KidzTales - KIDLIT AND MORE!

Where to Start? Look No Further.

12/28/2020

CInstitue

Hi! How was your Christmas, Hanakkah, Kwanzaa or the holiday that you celebrate? For me, that would be Christmas and mine was great. Because of Covid-19, it was quiet but nice.

Usually, my family and myself gather at my niece's house but Covid made us celebrate differently this year. I suppose many of us had to do 'different' this year. What changed for you?

Enough about me and how my Christmas was. Let's get back to the business of writing! Wait. Could it be that you want to write for children but you don't know where to start? Look no further, I'm here to help.

Here are some links (some pricey and some very reasonable) that will help you down that bumpy road to publishing. These links are strictly for writing for children.

Writing Courses From Kidlit 411
Children's Book Insider
Institute of Children's Literature
Children's Book Academy

Here are some workshops from the folks at Highlights that might help you out. Just follow the link that's in blue.

If you've found anymore helpful courses, please drop me a line in the comments section and tell me about them. I'll be sure to share your info on this site!

What Are These Things You Speak Of?

12/21/2020

We have new courses from the folks at Highlights! These courses show you how to write picture books, middle grade books, and novels for young adults. I've taken courses from a couple of these instructors and I can't speak highly enough about them. You'll just love it (and have fun in the process)!

To get to the list, just follow this link. https://mailchi.mp/highlightsfoundation/online-courses-jan-mar-2021?e=53200b90d9

... And the Controversy Continues

11/22/2020

Like so many others, I self-published 'Where Can We Have The Party?'. Will I do it again? You bet! You have complete control when you self-publish. This is something I wouldn't trade! Now that I know a bit more about marketing, I'd do it a bit differently. What would I do you ask? I'd create ads on Facebook, Amazon, Book Bub, and any other book marketing sites where you can create ads.

I've found a video downplaying placing an ad on Amazon. Why? You don't get that passive money unless you really work at it. I've met other authors who make a living by making Amazon ads for their books. So, I guess if you really work at it, you can increase your visibility and get sales. We all know sales=money.

Anyway, this video makes 5 points about it. To be fair, I'm posting not only this video that I spoke of, but following that I'll post a video by the same person saying the opposite thing. I really enjoy the person who created these. I think he has a lot of insight.

Keyword Tools

8/31/2020

If you've ever self-published over Amazon's KDP and set up an ad, you know that the struggle is real for finding keywords for these ads! The following video addresses finding the best keyword tools. I hope you enjoy this video. As always, if there's any subject you would like to see me tackle, please tell me through the contact page! In the meantime, enjoy!

EXCITING NEWS!

8/24/2020

I'm so excited! I was checking my email the other day and found a letter from The Highlights Foundation. They have several courses for writing for children of different ages and I really want to share this with you. I think I'm going to invest in one of these myself! Check these links out!

*FILLING THE WRITER'S TOOLBOX WITH EDITOR EMMA DRYDEN, ONLINE
WORKSHOP 2020
*FIND YOUR POETRY MUSE: A SEVEN WEEK CREATIVE JOURNEY, ONLINE COURSE 2020
PICTURE BOOK REVISION-MINI ONLINE COURSE: A TWO-PACK BUNDLE 2020
*CREATING AN IMAGE SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOUR VERSE NOVEL ONLINE COURSE 2020
*LATINX WRITERS: A VIRTUAL SYMPOSIUM 2020
*SO YOU WANT TO BE AN AUTHOR/ILLUSTRATOR? ONLINE COURSE SEPT-NOV 2020
*GETTING YOUR MIDDLE GRADE OR YOUNG ADULT *NOVEL UNSTUCK: AN ON DEMAND ONLINE WORKSHOP
*MEDITATIONS FOR WRITERS & ILLUSTRATORS: AN ON DEMAND COURSE

JUST ANOTHER VICTIM OF COVID-19

7/6/2020

How have you been faring through the quarantine? Has much changed for you? Have your writing habits changed? For me, my writing came to a screeching halt. I developed writer's block.

This was the perfect chance to give myself more outlets for my writing but I couldn't think of anything creative to write at all. I should have kept a journal but did I? Nope. I should blogged about it. Did I? HA! I guess you've noticed that I haven't posted anything at all lately. That's why. I just didn't hit a brick wall, like you do with a regular case of writer's block. I lost my desire to write. As of today, my writing is s-l-o-w-y coming back, but I'm not 100% yet.

My friend, Marilyn L. Rice, from England, developed a great way to deal with the quarantine. She posts a weekly diary of exactly what she does during each day. I really should've followed her lead. As I said, I'm far from being 100% yet.

This raised a question that I posed to myself. Do I treat this as an ordinary case of writer's block? I don't think so since it wasn't caused by an ordinary situation. I think my writing was a victim of Covid-19. But it's not going to be a victim that stays down. Oh, no! I will regain what I lost! Would you believe it? Facebook has helped me. Yes, Facebook!

I found out on Facebook that other authors lost the desire to write, although they've since gotten it back. A few of them have even published unfinished manuscripts. Good for them! I got my determination going and thought, "If they can do it, I can do it." Others, like myself, are still on the mend.

I remembered today that years ago I'd written an article on writer's block. I think this is the perfect time to re-visit that article. I hope it'll help some of you as well as myself. So, I'll go find that article, brush it off, and post it here.

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WHAT TO DO ABOUT WRITERS BLOCK

What is writer's block? Wikipedia defines writer's block as a condition primarily associated with writing, where an author loses the ability to produce more work or experiences creative slowdown. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer%27s_block. You never know how long your block is going to last. It's been known to clear up in a few hours and last a few months.

