I’ll be traveling most of the month of November, so except for my quote posts which I set up ahead of time, I won’t be posting. See you in December.
Category: The Nitty Gritty of Children’s Writing
YA Fantasy Summaries
While judging a YA Fantasy contest (requirements were a 2-3 sentence summary and the first 1000 words), I discovered many writers had no idea what to include in their summaries. Some had no problem, no main character, and/or no hint that the story was a fantasy. I don’t necessarily think a 2-3 sentence summary has to include all of that, but I’d expect two out of three.
Possibly the contest should have labeled these as “book blurbs” or “elevator pitches.” The purpose is multifold:
- to hook the reader and make them want to read on
- identify the type of book
- it may introduce the character
- it may establish setting
- it may establish tone
Think of it as putting a spotlight on your story. You’re not showing the whole stage or breadth of the story, but just important bits where you want the viewer or reader to focus.
The best way to learn how to write these in my opinion is to look at examples. Since the contest submissions included fae/fairies, witches, magic, boarding schools, other cultures, and romance, I went searching for recent YA fantasy books that had these elements. The first few lines of the summaries or book blurbs are posted below. (These are from goodreads.)
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (2023)
Summary beginning
“After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.”
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber (2021)
Summary beginning
“For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings… until she learns that the love of her life will marry another. Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts.”
Lightlark by Alex Aster (2022)
Summary beginning
“Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.”
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli (2024)
Summary beginning
“On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.”
Stealing Time by Tilia Jacobs, Norman Birnbach (2024)
Summary beginning
“When there’s no time left, you have to steal it!
New York, 2020. Tori’s world is falling apart. Between the pandemic and her parents’ divorce, what else could go wrong? Plenty! Like discovering that a jewelry heist forty years ago sent her grandfather to jail and destroyed her family.”
Zodiac Rising by Katie Zhao (2024)
Summary beginning
“At a secret Manhattan boarding school, the Descendants of the Chinese zodiac have hidden away since the source of their magic—the twelve zodiac statues—was vandalized and lost to time. Thus, a curse befell the Descendants, and they’ve lived as creatures of darkness . . . until now.”
Emerald of the Sea by Kimberly Pearl (2023)
Summary beginning
“Seventeen-year-old Emma doesn’t know who she is or where she came from. The not-exactly-legal merchant ship she was raised on is the only home she’s ever known, and she’s had enough of the captain’s lies. Her plans to break free from her three-masted prison are thrown off course by a deadly mutiny, and she finds herself on the run with a target on her back.”
So far, I’ve only read one of these books. But they all sound fascinating!
Here are some statistics. Of the seven books…
- seven hook me
- five definitely point toward the fantasy genre
- five identify the main character
- five introduce a problem or an action
- five hint at setting
- all have tone—look at these words and phrases (gods warring, wounded heart, curses, witches hunted, stealing time, creatures of darkness, deadly mutiny)
- only two identify the main character’s age
Harry Bingham says, “Make it memorable.” And, “An elevator pitch for a novel is a very short summary of what makes the book:
- Unique
- Striking
- Fresh, and
- Compelling”
Read more of this article here on Jericho Writers.
Nathan Branford says, “The important thing to remember is that a good pitch is a specific description of what actually happens in your novel.” In his article he’s actually talking about one line pitches or loglines, but there’s still helpful advice. Look at this: “There are four basic elements in a good one sentence pitch:
- The opening conflict (or the Inciting Incident)
- The obstacle
- The quest
- The stakes”
(If some of these terms are new to you, there are links in the article.)
Lynne Collier is writing about a logline or elevator pitch, but again helpful info:
“5 key components of writing a fantasy/fiction logline
- Main Character – the hero/protagonist
- Their Situation – their daily life
- Their Objective – what they want that they don’t have
- Their Opponent – the person or thing that gets in their way
- Disaster – you’ll need an epic battle or devastating event”
To sum up, first we need to know:
- who your main character is, and/or what kind of world we’re in
- what the problem is (quest or objective, disaster or stakes).
Consider adding a sense of setting or tone.
Make your description compelling to hook a reader.
To make it stronger, run it by other writers who can tell you whether they are hooked or not.
X Draft is Done! (revising a novel)
Yea, for you! You’ve completed several drafts of your novel. You’ve already looked at the big picture. The plot is working, your characters are strong, and it’s now time to look more closely at the words on the page. “Writing is about getting down to it, about finding your way into the moment and sustaining the energy for as long as you can effectively. But the REAL writing is during revision.” – Steven Gillis
First, take a break—I suggest a couple weeks. Think about something else, read some books, enjoy the outdoors, talk with friends. This will help you be fresh when you dive into revising.
Second, prepare. You may already know some of your areas of weakness. If so, now’s a good time to read up on those subjects. If you’re not sure, read about revising in general. Here are a few posts from my archives to get you started.
General Novel Writing Revisions:
The following is a collection of posts on a variety of topics. Many will include resources to other posts or articles. Some may have similar information. I’m sure these posts aren’t all-inclusive, but many are ones I’ve struggled with or have seen in others’ writings.
Mechanics:
Do you struggle with grammar? – some helpful resources
Perfecting Dialogue Punctuation
Beats, Taglines, and Areas to Tighten:
Yes, some writers write too tersely but most of us could benefit in tightening in some area or another. And I do mention where to expand as well. See if any of these apply to your writing.
