Resolutions You Can Keep

 

By Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

We are nearing the end of 2020 and what a strange year on many fronts. I will be glad to turn the calendar page for 2021. As a writer, what I like to do is think about the year ahead and make plans. Years ago I used to make resolutions but most of them were broken before we reached February. Now I make resolutions which I can keep.

 

Do you make New Year’s Resolutions? If you are like me, you have goals, dreams and plans for the New Year. I encourage you to write down these resolutions or plans or goals. You want to make them specific actions so you can hold yourself (or your partner can hold you) accountable to carry them out.

 

Over 25 years ago in 11 days I wrote a diet book by Carole Lewis called First Place. I took such a crazy writing deadline because the publisher was determined to have the book inside the bookstores for January. If you look at bestseller lists, often in January there will be several diet books about losing weight. In our overweight society, many people resolve to lose some pounds in the New Year. They begin with such great resolve and commitment.

 

To become a proactive author, I want to suggest several resolutions or goals that you can keep throughout the months ahead. I encourage you to use these ideas to create your own goals. Make sure you make each one specific, measurable and action oriented.

 

1. Plan to consistently talk with others about your books or products. As the author, you should take the primary responsibility to market and tell other people about your books. There are dozens of tools and ways to do it. Your method should be a way that serves other people (helps them) and doesn’t pound them with “buy me” messages. The “buy me” message is a turn off and the service to others is an attraction. Can you take your book and create a teleseminar or take chapters from your book and turn them into magazine articles or blog posts?

 

2. Resolve to Persevere. Are you trying to publish something which is getting rejected? You are in good company. Just check out this article from bestselling novelist James Scott Bell called Rejecting Rejection. Possibly you have not made the right connection to get your work published. Are you consistently submitting your work? Often when I ask writers about this detail, I find they haven’t been consistently working on getting their book pitch to the right editor at the right time and the right place. I don’t believe that I’m a great writer. I work hard at improving my storytelling and writing—yet I am persistent and preserve. I’m determined to a fault. Nurture this quality in your own life in the weeks and months ahead.

 

3. Resolve to take better care of yourself. Over the last few years, I’ve worked hard at getting more consistent sleep, taking a daily multiple vitamins and a commitment to regular exercise. Also I attempt to watch my weight and eating patterns to be in balance. Am I perfect? No, but I continue to consistently work at these elements and build regular patterns into my life. With a pandemic this year, my weight increased but several months ago my wife and I began changing our eating patterns and working on weight loss. Currently I'm at my lowest weight in over 20 years and my blood pressure has lowered and other health benefits. It's all part of my resolution to take better care of myself and something I encourage you to do too. Your goal will be different for your lifestyle and situation but do consider this area of your life.

 

4. Resolve to learn a new skill then practice it repeatedly. Maybe you want to develop your storytelling skills. Or maybe you can learn from a how-to book or take an online training. I use all of these methods to keep growing in my abilities and skills.

 

5. Resolve to do more writing. It takes more than a resolution to increase your writing. You need a plan. Do it consistently and set a reasonable word count then do it day after day. No little elves come out and write your words. You have to sit in your chair, get your fingers moving on the keyboard and do it.

 

6. Resolve to do more reading. Writers are readers. Read widely and varied types of books. I read but also learn from listening to audiobooks.

 

I’m expecting great things will happen in the coming months. How about you? Are you setting goals and moving in this direction? Take action today. As you look at the new year, are you creating resolutions you can keep? Let me know in the comments below.

 

This article is my final post for the year for Writers on the Move. I want to wish all of you a tremendous holiday season and Happy New Year. May you enjoy the season and have special things happen in your life and writing.

 

Tweetable:

How do you make resolutions you can keep? Get ideas here for your writing from this prolific editor and writer. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. His work contact information is on the bottom of the second page (follow this link).  He has written for over 50 magazines and more than 60 books with traditional publishers. His latest book for writers is 10 Publishing Myths, Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed. Get this book for only $10 + free shipping and over $200 in bonuses. One of Terry's most popular free ebooks is Straight Talk From the Editor, 18 Keys to a Rejection-Proof Submission. He lives in Colorado and has  190,000 twitter followers. 

