Sometimes we get stuck developing a character, creating a setting, or deciding what happens next in the plot. Here are two exercises to help open the flow of ideas. These are excerpted from the newly-released 3^rd edition of Brainstorming Workshop by Katherine Ploeger. For more exercises like this, go to http://write4kids.com/indepth.html

          CLUSTERING

That doesn’t mean you can ignore your weaknesses. While it’s a smart choice to write a funny chapter book if you instinctively understand a third grader’s sense of humor, you can’t coast with weak dialogue or a plot that sags in the middle. If

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That’s why we wrote the eBook titled, of course, I’ve Written a Story.  What Do I Do Now? in which we give step-by-step instructions about the best way to polish your manuscript to perfection and send it off to publishers.  Needless to say, a lot of folks were waiting for just such an eBook and it’s

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  Note:  When using any service like this, be cognizant of copyright issues.  Only create digital versions of material you’ve self-published or own copyright to.

We have no relationship with this site — we simply came upon it — so direct any questions you might have to the site owners.  Here’s the site link:

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Laura Backes, publisher of CBI, has worked in the field since 1986, and has held positions with several publishers including Ballantine and Farrar, Straus & Giroux.  She is also a former literary agent and freelance editor.  Her book, Best Books for Kids Who (think they) Hate To Read was published by Prima/Random House in 2001.

Chris Woodworth, author of  When Ratboy Lived Next Door, Georgie’s Moon, and
 Double-Click for Trouble (Farrar, Straus & Giroux):

“Laura helped me clean up my first novel manuscript, then made helpful structural suggestions.
An agent picked it up and piqued the prompt interest of an editor.

* Check the pacing. Picture books are generally 32 pages long, which means you’ll have about 28 pages of text and illustration. So break your text into 28 chunks and place each on a separate piece of paper. Staple the pages together to look like a book and read your story as you turn the pages. Notice the pacing and how the action unfolds. Does the story flow evenly, or are there several pages where nothing special happens? Does something occur on the righthand page or each two-page spread–a rise in action, a recurring phrase, a funny moment– that makes the reader want to turn the page and see what happens next?

* Note the illustration potential. Since you’ve made your manuscript into a "book," think about what the illustrations might look like. Are there enough changing scenes to inspire a different illustration on each page, or at least every two-page spread? Is the story told with a lot of visual elements (actions and events the reader can see)? Are there long scenes of dialogue that go on for more than one book page? (Note: Making your manuscript into a dummy book and thinking about the illustrations are for your benefit only. When you submit the manuscript to a publisher, you’d type it doublespaced without identifying where the page breaks would go. You’d also refrain from discussing any illustration ideas until the editor asks for your thoughts.)

* Cut words. If you use two words to describe a character, try to find one more exact word to do the trick. Eliminate verbal clutter– words like "big," "little," "very," "almost"– that don’t add any real meaning to the sentence, and instead choose strong, active nouns and verbs. Strike any sentences or scenes that don’t directly advance the plot.

* Use concrete images. Be sure to convey the story through concrete visual images the reader can see and the illustrator can draw. Describe abstract concepts such as feelings with sensory details the character (and the reader) can smell, hear, touch, see and taste.

* Craft a satisfying ending. Does your plot have an identifiable yet surprising climax in which all the action comes together and the main character solves his or her problem? Is this climax contained within one book page? After the climax, is the story resolved (wrapped up) quickly? The resolution must feel complete and satisfying for the reader, but shouldn’t be drawn out. Make it a book page or less, and your readers won’t hesitate to revisit your story many times over.

Steve is the author of more than 25 books, including Wiff and Dirty George – The Z.E.B.R.A. Incident (wiffanddirtygeorge.com), Ocean Soup: Tide Pool Poems
(oceansoupbook.com)  A Butterfly Trail and Saving Manatees.

For much more about Steve and his work, visit http://www.steveswinburne.com

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