Storytellers Episode: Ye Olde Dragon's Library Storytelling Podcast -- Chat with author CJ Milacci

 

Today's Episode: Chatting with CJ Milacci, author of the Talionis books, about her series, upcoming release on October 21, and working with Kickstarter.

Listen to the podcast the website:

https://yeoldedragonbooks.com/ye-olde-dragons-library-storytelling-podcast/

 

You can find her online at:

Website: www.cjmilacci.com

Instagram: @cjmilacci

To purchase Recruit of Talionis: 

 https://books2read.com/recruitoftalionis

Kickstarter for Recruit of Talionis:  

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cjmilacci/recruit-of-talionis

Kickstarter for Fugitive of Talionis: 

 https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/cjmilacci/fugitive-of-talionis-a-young-adult-sci-fi-dystopian-novel

 

Off the Bookshelf: WRITING WITH SOFT WORLDBUILDING, by Hans Arthur

 

What is soft worldbuilding, you may ask?

That's the first lesson, defining "soft" and "hard" worldbuilding.

Of course, for those who are new to writing fiction at all, maybe you need to learn what worldbuilding is.

Worldbuilding is ... well, creating the world where your story takes place. The culture, technology, history, religions, medicine, art, industry, food, etc.

The depth and intricacy of the details essentially define if you're going soft or hard. Are you someone who likes the world to be spelled out, all the layers defined, the history solid and established, the backstory for all your characters, whether main or secondary or tertiary or even the ones who only appear in one scene and never again? Yeah, then you're into hard worldbuilding.

If you would rather focus on characters, and let their growth and discovery and how they face challenges move the story forward, and you only explore the bits and pieces of their back story and fragments of the world around them as they affect the story ... that's soft worldbuilding.

These are simplistic definitions, of course. But the explanations and examples in this short book are helpful in figuring out just how much work you need or want to put in before you actually start writing the story. And might just save you a lot of headaches in the long run.  

Bottom line: it all depends on the kind of story you're writing, and you would be wise to figure out at least that much before you sit down and write the first word.

Off the Bookshelf: DEAR WRITER, YOU NEED TO QUIT, by Becca Syme

 

Thanks to the Great Lakes Fiction Writers craft book club for choosing this for our October discussion book.

VERY needed, especially as I struggle with a couple projects all at the same time. Including a book I told my publisher in Australia I would get to her by the end of October -- LAST year. Yeah, Sandy, this one is for you ...

The subtitle says a lot -- and calms some of the anxiety perhaps generated by the title: What to Keep, What to Quit, What to Question

Basically, many writers are hampered and even blocked, distracted, frustrated, drained by false assumptions about the writing process, what they should be doing, what they shouldn't be doing, and how to go about it.

Everyone needs to find out what works best for them, and not let the loud proclamations by supposedly successful writers force them into routines and mindsets that don't work for them.

Syme goes through so many assumptions and blows them apart, always asking if writers are SURE this is the way it has to be, no wiggle room, no adaptations, no exceptions.

It's kind of freeing, and kind of frustrating, and kind of embarrassing, to face up to the things you've just taken for granted you gotta do to be a writer-type person. Yeah, there were times as I went through the checklist and questions when I thought .... yeah, time to quit -- handicapping myself! Let go of the false assumptions, find the things that work for me, and stop letting other people try to force me into their square boxes, when I'm more star-shaped.

Y'know?

Syme has an entire series of books of writerly advice, and I think if I'm smart I'll investigate more of them.

Off the Bookshelf: WAVES OF CREATIVITY, by Allen Arnold

 

Allen Arnold strikes again, with a book of inspirational quotations, either his own thoughts or scripture references, having to do with the creative mind and soul, the creative journey, and spiritual growth.

Everything essentially leads back to the core principle of his teaching, which is that our best creating is always done WITH God. 

Sounds kind of simple, huh? Not really. It's a conscious, constant process of growth, of checking the compass, of looking around and getting back on track, and keeping the enemy from knocking us off course. We get distracted by things that shouldn't matter, unless they lead back to God. Things like success and popularity. Our measure of success needs to change to fit God's idea of success -- which certainly isn't what the world thinks it is.

