The Fabulist Flash

Issue 104

Got Gourds? Art Cards (Package of 6)

In This Issue:

1. This Week
2. B -- Beginnings
3. Writing Best Selling Children's Books
4. Jay Greenspan takes the 18Q
5. About The Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

Fall is beginning to arrive in some places, or so I've been told. Here in Las Vegas it's still 100 degrees every day, so business as usual as far as the weather is concerned. Fall marks back to school time, though, even here in Sin City.

I've always felt this time of year is perfect for new beginnings and fresh starts. Remember getting new shoes and clothes? Remember the smell of new school supplies, especially new erasers? Remember walking back in to school, filled with a combination of fear and excitement? Remember cracking open new books, being the first one to break the spine?

Well, there's no reason for these ideas to only be memories now that you're a "few" years out of school. Take advantage of all the sales and pick up some new office supplies--don't forget the erasers even if you don't use them any more! Buy a few new books that will enhance your writing career and crack those spines. Start a new project or join a new group to get those feelings of fear and excitement. Heck, even pick out a new pair of shoes and a new outfit--you'll need them for that next book signing or in-person article interview, right?

Most important, start something new. Most of the agents, editors, and publishers are back from their vacations. Like us, their travel pictures are developed, the luggage is back in the closet, and those kids are back in school. It's time to focus on work again. Now's the time to take advantage of all those summer adventures and experiences by creating new article queries, new characters, and exciting plot lines.

As for me, well, I've partnered up with a Las Vegas author on a new project designed to help authors with their online book sales. The result is LAMOOBooks.com. If you or a writer you know needs help with online book sales LAMOO might be the answer.

This week's issue has two articles about new beginnings. In B -- Beginnings, A Very Good Place to Start Susan Stephenson muses on the importance of beginnings to children's writers and Caterina Christakos explains The Untold Secrets of Writing Best Selling Children's Books. It's interesting that the concepts explained today about children's books hold true for all works of fiction. Plus, Jay Greenspan, author of Hunting Fish: A Cross-Country Search for America's Worst Poker Players (St. Martin Press), takes the 18Q.

Until next week,

Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes (www.kompes.com) is a writer, photographer, professional speaker and author of the bestseller 50 Fabulous Gay-Friendly Places to Live, The Endorsement Quest, and Your Intensive Care Unit Stay.

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Preview 9 essential books for writers on The Writer's Bookshelf

2. B -- Beginnings

B -- Beginnings, A Very Good Place to Start
by Susan Stephenson

A novice called Maria once admonished curtain-draped kids to "start at the very beginning..." As writers for children, we fully understand the importance of beginnings, of the need to hook our readers into the tale we're spinning. We know we have about 20 seconds to grab a child's attention before she wanders on to the next book on the shelf.

But that knowledge is often at war with our need to introduce our main character and to set the time and place. As writers, we are so eager to explain our delicious secrets, we forget we may be overwhelming young readers with back story or description. Is it possible to craft an intriguing beginning AND introduce characters and setting?

Yes! The challenge is to craft an opening paragraph which reveals information about setting and characters without using overt description. Laura Backes, co-editor of the Children's Book Insider newsletter, (http://write4kids.com/aboutcbi.html), advises writers to "begin the story with action or dialogue. That pulls the reader in faster than description." Laura goes on to say, "the point in the plot where you begin is very important. You want to start at or very near that moment where everyday life changes for your character from ordinary to extraordinary. The story should encompass an extraordinary period in your character's life (Who wants to read about everyday, normal events?) and so your opening should be a lead-in to that moment where life changes."

One way to improve our skills in writing beginnings is to research the way other authors do it. Take a morning off, go to your local library or book store, and read beginnings. Which ones grab your attention? Why? How? Try to pinpoint exactly what it is that hooks you and makes you want to keep reading. How have the authors started their stories -- with action, dialogue, narrative? With commands, improbabilities or metaphors?

In June 2005, I asked a Canadian teacher to show me some books her Grade One students enjoyed, either to read or to listen to. I discovered some wonderful Canadian authors. I also discovered some great beginnings.

