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Picture Book Dummy, Picture Book Construction: Know Your Layout

Food for thought, of those interested in this.

Tara Lazar's avatarWriting for Kids (While Raising Them)

Editorial Anonymous provided a great explanation of basic picture book construction a few months ago.

At that time, I skimmed the info. Today, I’m studying it.

Why? An editor asked me to make page breaks on my current manuscript. And know what? I had more page breaks than a 32-page picture book would allow! Whoops. I knew that my manuscript had to fall within the 500- to 800-word length, but I had neglected to pay attention to logical page breaks.

The editor said, “Page turns can make or break a book, and it can be helpful to an editor to see how you envision the text.”

In a 32-page picture book, you don’t actually have 32 pages for your story. You only have 24 pages since 8 are used for the book ends, copyright and title. And 24 pages translates to 12 spreads (an illustration that spans the two opened pages…

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Continued Birth Celebration

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The Birth of Jesus 
  
                                       Luke 2:1-20 NKJV
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city. 
 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child.  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them. 

Writing a Series Vs. Writing a Novel

Writing a Series Vs. Writing a Novel

Great info here – who knows maybe YOU will be the next ‘Hunger Games’ series turned into movies!

theryanlanz's avatarRyan Lanz

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by Lindsey Richardson

I am finally writing the post I’ve been wanting to write ever since I first started Clara and Claire. For those of you who are planning to write either, I’m hoping this can be helpful. There’s a lot of different ways I thought of tackling this, and mind you I’m going to include a lot of personal experience with this too. I think that’s a big part of writing. There’s no right way of doing something, but everyone’s experience varies.

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Revision and the Art of Structure

Plenty to think about! Three Key Ingredients of Story Structure

mdellert's avatarSkylander Press

Reasonably enough, you’re a writer who wants to do “your own thing.” You want to write the story you want to write, and you want it to be as long as it needs to be. You want to ride the tumultuous wave of creativity straight out of the well-spring and all the way to the sea, without ever thinking about story structure even once. But story structure isn’t meant to be a limit on your creativity and lead to formulaic, cookie-cutter fiction.

Success is not certain, but structure isYou know who you are: the so-called “pantser.” You make up your first draft as you go along. And for a first draft, there’s no reason not to do it that way. Throw aside the constraints of what is and what has been, and strike out into the undiscovered country on your noble quest for whatever might be new under the sun.

But if your goal is publication…

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LUCINDA’S 2016 FAVOURITE AWARDS

Lucinda E. Clarke gives perfect succinct blurbs on why each of these books should be read.

Lucinda E Clarke's avatarlucinda E Clarke

I have read and reviewed 140 books this year and to keep track I now list them on a spreadsheet. I’ve chosen 6 biographical and 10 fiction books as those I most remember – those that forced me to ignore the world around me and keep turning the pages. Each one spoke to me, moved me, informed me or delighted me.

I wish there was space for more books, as these are not the only good books I’ve read this year, but simply the ones I remember best. I am in awe of the authors listed below, for their skill, their story telling and the way they wrote about their lives or the tales that flowed from their imagination.

BIOGRAPHICAL FINALISTS

When Angels Fly  by  S Jacksonmy-awards-24

Why? A true sory about the depths that human behaviour can sink to and the indomintible courage shown by the author in rising…

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