Our Favorite Writing Resources

Writers are always learning, growing, and developing their craft. So as part of the five year anniversary celebration, the bloggers of Middle Grade Minded have compiled a list of their favorite writing resources to share with our readers.And if you haven't done so already pop over to our blogiversary post and enter to win free books and critiques!

Stefanie Wass

1. Highlights Foundation writing workshops 
2. Local SCBWI conferences and workshops  
3. The Emotion Thesaurus, by Angela Ackerman 
4. Wired For Story, by Lisa Cron 
5. Writing The Breakout Novel Workbook, by Donald Maass

Kim Ventrella

1. Writing Excuses podcast: Great 15-minute podcast with all thirteen seasons online. Focuses on adult fantasy/sci-fi, but applicable to all writers: https://writingexcuses.com/
2. Brandon Sanderson posts all of his lectures on YouTube from his course at BYU. They’re not all in one place, so the best way to find them is just to go to YouTube and search for ‘Brandon Sanderson lectures.
3. Scrivener’s ‘target word count’ function. This brings up a box where you can enter your target word count for the session and the overall manuscript, and Scrivener tracks your progress with an amazing color-changing bar.
4.  Word count tracker spreadsheet by Justin Mclachlan. It allows you to set a monthly word count goal and update daily. It’s on Google Sheets, so your friends can create their own sheets and view yours, giving you an extra boost of accountability, and everything is customizable: http://www.justinmclachlan.com/.../nanowrimo-word-count.../
5.  4 the Words is a website that challenges you to battle monsters and complete quests, all by writing more words. I like that it adds a timed element, so I’m not only pushing myself to write words, but I’m making myself do it within a certain time limit: https://4thewords.

 Shari Green

1. Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594634727) – so much in this book resonated with me and encouraged me.
2.  Grammar Girl (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl), because even though I understand the whole lie/lay thing, there are other grammatical puzzles I have to look up _every_ time. 
3. The SCBWI “blueboard” forum (https://www.scbwi.org/boards/) – I haven’t been very active on there lately, but this forum has been a fantastic source of info and a welcoming community of writer-friends for me. 
4. A.S. King’s “Writer’s Middle Finger” blog series (part 1 is here: http://www.as-king.info/.../the-writers-middle-finger-how...) – I read this series of blog posts when I most needed them, when I was struggling to find my place as a writer, and they helped me write what I needed to write, how I needed to write it. They helped me be me.
5.  Literary Rambles (http://www.literaryrambles.com/) – I used this site a lot when I was querying agents. Great interviews, info, and link 

Tom Torre

1. Middle Grade Minded (ahem......lol) : http://middlegrademinded.blogspot.com/
2. Absolute Writer Water Cooler - not sure how it is now, haven't stepped in in awhile, but I used to frequent this in my early days and it helpded me out a ton. https://absolutewrite.com/forums/forum.php 
3. Query Tracker - no better way to track your queries and stalk your agents...lol https://querytracker.net/ 
4. Writers Digest - I used this a lot when I was just looking through a bunch of web sites for tips and tricks http://www.writersdigest.com/ 
5. Twitter - i say this only because you find everyone and everything you need on twitter just by talking to people! Use the hashtags! #amwriting #amediting #MG etc. You'll find so many helpful folks 

 Jamie Krakover

1. Query Tracker for finding agents in my genre and reading about response times https://querytracker.net/
2.  Absolute Write for researching agents to see if they might be a good fit, or if they might be a bad agent 
3. My Critique Partners. Good Critique partners are worth their weight in gold. Not only will they point out the good, the bad, and the ugly, but they are there for you in the good times and the bad. They can talk you off a ledge if need be. So if you don't have good critique partners, I recommend finding some. The SCBWI forums, Pitchwars Forums, Write On Con Forums (in January/February) and some of the twitter critique partner matchup hastags that happen periodically throughout the year are all great resources for finding critique partners. 
4. The St. Louis Writers Guild It was the first group of writers I found and they're local to me. I met a core group of writers that I meet up with weekly to write, share ideas, successes, disappointments and advice. They also hold monthly workshops (that are frequently live tweeted on #slwg), the Gateway Con yearly writer's conference, and also do some virtual writing advice sessions. http://www.stlwritersguild.org/gatewaycon.html 
5. TWITTER, no seriously, I've learned so much from following writers and agents and editors. They share some amazing advice via tweets and blog posts they share. I've probably learned more on there than any other place.