While it might sound wonderfully spiritually to be working FOR God, that's what he calls the orphan mindset. We need to be working in partnership WITH God, in His power, seeing with His eyes, for whatever we do to really matter and make sense and mean something.

You should see my copy -- it's bristling with little page flags marking quotes and thoughts I need to go back to and read again and think over. It's partially color coded alphabetically, but that's not much help when there are more than 100 of them ... fortunately there's an index of topics, to help you find inspirational thoughts on whatever your current struggle is.

Like his other books, you're going to want to read it again and again. Thanks, much!

Off the Bookshelf: STORY GENIUS, by Lisa Cron

 

The subtitle and sub-subtitle say a lot about the value and usefulness of this book:

How To Use Brain Science To Go Beyond Outlining And Write A Riveting Novel.

(Before you waste three years writing 327 pages that go nowhere)

My craft book club at Great Lakes Fiction Writers had the fascinating, educational and fun experience of being able to talk with Lisa via Zoom, when we got together to discuss this book. Wow. So much common sense and moments of "Well, yeah, how come I didn't figure that out before?"

Basically, when you know your characters, what they believe and misbelieve, the forces that shaped them, the choices they've made in their past, in many ways the story kind of writes itself. Yeah, that's the simplified version. Or to rephrase that: most of the story is back story, because the past strongly affects the present of the character's story.

There's too much valuable information in the book, too many exercises you need to do for yourself, too many examples to be condensed into this book review. Go buy the book and read it for yourself -- don't borrow it -- you want it on your shelf to reread and go back to for reference again and again.

Thanks for giving us some of your time and talking with us, Lisa. Very much appreciated.

Off the Bookshelf: STEERING THE CRAFT, by Ursula K. Le Guin

 

This is a writing craft book, chosen by the craft book club of Great Lakes Fiction Writers.

I honestly have to say I had a hard time getting through this one. The advice is so applicable, and every little common mistake and misunderstanding she discussed when going through the basics or mechanics, I've encountered in editing. Things about which people who believe they are writers should know better -- and yet make the same mistakes time and again. Like keeping verb tenses and POV constant, and choosing the write voice with which to tell a story. On and on.

I think some of my difficulty was that 1) I have less than a week until our group gets together to discuss the book, and I was reading three or four chapters in a row -- and this is one of those books where you need to read one chapter and let it digest before reading another -- and 2) I'm still fighting with Covid brain fog. (Yeah, I went to a writing conference and somewhere picked up Covid from someone else in the huge convention hotel who either wasn't paying attention to their own health, or was just inconsiderate of everyone else around them ...)

This book is just jammed tight with examples of how writing should be DONE, clear examples of what Le Guin is discussing, and each chapter has exercises, to practice what she is teaching. Highly valuable, and when I have more time I will go back and actually do some of those exercises. Not now, though. Too many projects and deadlines breathing down my neck, and I just don't have the energy. 

Highly valuable writing advice and wisdom from a prolific author who apparently did a lot, if not all. I only knew her from the Earthsea books, but ... yeah, she's done a lot, fiction, non-fiction, poetry. Someone to be listened to, and her lessons applied diligently.

Off the Bookshelf: INTUITIVE EDITING, by Tiffany Yates Martin

 

This is our June book for the Great Lakes Fiction Writers craft book club.

Thanks to whoever first suggested this book. A LOT to learn, new angles that make me rethink how I've been editing for years. This helps me see the process in new ways -- and make me more alert to things that I might have been doing automatically, without thinking about them.

This book approaches the whole editing process in a methodical, step-by-step fashion that takes apart a book and puts each piece under a microscope.

Or, in the author's words, starts with an x-ray ... and goes even more in-depth.

Wow. A little intimidating, a lot to take in and consider. Writing is both an art and a craft. Books like these help us refine our craft. Just because my approach doesn't match the one outlined in this book doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong, because the "art" portion of writing means we have to find what works best for each of us. 

If we're smart, we keep learning and growing and adapting. This is a book I wish I'd read years ago. It crystalizes a lot of practices and principles I know I follow, maybe without thinking about why. But it sure helps to be able to put them into words at long last.

Many thanks to Tiffany Yates Martin.

