The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. That’s what I wanted for my writing career: a nice, straight short line from typing my opening lines to holding my published (and well-reviewed) book in my hands.
I should have known it wouldn’t happen like that. I already know that the most interesting stories involve plot twists, unexpected moments, and surprise reveals. And my career as a writer has had all of those and more.
Early on, when it felt like I was never going to find a home for my stories, I made a decision to celebrate every up and down along the way. Because I realized that if I only focused on the end, I would miss out on an incredible, unforgettable journey.
Your journey as a writer is going to be an interesting story. Don’t try to avoid it. Don’t wish it won’t happen. Embrace every milestone, especially the uncomfortable frustrating and sad ones.
Each one of these milestones means you are part of the creative community. But what milestones should you celebrate?
One of the best parts of this mindset is that there’s no rule book about which milestones you need to celebrate. You get to choose what matters.
I suggest you start simple. When you complete your first draft, kick up your feet and indulge in something sweet. I like a piece of dark chocolate with my coffee.
Then when you’ve completed revisions and revisions and more revisions, celebrate by going on a walk somewhere new, or calling a friend.
The first time someone at critique group suggests a change to something you love, celebrate by sending them a thank you.
And when you send off your first submission – but before you hear back – splurge a little! What makes you happy and carefree? What gives you a feeling of peace and calm? For me, it’s going birding…or getting ice cream.
When that first rejection comes along, treat yourself to something like a sour candy. It’s bitter, but also sweet. Getting a rejection means you submitted something and someone took the time to reply.
Don’t forget to celebrate the tenth, and the twentieth rejections, too. It all counts in the life of a writer.
I remember the first time a magazine accepted one of my submissions – we went out for the fancy pizza! And when a magazine rejected my story for the fifth time? We went out for the fancy breakfast. I made sure to include my kids in my milestone moments because they need to see how to handle the good and the bad.
What other milestones can you create to celebrate? Maybe the first time you invest in yourself and sign up for a writing class or the first time someone asks you for advice.
All of these milestones matter, even the ones you make up. They are indicators or signposts, that you are putting in the work. You are living the creative writing life.
There are always going to be bumps on the road. But instead of avoiding them, ride them up and down. Straight lines are overrated, anyway!!
I love reading picture books. Yep, I’m turning 49 this year and I read almost 200 picture books every year!! I teach a graduate writing class about picture books and an after school club on writing picture books. But I also read them for pure enjoyment because I love picture books.
I write picture books, but I also write longer middle grade and young adult manuscripts. And reading (and writing) picture books help me write better novels.
There are three things I practice when I write a picture book, and getting good at writing these things make better books of any length. But the reason to practice these when writing picture books is because it’s arguably harder to write picture books. You have to refine and perfect all the story elements very quickly, because you should not write more than 500 words, ideally. And you need to leave room for illustrations. It’s not easy.
Here are the three elements:
Voice – Creating a unique voice is key. Can you do it quickly in a picture book? Working on this, by choosing words or sentence syntax, will help you do it well in your novels when you’re juggling lots more character and dialogue.
Plot – Does something happen in your story? If not, you don’t have a picture book OR a novel. So figure out the beginning, middle, climax, and resolution. Learning how to do this well in the tight page limit of the picture book is perfect practice for the longer story. Even better is working to add a B plot to your picture book. You can do it!
Showing character change – Your character better change in any story you write, and in general, your character should change for the better. The character should have a happy resolution in a picture book. That’s essential for the main audience of this type of book. Older readers can deal with more complex character change, but there should always be an element of hope.
Work on these three elements in any story you write, no matter how many words. Strengthen these skills and you will write stories that readers love, and you will love the feeling of knowing you’ve written something great.
How do you write a book? Word by word, sentence by sentence, and SCENE BY SCENE. Strong scenes show readers what they need to know about your main character: their secrets, their struggles, and their successes.
There are three O’s you need in every scene you’re writing. I wish I could remember where I learned this, but it’s been years. YEARS! I have these jotted on a post-it note that has lost its stickiness because it’s so old. I now have it taped to my desk.
First, you need an Objective. This is your character’s goal. What do they want? What do they think they want? It may or may not be what they need. Make sure readers say, “Oh yeah, that’s a cool goal!”
Then you need an Obstacle. This is the who or what that is getting in your main character’s way. Your main character needs an Obstacle that is related to their Objective. (Something that makes readers say “Oh No!”