Tips For Success

 

 Tips for Success: Descriptive Writing  by Deborah Lyn Stanley

Descriptive details make your stories and articles successful. But you must promote your work. Get your work in magazines, post online, or write the book or script you’ve been envisioning!

I’m reading The Story Cure by Dinty W. Moore. Chapter 2 presents beginnings that work and those that don’t. For today’s readers, we need to start strong and get to it. Dive into the story without lengthy flourish but not stiff hard-as-rock description. Dinty also cautions against awkward similes, and lengthy exposition that makes for taking a nap.

In addition, Rebecca McClanahan talks about descriptive writing denoting an atmosphere beneath our stories, poems, or essays. The language of description shapes the tone, and points to an underlying theme, the depth of the subject. Descriptive writing creates mood. There is so much more to our writing than scene, characters, dialogue, figures of speech, senses, mood and POV. Let’s call it atmosphere. How we pull a message all together matters; our delivery matters and effects how our readership can or cannot receive our message.

Sounds complicated, so how we proceed? I suggest, write your message from your heart first. Make it personable. As you polish the draft, consider the tips and techniques offered here to help polish your piece. For example, maybe the overall tone, voice inflection and body language, doesn’t support the theme or premise of the essay. You’ll want to make changes to align the tone with the theme.

Scenes bring the reader a firsthand view of the action. Exposition describes the what and the why. Using scenes, exposition, and telling shape the narrative. Blend and balance for delightful reading.
Readers want personable, well-written works they relate to, and find beneficial. Let’s give them our best shot.

Do you have words from your basket to share with us? Please add your favorites as you share on social media. We’d enjoy seeing them! Don’t have favorites yet? Consider sensory adjectives, strong verbs, and nouns from online lists or Thesaurus.
Nouns List:  https://www.thoughtco.com/learn-the-most-important-english-nouns-4087688
Strong Verb List: http://boyden8la.weebly.com/uploads/2/1/9/7/21975608/strong_verbs.pdf

Book List:
•    The Story Cure, a Book Doctor’s Pain-Free Guide to Finishing Your Novel or Memoir, by Dinty W. Moore
•    Word Painting, by Rebecca McClanahan

Earlier Post links in this series—Descriptive Writing for Fiction and Non-Fiction:
Write Strong:   http://www.writersonthemove.com/2020/10/tips-to-make-characters-real-write.html
Tips for Balancing Action and Exposition: https://www.writersonthemove.com/2020/11/tips-for-balancing-action-exposition.html
 

Deborah Lyn Stanley is an author of Creative Non-Fiction. She writes articles, essays and stories. She is passionate about caring for the mentally impaired through creative arts. 

Visit her writer’s website at: https://deborahlynwriter.com/   

Visit her caregiver’s website: https://deborahlyncaregiver.com/

Available on Amazon --- Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God’s Love   https://www.amazon.com/author/deborahlynstanley

Facebook: Deborah Lyn Stanley, Writer    https://www.facebook.com/deborahlynwriter/?modal=admin_todo_tour

 

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Books Reviews by Carolyn Wilhelm

 

As a contributor to Writers On the Move, I decided to get to know the authors beyond reading their bios. So I purchased one book from each person and will sum up what I learned while reading. As you might expect, there was a wealth of information from fantasy to caring for someone with dementia. I feel ready for anything armed with these new books. 

Karen Cioffi - (Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Writers on the Move) Children's Author, Ghostwriter, and Online Marketing Instructor

I read two books by Karen Cioffi, Walking Through Walls and How to Wr/te a Children's Fiction Book. I read Walking Through Walls first and was glad I did as it is referred to in the writing for children's book. 

How to Wr/te a Children's Fiction Book is jam-packed with examples of several authors and readers. It helped to navigate all the information as I was already becoming acquainted with the author. It is too bad I didn't have this book before self-publishing! 

