Writers On The Move

Writers: What are Round and Flat Characters?

In Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery,
horses play an important role, but they
would be considered "flat" characters.
Illustration by Danika Corrall

By Linda Wilson @LinWilsonauthor

If you’re like me, you’ve spent most of your time creating “round” characters, unique main characters bursting with personality, flaws, purpose; embarking on an adventure which will change their life and make them grow. Until I ventured upon the term “flat” characters, I hadn’t thought a lot about those other characters. The ones lacking depth, such as the roles parents and grandparents and kids not central to the story play, even siblings. Whichever type of characters you are creating, they need to have a purpose central to your plot, exude personality, and know their place. can fall into the background in order for your main characters to take center stage.

In an article by MasterClass, round and flat characters are described as “Characters in a novel, short story, play, or film can be either round or flat. A round character is nuanced and well thought-out. They usually play an important role in the story. They are written specifically so audiences can pay attention to them for a specific reason.”

In my current WIP, work-in-progress, Secret in the Mist: An Abi Wunder Mystery, my two main characters, Abi and Jess, their friends, and Jess’s brother are round characters: interesting, developed, having wants and needs, evolve and have a purpose throughout the story.

Some of the main characters’ family members and family members of the minor characters are flat.

“Flat characters, on the other hand, are more like window dressing. They are two dimensional and lack nuance. Their purpose in a story is usually perfunctory.” Flat characters can be “foil” characters, “embodying the opposite traits of another character, thereby strengthening audiences’ opinions of both characters . . . [the foil character’s] flatness will reinforce to audiences the impressive depth of the round character.” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/round-vs-flat-characters-in-fiction

When Flat Characters Should Make an Appearance

We don’t learn much about Abi’s grandpa, but he is present to drive Abi to Jess’s house for her visit, and at the end, pick her up to go home and listen to Abi promise to tell him all about her adventure. Jess’s mom appears a few times. Mainly, Jess texts her as she keeps track of the two friends’ comings and goings on an app on Jess’s phone.

When Flat Characters Get in the Way

Recently, I critiqued a story by an author whose flat characters were front and center. These characters were the main character’s parents, and were replete with their own story, including their relationship. The plot lost momentum and did not move forward. The entire section needed to be deleted.

You might agree that one of the greatest joys in writing for children is the creation of characters. Now with this new way of looking at our characters, we can make them as globular and as one-dimensional as we want!

Source:

Writers on the Move: Make your Characters Memorable My August, 2024 article, “Make Your Characters Memorable,” discusses the traits of “round” characters.

Danika Corrall designed my website and illustrated Secret in the Mist. She can be reached at hello@danikacorrall.com.

Linda Wilson is the author of the Abi Wunder Mystery series and other books for children. Her two new releases are Cradle in the Wild: A Book for Nature Lovers Everywhere (2023), and Botas Altas, the Spanish version of Tall Boots, translated by Graciela Moreno and Adriana Botero. You’ll find Linda on her Amazon author page, on her website at LindaWilsonAuthor.com, and on Facebook.

Writing Crafts Articles for Children’s Magazines

by Suzanne Lieurance

Writing craft articles for children’s magazines can be an exciting way to connect with young readers.

Kids love getting hands-on and creating something tangible, and a well-written craft article not only entertains but also educates.

It’s about more than just providing step-by-step instructions—it’s about sparking imagination and creativity.

Here’s how you can write a craft article that kids (and their parents) will love:

#1. Pick a Project that’s Fun and Age-Appropriate.

The key to a successful craft article is choosing a project that fits the age group of your target readers.

If the magazine caters to 5- to 7-year-olds, the craft should be simple, with minimal steps and easy-to-find materials.

For older kids, you can increase the complexity and introduce more challenging concepts like origami or sewing.

Ask yourself:

- Is this project something a child can complete mostly on their own, or will it require heavy adult assistance?

- Are the materials easily accessible and safe for the age group?

- Does this craft allow room for creativity and personal expression?

Remember, kids want to feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete the project, so aim for something achievable and fun.

