| janfields |
April 3, Afternoon Open
Forum will begin in five minutes...pop in to quiz webeditor Jan
Fields on any writing questions bugging you today.
|
| janfields |
April 3, Afternoon Open
Forum will begin in two minutes...let's talk
writing!
|
| janfields |
Welcome to April 3rd,
Afternoon Open Forum. I'm Jan Fields, web editor for ICL and I'm
ready to answer questions!
|
| janfields |
I'm glad to see some
folks turned out for forum...thanks
|
| janfields |
I have a couple
questions in que, but I'm hoping for more.
|
| janfields |
I also wanted to tell
y'all who've been following the saga of Jan's packaged book
series...
|
| janfields |
That they've decided to
put my name on the books afterall.
|
| janfields |
Yea!
|
| janfields |
I'm really thrilled
with that.
|
| janfields |
So, I'll have my first
novel out in July.
|
| janfields |
Called Wellspring of
Magic, unless they change it.
|
| janfields |
And with my very own
name on the byline.
|
| janfields |
Thanks for the
congrats...it's nice to share with writers.
|
| janfields |
I tell my husband this
stuff and he just says, what does that do to how much they pay
you.
|
| janfields |
Right...all about the
money.
|
| janfields |
So...enough giddy
boasting
|
| janfields |
On to
questions.
|
| charweb |
Jan, do you know what's
the response time with Highlights?
|
| janfields |
Highlights has been all
over the place on responding to me.
|
| janfields |
I've gotten responses
in about two weeks
|
| janfields |
And in about four
months
|
| janfields |
So...they are the
teensiest bit inconsistant.
|
| janfields |
I suspect it is
affected by which editor sees the stuff
|
| janfields |
Because I get a lot
quicker responses to nonfiction or crafts
|
| janfields |
Than I do to
fiction
|
| janfields |
And that's probably
related to volume of submissions.
|
| janfields |
They get hundreds of
fiction subs a week.
|
| janfields |
So that's gonna slow
that down...a lot
|
| janfields |
Since most of the
editors know me...the fact that I still see four month turn around
on fiction
|
| janfields |
Might mean you could
wait another month even...but they do try to be as prompt as
possible.
|
| janfields |
Again -- nonfiction is
quicker.
|
| jan_fields |
martiey: I'm new and I
want to know how is the institute...
|
| janfields |
How is it at
what?
|
| janfields |
We have some great
instuctors and we've had some very prestigious
graduates.
|
| janfields |
So if you want to know
how is it at reputation...pretty darn good.
|
| janfields |
If you want to know how
is it at price...it's expensive
|
| janfields |
Though a class at an
accredited university is often comparable in price
|
| janfields |
But you can usually get
cheaper classes at community colleges.
|
| janfields |
We like it
obviously.
|
| janfields |
Wee Willie: I am
researching for my second novel and am trying to information on
French economy and currency rate just after the liberation of France
(basically 1944- 1947) While I found several books that have given
me bits and pieces, I am getting no where quick. What resources
and/or places to go to find this information. I thought of maybe a
university library that deals with world economics. Unfortunately I
don't speak or read French so I am at a disadvantage looking up
French references.
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|
|
| janfields |
Okay, finding research
information on fairly obscure topics...
|
| janfields |
especially topics that
turn up references not in English
|
| janfields |
Can be
challenging.
|
| janfields |
I usually use "experts"
for this.
|
| janfields |
An expert can point you
at the best print resources
|
| janfields |
And walk you through
understanding them.
|
| janfields |
An expert can also just
answer specific questions.
|
| janfields |
When I googled "French
history expert" I got lots of University
Professors.
|
| janfields |
That's because
Universitites want their professors to be helpful to
writers
|
| janfields |
and
journalists
|
| janfields |
because that will
result in you mentioning them in print.
|
| janfields |
For example, if a
professor helped with your book, he/she would expect to be in
acknowledgements
|
| janfields |
Especially if the
person helped a lot
|
| janfields |
or translated things
for you.
|
| janfields |
I found two experts
quickly by my Google search
|
| janfields |
One was a professor at
DUKE
|
| janfields |
and one was a professor
in the UK.
|
| janfields |
The UK professor,
William Doyle
|
| janfields |
Even had his email
listed...making contact very easy
|
| janfields |
william.doyle@bristol.ac.uk
|
| janfields |
And voila -- expert in
a can...great for helping you find exactly what resources you
need.
|
| charweb |
How is Relate Magazine?