Walking Through Walls is a story of twelve-year-old Wang who wants to be rich and famous. He studies the legend of the mystical Eternals. Everything is not as it might seem, however, so he has some surprises and growing-up to do. 

Debra Eckerling - Write On Online & Guided Goals 

Being a teacher, I was drawn to Eckerling's book, Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages. I found more than I expected by way of journal pages and prompts as the prompts were comprehensive and more in-depth than usual in the classroom. Pictures were included for most prompts, which helps children who usually "see" something to write about in photos. I doubt any writing student would say he or she didn't know anything to write about using this book! 

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson - Multi Award-winning Books for Writers 

I have already read many books written by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, and I can honestly say I highly recommend them all for aspiring authors. Editing tips, frugal book promoting, great first impressions, and even a book about focused tweeting for retailers will help any new author. As authors soon find out, they are responsible for book promotion as the publisher does not do everything anymore. She has a book on blogging and one guide to frugal in-store promotion. I love her poetry books, especially Sublime Planet, about global warming. Well, I just purchased another of her books, so I must have them all now. 

 Suzanne Lieurance - Award-Winning Author, Freelance Writer, Writing Coach 

Snapshots from Real Life: Personal Stories to Warm the Heart and Tickle the Funny Bone was what I selected to learn more about Lieurance. And learn, I did. She is a writing teacher, and I found out she knows how to teach writing, as evidenced by the stories she gathered from her writing class for this anthology. I was laughing out loud while reading heartwarming stories of everyday life. There were a few stories with engineers – my husband is one, too, and we have had similar mishaps while he handled the kitchen for me. And watch Grandpa's false teeth if he has any sudden move with his mouth open. The stories were so enjoyable. 

 Deborah Lyn Stanley - Writer, Artist, Editor 

Deborah Lyn Standley's book, Mom & Me: A Story of Dementia and the Power of God's Love, is heart-tugging and a detailed journal of how to care for someone in every way (including bathing) with kindness. She stresses we should remember the person inside is still the same one as before the illness, and to consider that in everything that is done to care for him or her. If you are ever caregiving for someone with dementia, this book is a must read. It is a love story.  

W. Terry Whalin - Helping All Types of Writers 

10 Publishing Myths: Insights Every Author Needs to Succeed is full of wisdom from Whalin, who has spent many years in the publishing business. There is one chapter for every myth, and each chapter ends with a myth buster. The actions used to succeed in the book industry are included in this text. I have heard every one of the myths. If an author has questions about the industry, this book is the quickest way to find the truth. Authors will have more confidence if they read this book and gain from Whalin's experiences. I especially recommend it for authors of Christian writing. 

 Linda Wilson - Children's Writer 

Secret in the Stars: An Abi Wunder Mystery (Abi Wonder Mystery series book 1) was the book by Linda Wilson that I read. Although intended for tween and teens, I was engaged in the story, which held my interest through the end. The characters were not the usual, and Abi does know how to keep a secret. It is a fast-paced mystery with surprises along the way. I highly recommend it as there is no romance, which can often ruin middle-grade books for many children.  

Carolyn Wilhelm - Author, Educator, The Wise Owl Factory 

A Mom - What is an Adoptive Mom? is written by Carolyn Wilhelm and her daughter Betsy Wilhelm. And Betsy happens to be adopted. This is a wonderful book showing that a mom is a mom no matter what. She's the one who knows if you like the crust on your sandwich. She's the one who "understands why you can't sleep without your favorite blankie or stuffed animal." She's the one who comforts you and encourages you. She's the one who loves you. This is an important book about adoption. (Review by Karen Cioffi) 

Carolyn Wilhelm is the curriculum writer and sole owner of The Wise Owl Factory site and blog. She has an MS in Gifted Education and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction K-12. As a retired teacher of 28 years, she now makes mostly free educational resources for teachers and parents. Her course about Self-Publishing from the Very, Very Beginning is available on UDEMY. 