Off the Bookshelf: HOW TO ADD HUMOR TO YOUR NOVEL, by Lisa Wells

 

Homework for the craft book club at Great Lakes Fiction Writers.

As Saavik said to Admiral Kirk: "Humor. A difficult concept."

You know what's even more difficult? GOBS of homework, to stretch your humor muscles (Didn't know you had one, did you? Well, what do you think is attached to your funny bone?) (On another note, it seems some people lack both a funny bone and humor muscles. Too bad. Humor should be considered a survival skill in life, not just in writing!)

The author gives lots of examples for all the different kinds of humor and approaches to assembling a joke or humorous scene or creating one-liners. And how to apply different kinds of humor and techniques for different situations. And for every chapter she has exercises -- aka HOMEWORK!

This is one of those books where you read it through to get the general idea of what's there, and a good idea of what you need to focus on. Then you go back and do the homework, study the examples, and accept the fact that it's not a one-and-done. You gotta exercise those humor muscles constantly, to make it work.

I must confess, I voted for a different book for the club to read last month, but I'm kinda-sorta glad the majority chose this one. Useful! And it reinforced my own assessment of my own brand of humor. Snark. Pointing out the insanity of the world around me, and trying not to whimper too loudly when it's proved again and again that I -- speaking through my POV character -- am the only sane person for miles around .... Maybe!

Off the Bookshelf: STORY TRUMPS STRUCTURE, by Steven James

 

This is one of those writing books that you would be wise to read at least once a year.

Or maybe before you start each new writing project, if you do more than one a year.

Because there's SO MUCH stuff to keep in mind, so many wise pieces of advice, and depending on where you are in your writing journey, learning or refining your craft, different lessons will strike home more sharply than others.

This is a good book to read while struggling with a book that just isn't coming together, like it did for me -- although I can't point to the exact chapter or technique or questions that sparked that, "Oh, yeah, so THAT'S what's missing," moment. I just know that while I was reading this book, missing pieces popped into my head and I figured out what I was doing wrong and where I had to go back and delete things, move the timeline of events around, etc. 

Whew!

Invaluable for holding up different parts of the creating and revising and refining process to the light to approach the tried-and-true process from a new angle.

Big confession time -- I bought this and "Troubleshooting Your Novel" four years ago, right after attending Steven James' class at the ACFW conference, and they've been sitting on my writing books shelf ever since. I wish I had read them much, much earlier. Glad I finally read this now -- for the Great Lakes Fiction Writers book club!

Do yourself a favor, people, and read this book ASAP. You'll be glad you did.

Off the Bookshelf: WRITE NAKED, by Jennifer Probst

 

I joined (rejoined, actually) a local writing group, and when I found out they had a book club for reading and discussing craft books, that fit in very well with my goal to read at least one book each week this year.

So here's our first book, subtitle: A bestseller's secrets to writing romance and navigating the path to success.

This book tells it like it is from the beginning, tearing away the illusion that a writer's life is all glamour and lying around scratching at scented paper with a pink feathery pen for maybe ten minutes a day, raking in the $$, and eating bonbons. Umm, no. Writers need a healthy lifestyle, for one thing, to keep the little gray cells popping -- meaning exercise and a balanced diet. And for another thing, you still gotta get the story from the paper into the computer, so you can send the finished book to your editor! Waste of time, writing on silly, expensive scented paper. And what if you're allergic?

We had the privilege of having a Zoom chat with Jennifer after we finished the book and discussed it for a while. What a fun, generous, encouraging person. She has paid her dues and she knows what she's talking about, in the struggle to create stories that work, and characters that live and breathe. She covers so many topics, so many aspects to being a writer, because yeah, there's a LOT of work involved. A lot of preparation and revising and angsting, and the work doesn't stop once you get an editor to agree to read your book -- selling to the publisher is just the start of the uphill battle to sell to the readers, and connect with them, make fans, and keep the creative fires stoked.

Everyone who wants to be a writer (and everyone who needs a boost and encouragement and some laughter and confirmation that yes, others face the same battles and while we might look crazy, we really aren't, this is perfectly normal for writers) should read this book. No matter what genre they write. Maybe on a regular basis, as a refresher.