#2. Write with Clear, Simple Language.

Kids are the audience, but it’s often the parents or teachers who’ll be reading your instructions aloud.

Keep your language simple, direct, and free of jargon.

Use short sentences and straightforward words.

Think of it like explaining the steps to a younger sibling or a curious neighbor.

For example:

- Instead of "Adhere the two pieces using adhesive," say "Glue the two pieces together."

- Instead of "Utilize scissors to excise the shape," say "Cut out the shape with scissors."

Your job is to make the instructions easy to follow.

If a child (or their grown-up helper) feels confused, they’re likely to give up.

Keep it simple, keep it clear.

#3. Start with an Engaging Hook.

Your craft article needs a hook to grab attention right from the start.

Instead of diving straight into the materials list, set the scene or tell a mini-story.

Why should kids make this craft?

Is it perfect for a rainy day?

Will it make a great gift for a friend or family member?

Here’s an example:

"Ready to turn an old sock into a friendly puppet that tells jokes? This silly craft project is perfect for bringing your wildest characters to life. Let’s get started—you’ll be the puppet master in no time!"

A fun, energetic opening gets kids excited to dive in.

#4. Provide a Clear Materials List.

The materials list is crucial.

It should be complete and clear, and everything listed should be easy to find.

Think about the kinds of items kids already have at home or can easily grab from a store or their classroom.

Pro tip: Use bullet points and keep it organized. Don’t just say “glue”—specify if it’s a glue stick or liquid glue. Be specific but concise.

Example Materials List:

- 1 old sock (any color)

- 2 googly eyes

- Glue stick

- Scrap paper (for decorations)

- Scissors

#5. Break Down the Steps Visually.

Craft articles for kids need clear, step-by-step instructions.

Break each step into a new line or number and keep each step short and sweet.

Consider using illustrations or photos if the magazine allows it—visual aids make it easier for kids to follow along.

Each step should only cover one small task.

For example, don’t lump cutting, gluing, and coloring into a single instruction.

Instead:

1. Cut out a small circle from the scrap paper for the puppet’s nose.

2. Glue the nose to the middle of the sock.

3. Stick on the googly eyes above the nose.

Keep it one task per step to avoid confusion and overwhelm.

#6. Add Creative Variations.

Kids love experimenting and making things their own.

After the main craft instructions, include a “Make It Your Own” section where you offer suggestions for variations.

Here’s an example:

"Want to make your puppet even sillier? Try using yarn for hair or add a funny mustache. You can even give your puppet a silly hat by gluing on a small piece of felt. The sky’s the limit—use your imagination!"

This encourages creativity and shows kids that they don’t have to follow the instructions to the letter.

It’s about making something that’s uniquely theirs.

#7. End with a Fun Call-to-Action.

Wrap up your craft article by encouraging kids to share what they made.

It might be suggesting they put on a puppet show, gift their creation to a friend, or display it on the fridge.

Here’s an example:

"Now that your sock puppet is complete, why not put on a puppet show for your family? Give your puppet a name, make up a funny story, and let the giggles begin!"

This gives kids a sense of accomplishment and a way to show off their hard work, making the whole experience more rewarding.

Final Thoughts

Writing craft articles for children’s magazines isn’t just about giving instructions—it’s about inspiring kids to use their imagination and creativity.

The best craft articles are those that feel approachable, fun, and leave room for personal touches.

Keep the steps clear, the language simple, and the tone upbeat.

If you can make a kid say, “Wow, I want to make this right now!” then you’ve done your job well.

Now, go brainstorm your next great craft idea—kids everywhere are waiting to get creative!

And, for more articles like this one, subscribe to Manifesting Monthly Magazine, and get your free subscription to The Morning Nudge.

Suzanne Lieurance is the author of over 40 published books and a Law of Attraction coach for writers at writebythesea.com.

