November 7th, 2009
Writing a picture book is a challenging and rewarding choice in the children’s book arena. To do so successfully though requires that you arm yourself with a few skills and some information. The picture book is very versatile in its range of topics, its writing style and its wide array of illustrative possibilities.
There are some important guidelines that must be followed in its structure however that will impact on the layout of your story. Picture books are generally either 24 or 32 pages long, it is possible to go shorter or longer but the makeup of the book is always a multiple of eight.There are of course introductory or information pages, a title page and a blank page front and/or back if required that can be used to fill out the book. For the standard 32 page book you will roughly have a word count of about 2000, but take into account also the nature of your illustrations and how they will flow with the story.
It’s important to consider how the story will fit into the pages and it often helps to make a mock up of you book so you can assess its pace. Publishers will have the final say but you must know that the work you’re presenting meets the requirements. There are a few basic picture book categories and although not exclusive they make up a large majority of what is in the market. They include the story book, the concept book and the novelty book each require the same considerations in presentation.
Tags: children, guideline, illustrations, information, novelty, picture book, publishers, story book
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November 5th, 2009
If you want to write a book I think it would be okay to assume you also want to sell it. This is where it becomes important to choose the right kind of book. So lets look at a few things to consider to get you on the right track.
If you are going to approach a publisher research them first and find out what kinds of books they publish. Gather as much information as you can about them and keep it organised. Familiarise yourself with what is selling, most bookshops list the top ten sellers. Check the publishers of these books and make sure you include them in your research. Stay on top of what the publishers guidelines are as these can change. There is no point going to the trouble of writing something if publishers aren’t interested. Even if you choose to publish yourself, and this isn’t difficult, you still want to know it will sell.
When deciding on a topic you know is popular, for example wizards, make sure you have a new, fresh and original approach.You also need to decide on fiction or non-fiction, what age you will write for and whether or not you will do one off stories or a series based on the adventures of certain characters. Most of these decisions are yours to make but even so to be successful you must have a plan and a basic outline of how the book/s will unfold.
Be very informed on who the readers of your book will be, what they enjoy and are interested in, the language they use amongst their peers, their views on life and what their concerns are. All these issues will guide you in your choice of characters, the length of your book, and your writing style.
Choosing the right book to write will also depend on you and how you fit with each possible avenue. You must write to suit the reader so find out where your strengths lie, learn what the market is telling you and get to know publishers preferences and guidelines.
Tags: adventure, book, bookshop, fiction, market, non-fiction, publish, publisher, reader, wizard, write
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November 2nd, 2009
Having an idea is essential but so is taking it to the next level if you are going to write and publish books. Lots of would be writers have lots of ideas but if they are not used then that’s all they’ll ever be.
Once you have gathered together a few ideas, you need to decide what you will do with them. Do you want to write a picture book or a novel, will you publish yourself or submit to a professional publisher? Publishers have certain criteria you must meet, make sure you’re aware of these before you start.
How will you tell the story? From whose point of view? This will also depend on the characters in your story, and the direction you want the story to take. Finding the narrator position in a story can sometimes be the most difficult part and can often let down an otherwise good plot if not done correctly.
Reading childrens books will help you get a feel for how this is done. Writing in the first person from the main characters point of view is often the most acceptable and can also be relatively easy. A close relationship can be developed with the reader as they experience the story through the main characters thoughts and feelings, but make sure you can stick with it throughout the story.
Take some time to work on the introduction to the story, it is here in the first few lines that you will capture or lose the reader. For young children introducing the character/s first is essential to get them interested. Raising a question they need answered and a clue to the environment is also important. Achieving all of this in the first few lines of the story can be tricky but worth the effort.
Go over your ideas, explore them, play with them and see where they take you.
Next Post: Choosing the Right Book to Write
Tags: children, childrens book publishers, childrens books, ideas, publishers, reading, self publish, writer, writing, writing for children
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November 1st, 2009
How do you find your story?
If this is what stops you don’t be discouraged there are many ways to find inspiration. As much as you can, take what inspires you and make it your own. Taking themes or plots from previously successful stories can sometimes be the beginning of the road to rejection, you really need to draw on your own imagination as much as you can. You will get better at this with time and continued effort.
The important thing to remember is not to allow yourself to get discouraged, that serves no one. If you’re really having a hard time coming up with ideas take some time out, call it your Inspiration Time, go for a walk in the park or the beach, meditate or do whatever it is that relaxes you. Ideas go out you have to give them some ground to come in, relax your mind, don’t stress.
