A Poem About Writing

My mom wrote this poem for me several years ago as a Christmas gift.  I framed it and have cherished it ever since.  It totally goes right along with me and my dreams of being a writer.  I thought it rather good.  Hope you enjoy it, too.

Precious Christie

Amber skies await you
Near hills that rise so high
Dreams will let you travel
On wings that let you fly

Knowledge is the center
Of strength within your heart
It brings us all together
It's here where you must start

Treasures wait for those who know
A thousand wonders yet to show
A drama set, the world our stage
A major book, yet just a page

The path you choose dictates your role
There's many parts to make a whole
Know the way to travel strong
Just take a step, you won't go wrong

New Website

Hi, everyone!  Today is Friday.  A week ago, I created a new website, my very own.  It's www.christiewrightwild.com.  I decided I might as well go ahead and create it.  That way, once I'm published, I won't have to spend time creating it.  All I'll have to do is update it.  Pretty nifty, huh?  Go ahead and check it out.  I found the background at grsoft.  If any of you know a teacher in WNC, let them know about my site and who I am.  I also do school author visits.

Word Choice in Picture Books, part 2

Last Wednesday, I wrote about the importance of expanding children's vocabulary by using bigger words, even though they may not know exactly what they mean - in picture books.

Today, I'd like to write about how difficult writing a picture book is.  Picture books are often considered the hardest to write.  Why?  You have to tell a whole story, with setup, character, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution - all within about 500-1500 words (for the 4-8 year old picture book).  And most good picture books are either repetitive or lyrical, or a combination of the two.  Every word must count.

• So you changed "slowly walked" to "sauntered."  Good!  Change multiple words to fewer words that mean the same thing.  
• Now, make sure every word is the right word.  Do you use...  
• dog or hound
• cat or calico
• flower or dahlia
• on or with
• to or for
• him or her

Just kidding about the last one, but I hope you get the point.  Every word must be the exact one that the story needs to give it the right mood, voice, etc.  So, choose your words carefully.  And keep on keepin' on!

Bootcamp Wisdom SKILL (# LAST)

SHOW, DON'T TELL

This will be my last offering unto thee for the awesome Bootcamp Wisdom.  (But I'll still be writing about writing, of course.)

Showing often takes more words to write than telling does.  But showing also gives more info about the character.  For example, "Tom was mad" is telling.  But showing?  Tom stomped his feet and screamed, "Give it back!"  He ran from the room to find his mom.

Here are some sentences that tell.  Use them as an exercise to practice showing.

1. Samantha was happy.
2. The puppy was scared.
3. They were bored.
4. My garage is tiny.
5. The movie is terrible.
6. It was a beautiful day.
7. The cat is mad.
8. I was upset because Carlos didn't invite me to his house.

Notice how all of these sentences have to do with emotions, or adjectives.  That's a great time to expand.  Show it.  Don't even tell us what the emotion or adjective is, unless it's unique.  And even if you have to state the emotion, still show it!  Also, just because you have a reason WHY, doesn't mean you're showing, as seen in number 8.  Give your characters actions.  That's showable.  Simple?  Yes.  But sometimes very hard to remember.  Good thing for revisions!  We can always show later, if we can't seem to make it a subconscious habit through practice.  

So practice away, and happy showing!  By the way, I hope you're fireworks SHOW was beautiful last night, with lots of greens, blues, red sparkles, white halos, and purple fountains spraying through the dark night sky. Mine was!

Always Follow Your Dreams

This is the first "official" post for my newest addition of Poetry Sunday to my blog.  I know on Sunday, I posted a writing poem.  So from here on out, you can expect to see some form of poetry on my blog.  Some may be my own.  Most will belong to others.  Some will be children's poems.  Some will be inspirational, as is this one.  And sometimes, it may just be a scripture verse or a notable quote.

Today's poem has no title, but it comes from a book titled, Always Follow Your Dreams, A collection of poems to inspire and encourage your dreams, Edited by Susan Polis Schutz, published in 1985 by Blue Mountain Press in Boulder, Colorado.

Don't ever give up

      your dreams...

and never leave 

      them behind.

Find them; make them yours,

and all through your life, 

cherish them,

       and never let them go.

--Elisa Costanza

4th of July

With the 4th of July right around the corner, it brings back memories of a story I wrote and of holidays spent in years past.  It's a short story for adults about the 4th of July.  It's called A Real Independence Day.  Maybe now is the time to finish revising it.  I wrote the story in high school, I think.  I started revising it last August.

So it's been about a year since I've gotten back into writing.  And it's been going well!  I've written 4 books.  One that just need to be typed.  And five in-progress!  Nothing sent out yet, but I'm working on it.  I've attended one writer's conference and thinking about attending another one in Charlotte this September, hosted by SCBWI!!!!  IF I can find someone to go with me, or figure it out financially.

In the meantime, my small town of Marion is preparing for the fireworks - tonight!  Odd, yes.  But, we'll probably still be there.  Happy 4th!  Happy writing!  And check back tomorrow for the newest addition:  Poetry Sunday!

Books That Resonate

I read a book a year or so ago and every summer I think of it.  Actually I've probably read it 2-3 times.  The name of the book is Come On, Rain by Karen Hesse.  Every time dark clouds roll in and I want it to rain, I'll say, "Come on, rain!"  This wonderful picture book by this well-published author has resonated with me even more this summer.  We have not had any A/C since March.  And this week, it FINALLY got fixed!  I still say, "Come on, rain!" because I want our garden to grow.  And the wild blackberries.  And rain is good for the earth.  I love rain.  And A/C.  Thanks, Karen, for such a great picture book.  It's one of my favorites.  Every time it rains, I think of Tess and all her friends and mommas dancing in the hot rain.

Do any of you have a good book that resonates with you that you would like to share with us?

Word Choice in Picture Books, part 1

Sometimes as children's writers we wonder if there are word lists out there for us to use. Schools do have word lists for each grade level, but I don't think a children's writer necessarily needs to utilize them. YA novels have a fairly well-established audience that knows how to use context clues, and how and when to use a dictionary. Actually, the same goes for middle-grade novels.

With chapter books, I would try to create as many context clues as possible, and don't use words that a child wouldn't typically know until the 6th grade, since most readers of chapter books are 7-10 years old (2nd through 4th grade). Now, if you write easy reader books, then definitely get yourself some word lists for 5-8 year olds.

But picture books? It's another whole ball game. Specifically the 4-8 year old "classic" picture book. Since picture books have several things working FOR them, word choice (in one aspect) doesn't have to be so specific to the age. Picture books are meant to be read aloud. Picture books have pictures to help act as context clues. Picture books to teach context clues is a common technique teachers use to teach older children how to write.

Since an adult is usually the one reading the story, if a child doesn't understand a word, then the adult can explain it. So long as the general story is understood, if a child doesn't understand a word or two, it will probably not be detrimental.

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How to Analyze a Picture Book with a Story Board

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Here is a list of SEVERAL examples of words in picture books of which a child may or may not know the meaning. Some will, of course. Older children will, of course, know more words than a 6-year-old. Concrete nouns that a child wouldn't know can always be illustrated. You may find some homonyms in the lists below. The meanings of the words are the ones that a child may not understand, such as 'bear' being used as a verb.

Brave Little Pete of Geranium Street by Rose and Samuel Lagercrantz, adapted from the Swedish by Jack Prelutsky

• hoisted
• thump
• herring
• stumble
• ignoring

Scaredy Mouse by Alan MacDonald

• floorboards
• scrambled
• heaved
• trailing
• gleaming
• tracks
• nervously
• narrowed