Wendy McLeod MacKnight 
 
Besides all the great choices above I’d add:

1. One Stop for Writers: https://onestopforwriters.com
2. Martha Alderson - AKA The Plot Whisperer - wonderful website and newsletter and
3. Mary Kole’s wonderful website: https://marykole.com Mary is the author of Writing Irresistible Kidlit

What an awesome list of resources! What are some of your favorites writing resources?

3, 2, 1, ACTION!

One of the harder things to do as a writer is to craft an action scene. It not only has to have tension, but it has to make sense to readers so they can visualize it in their head. Writing an action scene can often feel as complicated as choreographing the perfect dance.

As a writer, where do you even begin when it comes to action? How to you make the scene work for you and the story rather than making it feel like work?

Below is a list of things to consider when crafting action scenes.

1. How long is the action? This seems trivial, but in all seriousness, the average person doesn’t have the stamina to fight or run for more than a couple minutes at a time without outside factors. If this is intended for the long haul, there’s going to have to be hiding and breaks or your characters just aren’t going to be able to keep up. On the other hand, if this is a quick brawl or chase scene then going all out might not be a big deal to your characters.
2. What's the goal? To run? to win? to kill? to injure? something else? Think about the motivations of the characters. Why are they actually fighting or running? Let this drive how each character acts within the action. Most people don’t want to fight if they don’t have to, so if there’s an alternative look for it. If not, let there be a good reason things are progressing as they are.
3. Increase the stakes and danger as you go. An action scene shouldn’t just fizzle out. Like the climax of a book, once you hit the peak things move quickly and so should an action sequence. Pacing in general should be quick, but again if this is a long drawn out series of events, then find the natural pause and use them to continue to increase the stakes and danger even if your characters are taking a much needed break.
4. What are your character's strengths and weaknesses? Play to their strengths sometimes, but also amp up the tension by throwing some curveballs at them. This will not only increase the stakes, but also make the reader more invested in the action.
5. Similarly, what are your antagonist’s strengths and weaknesses? If your main character knows this, they can use to their advantage. On the flip side, it can be used as motivation for how the antagonist approaches an action or fight scene.
6. Make your surroundings compliment your mood or contrast. Don’t forget about your surroundings. Pulling in some of the world around the action can further add to the tension and set the tone for an action scene. Don’t be afraid to play with the setting during an action scene, just don’t take too much time to describe the floral bouquet on the counter unless someone is going to hit someone else over the head with it.
7. Consider sentence length. Shorter sentences can often make things appear like they are happening faster. Brief periods where sentences get shorter can be another way to increase pacing and tension during an action scene. But be cautious, you don’t want to maintain one sentence length for pages on end otherwise the story sounds monotone
8. Verb choice can also help with pacing. Did your main character turn and run or did they bolt, scamper or stumble away. Each one of those verbs has a very different intention and sets a different tone. Choose your verbs wisely to maximize the impact of the action.
9. When in doubt, act it out. Or draw it, or animate it whatever you need to do to make it make sense. Don’t be afraid to role play, do motions or enlist some others to help you choreograph the action. Seeing the scene play out in front of you can not only help you make sense of the action but also write it more clearly for the reader to see.
10. Don’t forget about the reactions. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. And every action scene should have a series of reactions that come after. Those feelings and reactions are just as important if not more so than what happened during the action. The aftermath reactions are what make the action all worthwhile.

Writing action scenes can be complex, but they can also really move your story along, set the tone, increase the stakes, and help propel your characters forward. What are you favorite tips and tricks when writing action scenes?

This is Not a Pasta Spoon: Repurposing Tools of the Trade to Get the Job Done (a post for writers… no, seriously)

Top shelves of kitchen cabinets were not located with short cooks in mind. I can’t reach the top shelves, but I need the storage space, so those top shelves are full of stuff anyway. I’m too independent to rely on the taller members of my family, too stubborn to haul a chair or step-stool across the room every time I need to reach something, and so…the pasta spoon. 