Creating a fertile mind that is open to recieving inspiration is your first step, it will allow you to see all the opportunities for stories around you. Sure you may repeat old themes or ideas but they will have a uniquely ‘you’ slant to them, you will begin to develop your own writers voice.
With the foundations above you have some tools that will allow inspiration to work for you. So now you just need to get active in looking just as you go about your day with notepad and pen handy jot down ideas as you see them. Like a detective you are on a mission, there a clues all around you find them and build on them.
Next Post:- Take your Ideas to the Next Level
Tags: active, beach, clue, create, fertile, ideas, Inspiration, meditate, park write, relax, tools
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October 30th, 2009
Obviously this is a very important question to answer before you decide to write for children. However you also have to consider that for younger children especially the adult in their lives will be who you must appeal to.
Can you go back to your childhood and draw on, not the stories you read but your experiences, your adventures and what you thought about them, how you reacted to them? You must enter the mind of the child and not write from the perspective of the adult.
Children want adventure, mystery, obstacles to overcome, they want to be frightened and then reach a successful outcome. The childrens book must have its focus on the child. Children don’t want to read what an adult thinks or feels as much as they are interested in the childs adventure, challenges and resolutions.
Getting to know what children are reading involves research. Spend as much time as it takes to familiarise yourself with what is currently selling. Visit libraries, read children’s and parenting magazines, examine children’s television programming can you find a common theme running through the different mediums.
Don’t forget to take into account age appropriate material and whether what you are considering meets with your purpose. Are you wanting to write humourous, adventure or life experience stories? To determine what children are reading and how you can meet that demand requires you to do your research and keep up with what the current trends are in each age group.
Next Post: – Inspiration – Make it Work for You!
Have a Great Day 
Tags: adventure, children, medium, mystery, parent, read, research, sell, stories, trend
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October 28th, 2009
What was your childhood like? Was it full of adventure? Did you take regular holidays? What do you remember about being a kid, what stands out in your mind?
If you want to write for children you can but there are a few things to consider and a few questions to ask yourself.
Creativity doesn’t always come naturally and it doesn’t have to there are many things you can do to inspire yourself and gather ideas together. Don’t be fooled into thinking however that writing for children is easier than other types of writing. You will find it to be quite the other way around.
Ask yourself what your motivation is. Is it your love of children or maybe you’re just a big kid yourself. You will need to have passion not only for writing but for writing in a way that reaches out to children. Your story or stories will have to fill a need in their lives whether that need be for pure entertainment, silliness and laughter or reassurance, courage and love.
You will also need to have respect for children, they may not have a lot of life experience but you can’t fool them. Today they have so much more of the world right in front of them and even though they take so much of it in they really do still want to be kids.
If when you write you can draw on your childhood memories and imagination while at the same time consider what today’s kids are interested in you are off to a good start.
Tomorrow – What do children want to read?
Have a Great day
Tags: adventure, book, childhood, children, craft, creativity, holidays, kids, love, passion, read, write
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October 27th, 2009
Have you ever looked at beautiful mosaic tables or mirrors and wished you could make one yourself, I know I have. Here are a few basic instructions you will be able to follow and apply to any design.
If it’s your first attempt at this it’s best to start with a flat surface so a small side table or mirror frame will be a good choice.
What You Will Need :-
- Old plates or/and tiles are the easiest to start with but china, glass and shells are also good depending on your project.
- Impact adhesive
- Paint brush
- Corrugated cardboard
- Clear contact or tape
- Pencil
- Hammer
- Tile cutter
- 2 pairs of pliers
- Rubber gloves
- Poster paint
- Tile grout
- Large sponge
Plan your design and draw it out on your project base. Seal the surface with a coat of adhesive using a brush and leave to dry according to instructions or for at least one hour.
Break up your material, if you are using plates cover with contact and cardboard then tap with the hammer to break into smallish pieces. Check your plate with each hammer tap.
Spread adhesive over your projects surface a section at a time extending a little past the design outline. Transfer mosaic pieces to the glued surface, leaving small gaps in between each piece to allow for grout. Continue in this way until your design is complete.
If you use tiles for part or all of the design you will need the tile cutter to score and cut to the desired size, roughly a 15mm square is a good size for most designs. For smaller pieces score with tile cutter then use the pliers to snap. Make sure there are no sharp pieces overhanging the edges. Leave your design overnight to dry thoroughly.
Grout your mosaic using rubber gloves to protect your hands, Mix the grout as directed. Buy a coloured grout of your choice or mix in poster paint to get the colour you want. Use the sponge to work the grout into all the gaps, make it level with the surface. Smooth out, removing excess grout with a clean damp sponge, smooth and even the edges. Allow to dry overnight, clean off any remaining film from the grout and polish your finished mosaic with a clean cloth.