Do they encourage newbies?
|
| janfields |
There have been two
Relate Magazines
|
| janfields |
One was around for a
while and closed...and I think the URL went over to some search
engine annoying thing
|
| janfields |
So if you're googling
RELATE and you get that....don't give up.
|
| janfields |
relate magazine is
still alive
|
| janfields |
And is very open to
freelance both from adults and young people.
|
| janfields |
They do encourage new
writers.
|
| janfields |
But like a lot of
magazines, they only want to deal with folks who have gotten to know
the magazine.
|
| janfields |
On the up side, you can
submit by email
|
| janfields |
I love magazines that
let me submit by email
|
| janfields |
Because it fits right
into my naturally cheap nature.
|
| janfields |
Postage is getting
scary.
|
| charweb |
When we say in the
cover/query that we're published.....
|
| charweb |
in so and so magazine, do
the editors go back and...
|
| charweb |
read
them?
|
| janfields |
Not
usually.
|
| janfields |
They simply don't have
time and usually the main
|
| janfields |
thing the editor is
thinking about is....will what this writer is offering suit
me.
|
| janfields |
That's why magazines
that want to read your actual style, ask for
samples.
|
| janfields |
That way, if
they
|
| janfields |
have asked for
queries
|
| janfields |
They can see what your
writing is like.
|
| janfields |
But if the editor reads
the magazine you mention
|
| janfields |
And many editors do
read the competition when they can
|
| janfields |
They may recognize your
name once they see the magazine title.
|
| janfields |
Or if they have the
issue on hand, they may look at it.
|
| janfields |
But it's pretty
rare.
|
| janfields |
I have, however, had
editors contact me from other publishers based on something of mine
they read in an online magazine.
|
| janfields |
I wrote a piece on kids
and guns
|
| janfields |
And was contacted by an
educational publisher to see if I wanted to write about youth
violence for them.
|
| janfields |
So...you never know
what many kinds of good credits can do for you.
|
| janfields |
Meline: I have put
together a profile story and started the piece with an exciting part
that happened about midway through the story. How do I handle that
scene once I come to the place it actually happened? Do I reprint
the entire first paragraph to the story or is there another way to
indicate that this scene is the one from the beginning? Does this
question make any sense at all?
|
|
|
|
|
| janfields |
Usually when you open
with a scene out of context, you have three choices for how to
handle the moment when you get to that spot in the
chronology.
|
| janfields |
The first, is that you
can write the scene afresh with the new knowledge the reader now has
by reading all the moments that lead up to that
scene.
|
| janfields |
Because lifting it out
of the chronology required writing it from a perspective of "knowing
nothing"
|
| janfields |
and now the reader is
more informed...thus the scene will be quite
different.
|
| janfields |
Your second choice is
simply to reference it with a kind of "short hand"
scene.
|
| janfields |
Where you compress the
scene down to a sentence or so and then move on to what happened
next..
|
| janfields |
This works if it's very
clear to the reader that they're hitting the opening scene
now.
|
| janfields |
The third is to open
with a kind of tightly focused...almost blind scene and then when
you hit it in the chronology
|
| janfields |
You expand it and make
it much more "real"
|
| janfields |
So your initial
presentation focuses on the "wow" factor
|
| janfields |
But your scene in
context is more fleshed out and real.
|
| janfields |
Usually I see one of
those three.
|
| janfields |
I almost never just see
a replay of that opening scene because that's a word count
waster
|
| janfields |
Though honestly....I
have seen adult novels do it.
|
| janfields |
But novels written for
adults are often prone to sloppy word count use.
|
| charweb |
how is the market for
crossword puzzles and quiz?
|
| janfields |
Crossword puzzles are
pretty hard to sell.
|
| janfields |
They require specific
formatting
|
| janfields |
And kids just aren't
that wild about them.
|
| janfields |
You do see them in
educationally focused magazines
|
| janfields |
Like Cobblestone and
that group
|
| janfields |
So, I probably wouldn't
bother much beyond that...I've seen a couple Sunday School take home
magazines use them...but not lately.