I don’t believe I’ve ever once used it to serve spaghetti, but gosh, it makes an excellent reacher! Those slightly-curved prongs tuck around all manner of packages on my top shelf so I can easily nudge them to the front and let them drop into my waiting hand. Repurposing the pasta spoon is efficient and effective for me.

I’ve repurposed tools of the trade in writing, too, and today I want to share one of those with you, in the hopes you’ll also find it efficient and effective.

The pitch. We writers often don’t consider pitching our story until…well, until we’re pitching it. We write, revise, and polish our manuscript, and then suddenly it’s time to send it out into the world in search of a home, and we realize we need a query letter – which of course is basically a pitch, designed to make the recipient need to read our story. But there’s much to be gained from repurposing the pitch.

What if, instead of using the pitch as a query tool, you use it as a guide. What if, instead of writing the pitch after your manuscript is finished, you write it before. Write it when you’re in that heart-pounding yes, this! stage of discovering your story, to bring focus and clarity to your awesome-but-probably-a-tad-vague idea. Write it then, and use it to keep you on track. Use it to guide you, to keep one hand on the through-line of your story as you work your way toward the end. Odds are, you’ll want to tweak the pitch when you finally get to the query stage, but that’s okay—the time you spend writing a pitch now will save you a ton of time in revisions later.

Depending where you are on the plotter—pantser spectrum, the idea of writing the pitch before writing the story may or may not seem comfortable, easy, or even feasible. Plotters, maybe you already write the pitch first. Maybe you’re saying, hey, I’ve always used the pasta spoon for that. But pantsers, I know it doesn’t feel natural. I know you’re probably thinking but I don’t know until I write the story! I understand…I’m with you. But try it. Really.

If you’ll allow me to throw in a completely different metaphor here... *tosses culinary tools back in the drawer, because who am I kidding, I’m no chef* Imagine you’re driving on the prairies. You can see your destination a long while before you’ll get there. You can drive straight for it, of course, but what if you’re a pantser? What if you want to wander through wheat fields and explore dusty backroads along the way? Keeping your pitch in mind as you write is like glancing up regularly at that grain-elevator goal in the distance, shimmering on the horizon, so whatever route you take, you’re moving steadily toward where you want to be.

Have you repurposed your pitch this way before? Are there other writing tools of the trade you’ve repurposed? I’d love to hear what you’ve found to be effective and efficient for you in your writing. Please share!

Finding Your Voice

We all know it when we read it, but how much we enjoy it can also be a very subjective thing: 

The novel's voice.

When querying to get an agent, problem with voice is some of the most common feedback an author can receive:

Thank you for giving us a chance with this. I’m sorry to say I don’t think it’s one for me. While this has some nice points, when I take a on a new project I need to feel such a strong connection to the voice, I’m afraid I’m not quite there with this. Of course, it’s a really subjective business. Another agent may well feel differently. (an actual rejection letter I received in early 2014)

Thank you for sending me your query. I am sorry not to invite you to submit your work or to offer to represent you. The material just didn’t grab me, and you deserve an unequivocally enthusiastic agent as your advocate. (another actual rejection letter!)

Sometimes, authors' submissions get rejected because of the plot — for example, submitting a book in which the heroine falls in love with a vampire or a book discovers he's actually a wizard — most often it's not the book's plot, but the author's voice.

Other books, I pick then up and can't stop reading. And in many cases, that's not simply because of an excellent plot or a well-formed characters, it's because of the author's voice.

For example, I could read Erin Entrada Kelly all day long.  Her latest book, YOU GO FIRST, sang to me from the first paragraph onwards:

Twelve-year-old Charlotte Lockhard balanced an unopened Dr. Pepper upright on her hand and thought: This is what it feels like to hold my dad's heart.

Same as the Dr. Pepper.

Brilliant huh? Well, she is the most recent Newbery Medal winner, so no great surprise there.

