, the WHAT we write about is only as good as HOW we write it. Almost everything is seed from which you can grow a story. The trick is in how you tell it. You don’t have to wait for that original idea that no one has ever thought of before. Think of how many fairy tales and fables have been spun into popular books, like the Fractured Fairy Tales cartoons or Tara Lazar’s Little Red Gliding Hood, in which Little Red Riding Hood is a figure skating enthusiast.

We’re always told to write what we know. If you have any experience with children you have probably observed enough to get a good story start. From potty training to losing teeth to being picked for the team (or NOT picked) to shopping for training bras—everything writes. What spin would you use to make it fresh and yours?

Dr. Seuss gave us permission to play with words and sounds, fun without the anchor of complex plotting. Before planning your children’s story, why not take some time to play? What could you do with a story of a kid who NEVER lost his baby teeth? Or a society in which “training bras” was something girls had to DO?

Difficult topics have long been addressed in children’s fiction. Old Yeller was written by Fred Gipson in 1956. Has there ever been a sadder story? But the genius was not in the universal themes of responsibility, loyalty, death and love. It was in the thoughtful handling of the subject, a rich accounting of life that included boredom, excitement, fear and humor to create a book that still touches the most cynical youth, 60 years later. Today, even subjects that used to be taboo are ripe for writing if done with care. Think of Heather Has Two Mommies about same-sex parents or Love You Forever, which has young people tackle such difficult topics as aging and death.

Author Tara Lazar sponsors PiBoIdMo (Picture Book Idea Month) every November. During that time, writers are challenged to record at least one idea for a picture book each day. Daily blog posts by picture book authors, illustrators, editors and other kidlit professionals entertain and inspire. By the end of the month, writers have compiled a file of ideas to generate stories. The challenge offers freedom to have fun and encourages skewing your own perspectives—not only thinking outside of the box, but painting the box pink and making it out of jelly beans!

How we tell our stories can lead us in interesting directions, quite far afield from our original plans. My book, Ruby’s Red Squiggle, published this year by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press, was an idea I got while doing the challenge in 2014. My first thought was of a little girl sketching with her artist mom. It took some time to get to HOW the story could be told. I decided to tell it from the viewpoint of the child’s drawing. To get to my HOW, I employed the methods suggested by the PiBoIdMo challenge: don’t edit yourself; keep your eyes, ears and mind open to all possibilities; and enjoy yourself!

Staring at an empty screen? How would you write The Adventures of a Blank Page?

__________________

Mari L Barnes writes for children under the pen name of Mari Lumpkin and for adults as ML Barnes. Her company, Flying Turtle Publishing specializes in books that families can share. With a lifelong passion for helping young readers and writers, she spent many years working with experts in child development, creating and implementing children’s literacy programs for YMCA and Salvation Army after school programs. Mari’s newest books are Ruby’s Red Squiggle (Progressive Rising Phoenix Press) and Cracked Magic (Flying Turtle Publishing). She can be contacted at www.flyingturtlepublishing.com or ftpublish@gmail.com.



Indulge!

by

Mari L Barnes

 

I have been delighted by the IWC blog posts this month. Sarah and Julie illumined our memories and traditions, reminding us of the joy of this season of magic. Judy wrote of another kind of magic—that of communication and our ability to touch hearts and minds with our words.

I'd like to move in a slightly different direction. I am advocating—in the midst of this glorious time of love for all and peace on earth—love for self and peace of mind. That’s right, take a while to do something just for YOU.

As writers, we live in a whirlwind of should: I should be researching, writing, editing, querying. As humans, especially in this holiday season, our “shoulds” multiply like snowflakes in a storm: I should be shopping, decorating, baking, wrapping, mailing, volunteering.

Take a while, maybe a whole hour or two, and enjoy that thing that made you want to be a writer in the first place. Pick up a book or open your favorite e-reader. Make it a sacred time with your favorite reading ritual. Settle down in the coziest spot, whether it’s bed, the bath or the Lazy Boy, and pour that perfect beverage. Mute the phone and close the laptop. Transport yourself to another world.