|
| janfields |
Quizzes are hot, but
usually as humor based learning
|
| janfields |
And mostly for
exploring behavior
|
| janfields |
So you don't see them
so much for information based learning.
|
| janfields |
Thus you might see a
quiz like "Are you a homework wizard?"
|
| janfields |
But you won't see one
like "Dog Facts Quiz"
|
| janfields |
The first would be a
humorous look at tips to doing homework more
efficiently
|
| janfields |
While the second would
be a learning quiz on dogs -- and could be hard to
sell.
|
| janfields |
Though sometimes....I
do see informational quizzes in Hopscotch and the
like.
|
| janfields |
But even there they are
a bit out of favor.
|
| charweb |
The revision process is
never ending for me. Every time I..
|
| charweb |
sit to revise, I'll have
more to do. How many times,...
|
| charweb |
generally, do we have to
revise a piece?
|
| janfields |
I revised my first
picture book for ten years.
|
| janfields |
And I still tinker with
it.
|
| janfields |
So..literally hundreds
of revisions...always looking for exactly the right
phrasing.
|
| janfields |
While I revised my
novel for the packager about twice.
|
| janfields |
With a novel, you don't
need to be quite as "line by line' perfect.
|
| janfields |
Usually the shorter the
piece, the more I revise it.
|
| janfields |
But the quicker each
revision takes.
|
| janfields |
I did an article on
carnivorous caterpillars...I revised it about three
times.
|
| janfields |
Then again for the
magazine editor.
|
| janfields |
For me...I revise first
for clarity...I want to make sure everything makes
sense.
|
| janfields |
Then I read everything
out loud and revise for euphony
|
| janfields |
I want it to sound
good
|
| janfields |
No unintended verbal
echoes
|
| janfields |
No awkward
phrasing.
|
| janfields |
If I cannot read it
aloud smoothly...I revise until I can.
|
| janfields |
Then I usually go
through backward, sentence by sentence and check for
typos
|
| janfields |
Which sadly often elude
me
|
| janfields |
I tend to read what I
know it's supposed to say when I read it forward
|
| janfields |
But I'll catch it going
backward.
|
| dell |
Hi Jan. Question: If you
submit a PB ms to a senior editor, but receive a personal rejection
from an editorial assistant, should your next submission be directed
to the assistant or to the editor? thanks!
|
| janfields |
You can go either
way...it wouldn't be rude to submit to the senior editor
again.
|
| janfields |
And, of course, there
are fewer hoops for a senior editor to jump through
|
| janfields |
if she likes the
book.
|
| janfields |
Sometimes an editorial
assistant can ADORE a book and still not get it through
aquisitions.
|
| janfields |
But if you don't have a
relationship with the senior editor, it also might be good to milk
the one you're building with the assistant.
|
| janfields |
Especially if the
rejection was very positive.
|
| janfields |
So it's really your
choice...different variables to weigh.
|
| charweb |
I read and heard
conflicting opinions about the hard ...
|
| charweb |
words usage. for example,
I used words like reassure...
|
| charweb |
victory, celestial for
the MG in one of my story...
|
| charweb |
but some of the critques
said they're hard for MG and....
|
| charweb |
another group said it's
ok to use hard words so that...
|
| charweb |
kids can learn new words
consulting the dictionary.
|
| charweb |
What's your advice and
opinion?
|
| janfields |
Words like reassure,
victory and celestial are way way way NOT too hard for middle
grade
|
| janfields |
Words like Assauge or
exacerbate would be hard for middle grade
|
| janfields |
Common words are not
too hard for middle grade which represents fluent
readers.
|
| janfields |
My daughter is seven
and finds words like reassure and victory, etc. in her chapter
books.
|
| janfields |
So, the folks telling
you they are too hard...just pinch them.
|
| janfields |
Yeah, first graders
often get really quite hard word books because often they are
intended to read the book ALONG WITH a fluent
reader
|
| janfields |
Thus lessening the
frustration of the really tough words.
|
| janfields |
Generally, you don't
really think a lot about word use with middle grade
|
| janfields |
What you think about is
concepts.
|
| janfields |
Are these concepts a
child my readers age will find meaningful?