What child could resist a beginning with in-built suspense like the first two paragraphs of "Out on the Ice in the Middle of the Bay" by Peter Cummings? (Annick Press) Little Leah's father tells her NOT to go outside because there are polar bears nearby, and promptly falls asleep. Can you guess what Leah does? Young readers become entranced with Leah's subsequent encounter with Nanook, the baby polar bear.

In the "Franklin" books, author Paulette Bourgeois uses cumulative repetition in many of her beginnings to make young readers feel comfortable and able to relate to her young turtle character. In "Franklin's School Play" (Kids Can Press, Toronto), we find that even though Franklin has a great memory for shapes and counting, as told in other books in this delightful series, right now he is worried about forgetting his lines in the forthcoming school play. Other beginnings in the "Franklin" books similarly cut straight to the chase, reminding us what Franklin CAN do, but explaining his current conflict.

Canadian teacher, Madeline Robertson, stressed to me how important attention-grabbing beginnings are for those who read aloud to children. "I like to set the stage for my students," she says, "using the book's illustrations and knowledge I've gleaned about the author. But it is crucially important for the author's words to capture children's interest right from the start." Madeline introduced me to Nan Gregory's book, "How Smudge Came", where the reader is plunged into the central conflict from the first page when Cindy smuggles a puppy home in her bag.

A beginning should be an enticement to keep reading. It should pique a child's curiosity, have him wondering "why?" and "what next?" But hooking his interest alone is not enough. How disappointing for a reader if the rest of the story doesn't live up to that beginning's promise! Our beginnings must set the scene for more great writing -- writing that's active, tight and engrossing for the length of the story.

About the Author
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Susan Stephenson is an Australian freelance writer who enjoys the challenge of creating both fiction and non-fiction text. Susan is editor of Muselings, a column in the Muse Marquee and Director of Guest Appearances for the Museitup club. She can be contacted at muselings@yahoo.com.au You can link to read some of Susan's published work here: http://www.coffscoastwriters.com/about.html.

3. Writing Best Selling Children's Books

The Untold Secrets of Writing Best Selling Children's Books
by Caterina Christakos

Ever wondered how the most successful children's book writers get their ideas? The answer may surprise you.

Most children's books are based on the same exact story - good versus evil.

Ex. Harry Potter vs Voldomort. Cinderella vs her wicked stepmother. Pinnochio's conscience vs. outside influences.

Next we add a protagonist and an antagonist.

Ex. Don't we love it when Harry Potter and Malfoy get into it? Or when Hansel and Gretel turn the tables on the witch?

Finally a best selling story needs conflict and a big problem that the main character needs to overcome.

Ex. If Harry lets Lord Voldemort come back without a fight, the fate of the magic world could be at risk.

Ex. If Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire don't outsmart Count Olaf then their fortunes and their lives might be at risk.

Most inexperienced writers spend so much time thinking about the setting, the scenery and the color of their characters hair that they forget that the plot is what editors and their audience is looking for.

Hogwarts is a wonderful school. But who would care about it without Harry Potter and his friends.

The castle in Sleeping Beauty would just be another castle in the middle of nowhere without the princess and her prince.

And the three little pigs houses could have been made of snow, cotton or peanuts for all we would care without three clever little pigs and a wolf.

Kids love it when good triumphs over evil. Give them a story they can cheer over.

Also spend time really getting to know your characters. Create a history for each character, even if most of their histories will never see the inside of your book.

Your characters must seem real. Your audience must be able to relate to them and really care about what happens to them.

That in a nutshell is how you write a best selling children's book. The editing, minor scenic details and hand wringing anxiety can come after you finish the book.

About the Author
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Caterina Christakos is a published author and children's book writer. Learn how to write a children's book in 30 days or less at: http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com.

4. Jay Greenspan takes the 18Q

Website: http://www.huntingfish-thebook.com

Bibliography:
MySQL/PHP Database Applications
MySQL Weekend Crash Course
Hunting Fish: A Cross-Country Search for America's Worst Poker Players

Biography:
Jay Greenspan is a Brooklyn-based writer and semiprofessional poker player. His work has appeared in All-In magazine, Bluff magazine, PokerPages.com, PokerSavvy.com, and FullTiltPoker.com.

1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you?
I chose it. I decided to be in English major in college, and in some form or another, I've been writing since that time -- over 15 years.