This is not the time for an audio book. We tend to enjoy them when we’re engaged in other pursuits like driving or folding laundry. To truly take advantage of your shelter in a blizzard of “shoulds,” you’ll want to devote this time to nothing but the pure pleasure that reading a good book provides.

Revisit an old favorite or finally dive into that new book you’ve been planning to read. My two Christmas favorites are Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling. But, this year, I got new books from some IWC authors at the Steel Pen Conference, so I may indulge in one of those.

Merriam-Webster defines indulge as “to allow (yourself) to have or do something as a special pleasure” or “to take unrestrained pleasure in.” For a moment, indulge. Give yourself a gift. Merry Christmas and the happiest of holidays to you.

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The picture at the top of this post was drawn by Frank T. Merrill for the original edition of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. First published in 1868, the illustration is in the public domain because of its age.



Submissions to Small Presses

by

Mari L. Barnes

Flying Turtle Publishing

 

http://flyingturtlepublishing.com

 

 



This month at IWC, we’re blogging about the submission process. I wanted to tell you something you haven’t already heard a million times about sending your Works of Great Fiction (WGF) out into the world. So, I’ve decided to offer a very personal view from the owner/Chief Everything Wrangler of a small press.

 

1.   Don’t just “shotgun” your WGF into the literary stratosphere. Figure out what you want to achieve. If you want an agent, submit to agents. Most of them don’t take kindly to knowing that you’re submitting to agents, small presses and “e-only” publishers simultaneously. Do your research and send your WGF to the agents, publishers, and publications that are a good fit for your work.

 

For me: I’m small, I’m local. You may know me personally or I’m the friend of a friend. I’m a small BUSINESS owner. You should still look at my website to see if I publish your genre and am accepting submissions.

2. You’ll find submission guidelines on most agents’ and publications’ websites or in the publications themselves. Review the guidelines and follow the submission guidelines to the letter.

For me: Flying Turtle’s submission guidelines are under the Media Room tab. I will be issuing a call for submissions in February of 2016. Most small presses accept submissions for a limited time, perhaps a month, each year.

3. Keep your query and cover letter succinct. Don’t send your manuscript in a pizza box or use any other cutesy games or fancy tricks to get agents’ or editors’ attention.

For me: “Here’s a piece of my story to wet (sic) your appetite. Email me back if you want to see more.” This approach makes my head hurt. And I never want to see more. Aside from the error, I’m serious about what I do and games waste time that I, as Chief Everything Wrangler, don’t have to spare.

4. Once you’ve sent your submission, sit back and wait. Do not harass or annoy agents or editors by bombarding them with follow-ups. If the guidelines don’t indicate how long it should take for you to receive a response, wait six weeks before following up.

For me: It’s perfectly acceptable to email and inquire whether I’ve received your submission if I haven’t responded in the 7 to 10 business days’ response time.

5. If you receive an acceptance, great! If you receive a rejection, celebrate yourself. You’re a writer and you’re working all the steps. Then get back to work. Don’t stop writing! If you’re lucky enough to receive any helpful feedback, be grateful (most agents and editors don’t take time to provide feedback) and use it on your next WGF.

For me: I rarely offer writing critiques, as I’m always working to improve my own writing. My editorial team will occasionally offer suggestions for improvement, and those get passed on to writers.

Finally, please don’t make the mistake of treating small presses as “rebound relationships” or publishers of last resort. We’re not sitting around waiting for you to choose us because: (a) we’re happy that someone wants to publish with us, (b) we’re not busy and are simply waiting for someone to send us something, or (c) we’re better than nothing.

Submit to small presses because you want to work with them, and use the same professionalism you’d use with the Big 6. Good writing and good luck!

Why Join a Writing Community?

by

Mari L Barnes

 

The solitary act of writing is perfect for the introvert. Being able to name our preoccupation provides comfort to family and friends who don’t really understand why we choose to spend hours alone: we’re creating, we’re working. Please go away, we’re WRITING!