Could this also be called the writer's struggle since it happens to everyone who has chosen the writing path? Yes.

A writer's struggle sounds much more realistic since when it strikes, it really is a real struggle to get something written or get a work-in-progress just right. We put our butt-in-chair, turn on the computer, and try to write. As hard as we try, and nothing happens. It's like hitting your head against a brick wall. Who among us, who has experienced this, and has instead gone to Facebook to play a game, go outside to garden, or whatever else interests you? I admit it, I'm guilty of this, myself. Believe it or not Facebook games and gardening are just two ways to banish this demon. Here are some other ways:

Join an online or physical conference in the genre that you write in. Brainstorm with these other writers. You'll be surprised at just how freeing this is just to be with likeminded people. I've found this out myself and have more finished picture book manuscripts to prove it!
Work on another WIP. This frees your mind to think about something else besides that WIP you're stuck on.
Read a book in the genre you're writing for. Reading books in your genre gives you so many ideas on how to continue on with your story. It can also provide the 'aha' moment whether or not to toss that manuscript and start all over again. If this happens, you'll be able to visualize your story exactly as it should be written.
Read a book to review. Again, make sure it's in the genre you write for. You're giving your brain permission to focus on something else.
Take a day off to go to the library, Barnes & Noble, or another bookstore. In this case, like most of the others below, you're granting your brain permission to just relax.
Are you a freelance editor or proofreader? If you are put your WIP away and do that.
Go for a walk outside (if the weather's nice enough) and don't forget to take a notebook and pen! You never know when your writer's block/struggle will clear up and you get an idea.
If the weather isn't nice enough to go outside, exercise indoors. Nothing clears your head and reboots your energy like a workout. This does work!
Visit with a neighbor. There's nothing as good as a visit with a friend.
Can't visit that friend because of the nasty weather mentioned above? Call him/her. A good talk with a friend gets your mind off everything else.
Go to the dog park and play Frisbee with Fido. Again, you're freeing your mind.
Cook that new recipe that you just clipped out of the magazine.

Take a good look at the list above. I realize some of these things on the list might seem are silly, but they have something in common: focus on something else for a while. It does wonders.

It might be that it might take a week or more to get your muse back again. That's fine if it does. Take that time off to do other activities you enjoy. Concentrate on YOU during this time.

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I see that I've tried a couple of these ideas since our quarantine started. I do yoga and attend a weekly yoga class. I've also developed a new hobby. Sewing. I've started making masks for people in the area. I'm focusing on something other than writing.

How has all this affected you and your writing? Is your writing a victim of Covid-19? I truly hope not, but if it is I do hope that my little article about writer's block helps you!

Writing A Fractured Fairy Tale

5/18/2020

So you were reading a book of fairy tales and had a fantastic idea for a story! You'd like to take the basic premise of the story but what then? Would you like to change the POV? Would you like to make it silly? Would you like to change the character/setting/time? All of these are great ideas, but how do you do this?

Fear no more, T.P. Jagger has kindly granted his permission to show his videos. Here's one that shows exactly how to write your fractured fairytale.

Another Good One!

4/20/2020

Hi Everyone,
How're you doing with your self isolation and social distancing? Speaking for myself, I seem to be having a bit of a problem. I've been blocked by this Covid situation. Not only blocked but I feel absolutley stopped! Well, this is a blog for another time. I really have a treat for you today! This is shared with permission.

I'm handing the reins over to Jon and Laura Bard again today. They will share a video with you about "How Children's Book Publishers Work."

Keep on writing!

https://writeforkids.org/blog/2019/11/how-to-publish-a-childrens-book-part-2-learn-how-childrens-book-publishers-work/

Reconnect Webinar

4/7/2020

Shared with permission from Jon and Laura Bard of the CBI Clubhouse

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I've got something really special for you - a free webinar hosted by the inimitable Alice Kuipers, author of Polly Diamond and The Magic Book and Life on the Refrigerator Door. It happens tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, and it will really help you right now.

It's called Connecting With Your Creativity.

During these unsettling times, figuring out how to make time to write, what to write, and how to focus as a writer is difficult.
Join Alice for this free webinar just for you: we'll talk about ways to make slivers of time for storytelling, even as we're maybe working while caring for children or loved ones, or just trying to figure out our new normals.
We'll share how to get words onto the page, and how to write through this strange, uncertain period of our collective history.
This isn't a sales webinar - it's a gift from Alice and all of us here at Children's Book Insider to help you take a deep breath, settle in and reconnect with your creative muse. Because that's where the joy is.

It's totally free, but you will need to register to reserve a space (and to assure you get the replay link if you can't make it live).

Here's where to register:

https://writeforkids.org/get-creative

If you can't make it live, go ahead and register and we'll send you the replay link on Thursday.

And by the way - we're having another Kidlit Distancing Social on Thursday evening. This week, we'll piggyback off of Alice's class and talk about finding the inspiration to develop memorable story ideas. Stay tune for more on that....

All the best,

Jon Bard

An Insiders Look At Publishing

3/23/2020

.This week, I thought I'd hand 'KidLit and More' over to Jon and Laura Bard from the Children's Book Insider. This is a fantastic resource for writing for children and you won't regret signing up for this at all. It's an ongoing complete writing for children's course! Check it out!

Okay. Now that you know who Jon and Laura are, I'll explain what they've brought you. Today is part I of a three part video series explaining how children's publishing works.

Part I of this series is titled 'How to Publish a Children's Book, Part I - Understanding Children's Book Categories. You'll find it here.