2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.)
I went to a state school in New York, where I was a good but unexceptional student. I went to LA from there, thinking I'd work in sitcoms, but it didn't work out for me. I moved to New Mexico and started temping as a typist. From there I picked up editing work, and I also got introduced to computers/technology. It took me a couple of years, but I was able to marry my interest in computers with my writing skills. I got a job at Wired Digital (at a site called Webmonkey). That eventually led to a couple of technical books and some great consulting work. But after a few years in the tech world I got bored and started looking for another challenge. I found poker. I dedicated myself to that, founded a Web site, and soon found myself writing full-time about the game. That led to my book, Hunting Fish.

3. When did you 'know' you were a writer?
A good indication was when I started at Wired, I got a business card that showed my job title as "Writer."

4. How would you describe your style of writing?
I'm sort of obsessed with clarity. I like to create prose that's smooth and readable and flows well. I worry like crazy about slowing readers down with choppy sentences or tangents that stray for the idea at hand. Some of this comes from my technical background, where clarity is critical.

5. What is your writing process?
I'm not entirely sure I have one. I've been a professional writer for a long time now, so I'm able to view my writing time in very workman like ways. I like deadlines and goals. When I'm working on something more "creative," like my last book, I try to give myself three hours at the keyboard just after my second cup of coffee. Those are my best hours of work. I then take some time away and return to the page in the afternoon. I've developed some other quirky methods that help me, like listening to certain types of music repeatedly so lyrics don't become a distraction.

6. What was your path to publication?
I'd done two technical books then created a poker-related web site. From that site, I got introduced to my agent. We came up with an idea for a book; I worked like hell on a proposal, and I was lucky enough to sell it.

7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea?
Wish I had something useful to say here, but I don't. I need to work harder in marketing myself.

8. What are the biggest surprises you've encountered as a writer?
My book was with a major publishing house (St. Martin's) and when I got that contract I thought I'd have the benefit of great resources, both editorial and promotion. In the end, I had very little help. Editorial comments were very minimal and the PR department didn't get the book a whole lot of attention. The responsibilities were mine.

9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity?
I'm always on the lookout for something that's missing or absent, some kind of role I or my writing can fill. So research is critical for me.

10. What is your proudest writer moment?
After the publishing of Hunting Fish, I was at the World Series of Poker, in Vegas. I had given out a few galleys, and after a couple of weeks, this guy chased me down so that he could tell me how much the book meant to him -- how it related to his experiences. That was amazingly gratifying.

11. What's the best advice you were given about writing?
It's a total cliché, but I can't be told "Show me, don't tell me" frequently enough.

12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment?
I had contracted to ghostwrite a book for a woman. I probably shouldn't have taken the gig, as I was worried about the nature of the project. Anyway, I let someone flatter me into doing it -- "You're really the only person for this job, Jay" -- and I signed on. It was bad. The publisher wanted a chatty/girly approach that I tried to emulate. When I re-read what I wrote I was really embarrassed.

13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer?
Marketing -- making myself a celebrity. It's hard work, and it doesn't come easy to me.

14. What is your writer life philosophy?
I try to embrace my interests and couple my writing skills with whatever activity I'm devoted to at the time. Not sure that's a philosophy, but it's worked pretty well for me so far.

15. When you're not writing what do you do for fun?
I'm a bit of a foodie, and right now, I'm spending a lot of time reading about foods and eating. I'm a sports fan, as well.

16. Who do you like to read?
Because of my work, I read a lot about poker right now. I'm a big fan of Phillip Roth, Chang Ray Lee, T. C. Boyle and Richard Ford.

17. What's your advice for new writers?
Stay away from the "writing with your heart" or "discovering your creative nature" classes. Concentrate on the mechanics of putting together sentences and paragraphs. It doesn't matter how great or how passionate you are about your stories or your ideas if you don't have the ability to communicate clearly.

18. What are you currently working on?
I've just come through an extremely busy time in my consulting work, and I'm getting married in a few weeks. So at the moment I'm happy to be without a major project. I'm still trying to figure out what's next.

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Are you a published writer? Take the 18Q today!

To read all the 18Q responses or take the 18Q visit EighteenQuestions.com

5. About The Fabulist Flash

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