Let’s face it, we’re weirdoes. Who else is so perfectly contented in solitude, hunched over a keyboard or a notebook, staring into space one moment and furiously writing the next? Even when things aren’t going well—that character has ruined the plot or the plot has just written itself off a cliff—we can still claim the title of writer and know that we belong to the Holy Order of Wordsmith. We are part of an immense and magical group, even if we never engage with another kindred spirit.

So why join a writing community?

The reasons are many and varied. Most cited is the opportunity to connect with other writers. We are social creatures, although one evening in society may last some of us for several months. It’s reassuring to meet others like ourselves, to celebrate triumphs and shore up our faith in possibilities. We commiserate—please share your rejection letters or stories of how your family and friends just don’t get it.

Writing communities, either in person or online, validate us. They welcome us. They provide encouragement and education. I’ve never been in the presence of other writers and not come away with some piece of information that improved my writing or sent me down a path worth exploring. I prefer the term “connecting” to that of “networking.” I don’t want to think of my interactions with others as “working,” but “connecting” has more of the give and take that describe a writing community.

 

Personally, I get a charge from the energy and enthusiasm of other writers. I’m not great at “working the room,” but interactions with individual writers power me up and inspire me to keep going when I lose sight of why I write in the first place. It also gives me an opportunity to shine my light and illumine the path for someone else.

Have you been alone with your words? You will find critique partners or groups in a writing community when you are ready to share your work. Writing communities have personalities and focuses that are as diverse as the writers themselves. Take time to sample the organizations in your area and online to find the best fit.

__________

Mari L Barnes writes for children under the pen name of Mari Lumpkin and for adults as ML Barnes. Her books Parting River Jordan and Crossing River Jordan are proof that church can be funny. Mari’s company, Flying Turtle Publishing, specializes in books that families can share.

She is a member of the Highland Writers Group as well as being a member and serving on the board of the Indiana Writers Consortium. Mari is creating a workbook, Life Authors: It’s Your Story, to help people jumpstart writing their life stories. More information is coming soon to http://flyingturtlepublishing.com. 



What Keeps You from Writing?

by

Mari L Barnes

 

Me, I have a list.

I have yet to develop the all-important writing habit. I don’t write regularly. Even after six books, I don’t write with commitment. I am distracted by the minutiae of my entire life, presented here in no particular order of importance.

1.  The Pit. That’s the day job.

2.  Housework/ Yard Work. I can actually hear the dishes crying out from the sink. And flowers being strangled by weeds.

3.  Exercise. There goes 30-90 minutes.

4.  Volunteering. Anything from talking to a group to pulling weeds at the arboretum.

5.  The Computer. This includes the publishing business, email, the social media abyss, shopping, researching, etc.

6.  Reading. That’s why we become writers in the first place, isn’t it?

7.  Television. Way too much television.

There are other things in my life—family, friends, forays into the outside world—but nothing fills the overflowing cup of my days like the Big 7.

Recognize anything?

Here’s how we’re going to take on the Goliaths that are standing in the way of our literary genius:

1.  Life gets in the way.

a.  One of the perks of being an adult is that sometimes we get to be the boss of ourselves.

b.  We’re going to give ourselves permission to do something that is important to us.

2.  We don’t believe we have enough time.

a.  Starting today, we will schedule our writing if we can.

b.  Choose your best time: before everyone else gets up, once everyone else is asleep, on your lunch break, while waiting to pick the kids up from school.

c.  We will write in opportunistic spurts if we can’t schedule writing time. Fifteen minutes at a time is better than nothing. Don’t scoff: Lynn Chandler Willis helps her family with her nine grandchildren. She writes when toddlers are napping, everyone is on their favorite playground equipment and while sitting in the carpool lane, waiting for the older kids to get out of school. Her latest release, Wink of an Eye, was chosen as the winner of the 2013 Minotaur Books/Private Eye Writers of America Best First PI Novel Competition. She was the first woman in 10 years to win the contest.