 

 

 

Setting Self-Care Goals

When was the last time you set self-care goals?

Any time of year is the right time to take care of yourself. However, the holiday season is the perfect reminder to take a step back and think of what you need to do to have more of that essential work-life balance.

Last month, I posted a self-care goal every day as part of #BeNicetoYou November. Here are some of the highlights.

10 Self-Care Goals

1. Take a Walk. Walking gives you a physical and mental boost. It can be short or long; around the block/your home. The point is to give yourself a break, step away from your computer, and shake up your routine. 

2. Set a Dream Goal. Part of self care is allowing yourself to dream. What do you want to do? To create? Reach for the stars.

3. Set an Attainable Goal. In addition to dream goals, it's important to give yourself some easy wins.

4. Meditate. Whether it's 5, 15, or 50 minutes, take some time to sit still, breathe, and reconnect.

5. Start a Project. Bonus points if you choose a back-burner project.

6. Take a Dance Break. This is my favorite way to hit the reset button.

7. Learn Something. Want to pick up a new hobby, language, or skill? Spend some quality time on YouTube, and educated yourself.

8. Disconnect. Take a few hours to unplug and chill out.

9. Curl Up. With a good book, a puzzle, or your phone.

10. Make Soup. Preparing and enjoying comfort food - soup or otherwise - is the ultimate self-care goal.

Make a point to do something to take care of yourself each day, Whether it's a few minutes or an hour. Your body will thank you. Plus, you will be happier and much more productive,

Read all of my November self-care goals.

* * *

So, what do you think? How do you take care of yourself? Please share your thoughts and experience in the comments.

Debra Eckerling is the author of Your Goal Guide: A Roadmap for Setting, Planning and Achieving Your Goals. A writer, editor and project catalyst, as well as founder of the D*E*B METHOD and Write On Online, Deb works with individuals and businesses to set goals and manage their projects through one-on-one coaching, workshops, and online support. She is also the author of Write On Blogging: 51 Tips to Create, Write & Promote Your Blog and Purple Pencil Adventures: Writing Prompts for Kids of All Ages, host of the #GoalChat Twitter Chat and #GoalChatLive on Facebook, and a speaker/moderator on the subjects of writing, networking, goal-setting, and social media.

Good Things Come in Fives: Five Editing Myths, Five Edits for Your Query Letter

Editing IS Marketing: Boning Up on First Impressions

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers

First impressions are important. We all are aware of that as we brush our teeth and try to unknot the rat's nests from the back of our hair each morning. In fact, first impressions are part of our marketing efforts, too. Whether we authors are trying to get an interview or a TV appearance or marketing our books using e-mail or social networks, editing is an essential part of that first-impression effort. Generally that first effort is a query letter or proposal. Thus editing equals great first impression. That makes it an integral part of a marketing campaign.
 
Here are a few tips to help writers avoid blunders in the documents first seen by those who can make or break a writing career or at least say “nay” or “yea” to the project that counts—the one you’re working on now. First up are five myths that can sabotage your efforts and five tips to make your query letter the selling machine it was meant to be follow. All are little tidbits from the winningest book in my #HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, The Frugal Editor (https://bit.ly/FrugalEditor).
 
Five Editing Myths Waiting to Trip Up Your Campaign to Market Your Work
•    If your English teacher told you something is okay, it is.
(Nope. Language rules and style guidelines have changed since you were a sophomore.)

•    If a manuscript or query is grammar-perfect, you'll make a great first impression.
(No! Lots of things that are grammatically correct will annoy publishers, agents, and other gatekeepers like feature editors.)

•    Always use your Spell and Grammar Checker.
(Maybe. Some well-known editors suggest you don't use it at all, but The Frugal Editor gives you dozens of ways to make it your partner instead of your enemy.)