Beginning Writers Do Get Published

By Terry Whalin (@terrywhalin)

Over the last 20 years Greg Stielstra, author of Pyromarketing, marketed hundreds of Christian books including The Purpose Driven Life. During that time, he noticed a disturbing trend. Some Christian authors sought fame because they believed only celebrities could influence culture. What’s more, they thought to sell lots of book required hiding their Christian content. In a sort of publishing bait and switch, some authors thought they must achieve a platform with secular books—or at least books that minimized faith content before they could use their platform for good. The formula was, “First become famous and then make a difference.”

Greg saw things differently. He saw authors like Lee Strobel achieve tremendous success by writing books with clear biblical content that helped people. The formula was reversed; first make a difference and then the platform will follow. “Aim at Heaven,” C.S. Lewis correctly noted, “and you get Earth thrown in. Aim at Earth and you’ll get neither.”

It’s a myth that beginning writers do not get published. Because it happened years ago, many people forget about a brand-new fantasy writer who was looking for an agent named J. K. Rowling. There is a little discussed story about Harry Potter that I read originally in this article in The Observer (http://terrylinks.com/HarryPotter )

Almost everyone knows that J. K. Rowling was an unpublished children’s writer and single mother who wrote Harry Potter in a coffee shop and dreamed of getting published. How was the book discovered and brought into the publishing world?

J. K. Rowling overcame incredible hurdles to secure that initial book contract. Some of those hurdles she passed through with sheer good luck. There is no other way to categorize it. Rowling’s experience definitely fell outside the normal way of publishing.

Here’s the two key paragraphs (in my view) from this article: “The agency, run in ‘cramped’ and ‘near-Dickensian’ offices in Fulham, south-west London, was cash-strapped until touched by Potter’s magic wand. Literary folklore has it that Rowling, then a penniless 29-year-old single mother, walked into a public library in Edinburgh, looked up a list of literary agents and settled on the name Christopher Little because it sounded like a character from a children’s book.”

“Bryony Evens, the office manager at the time, has said that it went straight into the reject basket because ‘Christopher felt that children’s books did not make money’. But its unusual black binding caught her eye, prompting her to read the synopsis and show it to Little. He recalled: ‘I wrote back to JK Rowling within four days of receiving the manuscript. I thought there was something really special there, although we could never have guessed what would happen to it.’ He managed to sell it to Bloomsbury for £2,500, but later it reaped huge rewards from international rights and he has won a reputation as a brilliant deal-maker who puts Rowling first.”

With the current exchange rates, £2,500 is just a bit over $3,100. Also, this article mentions the agent has received an estimated commission of over $100 million. Not a bad return for pulling a manuscript with an unusual manuscript with black binding from the reject basket.

Don’t assume your material can go into this “other” category for how it becomes published. I’d encourage you to work through the normal channels as much as possible but be aware that sometimes a project will jump to the front of the line.

Tweetable:

It may not seem like it to a new writer but beginning writers do get published. In this article, this prolific writer and editor provides encouragement. (ClickToTweet)

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s recent book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

8 Elements of Creating Tension in Your Writing

Contributed by Margot Conor

Recently I have been studying conflict. It is something I avoid in real life. I have always been a peacekeeper. A believer that good communication can solve anything. Even though I try to avoid fighting, I’ve observed more than my share of negative interactions over the years. Bickering, vindictive jealousy, intolerant name calling, mistrustful clinging control issues, and physical abuse… I have a fountainhead of momentous experiences to draw from. I just need to pull out the details from those memories and get them on paper.

However, extracting those emotional dramas of my past from the dusty archives tends to provoke some degree of sadness. The damage is etched on my soul, those memories mark you in some definable way, as experienced. Not the sort of experience you might wish for anyone. The repercussions are not as bad as they might be. You could say they are lessons learned, about what to avoid. Thus, a practice of avoidance.

Now, I must be willing to subject my characters to those experiences. From the nuance of manipulation to the full force of a physical confrontation. Let it be bloody, let it be catastrophic, let it ruin them… just enough.

I’m aware that creating tension in a story is essential for keeping readers engaged, and it requires a combination of narrative techniques that work together to build suspense, anticipation, and emotional investment. There is nothing like putting a character that readers have grown to love in danger. If done right they will hang on every word to find out what happens.

