Rx for Writers

Writer's Support Room - Open Forum Transcripts

Q: Did you hear, Carus is now 8 months behind paying people? I expect a nice Christmas check now.

Jan: Yes, sadly I did hear Carus is now 8 months behind. I worry for them...and feel for the folks waiting on checks. They would like to work with professional writers but we need money too.

Q: Well, and with the economy having conniptions as it is, I don't expect things'll get much better, you know? And I wonder if book publishing will be even worse.

Jan: No, one of the editors I work with regularly said her magazine is doing unusually well, but still feeling the pinch as companies who buy advertising fold. Or at least cut back.

Jan: Ultimately though, some publishers will always be buying...they may buy less but the public never completely stops buying new books. So a really good book can still will out...it's just pinchier...like it was easy before:rolleyes:

Q: I'm trying to balance dialogue with bits of action but find I'm using the same kinds of action too often. But does that get old?

Jan: Yes, sadly. But it might be showing you places where you need more plot action. Or you can give your characters a few more mannerisms. You don't need to pack out your dialogue with action, but it helps if we have some. Can you make them interact with the setting itself more? Try thinking about where they are and what elements of the setting they could interact with. I know if I'm having a conversation in a kitchen, I'm going to have very different narrative action than if I'm having it in a field or a classroom.

Jan: I always have to cut some mannerisms because I'll have my characters doing their specific mannerisms so much they get a nervous tic. My crit partners will say, have you noticed just how many times she messes with her hair? It's a wonder she's not bald.

Q: I have a question about querying. I'm still in the ICL course. I'm just working on my assignments. I've written a short fiction story recently that I'd like to submit to Highlights.

Jan: For Highlights, you won't need a query letter -- they prefer full submissions. So you'll send the manuscript with a cover letter. Even though the manual mostly talks about queries. But for more help with queries and cover letters you can find articles in the Rx section of the ICL website.

Q: Would it count as a publication 'credit' if an article is published on the ICL site? :)

Jan: YES, being published on the Institute website counts as a credit. Especially since you get paid.

Q: I have seen a lot (well 12 books) books written in poetry cataloged as fiction. and they are fictional stories ... in poetry... has anyone attempted this?

Jan I've read several and know folks who have written them...one of my critique partners is working on one. But I haven't tried writing one. One example would be Karen Hesse ...Out of the Dust...it won a Newbery and sort of started the novel in verse

Q: Another I loved is REACHING THE SUN by Tracy Vaughn Zimmer

Q: Is it better to have articles finished before sending queries or should we wait to hear if the magazine is interested and if they have ideas to modify the spin of the idea that has been submitted?

Jan: Usually, if I'm sending a "query" I haven't written the article and have just done part of the research and a loose outline. But I don't usually query, I write articles and then send them with cover letters. If you write the article, then query...you may end up rewriting and getting stuck with an original that you can't sell. Which I tend not to like.

Jan: But definitely do enough research for a solid understanding of what support you'll be able to offer to the article.

Q: I've read that your main character needs to be likeable but the main character in my work in progress is cranky.

Jan: We can really like cranky characters...as long as she's a do-er and not too mean. Kids actually like fiesty characters, but don't like meanness. And don't like whiney, passive, don't do anything BUT complain characters unless someone is going to come along and kick her in the butt to get her moving.

Jan: Think about Gilly Hopkins. Gilly complains constantly and is none too nice. But she's not one to sit around and be passive. She's ALWAYS stirring things up. And she's not just whining, she's giving a very GILLY interpretation to life, even though it's cranky. So although you might not enjoy sharing a room with Gilly, she's still so engaging that you can't hate her.

Afternoon

Q: What is the difference between a picture book and a story book?

Jan: Not a lot of folks use "story book" any more though I notice that Flashlight Press does...mostly I think to signify that they only use plotted picture books and that they take longer texts.

Q: If you get a rejection is it normal for that house to send you a wish list of what they are looking for?

Jan: Normal? not really, but every publisher does things their own way so it may be their effort to be helpful. I like helpful. I know that it is pretty normal for HIGHLIGHTS. Once you get on HIGHLIGHTS submitters list, you'll get the wish lists and other stuff from them. They're very in favor of lots of contact with writers.

Q: I have a question. I clicked on Highlights Current needs and saw only non ficton. Has highlight stopped taking fiction, or is my comupter skipping a page?

Jan: They are still TAKING fiction but they don't actually have any fiction holes...no shortage of fiction. But like most magazines, they don't get as much nonfiction as they would like.

Q: My list said they were looking for puzzles, crafts and things like that.

Jan: They do have a shortage for the Puzzlemania...they're putting out a call for that especially.

Q: Should we designate which department of the magazine our article is for or do they do that?

Jan: If you really feel it fits a specific department, mention it. It shows your familiarity with the magazine and editors LOVE buying from folks who know the magazine. So the more you show you are familiar with them, the more you up positive editor feelings.