•    Your publisher will assign a top-flight editor so you don't need to worry about your manuscript.
(Maybe, but don't count on it. Besides you can be a better partner for an editor—whether she is assigned to you by your editor or you hire one for yourself-- if you know something about the process; you'll know better when to nix her suggestions! In any case, I suggest hiring an editor of your own before you submit your manuscript.)

•    Formatters and editors will take care of the hyphens, ellipses, and all the other grungy little punctuation marks that English teachers avoided teaching because they knew basic grammar but nothing about publishing.

(Chances are, you'll catch even great formatters and editors in an error or two if you know your stuff!)

Five Things to Avoid for a Pristine Query Letter
 
We are selling our work when we approach any gatekeeper, an editor, an agent, a contest judge. Here are five little things to pay attention to when you edit your query letter so you'll look like the professional you are.
 
•    Don't tell the gatekeeper you always wanted to write. You can think of something more pertinent to your cause (and something more original!) than that.
•    Don't use the verb "quote" when you want the noun "quotation." Some stylebooks will tell you that it's okay, but agents can be a picky lot. Use zero-tolerance grammar rules for your queries.
•    Don't pitch more than one book at time. You want to give just one of them your best shot.
•    Don't call your novel a "fictional novel." By definition, a novel is fiction.
•    Don't overdo exclamation marks, question marks, or the use of sentence fragments. (Yes, fragments are acceptable when they're used for a good reason.).
 
Here's one last suggestion for fiction writers, a take-away from the best writers’ programs around: Avoid using italics for internal thought. In the in the sample chapters you must include with your submission. In your synopsis. And any other place they rear their very pretty little heads. Italics are being used more and more these days and lots of writers see how convenient and easy they make writing fiction. But those in the know see this as indication that the author hasn’t master important techniques like point-of-view, transitions, and dialogue tags. The best (and busiest!) agents and publishers recognize it as such and might be tempted to reject rather than spend valuable time grooming an author for the big time.
-----
 

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an award-winning author of both fiction and nonfiction, a former publicist for a New York PR firm and was an instructor for the renowned UCLA Extension Writers' Program for nearly a decade. She is an editor with years of publishing and editing experience including national magazines, newspapers, and her own poetry and fiction. Her multi award-winning The Frugal Book Promoter is in its third edition from Modern History Press (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII) and won USA Book News' best professional book award and the Irwin Award. The Frugal Editor (https://bit.ly/FrugalEditor) is top publishing book for USA Book News and Reader Views Literary Award. Her other books from Modern History Press are The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 30 Minutes or Less(https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) and Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII).
 
Learn more about the author and her career-boosting books at https://HowToDoItFrugally.com

Characters or Story - Which Comes First?

Contributed by Karen Cioffi

Many articles about writing for children and other genres suggest knowing your characters inside and out before beginning the story. In fact, information suggests that the author build the story around the characters after they are fully developed.

While this is good advice, and many experienced authors recommend this technique, there are some authors who occasionally watch their characters unveil themselves right before their eyes.

This is such an interesting method of writing. Your character introduces himself and gradually reveals bits and pieces, and blossoms as the story moves along. Sometimes a story doesn’t begin with this intent, it just happens. This is known as the seat-of-you-pants method of writing.

You do need to be careful with this method though, you may lose track of all the bits and pieces that make up the character. So, a good way to keep track of those quirky telltale marks, expressions, behavior patterns, and physical features is to note them on a separate page or character card as they become unveiled. 

You wouldn’t want your character to have brown eyes in one chapter and blue eyes in another - unless of course, it’s a science fiction or paranormal and part of the storyline.

So, is there a right or wrong answer to the question of which comes first, characters or story? 

That depends on the writer.

While it may be important to know your characters, and even have a family and background established for them, even if they are not used in the story, you can also become acquainted as you go along.

As your story develops you may find out if the character is fearful in certain situations, or if he is heroic. Sometimes it’s impossible to know this about a person, let alone a character, until circumstances create the possibility of the question.

It's one’s environment and circumstances that help develop his or her characteristics, fears, hopes, and so on. The same holds true for your character.