I fully understand the importance of making characters suffer so they can grow, just as I have. However, I’m still honing the skill of writing conflict. I’m learning how to weave in arguments and negative drama, though I have to push myself to really get my characters into tough situations. So here is what I have learned about creating tension in my stories…

The idea is to interject enough of these vital elements as you build your narrative to keep your readers interested. The techniques suggested in this article can help you construct a compelling story. Seductive in its ability to hold your audience, captivating their curiosity, so they just need to know what happens next.

Each technique works in concert with the others, to create a story full of tension. The key is to apply them thoughtfully and with variation, ensuring that the reader is constantly engaged, feeling both the thrill of the immediate conflict and the weight of impending consequences. By layering these through your story, you can craft a dynamic, edge-of-their-seat narrative that keeps readers emotionally invested and eagerly turning the pages.

1. Foreshadowing:

Foreshadowing is a subtle way to hint at future events, creating tension as readers anticipate how things might unfold. By dropping clues—whether through imagery, dialogue, or small actions—the writer builds an undercurrent of suspense. For instance, an offhand comment about a character’s dangerous habit can signal impending disaster, keeping readers alert as they wait for the consequences. Foreshadowing plants seeds of tension early on, making future conflicts feel inevitable.

2. Conflict and Opposing Goals:

At the heart of tension is conflict. When characters have opposing goals, it sets up a natural tension between them. These goals can be both external (two characters vying for the same job) and internal (a character torn between loyalty and ambition). As each character’s desire becomes clearer, the stakes of the story rise, and readers become invested in seeing how these conflicting aims will clash. The stronger the opposition, the more intense the tension becomes.

3. Raising the Stakes:

A key to maintaining tension is continuously raising the stakes. As the story progresses, the consequences of failure should become more significant. What starts as a simple goal should evolve into something much larger—whether it’s a personal risk, the safety of a loved one, or the fate of an entire community. Raising the stakes ensures that the characters, and therefore the readers, have more to lose with each decision, intensifying the emotional and narrative tension.

4. Pacing:

Pacing plays a critical role in how tension is perceived. Too fast, and the reader feels overwhelmed; too slow, and the tension dissipates. Effective tension builds through a balance of fast-paced action sequences and slower moments of introspection or dialogue that deepen the emotional weight of the story. By controlling the rhythm of the plot, a writer can make the peaks of action more impactful and the moments of calm more unsettling as readers wait for the next twist.

5. Curiosity and Unanswered Questions:

Curiosity drives tension by keeping readers wanting more. By introducing unanswered questions—such as a mysterious backstory, an unsolved crime, or a hidden motivation—the writer keeps readers engaged. The desire to uncover the truth pushes the narrative forward, creating a sense of urgency and intrigue. Delaying these answers, while feeding readers just enough clues, builds suspense, and adds to the tension of the unfolding plot.

6. Balance of Internal and External Conflict:

Tension is most effective when it exists on multiple levels. External conflict might come from the outside world—a villain, a looming disaster, or a ticking bomb—while internal conflict stems from a character’s personal struggles, such as moral dilemmas, fears, or emotional wounds. Balancing these two forms of conflict makes the story richer. The external challenges force the character into action, while the internal conflict adds depth, making their decisions more complex and heightening the tension as the reader waits to see how the character will navigate both.

7. Subplots:

Subplots can add layers of tension by introducing secondary conflicts that mirror or contrast with the main storyline. These subplots might involve side characters with their own agendas, romantic tensions, or smaller personal challenges. When integrated well, subplots create a more complex and dynamic narrative, allowing for brief moments of resolution that temporarily relieve tension before plunging back into the central conflict.

8. The Ticking Bomb or Ticking Clock:

One of the most effective ways to increase tension is through the use of a "ticking clock" or "ticking bomb" scenario. This device imposes a time limit on the characters, creating urgency. The stakes become more intense when characters are racing against time—whether it’s a literal bomb about to explode, a rapidly approaching deadline, or an illness that progresses with every passing day. The ticking clock adds a palpable layer of pressure, forcing characters to make difficult decisions under duress, which drives tension to its peak.

