| janfields |
March 18, Afternoon
Open Forum begins in five minutes. What writing questions do you
have today? Ask web editor Jan Fields in five
minutes.
|
| janfields |
March 18, Afternoon
Open Forum begins in two minutes. Come join "Pontificating with Jan"
in two minutes.
|
| janfields |
March 18, Welcome to
Afternoon Open Forum. I hope y'all have questions because I'm just
all swollen up with answers. What do you want to know
today?
|
| janfields |
If you want to ask a
question and be sure it has a chance to be posted, you'll need to
use either the "ask a question" button on the bar across the middle
of your screen. OR type /ask...then space once and type your
question. That passes the question to me and I can post it for
answer. If you type the question in the bar at the bottom of your
screen, I may not see it.
|
| jitterbug |
where can u find info on
playwriting
|
| janfields |
If you're a student,
and I know you are
|
| janfields |
you can go to the
student services page on the website
|
| janfields |
log in with your
student number
|
| janfields |
and you can find
under...additional resources or some such link...
|
| janfields |
a link to a great piece
on playwriting.
|
| janfields |
Talks about the format
and some things about who buys them I believe.
|
| janfields |
I'm also reading the
coolest book on playwriting (actually screenplay writing but it's
similar in idea)
|
| janfields |
called SAVE THE CAT by
Blake Snyder
|
| janfields |
I got it through
interlibrary load
|
| janfields |
and it will teach you a
lot about act structure and creating a powerful
story
|
| janfields |
I'm only just starting
it but it's great so far.
|
| soradina |
What do editors look for
when writing profile articles about
|
| soradina |
kids doing something in
the community?
|
| janfields |
Well, some editors look
expressly for that...
|
| janfields |
Pockets
does
|
| janfields |
American Girl likes
that but isn't married to it.
|
| janfields |
Highlights tends to
like to see kids doing something unusual
|
| janfields |
but not necessarily
"civic minded"
|
| janfields |
So, if you know a girl
who is a black belt in martial arts and teaches it during the
summer
|
| janfields |
you could probably sell
that, even though it's not "community" -- it's
unusual.
|
| janfields |
It doesn't have to be
doing something in the community -- it helps, but it isn't
essential. It does have to be unusual success at something or kids
doing something not normally associated with kids
|
| janfields |
if you don't do the
community help angle.
|
| jan_fields |
jitterbug: What's the
link for American Girl submissions guidelines? Particularly the
books?
|
| janfields |
http://www.americangirl.com/corp/corporate.php?section=about&id=8
|
| jitterbug |
Is it true tht if u
submit a nonfiction article and get alil
|
| jitterbug |
bit of the info wrong tht
u are put on a black list
|
| janfields |
Editors don't really
have a "black list" -- we just plain don't have that good of a
memories.
|
| janfields |
About the only way to
get on a "black list" with an editor is to act really
obnoxious.
|
| janfields |
But if you have
inaccuracies in an article, you won't sell it.
|
| janfields |
However, I've had
editors question the accuracy of articles and then if I continue to
research
|
| janfields |
I can either convince
them...or change it...if it's a small matter.
|
| janfields |
If I get something
really huge wrong, like calling a whale a fish
|
| janfields |
then an editor isn't
going to bother with me
|
| janfields |
on that
article.
|
| janfields |
And it would be good to
let them forget the previous article before submitting
again.
|
| janfields |
I've also had editors
want me to change things so they were more comfortable with an
article.
|
| janfields |
For example, I wrote
one on edible plants
|
| janfields |
but the editor wanted
not to do aquatic plants because they absorb pollution
toxins.
|
| janfields |
And that worked out
fine.
|
| monkee |
Does anyone ever take the
same course over again? For fun?
|
| janfields |
I honestly have no
idea...I'm sure ICL wouldn't mind.
|
| janfields |
But you would have had
to have an awful lot of fun.
|
| janfields |
Or more disposable
income than I have...though I could see taking the course with a
different focus, wanting to focus on older kids or
whatever.
|
| jan_fields |
dreamer3: I have an
expert lines up for one of my assignments, I am going to call him
but I am nervous as I have never done this before -- any
advice?
|
| janfields |
Oh, I see I typo
queened again
|
| janfields |
At any rate, the key is
to have your questions ahead of time.
|
| janfields |
And it helps if you're
somewhat informed.
|
| janfields |
I try never to go into
an interview totally clueless about the subject
|
| janfields |
Though I did that once
or twice when on a newspaper
|
| janfields |
But for magazines, I
try to learn as much as I can
|
| janfields |
so I can ask smart
questions and only a few of them.
|
| janfields |
One key is to try to
limit how much YOU talk...I am a very nervous talker so I tend to
play back my interview tapes and think: Gosh, Jan, hush up
already."
|
| janfields |
Be alert to what the
subject is saying, sometimes you will want to forsake your questions
to follow an interesting train of thought
|
| janfields |
that the subject is
saying.
|
| janfields |
And know more subjects
are HAPPY to talk to you
|
| janfields |
It's flattering to be
interviewed
|
| janfields |
and we're CHILDREN'S
writers...everyone loves kids, at least as a
concept.
|
| janfields |
No one wants to be seen
as the person who was a stinker to the children's
writer.
|
| janfields |
Understand though that
some people just stink as interview subjects
|
| janfields |
and you can't pry a
decent quote out of them with a crowbar
|
| janfields |
if that happens, don't
assume you suck as an interviewer
|
| janfields |
I've been in this
business for 20+ years and I still hit bad interview subjects
sometimes.
|
| janfields |
When that happens,
sometimes the person is just nervous.
|
| janfields |
So try chatting about
side things to loosen him up, then get back on task with the
questions.
|
| janfields |
You can also find an
EXCELLENT article on this subject
|
| janfields |
on the ICL
site
|
| janfields |
http://www.institutechildrenslit.com/rx/wt06/interviewing.shtml
|
| janfields |
It has a number of tips
you may find really useful.
|
| jitterbug |
whats a
chapbook?
|
| janfields |
A small self-published
book.
|
| janfields |
Soft
bound
|
| janfields |
Usually they're done as
poetry collections these days.
|
| janfields |
In fact, poetry is one
of the few arenas where self-publishing is pretty close to the
norm.
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