|
| janfields |
Is the story directed
toward things my reader age will find interesting and
enjoyable.
|
| janfields |
I've seen so many folks
writing middle grade with concepts directed at adults, like good
parenting.
|
| janfields |
Kids really don't think
about good parenting.
|
| janfields |
Parents just
are.
|
| janfields |
So unless you're
getting really dark and exploring themes about surving in cruel
situations...the key is making sure your focus is the kid in concept
and approach.
|
| janfields |
And just let the words
come out as they may.
|
| janfields |
You don't want your
kids to sound like grownups, of course.
|
| janfields |
For example, I can't
imagine a ten year old saying, "I proceeded home at a good
pace."
|
| janfields |
Even though they would
understand all the words.
|
| janfields |
But the voice would
feel bogus...so the issue wouldn't be readability but
voice.
|
| janfields |
A whole different can
of worms.
|
| janfields |
Hmmmm...out of
questions.
|
| janfields |
Charweb asks if you
could write
|
| janfields |
He reassured his mom to
come back soon.
|
| janfields |
I assume that's a
typo?
|
| janfields |
You could say: He
reassured his mom that he'd be back soon.
|
| janfields |
That would be
fine.
|
| janfields |
Especially since it
isn't in dialogue.
|
| janfields |
In dialogue, the kid
would probably say, "I promised my mom I'd be home soon -- she
worries like crazy."
|
| janfields |
But in narrative, it's
okay to say reassure.
|
| janfields |
Now another time
narrative can be a problem is in first person
|
| janfields |
because you have to
watch the narrative much more closely.
|
| janfields |
Since first person is
the kid telling the story so much sound like the kid ALL THE
TIME.
|
| janfields |
You can sneak in a
little bit sometimes but you have to be careful.
|
| eggamy |
Is "you Can Write
Children's books" text
|
| eggamy |
of an ICL
course?
|
| janfields |
Not as far as I
know...I think I've gotten the goods for all the courses and I never
got that book...I either bought that one somewhere or got it in a
review bundle.
|
| janfields |
So, I'm leaning
toward...no.
|
| charweb |
Is there any new and
promising mag markets coming up?
|
| janfields |
We're seeing a lot of
markets starting for tween/teen girls
|
| janfields |
That's really the hot
market slice
|
| janfields |
Because those are kids
with their own money buying their own magazines.
|
| janfields |
I've been talking to
the editor of Logan Magazine...a magazine for girls with
disabilities.
|
| janfields |
And I think that
magazine is going to be a force to be reckoned
with.
|
| janfields |
They take
freelance...also, Muslim Girl takes freelance...from (surprise)
Muslim women writers.
|
| janfields |
But those are
indicative of what I'm seeing -- lots of tight niche markets and
almost all directed at girls.
|
| janfields |
So, if you like writing
for girls 9 and up...there market is blooming.
|
| dell |
When appropriate, I start
my cover letter thanking the editor for her kind words or
encouragement on my previous submission. Should I specifically
reference the title of the manuscript that I previously submitted or
just keep it general. thanks!
|
| janfields |
I usually reference the
title. Sometimes that helps the editor remember
you.
|
| janfields |
Because her memory is
tied to the book
|
| janfields |
the
manuscript
|
| janfields |
Not so much to your
name, because you don't mean a lot to her yet.
|
| janfields |
Unless you met her
sometime.
|
| janfields |
I am amazed at how long
editors will remember a submission, even one they've
rejected.
|
| janfields |
I've run into editors
at conferences and made jokes about stuff of mine they
rejected...and they'll ask the title.
|
| janfields |
When I tell them, the
editor remembers it and often starts a whole
dialogue
|
| janfields |
Remembering specifics
about it.
|
| janfields |
So I would tell the
editor the title.
|
| coloradokate |
I'm thinking of using a
"picture frame" organization for a novel (first scene in 6th grade,
then back to 5th for the rest of the book until the very last
chapter, which is 6th grade. But that would make the "real story"
start several pages into the book, and I've heard that the first
page should have the event that changes everything for the main
character. Any ideas?
|
| janfields |
Frame stories liek that
aren't 100% in favor right now.