If you, like me, struggle with creating tension between your characters, I hope these suggestions will prove helpful in shaping more dynamic interactions. Tension doesn’t always have to come from grand, external events; it can arise from subtle conflicts in desires, opposing goals, or emotional undercurrents. By focusing on how characters' motivations clash, layering in personal stakes, and using pacing to build momentum, you can create a palpable sense of unease or anticipation. The key is to ensure that your characters’ conflicts feel authentic and meaningful, which will naturally enhance the tension in your narrative.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Margot Conor has been writing for as long as she can remember, but it wasn't until the COVID lock-down that she had enough time to dedicate to the craft and bring something to completion. Having finished her first novel, she went through the grueling two-year process of editing. Now she has jumped into the author's world with both feet. Margot's debut multiverse adventure novel, Inverse, is now available on Amazon.

She's spent the last year attending many writing retreats, seminars, and writers' events. She also listened to presentations specifically on the topic of publishing and book marketing. She will be sharing what she learns with the reader. Learn more about Margot at https://margotconor.com/

What a Picture Book Editor Looks For

A couple of years ago, I attended a two-hour writing workshop through SCBWI: Hook, Line, and Sinker: What Catches the Editor’s Eye with Scholastic editor Natalia Remis.

It was not only full ofexcellent information, but the editor also gave the first page of the attendees’ manuscripts a critique!

I try to keep up with the children’s book industry, but online, you get this and that opinion, and the other.

There’s quite a difference in hearing it directly from someone in the trenches.

Okay, let's get to it.

THE BUSINESS END

The BIG publishing houses are in business to sell to the mass market.

When Scholastic contracts a manuscript, they’re thinking of the trade side: book fairs in the school system, book clubs, Target, and so on.

This intent means the manuscripts they sign must appeal to the needs of schools across the nation.

So, what do the publishers want?

They want stories that kids will want to read.

HOW DO PUBLISHERS FIND BOOKS?

1. Editors acquire books from authors they already have under contract.

It takes some of the unknown out of the profit/loss equation.

2. They acquire books from agents they trust. Remis strongly advised that authors be agented.

3. They do some leg work. They actually look at writing blogs.

If Remis likes a blog she will reach out to the blogger.

4. A smaller percentage is from unagented authors.

THE PB MARKET

Picture books are getting harder and harder to publish.

The audience is shrinking.

Usually by second grade, kids are reading chapter books. So, picture books must be written for a younger child.

Writing for younger children isn’t as easy as it sounds. A lot goes into it, including:

- An age-appropriate storyline
- One point-of-view
- Age-appropriate words
- Tight writing to keep it under 800 words
- Grabbing and engaging enough for a child to want to read it over and over and over
- It has to be written with the illustrations in mind

WHAT MAKES A BOOK APPEALING TO AN EDITOR?

The choice to take on a book is personalfor an editor. Remis said a colleague chose a manuscript based on ONE line in the story. Another chose a book because of an illustration in the manuscript.

She likes vintage stories, particularly stories about New York City.

So, how do you grab an editor?

1. Make you and your book visible.

a. Attend conferences and workshops.

Publishing is tough. The more people you know, the better.

Like with this workshop I attended. The editor allowed attendees to send in their manuscripts. This is a HUGE deal! Because of the workshop, she looked at the manuscripts.

b. Research agents and book publishers. Know which ones are a good match for your book.

Remis emphasized this with a story of a cookbook manuscript someone keeps sending her. Even after she told the author that she only handles children’s books, the author keeps sending it to her.

c. Look at recently published books in the library that are similar to your niche. Look at the imprint for the publisher. That house might be a good fit.

d. Write the infamous query letter.

The query letter is where you need to know what the publishing house publishes because you should mention why you think your book will be a good fit for that house or agent.

2. Write a strong story.

a. Keep the length of your manuscript in mind. Picture books aren’t long.

The typical PB is 32 pages, but four to six pages are needed for front and back matter. So, you have around 24-26 pages of actual story and illustrations to work with.