Using an example:

How would a child who never saw a mouse before react to one? There’s no way to answer that question until it happens. So, having the story help develop the character can be a useful tool. But, again, be sure to keep track of all the new features your character unveils along the way. 

This story was originally published at: Characters or Story – Which Comes First?

 

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, successful children’s ghostwriter, and author/writer online platform instructor with WOW! Women on Writing. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Writers on the Move.

For more on writing, stop by Writing for Children with Karen Cioffi.
 
Let's connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/karencioffiventrice

Check out Karen's Books at: https://karencioffiwritingforchildren.com/karens-books/

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Writing – Getting Past the Gatekeeper

What Is Keeping You from the Writing Career You Want?

5 Things to Do When You're Stuck Inside

Where Do Authors Get Their Ideas?

Herbert the Ghost by illustrator Tiffany Tutti
Secret in the Stars, Book 1
 Abi Wunder Mystery series

By Linda Wilson @LinWilsonauthor  

Authors’ ideas for their stories come in many sizes and shapes. One might begin with an event that the author has witnessed or heard about. In the author’s trusty notebook, always with her, she jots down people, events, feelings, really anything that she observes. Later, one of these observations might fascinate her enough to develop into a story. Another author might read lots of stories in the chosen genre—such as mystery or adventure—and a story idea begins to form. And yet another might begin with a character, or even a title. James Howe thought of his character Bunnicula long before he wrote the book. R.L. Stine wrote the books in his Goosebumps series only after thinking up the titles. Many story ideas result from research into a similar or entirely different topic than your blossoming story idea. Jotting down your thoughts and ideas is a good practice. Many an author has learned that they think they’re going to remember an idea then find later that it is lost to them simply because they didn’t write it down. 

Secret in the Stars, Book 1 of the Abi Wunder Mystery series, began with an event: a visit to a Bed & Breakfast where I used to live in Purcellville, Virginia. One special occasion we had so many guests, some needed to stay at a B & B a mile down the road from our house. Before our guests arrived, I paid the B & B a visit. The 17th century white-washed stone building loomed high on a hill, down a long, winding dirt road. Along the way, cows grazed on lush green grass and flowers bloomed in gardens, completing the Virginia country charm. The proprietress sat me down in the old-fashioned parlor and regaled me with tales of the many renovations her husband had recently completed. The kitchen, modern, yet decorated with antique earthenware jars, pitchers, teapots and tin boxes, had been his latest project, she crowed. On our way upstairs to see the bedrooms, I thought she said, “Oh, here’s my husband now.” I turned, expecting to see her husband climbing up the stairs behind us. But I saw no one. Her eyes fell on a silhouette stenciled on the wall. I followed her gaze, of a man in overalls and straw hat, lantern in hand, appearing to hurry up the stairs. Without another word, she continued up to the second-floor landing.

I followed, perplexed. Where was her husband, I wondered? I asked her, still expecting to see him. She looked surprised and said, “Oh, he died a year ago.” Died? But he’s here. I can feel his presence. He hadn’t yet left her side. I knew that, though how I’ll never know. But I felt the truth of his presence in my bones. She tilted her head in the oddest way and further explained, “Why, I lost my Herbert a year ago, to the day!” I still get goose bumps every time I think of this eerie coincidence. She added, “I painted Herbert’s silhouette on the wall, as he so often looked on his way to bed.” Color rose to her cheeks, “I suppose it’s silly, but it’s my way of keeping his memory alive.”

And that’s how the Hilltop ghost story came to be. Of course, Herbert and the Hilltop Inn are entirely fiction. But perhaps you can see why I’ve never been able to forget the experience. One eerie incident and the Abi Wunder series was born. 