Q: Hey Jan, for Assignment 1 with the pictures, are we supposed to be writing a story about what we see, or just gleaning a story idea from the picture

Jan: You can write something that's a lot like the picture or almost nothing like the picture. You might (for example) write a mystery about a child looking for his rubber duck just by being inspired by the duck in the picture. So you can do it anyway that works.

Jan: If your hope is to sell the story some day, the less you tie it directly to the picture, the better because so many students have written to those pictures.

Q: My NaNo novel has a 14-year-old MC, so I figure it's still MG, right?

Jan: Well, he might be Kate...older MG or younger YA...the lines blur Designation is less about age of character and more about content. If it's not too edgy, it'll probably go mid-grade.

December Afternoon Forum

Q: Jan, how would you describe the emotions of worry, panic or anxious in a story?

Jan: Well, I'm a big fan of not telling the reader that a character is worried, panicked or anxious. Instead, I think about how I act...and what the physical sensations are, Sora. So worried might make a character move around a lot, make a lot of fluttering motions, but be distracted in speech.

Deb: For worried, the character might pace back and forth, chew his lip, twirl her hair, have a nervous thing they do

Jan: Talking animals are great and Editors still like them, but watch for the tendency to get cute...talking animals lead so many writers into "cute" writing

Q:Jan, what about talking stuffed animals or talking dolls?

Q: How do I refine my ability to show emotion through action -- I don't want to always have characters do the same thing.

Jan: One way is to watch drama on television with the sound turned down. We're soooo distracted by dialogue, but actors put thought into every movement, they're a lot like writers in a way. So if you turn down the sound and really watch the people. See if you can identify the emotion they're trying to convey and what they're doing to convey it.

Q: Have you ever tried to sold one of those stories to another market, after that one month period is over? If so what type of markets buy previously published articles? I'm happy about my first published piece. But I also want to try to sell it to another market and start paying off some writing expenses.

Jan: A lot of the better paying magazines don't buy reprints...but if it fits any themes, you might try the Bluffton group -- Hopscotch, Boys' Quest, Fun for Kidz

Jan: One thing I tend to do with a story/article, is I make a list of possible markets and I always go for the most money first and work by way down the list. Because it's a lot easier to get real pay that way. Many newer writers think they should start off with the lower pay markets but then it's really harder to resell for any money to speak of. Not impossible but harder. The listings in your market guide will mention whether markets buy reprints.

Jan: Also, you can always rewrite it ...make it even better, and sell it as a new article just on the same topic.

Q: Can you sell an magazine article and then turn iit into a picture book?

Jan: You can write a nonfiction picture book on the topic, but realistically if it worked as a magazine article (unless it was a photo essay) it probably doesn't work as is as a picture book.

Q: I did try Highlights first, and they said they want expert reviews.

Jan: Yea, Highlights is really tied to the expert review thing. What I did when them was sent an article and said that if they were interested, I would send expert reviews. That way, I didn't have to track them down until they were interested. They said they liked it...I got the reviews...I sold to Highlights. Sadly, a lot of this business is about patience. Expert reviews can take forever, carina...I know what you mean. I had to wait for one of my experts to get back to me because she was on an expedition into the arctic!

Q: have you heard anything recently about Carus getting around to paying writers?

Jan: Well, I know they started asking for invoices, Kate. They sent me a note letting me know my story is going to be in the March issue and that I need to invoice for payment -- but didn't remind me of how much they had promised to pay. So I had to dig out the contract. For some writers, and for how long they hold the stuff sometimes...that could be a real pain. But I'm sure it's still going to be a long time before they catch back up to ACTUALLY paying shortly after publication.

Q: I'm still waiting on a check from them, should I send an invoice to the address on the contract?

Jan: I would...to um...dang, the permissions lady. Her name is on the website. Send to the address on the submission guidelines online, target the permissions lady.

Q: Jan, do you know where I could find some good examples of pitches for fiction? It seems like there's plenty for nonfiction out there

Jan: Have you seen Blake Snyder's SAVE THE CAT! The Last Book On Screenwriting You'll Ever Need? It's about screen writing but it's got wonderful advice on pitching. Your library might have it...I read it through interlibrary loan. Anyway, I think you would find it really helpful because more writing books don't talk about oral pitches but screenwriters have had to do that forever.

Jan: I also found Snyder's book really helpful for plot openings...you'll be glad you read it.

Q: That reminds me, does anyone have a book to recommend that is similar to Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down The Bones"? I like books that give you ideas to write from...a list, a phrase, the timed writing thing. It really helps me during a dry spell. I was hoping there was a book out there kinda like that for plot ideas?

A: Deb there's one called Fast Fiction by Roberta Allen that has lists like that in it.

A: How about Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard?

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