Remis did note that if you just can’t get the story within 26 pages, you can go for a 40-page PB. Those are the TWO options.

b. Write knowing that illustrations will help tell the story.

c. You need a plot with the elements of a good story; a beginning (opens), a middle (explores), and an ending (resolves).

You also need conflict. There must be an emotional journey for the protagonist and the reader.

hat needs to be solved? This is a must. And it must be known at the beginning of the story.

In almost all the manuscript critiques she gave, the conflict, the reason for the story was missing.

Remis suggests using a dummy storyboard or a similar method to see how the story can be laid out.

Another tip she gave is to pick a book from a bookstore, like Barnes and Noble, and type it out word for word.

This strategy is also a copywriting trick. It teaches the brain to write good text.

d. You need a satisfying ending without hitting the reader over the head.

3. Read your story out loud.

As you read it, watch for where you pause or stumble.

4. Read your story to children and watch their reactions.

- Where do you lose your audience?
- Where are they most engaged?
- How long did each page take?
- How did it flow?

Remis said she occasionally reads to groups of schoolchildren to see their reactions to stories she’s working on. She ends up revising the story as she’s reading to the kids. She’ll eliminate words, sentences, and even pages.

Your story must read well out loud.

SOCIAL MEDIA MATTERS

A social media platform can be a big deal. It’s important for young adult authors but also for picture book authors.

If a publisher knows you have a nice-sized following on Facebook, Instagram, or other popular social network, they’ll feel more comfortable that you can help sell your books.

OTHER TIPS

1. Remis recommended “Picture This” by Molly Bang. It shows how a PB works.

2. Don’t add a lot of Art Notes.

3. Don’t tell the editor or illustrator how to lay out the book.

4. Don’t talk down to kids.

5. Don’t tell your story – show it.

6. Don’t overdo the dialogue.

7. If you’re not a skilled illustrator, don’t submit a picture book with illustrations.

This was an eye-opening workshop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karen Cioffi is an award-winning children’s author, ghostwriter, rewriter, and children’s writing coach with clients worldwide. If you need help with your children’s story, please visit Karen Cioffi Writing for Children.

Karen also offers HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK.
A 250+ book that will help you start or finish your children’s book

And for those children’s authors who are self-publishing and need help, Karen provides WRITERS ON THE MOVE SELF-PUBLISHING SERVICE.

New Inspiration for Bloggers

A little story about chapbooks

New Inspiration for Bloggers

By Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning author of
The Frugal Book Promoter

From Amazon’s New Buy Page for Series Only

Many of us who use blogs to promote think of them as diaries best kept cloistered under lock and key, as a path to writing a book one entry (chapter) at a time as Lisa Cron suggested in her book Wired for Story, or as something too new or techy to be bothered with. Some authors might spurn them because they are used so frequently for marketing which they would prefer to avoid altogether and others might still feel queasy when they succumb to marketing for the good of their book. I am going to tell you how to rethink blogs, re-invent them with something ancient and outdated, and generally make you love them.

When I was an instructor for UCLA’s renowned Writers’ Program the storyteller in me made me tell my students about chapbooks before I told them about the far-reaching value of blogs. I combined the tech and romance in my story. I knew my students—being writers—would respond to a good story, too. It’s the story of chapbooks and their creators, the peddlers, the people called “chapmen:”

“Once upon Elizabethan Times—some time after the advent of the Gutenberg Press when common folk were just learning to read—roving peddlers wandered from village to village selling a variety of needs to the populace and they were called chapmen. It came to pass—as it always does in old tales—that one enterprising (and creative) chapman began to give away small promotional booklets showcasing his products to those who came by his cart. His booklets were so effective he began including a poem he had written in them. Or a story. Or his drawings. Those booklets soon became treasured literary and artistic works from the poems inside to their hand-stitched spines and handmade covers. Soon his customers began talking about their chapman, perhaps seeing him differently than before.