My idea for Book 2 in the Abi Wunder Mystery series, Secret in the Mist, formed while doing research for Book 1. I learned that the town of Purcellville had once attracted a Quaker population who had moved to the area from Pennsylvania in the early 1700s. In 2005 when we moved in, from my bedroom window I enjoyed a pastoral view of the gentle slope of a grassy hill that bordered West Virginia, a marsh that attracted red-wing blackbirds, bullfrogs, and tall grasses and cattails; and an old abandoned farmhouse and barn, across the road from our house. After studying photos of people who lived in the Purcellville area in the 1700s and 1800s, it wasn’t a far stretch to envision a young girl who might have lost her life in a riding accident, and had returned to locate her long-lost horse. The Misty Maiden, as the ghost came to be called, rises out of the marsh and tantalizes Abi and Jess with several appearances. Abi realizes the ghost wouldn’t have come back if she didn't need help; and the two friends embark on their next adventure.

Tall Boots, a picture book that I have submitted for possible publication with a traditional publisher, is about a young girl who is in a beginning 4-H horseback riding class. As a beginner, she wears red rubber boots that were really her galoshes, and dreams of becoming a skilled rider who one day would wear bonified tall, black leather riding boots. In the story, she finds herself in the ring with the advanced class at a 4-H show. Her horse jumps the hurdle, a skill she hadn’t yet learned. She is rewarded with a 4-H medallion that qualifies her to join the advanced class. This is a fictionalized version of a true story, an experience one of our neighbors had had, which at the time, I recognized as a potential story. 

A Packrat Holiday: Thistletoe’s Gift, a picture book available soon, illustrated by Nancy Batra, came about from a white-water rafting trip I took with my family down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. At night, we slept under the stars and rarely needed a blanket. The climate is so dry there are virtually no mosquitoes or insects, which in itself was a freedom seldom enjoyed on camping trips. In the morning, we’d find tiny footprints all over our campsite—packrats—searching for little treasures, whatever they could find. After our trip, I researched packrats and loved the little creatures so much that I envisioned a home life for them in their underground den made of twigs and cactus bits under a rocky crevice.

Once I latch onto an idea, I like to plan out my story. I’ve created a Snapshot of the process I went through while developing Secret in the Stars. 

Snapshot of Secret in the Stars

Event that sparked the idea: My eerie encounter with a “ghost” at a B & B

Protagonist: Abi

Sidekick: Jess

Ghost: Herbert

Antagonist: Norman & Angel

Blame Herbert’s wife, Dee, for his death and want to tear down the inn

Main Characters: Pop, Abi’s grandfather, Dee, Herbert’s dog Star, Jess

Setting: The Hilltop Inn, lake & woods

Plot: Abi must save the inn and prove Dee’s innocence

Conflict: Abi vs Norman & Angel

Resolution: Abi finds a way to reach her goal

How characters are affected: Each character learns something

What Abi learns: Abi realizes that she possesses a natural ability to know unexplained phenomenon. She doesn’t learn where this ability comes from until Book 2, Secret in the Mist.

How Abi has grown: The story started with Abi as a little girl, unhappy that she’s missing Art Camp, and not paying attention to her appearance. She grows into helping others and herself.

   The Abi Wunder Mystery series is a trilogy. The end of Book 1, Secret in the Stars, hints at what’s to come in Book 2, Secret in the Mist, and Book 3, Secrets of the Heart, completes Abi’s journey into herspecial ability to see into the unknown, with an insight into what she can do with it in her future.

When I first started Secret in the Stars, I couldn’t have filled out the entire plan. If this process works for you, fill out only the parts that you know, then spend time thinking about how you want to form your story, jot down notes, until you have enough to begin writing. Remember this rule of thumb: give yourself time to develop your story. If you lay the groundwork first, such as by creating a diagram or snapshot of the story parts, then you have most of the work done before you even begin to write. Once I developed this process, it saved me a lot of time. And it has helped me enjoy writing stories much more than when I used to wing it. 

Linda Wilson, is a former elementary teacher and ICL graduate. She has published over 150 articles for children and adults, and several short stories for children. Visit Linda at https://www.lindawilsonauthor.com and on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/author/lindawilsonchildrensauthor.