Finally, you need an Outcome. Does the main character overcome their Obstacle and reach their Objective? The answer should be “sort of.” Because the Outcome should add a new element to the Objective and Obstacle so that readers keep reading. If the main character solves their big Obstacle in Chapter 1, your book is done. Hopefully readers say, “Oh my, I didn’t expect that!” and keep reading.
Those are your three O’s that you need in every scene. If you don’t have them, your plot is just a series of events, not actual scenes, and your story will sag and droop and people will not keep reading.
Summer blockbusters are all about fun. So while you’re at movie nights in the park, pay attention to these three things from movies that you can add to your book and make it lots of fun!
Mini Quests! We rewatched the first Percy Jackson movie after the new streaming series came out. I realized that my kids loved the mini-quests that Percy & Co. went on to save his mom and find the thief. So put some mini-quests into your adventure book. Each scene will teach readers about your characters and they keep the action moving.
A montage! There’s got to be some kind of montage scene in all my favorite movies, and you can do this in your book. Whether it’s fashion outfits, weapons, magic, baking treats, whatever is central to your theme. It builds the vibe but doesn’t bog the reader down in too many details.
Feast or party scene! The feast or party scene is where big emotions boil over into massive reveals, where lots of characters come together to interact, and they can help you transition into the next stage of the plot. So bring people together for prom, or a birthday party, or a festival, or anything really. It’s also great world-building. If your character is all alone all the time, it can be hard to bring their inner dialogue out. Feast scenes are your ticket to resolving this. And, people love tasty food.
So there are your three things from movies that can make books fun. Do you have a favorite montage, feast, or mini-quest from a movie or show you can think of? Have you added this element to your book? NO?? Then get started!
The Olympics start July 26 in Paris and I’m so excited! I love the Olympics. I love watching dreams come true, and sympathize with the heartache. The personal stories pull me in, and I am captivated by the way people around the world work toward a common finish line, a new height, a faster time, a greater goal. Just making it to the Olympics is worth celebrating!!
I also love to see the wide variety of sports represented at the Olympics, and they add new sports all the time. In recognition of the competition and the struggle, I wrote a little essay that I hope entertains and inspires you. And if you’ve ever competed in this particular Olympics, I award you an honorary medal!
The Parenting Olympics
Julie: Good morning to everyone watching at home and welcome to the Parenting Olympics! We’re just starting here, but most of our competitors were woken up before sunrise with the Greco-Roman blanket wrestling event.
Ray: I’d say our competitors are used to those kind of early morning shenanigans, wouldn’t you?
Julie: I would, Ray. They’re used to pushing themselves to the absolute limits of stamina and strength on practically no sleep.
Ray: Masters at work.
Julie: Truly. It looks like the next event is already starting, the first heat of the potty training sprint.
Ray: Heads up out there! Emergency!
Julie: It’s a bit earlier than we’ve planned but that’s just how the Parenting Olympics goes. And it looks like everyone made it to the potty on time.
Ray: That’s a relief.
Julie: No, wait, I’m wrong, we have one competitor in trouble.
Ray: It’s the bibbed overalls! Absolute mayhem!
Julie: He needs to speed up or there will be consequences in the laundry marathon later.
Ray/Julie: Oh no!
Julie: Not a good start. And they’ve been working so hard on potty training.
Ray: How do these parents stay in shape for these extensive challenges?
Julie: Training is 24/7. Competitors have sacrificed socializing, relaxing, and in some cases personal hygiene. Many are on special diets of leftover carbohydrates and hundreds of ounces of caffeine. And now, as we clean up from the potty training sprint, let’s check in with the competitors in the laundry marathon.
Ray: This is one event that just seems endless.
Julie: Only the competitors with unlimited stamina can tackle this event and survive its endless miles of unfolded, unsorted clothes.
Ray: Just look at the mountains of underwear and onesies and t-shirts and sports uniforms and towels. And all those socks! Do any of them have a match?
Julie: Since that event doesn’t look like it’s ending anytime soon, we’re going to cut away and check in with what’s going on in the other competitions.
Ray: Check out the footwork over there!
Julie: The LEGO hurdles are one of today’s toughest events.
Ray: Look at the coordination! The quick reactions!
Julie: Both are absolutely essential for competitors to overcome these painful and sometimes invisible obstacles.
Ray: Amazing!