|
| janfields |
Some folks have said
they confused kids, blah blah
|
| janfields |
And they think it makes
the jump back in time dull, or annoying
|
| janfields |
for a kid who wanted a
continuation of the lively exciting beginning.
|
| janfields |
But if you do it
well...then that's different.
|
| janfields |
As for an event that
changes everything on the first page...I can name hundreds of books
that don't do that.
|
| janfields |
I think the first page
needs to be dynamic
|
| janfields |
To give a sense of
things happening and action.
|
| janfields |
But that doesn't
necessarily mean big ol life change
|
| janfields |
Sometimes it does...but
a lot of times it doesn't
|
| janfields |
So...I would say...make
your opening of the frame very dynamic with a sense of
movement.
|
| janfields |
And then make the first
page of the real story the same way.
|
| janfields |
Don't worry so much
about life change...every book has to have something life
changing...but not on the first page.
|
| dell |
You'd think I'd know the
answer to this one. lol Should you capitalize the title of your PB
ms, or put in in italics, or? I've done both, but am not sure if
there is a proper way.
|
| janfields |
TECHNICALLY...a
manuscript is supposed to be set in quotes.
|
| janfields |
My agent always used
all caps on mine
|
| janfields |
He said it drew more
attention to it.
|
| janfields |
TECHNICALLY that's
grammatically incorrect.
|
| janfields |
But clearly it's
getting to be what a lot of folks do.
|
| janfields |
ALL CAPS for a title is
basically the same, grammatically, as italics.
|
| janfields |
In cover
letters/queries...all caps it considered better than italics because
it's more visually arresting.
|
| janfields |
By the way...the first
line of my answer was supposed to say "a manuscript TITLE is
supposed to be set in quotes"
|
| janfields |
Don't tell folks that
Jan said set your whole manuscript in quotes
|
| janfields |
Some editors know where
I live.
|
| coloradokate |
Yeah, I keep learning
"rules" and then reading lovely books that don't follow
them...
|
| janfields |
Try to take all "rules"
with the "why is that the rule" test.
|
| janfields |
That's what I
do.
|
| janfields |
Why did someone make up
that rule?
|
| janfields |
Then once I have
figured out the idea behind it, I make my own rules that follow the
spirit...but work for me.
|
| janfields |
Honestly, I've seen
successfully writers who broke every rule you can come up
with.
|
| janfields |
Ultimately there are
two keys -- write well
|
| janfields |
And respect the people
in the process.
|
| janfields |
Almost all rules sum up
to those.
|
| janfields |
Oh, and third
rule...always send excess chocolate to Jan
|
| janfields |
Oh, I have to tell you
guys the funniest thing.
|
| janfields |
Since our move we've
gotten a lot of very nice folks stopping at our door, bothering me
when I'm working...
|
| janfields |
so they can share their
religious beliefs and/or affiliations with me.
|
| janfields |
I cannot have
this.
|
| janfields |
So my husband wrote me
a "No religious soliciting" sign
|
| janfields |
And at the bottom he
put
|
| janfields |
"All sellers of
chocolate welcomes warmly"
|
| janfields |
wlecomed
|
| janfields |
not
welcomes
|
| janfields |
Dang, can't spell a
lick can I?
|
| janfields |
Anyway, y'all get it --
does the man know me or what?
|
| janfields |
Well, that's about the
hour mark...thanks so much for hanging out with me.
|
| janfields |
NEXT FRIDAY...not April
6th...but the next Friday
|
| janfields |
We're having Night open
forum...I hope you'll come.
|
| janfields |
You know...I've often
wondered why religious folks don't hand out more
chocolate.
|
| janfields |
Heck, it works to get
me into JC Penney once a month.
|
| janfields |
Or a year or whenever
Penney's has their chocolate bar give aways.
|
| janfields |
Hey, you know it,
Dell...more chocolate! More chocolate!
|
| janfields |
Yes, I think it's twice
a year...they have chocolate bar days...you get your bar and some
kind of discount is on the label.
|
| janfields |
Wish church,
Bethie...actually the pastor at the church I went to a long time ago
used to throw a Hershey kiss into the children's church room after
the kiddies had left
|
| janfields |
wise...I meant...not
wish...alas...the Jan cannot type.
|
| janfields |
So...it's 3pm...and I'm
outa this room.
Thanks.
|