He Thought to Himself and Other Excesses
I, I, I – Writing in First Person
Check your Setting and Use of Senses:
This is an area that many writers don’t include when they are first writing a story.
Ground Me – sense of place or setting
Moment-by-Moment – being on scene
Third, make a list of the areas you need to work on. It’ll help you keep track of what needs to be done.
Fourth, get to work. You don’t have to try to edit everything at once, but focus on one weakness. Later move on to another, etc.
William Zinsser said, “Rewriting is where the game is won or lost.” Get out there and win!
Preplanning and Beginning to Write Your Novel
Preplanning your novel. Some people outline, other writers just write. I’m the latter—a pantser with a plan. So, before we go any further, an explanation of the methods:
“To Pants or To Plot: Which One Is Best for Your Story?” by Nisha Tuli. This article has lots of references to other reading as well.
If you’re an outliner, I thought this article was helpful: “Outline Tools to Structure Your Children’s Book Plot.”
As a pantser, I still need to know some things before I can start actually writing. Whether I start with a character or plot, I need to know a little bit about who and what. I also like to have thoughts on where I think the story is going.
These posts from my archives might be of use before you write your novel.
Character related:
Making Friends: Character Development
Naming Characters – from Mary’s Notebook
The Right Number of Characters
Show Your Character’s Character
Viewpoint in Children’s Fiction – point of view – which can definitely change as you revise
Plot related:
Know what you’re writing:
Writing a Novel? Where Does It Fit?
Especially for pantsers:
If you’re at the beginning stages of writing a novel, and don’t have an outline, how do you keep track of people, scenes, days of the week, etc.?
Here are some posts sharing thoughts on those topics:
Do You Have Style? aka Master Character Chart
The Story Ladder or Novel Timeline
I’d love to hear from others on how they plan and begin a novel. Feel free to share in comments.
Types of Writers’ Groups
When I moved to a new town—almost five years ago–I joined a writer’s group in formation. We discussed what the attendees would like to see in a meeting. The conclusion was critiques, but we didn’t last long since the pandemic hit shortly thereafter.
Here are my categories of groups:
Critique – feedback on your own and other’s writing
Discussion – may be on a specific book, topic, or writing in general
Lecture/Talk – usually craft focused or inspirational
Write In – a time to work on your own writing
Workshop – craft or marketing focused with some hands-on activity
Both face-to-face groups and online groups can provide any of these services. All can be useful, but it depends what you are looking for. For me a variety of these types of groups have worked over the years. I find the writing community invaluable.
I love the chance to learn through lectures and workshops. It’s so great when some piece of craft advice clicks. Or when the “so that how that’s done” aha moment happens. These events often inspire me, whether it is simply to press on, or with a specific piece of inspiration that makes me avid to jump back into my own work. No matter how many I’ve done, I usually discover new tidbits each time I participate.
Before the pandemic, I’d mostly gone to in person sessions. But these days more and more webinars are available from the comfort of our own homes. I do miss the bigger gatherings that are slowly starting back up, however I love the worldwide opportunities of virtual sessions.
I’ve found write ins to be very practical. I’ve participated in them in coffee shops, libraries, retreats, etc. Each writer focuses on their own project. Just the fact that others are working around me helps me keep my butt in the chair and my hands on the keyboard. I’ve done weekly schedules in a public place where headphones eliminate distracting conversations. Mostly I’ve formed these with likeminded writers, but sometimes organizations will schedule them too. Most often now, I do these at private retreats with my critique group.
Discussion can be fun, especially if it is focused. I’ve been in groups where we shared favorite books by genre, or good first lines, or marketing tips, etc. Having a theme makes the discussion more practical. I’ve found an unfocused group can end up being a gripe session, or can wander completely off writing.
SCBWI has Discussions Boards with a variety of topics. Check it out here. Some areas are only for SCBWI members. Others are open to anyone.
Facebook discussion groups on writing that I enjoy:
Kidlit411
Sub It Club
Work-for-Hire Author Support Group
Others I’ve come across:
Childrens Book Hub
The Manuscript Academy’s Ten Minutes with an Expert Chat
But for me probably the most important group is a critique group. I’ve learned so much by what others say about my work (the good and bad) and what see in their writing, too. We encourage each other to press on. We inspire one another. Our meetings provide a deadline to have pages ready. Not only have we helped improve our writing by consistent meetings, but we’ve become close friends because of the time spent together.
How do you find a writer’s group? I found most of mine through SCBWI.org. You may also want to check with your local library or search online for writer’s groups in your area. Join writer listserves which often announce events or groups forming. If you’re on Facebook, you can find groups there, too. Both Kidlit411 and Sub It Club have critique matchup groups. Kidlit411 has one for illustrators as well.
Here are some helpful resources, especially if a critique group doesn’t have established guidelines:
“The 4 Hidden Dangers of Writing Groups” by Jennie Nash
“Ground Rules for Critique Groups” by Pamela Smith Hill
“How to Find a Writing Group, Because Every Aspiring Author Needs a Support Group” by Sadie Trombetta
“Knowing When to Fly: Leaving Your Critique Group” by Lisa Bubert
“The Value of Feedback for Writers” by Jan Fields
The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide: How to Make Revisions, Self-Edit, and Give and Receive Feedback by Becky Levine