Julie: Hang on, Ray, we’re getting an alert that the kids are getting hungry. And you know what that means.
Ray: The individual meal medley!
Julie: That’s right. This can be complex for our viewers at home. It’s so hard to remember who will eat what and more importantly who won’t eat what.
Ray: It’s a culinary creative challenge.
Julie: It is. The top competitors here will be masters of variety and multi-tasking to feed that cranky horde of picky eaters.
Ray: I don’t know how they do it, Julie.
Julie: It’s a mystery. Ray, I’ve just received an update that it’s time to lower our voices for the next event.
Julie (whispering): Here we’re seeing parents execute elaborate bouncing, walking and contortions choreographed with perfect rhythm and precision of movement in time with soothing lullaby tunes all to help the baby fall asleep and stay asleep.
Ray (whispering): It’s all about that second part isn’t it, Julie?
Julie: None of their efforts will matter if that baby wakes up. But so far, so good.
Ray: I’m almost asleep myself.
Julie: Things are looking good, eyes closed, bodies relaxed — except, oh no. Looks we spoke too soon. That’s a shame. Let’s check in on those laundry marathoners.
Ray: Still folding, Julie.
Julie: They won’t give up. And now we have our first team event, the after-school carpool relay. Here’s a graphic that explains how it works.
Ray: That’s worse than a nuclear bomb schematic. I can barely keep up with that list of addresses and time tables, can you, Julie?
Julie: I’ve done this myself, Ray, and it is not for amateurs. The after-school carpool relay requires detailed coordination and communication between team members.
Ray: It’s magical, really, the way they have timed their hand-offs! Like clockwork! Wait, what’s that? Is that what I think it is?
Julie: I see it, too, Ray. Looks like one of our parents has been forced to compete in the potty training sprint for the second time today! What a challenge.
Ray: She was a blur.
Julie: We wish her the best of luck. We’ve seen an incredible display of parenting skill today, Ray, but it looks like we’re coming to the last and often most challenging event of the competition.
Ray: Already?
Julie: Yes, Ray. It’s time for the sleeping child deadlift.
Ray: My back is in agony just imagining doing this!
Julie: Watch as these parents, already exhausted from the day’s events, attempt to lift a sleeping child off the floor or out of a car and carry them up several flights of stairs.
Ray: I can’t believe it!
Julie: What many viewers don’t know is the kids have doubled their weight for this event.
Ray: Masters of their sport.
Julie: And look, even the laundry marathoners, who still have several piles remaining, are competing here. Some are even carrying laundry and sleeping children.
Ray: Awe-inspiring!
Julie: We are seeing something special here tonight, Ray.
Ray: It’s monumental! Poetry in motion.
Julie: Don’t forget they will required to compete in these exact same events tomorrow, Ray. I’ve also heard that some may face an additional event that crops up now and then: child-rearing advice fencing.
Ray: No!
Julie: Yes, it’s not easy to parry judgmental comments from total strangers.
Ray: They’ll need reflexes of a ninja.
Julie: And let’s remember that none of these competitors will receive even a single medal for their efforts.
Ray: It makes you wonder, Julie, why they do it. What is it that drives them to compete, to give it their all, to be the best they can in every event?
Julie: Love, Ray. They do it out of love. Thanks for joining us today for this broadcast of the Parenting Olympics. I’m your host, Julie, and you can find us here tomorrow, because these particular Olympics never end.
Ray: And I’m Ray. Good night, sweet dreams, it’s time for bed, we already read a story, and no, you can’t have a drink of water.
Are you working foreshadowing into your story? OK, good, but are you doing it in a clever way?
Consider this example I just read online.
“Foreshadowing is a warning of a future event through context clues in storytelling. In a movie like Jurassic Park, the foreshadowing is subtle. When the helicopter is landing to take them to the park, Dr. Grant (Sam Neill) only has two female connectors to his seat belt. So what does he do? Well, life finds a way and he ties them together, foreshadowing later when we find out the dinosaurs are reproducing unchecked inside the park.”
I loved reading that! And there are other great examples from three of my favorite movies.
Becca in Pitch Perfect sings her own song at the audition. We know from this scene that she’s not going to just sing what people tell her to sing. She’s also late, which means she doesn’t follow the rules and do what’s expected.
Cady in Mean Girls, her name is pronounced two ways. This shows that she’s not quite sure who she is, and neither is anyone else. Also, it sounds like “catty” and she gets sucked into some very not-nice behaviors.