3.  We don’t believe we have enough talent.

a.  Steven King’s first words as a child weren’t the opening sentence in The Stand. We LEARN to write by writing badly and then a bit better and then better still.

b.  Let’s give ourselves permission to write bad first drafts. We’ll think of them as our practice drafts.

c.  We’ll take breaks and reward ourselves. Write for 20 minutes, have a walk around the block or a cookie, and get back to work.

d.  Establish some rituals. Let’s respect our writing by giving it what it needs to flow. Try writing in the same place, at the same time each day, having things organized the way you like them, always using the blue pen—you’ll figure out what works for you. I have a cup of tea and put on my “Writer Working” hat.

e.  Remember, “Every artist was first an amateur.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

4.  We don’t think we have anything profound to say.

a.  Your life, perspective and experiences are unique enough to be of interest to some and universal enough to resonate with many.

b.  Every novel doesn’t have to be War and Peace. There’s plenty of room for Bridget Jones’ Diary, Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Any Color.

5.           We don’t know how to get started.

a.  Sit down.

b.  Pick up a pen or put your fingers on the keyboard.

c.  Write one sentence. Write one more.

__________

Mari L Barnes writes for children under the pen name of Mari Lumpkin and for adults as ML Barnes. Her books, Parting River Jordan and Crossing River Jordan are proof that church can be funny. Mari’s company, Flying Turtle Publishing, specializes in books that families can share.

She is a member of the Highland Writers Group as well as being a member and serving on the board of the Indiana Writers Consortium. Mari is creating a workbook, Life Authors: It’s Your Story, to help people jumpstart writing their life stories. More information is coming soon to http://flyingturtlepublishing.com



Winnie-the-Pooh -- a Social Justice Tool

by

Mari L. Barnes

 

Vast amounts of research show that by 3 or 4 years old, children living in the United States are aware of physical and cultural differences among people. We also know that they learn the prevailing social attitudes toward these differences, even if they have no direct contact with those who are different.

Our children are the exact opposite of “color blind” and the parental practice of silence on the issue of differences has been instrumental in producing children who are unequipped to move effectively in a world that is becoming increasingly color-filled. We must acknowledge diversity. The differences are real and the children can see them. These differences become dangerous only when either inferior or superior value labels are imposed.

To assist parents in broaching the subject of difference in a way that children can appreciate, we need look no further than Winnie-the-Pooh by AA Milne.

Christopher Robin (for our purposes, the insulated white kid) is a welcomed visitor to the Hundred Acre Wood. There he interacts with Pooh, Piglet, Kanga and Roo, Rabbit, Eeyore, Owl and Tigger. All of the animals differ, physically and temperamentally. Those differences are not ignored; rather, variances are described and frequently help move the story to a satisfactory conclusion.

In one story, Owl's house blows down in a storm, trapping Pooh and Piglet and Owl inside. Pooh encourages Piglet (the only one small enough to do so) to escape and rescue them all. Piglet’s difference saves the day.

Pooh offers many opportunities to discuss the subjectivity of perceptions at a child’s level of understanding. Although Winnie-the-Pooh himself agrees with his friends that he “has no Brain,” his ideas are often clever. He rides Christopher Robin's umbrella to rescue Piglet from a flood and gets Eeyore out of the river by dropping a large rock on one side of him to wash him towards the bank.

Adams, Bell and Griffin (2007) define social justice as both a process and a goal. “The goal of social justice education is full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure.”¹

The denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood demonstrate social justice at its most elemental. We can begin educating our children in the process of social justice simply by opening the discussion. There are many children’s books that demonstrate friendship, fairness and cooperation. These tools for building a just society are as close as your child’s bookcase.

¹Reference: Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook. Edited by Maurianne Adams, Lee Anne Bell, and Pat Griffin.

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Mari L Barnes writes for children under the pen name of Mari Lumpkin and for adults as ML Barnes. Her books, Parting River Jordan and Crossing River Jordan are proof that church can be funny. Mari’s company, Flying Turtle Publishing, specializes in books that families can share.