“I suspect that occasionally our chapman offered an extra booklet to give to a friend. Our chapman was for his audience a welcome diversion in the villager’s lives as well as a more affluent chapman than most, so the books he gave away—unbeknownst to him—inspired other itinerants to emulate him and all the British Isles was calling these artistic sales tools “chapbooks.”

That’s why, dear authors, we use the word “chapbook” for small books of poetry today. But we can also use them—as he did—as a kind of viral marketing scheme, one that encourages interaction between the poet or storyteller and customer.

They can be artistic with handmade endpapers and silken bookmarks or simple booklets barely large enough to meet Amazon’s requirements for publication. They can be reasonably priced or cost lots of money and time. I plan to use one when the next book in my HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers is released in the new year. It will be the frugal kind (of course!) from Amazon’s KDP!

Chapbooks can be sold at online bookstores or given away for their promotion value at book signings and presentations. I might include tips from the new book, a special offer to those who buy extras as gifts, and even poems or story excerpts for the books I have planned for the whole of 2025.

It seems writing finds a way to adapt to new technologies so why not re-adapt chapbooks to your needs. Without realizing it, the world of technology brought us a newbie chapbook with blogs. The basic concept is the same, but they let us reach farther and do it faster than the chapman could. So the question is, what will you use? Blog? Chapbook? Or both?

MORE ABOUT TODAY’S CONTRIBUTOR

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a novelist, poet, and the author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers (http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com). The flagship book in that series is now available in its 3^rd Edition from Modern History Press. Her #thefrugalbookpromotertips feature Amazon’s new buy pages dedicated to book series at no extra cost. If you write a series, find hers as an example at https://amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T. She also has a series of poetry chapbooks cowritten with Magdalena Ball at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFKMM9FN.

Carolyn also blogs writers’ resources at Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites pick www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com and her www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com is a NO #bookbigotry site that aims to extend the exposure for reviews no matter the publish date or the press it is printed on. Find submission guidelines at https://tinyurl.com/SubmitReviewTNBR and other free opportunities by clicking on the round silver icons in the right column.

What is Your Story's Theme

Contributed by Karen Cioffi, Children's Ghostwriter and Coach

Theme can be a frightening topic. Do you have a theme in mind before striking the first key? Do you write your first draft and then decide what the theme is? Do you have a problem deciding what the theme is, even after you’re in revisions?

In an article, “What We Talk About When We Talk About Theme,” in the Writer’s Chronicle, May 2010, Eileen Pollack discusses theme:

The concrete elements of any story constitute its plot—Character A, in Village B, is torn by a specific conflict that gives rise to a series of concrete actions through which she relieves that stress. The more general question raised in the reader’s mind by this specific character acting out this specific plot constitutes the story’s aboutness—or, dare I say, it’s theme.

This description of the elements of a story holds true for any fiction work, including children’s stories. The elements, woven together with theme as the foundation, are what make the reader continue turning the pages… it’s what makes the reader care.

According to Pollack, “Theme is the writer’s answer to the reader’s rude, So what?” And if the theme is poignant and captures what some or many people actually do, it will allow the reader to recognize the situation and actions. This connection will keep the reader engaged. Hopefully, the reader will be able to take the theme away with them, however subtle it is.

For those worried about the theme affecting the story’s natural flow, Pollack advises deciding on your theme after your first draft. Once you have your theme in hand, go over your story again and again. You can now let the theme subtly permeate your story. Pollack goes on to say, “The most powerful use of theme is the way it allows you to fill in your character’s inner lives.”

Literary agent Mary Kole, in her blog at Kidlit.com, also sheds light on the worrisome theme:

When you revise, think about what your work is saying. You’ve got to have a reason for writing it. There should be distinct themes and ideas that you could point to as the center of your book. [. . .] Once you know what these are — and you usually won’t until you’ve started revising — you can use them as a lens. [. . .] A theme for your work should color everything in it, subtly, especially the descriptions.

So, there you have it; after you’ve written your story and are working on revisions, your theme should become evident if you haven’t already gotten it. Using it as a “lens” and filtering each paragraph through it, you should be able to convey the theme to the reader.