Bring It On – Torrance’s bad dream in the opening is about being naked in front the school, or being exposed, and she is embarrassed and humiliated. And guess what? She uncovers and exposes a huge secret and is embarrassed and humiliated. Torrance’s dream comes true when she learns Big Red has been stealing their cheers.
I’ve been a writer for a long time – all the way back to when I started a literary journal in seventh grade. And I’ve been a member of SCBWI for over 10 years! I’ve learned a lot over that time, and picked up some very useful habits.
But there are a few things that I used to do as a beginning writer that I don’t do anymore. Why don’t I do them? Sometimes it’s because I’m lazy. Sometimes it’s because I forgot that I used to do them and just got out of the habit. Maybe I should start doing them again! And sometimes it’s because I learned a new, better way to handle things.
Here are three things I used to do that I don’t do anymore.
Write out my story by hand first. I used to love writing by hand. I filled notebook after notebook. But as I got to be a better typist, I could type as fast as I was thinking. It was hard to keep up with my thoughts when I writing by hand. I still journal by hand, but I usually start my stories by typing now, and usually in Scrivener.
Worry about starting in the wrong spot. I don’t do this anymore, because I know I can always go back and change things. I just start writing my story at what feels like the best spot. Yes, sometimes this means when I’m revising, I will go back and delete the first two, three or even four chapters. But that’s better than rewriting my first chapter over and over and over and not making any progress. It also helps that I outline my stories first, so I generally have a strong idea of the right place to begin.
Complete a full character profile sheet on every character before I start a story. Uh oh, does this sound like blasphemy? Oh well. I don’t do it. I don’t interview my characters or write out their full backstory. But I do know their wants and needs, their misbeliefs, and their funny habits. I jot down a few important things, then I move forward. I used to try to do these things, but it really became a big source of procrastination for me. So I stopped doing them, and my stories have turned out just fine. Sometimes it’s important to figure out what works for you, instead of doing what every other writer says is required.
I wish I could say that while I used to have imposter syndrome, I don’t have it anymore, but that’s not true. I think there is always going to be something in my brain that makes me ask, “am I really doing OK at this?” It has gotten a little easier to answer, “yes, you are doing fine.” And I hope that it gets easier for you, too, if you have the same issue.
Do you belong to a critique group? If you want to be a writer, and you want to sell your work, I truly believe you need to join at least one critique group. For best results, I think more than one critique group is the best way to go. And it’s even better if you can get into different critique groups with different kinds of writers.
I’m in three groups. One is with people who live nearby and we meet face to face. The other two are online. The first online one is made up of writers who mostly write nonfiction. The second group is all agented writers. I get incredible feedback from every group, but I also get a variety of different kinds of feedback. Each group helps me become a better writer, and I love my critique partners. That’s why I want to give them the best critique feedback I can on their work!! It’s the only way to show my gratitude.
Before I give any kind of feedback, I ask my critique partners some questions.
Do you have a specific question or problem area you want me to focus on? This question is really important because it helps me really focus in on what they need or want to make their story better, instead of me only providing the kind of thoughts or reactions I had. Maybe they really want me to think about plot, but they don’t care about the setting so much. Or they don’t care about fixing punctuation (which is copyediting, not critique, but that’s a comment for a different post!!) and really want to know if the dialogue felt real. Finding out what my critique partner wants helps me provide useful feedback.
Do you have a pitch for this story? Yes, back to focusing on the pitch. I can’t stress this enough, but knowing the pitch is key to know if you’ve written a story that delivers on the promise of the pitch. And if my critique partner wants to sell this story, I think the two things need to go together. I won’t be doing them any favors if I ignore one.
Who is your ideal reader for this story? I need to know this answer so I can help my critique partner evaluate if they have written a story that works for the age of their ideal reader. I will think about vocabulary, sentence structure, the topic of the story, and what kind of background information the reader might need to have to grasp any concepts or ideas. Knowing the ideal reader also helps me think about how to market the story, and I can give some suggestions to my critique partner about that, too.
After those three questions, I can give my critique partner some strong, useful feedback. But if I have time, I often ask a fourth bonus question.
What part of your story is your favorite? This is a sneaky question, but I still think it’s important. I really genuinely want to know what my critique partner loves about their own work. And it helps with that positive reinforcement that they have created something beautiful. But it also helps me get a sense of what they are passionate about, and for me to share my favorite part of the story with them. It always feels good to celebrate the things we love.