Well Done
Tags: adhesive, china, colour, design, glass, grout, hammer, mirror, mosaic, plates, polish, shells, table, tile
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October 26th, 2009
This style uses plaster of Paris again but in a slightly different way to making plaster moulds and sticking them onto the frame but I’m sure you will enjoy this one just as much and be very happy with the results..
For this style you will need:-
- Flat picture frame (min width 7.5cm)
- Stiff cardboard and tape
- Plaster of Paris
- Playdough
- Biscuit cutter shapes
- Paint and brush
What to Do:-
Cut four strips of cardboard to form a box around the outside of your picture frame. The sides will need to come above the frame by a few centimetres. Do the same on the inside of your picture frame. Make sure the corners of the boxed area are secure with tape to prevent leakage of the plaster.
Use the biscuit shape of your choice and the playdough to make some shapes and place them, as you like, around the frame. Each shape should be of even thickness about 1cm, press them gently and evenly into place.
Mix 300ml of plaster with 150ml of water to a creamy consistency. Pour into the cardboard box surrounding your frame to a level just below your shapes. Leave overnight to set.
When the plaster has thoroughly dried you are ready to decorate. Remove the frame and shapes and paint your chosen colours. If you’re not sure about colour choice think about where the frame will be located, can you blend it with colours in that location? Or, what are the shapes you have used for example, hearts – red and gold, shells – yellow and pale blue or stars – silver and dark blue.
Maybe you can make a few frames, package them up unpainted and give as gifts with some paint and brushes, Christmas is just around the corner.
Have a good time and enjoy your creativity.
Tags: brush, cardboard, Christmas, decorate, frame, hearts, mould, paint, picture, plaster of paris, playdough, shells, stars
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October 25th, 2009
A decorative picture frame on a wall or side table can turn a simple photo into a work of art. They can make a wonderful personalised gift or add some unique character to an otherwise ordinary room.
You will need to find or make a frame with a flat surface, any size is ok but a square frame with the outside measuring double the length of the window is a good method to use.
If you decide to make a frame, balsa wood works well, just cut to size and glue, using impact adhesive, at square angles.
Decorating your Frame
Using moulds that will fit on your frame and some plaster of paris your frame is only limited by the moulds you choose to use. Chocolate moulds are a good source for this design. There are a wide variety of shapes available shells, dinosaurs, teddies, hearts and the list goes on. Once you have decided on and made your moulds you can paint them to suit your theme.
What to Do :-
- Follow the directions for mixing the plaster to a creamy consistency.
- Pour into moulds and leave to set for one hour.
- Turn out the moulds and leave to dry completely.
- Sand off any rough edges.
- You can paint the frame and each mould individually if needed or glue to frame and paint altogether.
- Position moulds onto your frame and stick into place. Leave overnight.
A gilt edged frame is nice with the shells and bright colours for a funky frame.
If you start now you will have made some quick and easy but uniquly attractive and personalised gifts for Christmas.
Enjoy and keep smiling.
Tags: chrismas, frame, funky, gifts, hearts, Moulds, picture, shells, teddies
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October 24th, 2009
Calligraphy is the art of beautiful writing and it is just as old as writing is. Even though its origins are ancient it is still a popular form of creative expression. Just like any art with patience and practice it can be learned by following a few basic techniques and principles.
Posture is the first thing to consider when you start writing, sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor leaning forward slightly. Sitting correctly will benefit your eye and back muscles and prevent tiring. Hold your pen with a relaxed hand applying even pressure when writing. Using a light but even touch will ensure the ink flows smoothly so letters are formed without interruption.
Choose a paper fine enough for a lined page to be seen from underneath as you practice. This will keep your lines straight and evenly spaced, proper spacing and margins contribute to the final appearance of your calligraphy writing. Consistency in spacing will prevent an uneven appearance that will result if you leave large gaps or bunch letters to close together.
There are a few different lettering styles you can try start by practicing the basic strokes. Be careful to maintain a correct angle with your pen, slant your strokes consistently and work on your rhythm.
Some suggested styles to try :-
- Chancery Italic
- Gothic
- Uncial
- Decorative
Use decorative initials in your work to add some interest and colour. Again, with practice once you have mastered the lettering you can begin to design and decorate your own illuminated letters. Use calligraphy for creating beautifully presented invitations, signs, posters etc., but most of all enjoy.
Keep smiling
Tags: calligraphy, colour, design, lettering, paper, pen, practice, stroke, writing
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