How about Jason Reynold's fantastic voice in GHOST:

CHECK THIS OUT. This dude named Andrew Dahl holds the world record for blowing up the most balloons . . . with his nose. Yeah. That's true. Not sure how he found out that was some kind of special talent, and I can't even imagine how much snot be in those balloons, but hey, it's a thing and Andrew's the best at it.

These authors and their characters do not sound remotely alike, but you know straight away that these are characters you want to get to know. And you can tell you are in the hands of experienced authors who make the cadence of their words a joy to read.


Easy for them, you think. How do I make my own voice better?

First of all, YOUR voice is your way of looking at the world. And while your characters' voices will change from book to book, once you mast voice, your readers will always have a sense that they are reading a book by an accomplished author with a point of view.

How can you improve your voice?

1. READ VORACIOUSLY

Sometimes I run into authors who don't read in their genre. Which a) I don't really get at all, since I assume that if you want to be a middle grade author you love middle grade books; and b) doesn't allow them the opportunity to learn from other authors.

My best advice is to read widely within your genre, with a special focus on award-winning or critically acclaimed books, and an equal dash of the popular.

Early on, I'd even copy a page out of a particular book, so I could get a sense of the cadence, or rhythm of the story. I highly recommend this, because it will help you with your writing immensely.

2. READ YOUR WORK ALOUD

Everyone tells you to do this, but not everyone does this. It is critical. When you read your work out loud, you immediately find the awkward syntax, the boring bits, the unresolved nature of your writing. I also read drafts on my kindle. For some reason, seeing it in book form makes a tremendous difference to how I perceive my own work.

3. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY

Early on, writers stumble around in the dark, unsure of how specific to be. Their work lacks thematic direction and that shows in their voice. The more you understand what it is you want your story to convey, and who you think in the story should convey it, the easier it will be to find your voice.

4. EAVESDROP!

Yes, I know it's not polite to listen in on conversations, but if you're writing about eleven year old girls, you're going to want to get a handle on them. I've been known to wander the mall and pause now and then to listen to a bunch of kids talking. And though I remember my own kids at that age very well, I also rely on my friends' kids, too.

And finally:

5. KNOW WHO YOUR CHARACTERS ARE

In my latest book, I have a girl from 1915 who cannot sound like the kids from 2018. At the same time, there are things about being twelve or thirteen years old that will always be universal. The most important thing is to know who your characters are. What do they love, hate, worry about, are afraid of, and cherish? What motivates them? Are they shy or boisterous? Are they frustrated or happy-go-lucky. Your characters' personalities and the kind of story you are telling (see #3) will shape the right voice for your story.

In the end, it all comes down to writing with authenticity and clarity, and then writing and writing and writing in order to make your work as excellent as it can be. If you do all that, I promise: your writer's voice will strengthen!

Good Luck!

Reframing Your Thinking

Over the weekend I was at a meet with the all-girls robotics team I mentor. After winning the first match, the robot was riddled with small problems, connectivity issues, and just generally not functioning in the way it had in the past. Most the girls were disappointed but taking it in stride. One individual however, began to get upset, focusing on the fact that the coed team at their school was beating them. This was a full stop for me. I realized that this individual was focusing on the wrong things. Winning and losing had become more important than the main reason this team started, which was to build confidence in young women, get them excited about STEM, teach them to code and use tools, and help them learn to problem solve. And that is what this team has done time and time again. Sure winning is great, but it's a corollary to all the other things this team does so successfully--help girls grow, develop, be confident, and get engaged in STEM.

So what does all this have to do with writing?

Great question!

Quite a lot actually. I think as writers we often get so hung up on the fact that we aren't published, don't have an agent, didn't make this list, didn't get nominated for that award, aren't selling books and on and on and on. We see other writers doing exactly what we can't and wonder why, wonder if we're any good, wonder if we can compete with that. We compare ourselves to others rather than thinking about what we're really trying to accomplish.

We need to reframe our thinking. I mean sure we all want to get agents and get published and make all our writing dreams come true. That said, we really need to take a step back and understand why we write what we do and what we are trying to accomplish by doing so. And realize that there a lot of roads to getting there. Just because something worked for someone else doesn't necessarily mean it's the right path for you.