Those links are three paths to some great advice FROM my critique partners. But when I’m bringing a story to my next critique group meeting, I’m always prepared to give my partners three things. I think these three things help me get the most of my group time, but they also help the group overall.
I bring my story pitch. I like to bring my story pitch because I want to sell my stories. And I know that to sell my stories, I need to be able to pitch them. I also know that the story pitch is the promise of the story, what I’m promising I’ll deliver to the agent, editor, and reader who picks up my story. So, I bring the pitch because I want to know if it’s interesting and if I’ve delivered on the promise. Bringing the pitch is good practice because I can also tell if a story is ready to bring to the group. If I can’t pitch it, it’s not ready for the group. And it’s far from ready for my agent!
I bring a clear, main question about my story. I never ask my critique partners if they like my story. That’s not a helpful question. But a clear, main question about my story that I do bring is “Does this part of the plot make sense?” or “Do you believe the main character would make this choice?” or “Does this voice set a scary tone or a funny tone?” Because those questions are ones I can take action on, I can make revision decisions. I can’t change if someone likes my story or not. But I can strengthen my story based on the answers to a clear, main question. Also, I can focus feedback on something that really helps me write a better story.
I bring suggested comparative titles. Why do I bother bringing the comparative titles or “comps” to critique group? Because I want my critique partners to know the vibe or feeling or theme that I’m hoping to create, and I want to know if I’ve hit the target. I also want them to help me refine my comps into something that feels right. Again, I don’t really want to know if my crit group likes my story. I want to use this precious time to really hone in on the best way to market my story.
So those are the three things I bring to my critique group. But there’s also a fourth and fifth item that I bring, and I thought we could all use a reminder. I always bring an open mind, and a closed mouth. I come prepared to listen to feedback and not use up the group’s time defending my choices or explaining what I meant to write. That’s a waste. I want to get the most from the group that I can, and I don’t get that if I’m the one talking!
Do you bring anything special to your group? Do you always prepare a specific question? Do you always ask people to read your story out loud? I’d love to hear your methods and ideas!
When you’re writing a story, any kind of story, including graphic novels, nonfiction, news articles, funny stories in a text to your best friend – WHATEVER!!! – you want to be creative. At least, I want to be creative. I hope you do, too!
But creativity can be hard to turn on some days. Some days I feel blah or dull in my brain. But I know that these feelings can be cleaned out and swept away with a few tricks. I’m going to share mine with you, and then I want to hear how you tap into your creativity.
Exercise. Yes, exercise. In whatever shape or form you like to do exercise, do it. I’m not going to dictate that you do a certain kind of exercise for a certain length of time, but I do find that aerobic exercise works the best for me in terms of coming up with new ways of thinking about something. So, find something that works for you. Experiment. Try a new kind of movement. Walking, running, swimming, rowing, dancing – whatever!!! But get that blood pumping and that oxygen into your brain and let the neurons sparkle and snap. You will find your creativity.
Make something. Whether it’s baking or cooking (I’m good at one and only so-so at the other), drawing, gardening, sculpting, soap carving, knitting, whatever!!! Again it’s all up to you, but the act of making something that isn’t writing can feel really empowering. You remind yourself that you are good at creating. It’s not procrastinating at all, it’s actually a reinforcement of the idea that you can start and finish something that you enjoy, and you will bring that to your writing.
Read outside the genre you’re writing. I love to read all kinds of writing about all kinds of topics, and I promise that if you expand what you read, it will help you be more creative in your writing. When I’m writing nonfiction, I read rom-coms. When I’m writing a picture book with a fun premise, I might read a field guide. (Yes, I love to read field guides). When I’m working on a textbook, I read poetry. Sometimes, I read print magazines when I’m tackling a graphic novel manuscript. Bring in all kinds of ideas and perspectives to your brain from all kinds of writing. Let it swirl around and unlock some new doors you didn’t even know were waiting.
These are my top three ways to bring creativity into my writing. I rely on them to help me be creative and think about not only my manuscripts, but my life, in a new way. But they only work when I actually use them, and when I practice being creative. That’s is the main point of all of this. You can’t be creative if you sit and wait for it. You have to work on it every day and build the creativity habit. So these little side methods are my creativity cross-training. I use them to build up my creativity muscles and keep things fresh and strong.
Now, what do you do to strengthen your creativity?
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