But reframing thinking is just the first step. Going back to the robotics team for a minute, once we were focusing on what the team was really about, the team still had issues to work through. We had to get to the root of the problem. After this particular match that didn't go well, the cable to the phone had come loose and the phone was no longer connected to the robot. This meant the robot couldn't receive any commands from the controls. We looked at the root of the problem which was we had a bad connection and needed a new cable. Once we fixed that, the robot stayed connected in the next match, and the team won again.

So once again what does this have to do with writing? Sometimes we get so focused on the details and that the overall goal that isn't getting accomplished, we end up in a fog and can't get anything done because we can't see what the real problem is anymore. In writing when we aren't able to meet our goals, we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, "What am I really trying to accomplish here and what is preventing me from doing that?" Sometimes the answer is really simple, you can correct it and be on your way. Other times it's not so simple and the issue requires some extra thought and work. But again by reframing where your focus is, you can often see things in a new light.

As we start a new year, I encourage everyone to take a step back in 2018. Think about what's really important in your writing, why you do it, and if you aren't succeeding, what is the real root of the problem. Then get to work and start fixing it! 2018 can be a great year, you just have to reframe your thinking a little and start with something fresh.

Publishing: What no one will talk about… and why

Once an author becomes published, what happens then? Do they get paid regularly, with lots of support from their publisher? Does their editor automatically love their next book?  Do they know exactly how to promote their book? Do they ever wonder if their book will flop and they’ll lose every opportunity they worked so hard for?

We tend to shy away from being public about the hardships that come  with traditional publishing, and realistically there are some good reasons for that. It’s like a car salesmen who during the test drive complains about his boss and how he missed his sales quota last month and might lose his job. Not exactly a winning sales technique.

As an author, once your book is up for sale, you are now a public figure and it can be tough to learn what to say and what’s off limits. What will come across like a negative Nancy? What do readers just not want to hear? Because what you say matters. Everything you put out on social media, every blog post, every speech, can affect how people see you.  That’s your brand. So being brutally honest? Not always an option (but then sometimes, it is.)

So I’m gonna take a moment to tell you what so many others are afraid to say. I’m going to tell you what publishing traditionally is really like.

Publishing is a dream come to life. It’s holding a piece of your heart and soul, your blood and tears, in your hands, covered in an image you had to rely on someone else to create.

Publishing is holding your tongue as people rip that piece of you into shreds with their words. It’s smiling when that one person tells you how much it meant to them.

It’s watching the your sales ranking tick up and down, with no clue if it’s good or bad or means anything at all (but all the while, pretending it’s great). It’s excitement because PEOPLE ARE READING YOUR WORDS, but stress-fully wondering if there are enough of them to please your publisher.

Publishing is ever changing. It’s is creating expectations then wondering if you can continue to live up to them. Wondering if you want to live up to them. Because what readers want, isn’t always what you want. It’s facing your own expectations, and very rarely actually meeting them.

Publishing is wondering which to follow: your heart or head. Your muse or your internal (or external, depending) marketer.

Publishing is trying to please everyone at once. You agent, your editor, your publishing sales team, book stores and libraries, readers—and yourself.

Publishing is one step at a time. It's walking alone in the dark with only a flashlight, clueless as to which turn is the right one.

Publishing is making friends, with readers and industry people, but mostly fellow writers— the only people who can truly understand. It’s reading incredible words that you didn’t write and celebrating their successes like they’re your own.

Publishing is writers block. Stressing so much that sometimes you can’t create. And creating is the entire point, right?

Publishing is finally writing something you adore, that your editor may or may not actually like.

Publishing is starting over. Again and again and again. All the while hiding your confusion from your readers, sometimes even your own family.

Publishing is persevering. It’s holding a new piece of your soul in your hands with the same love and excitement. The same fears. And sometimes... different results. 

Publishing is passion and exhilaration and art and devotion.

Publishing is terrifying, but in the end-- worth it.

 Every experience is unique. Every journey has different twists, different dips and different highs but lags and trip-ups and fears-- they're pretty darn universal.