Thanks, Jennifer!

Off the Bookshelf: HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL USING THE SNOWFLAKE METHOD, by Randy Ingermanson

 

I've had this book sitting in my iPad library for a while now ...

Could somebody please tell me WHY I didn't read this sooner?

Well, maybe because whoever I heard talking about the snowflake method gave me a really twisted, off-the-mark idea of what was involved, and I was getting psychosomatic hives thinking of all the nitpicky work.

As in dozens of pages of character charts and psychological analysis and writing out a description of each scene and all sorts of anal-retentive-to-the-maximus work before I wrote one word ...

It ain't so!

For those of you who consider yourselves mega-pantsers, this won't interfere with your method. And it's adaptable so that the most organized of plotters will be happy and cozy.

The big word is flexibility.

And yeah, going back and revising, the more you learn about your characters and setting and their goals and dreams and fears and values and figuring out what will work -- yeah, BEFORE you write that opening scene.

The really fun part is that our esteemed teacher presents this as a story -- appropriately, set at a writing conference. There's conflict, fear, shame, old secrets and grudges, humor, angst, suspense, and discovery. Whew! Essentially, as our heroine Goldilocks learns to prepare to write her book and know where she's going and more importantly WHY she's going there in the story, we also learn along with her.

This is one of those writing books where it makes sense to go back and re-read it every few months, as a refresher course. If you haven't read this one yet ... don't be like me, and let an itchy fear of hives get in your way. Read it!

Off the Bookshelf: THE IDEA, by Erik Bork

 

Writing Book

I heard about this book listening to the Story Blender, a podcast by Steven James.

The subtitle is: The Seven Elements of a Viable Story for Screen, Stage, or Fiction

Each chapter devoted to the elements has a checklist to go through, to see if you're providing the element, meeting the criteria for making your script or book the best it can be. Translation: the most salable, readable, watchable product for the producer or publisher to support.

A sample from the Table of Contents: 

Chapter 1: Focus on the idea. The 60/30/10 Rule, The Problem, How "High" is Your Concept? and Nailing the Logline. 

Chapter 2: Punishing. Degree of Difficulty, Great Stories Are Like Great Games, Adapting True Stories, Television and the "Web of Conflict."

On and on. Intense. This is one of those books I'm going to have to read several times to get everything out of it, and refresh what I've learned in my mind, so I can apply it to the brainstorming and revising process.

Glad I bought it, and definitely keeping in my library.

Off the Bookshelf: THE STORY EQUATION, by Susan May Warren

 

I've had this book sitting on my bedside table since the Mt. Zion Ridge Press writing conference, when Rachel Hauck recommended it. Nice thing about online conferences (besides being able to wear shorts and not having to shave your legs) is that you can look up a book recommended by the teacher and order it, while she's talking, and nobody knows you've been shopping!

HIGHLY recommend this book. No matter how many books you have under your belt, it's always very helpful, refreshing, to learn other approaches to organizing and understanding your story, the characters, their flaws and wounds and goals and dreams. This one came in very handy, the perfect timing, because as I started reading I was preparing to work on the second draft of two books, both of which have very close deadlines. One I imposed on myself, the other imposed on me by my publisher. 

Relief! As I read through Warren's examples I found some answers to questions I hadn't really been asking my characters, and realized I had huge holes in the story. In one book, my heroine was basically living the story of the heroine of the previous book in the series, standing on the sidelines and cheering for her friend, and not getting on with her own story. Well, duh!

The subtitle says it all: How to Plot and Write a Brilliant Story From One Powerful Question.

Dang, I really need to get more books by Susan May Warren, creator of My Book Therapy. I really do. We all need help sometimes. Thanks!!

Read it. Apply it. You'll be happy you did.

New Releases: Installment #3

The third book released May 1 from Ye Olde Dragon Books:

Non-Fiction, if you can believe it.

TO ETERNITY (and beyond): Writing Spec Fic Good For Your Soul

Many moons ago, when I was in grad school, I had a dream. An idea, motivated by a statement from C.S. Lewis about using speculative fiction for evangelism.

 

Could I actually use my love of SF, my far-roaming imagination, for the glory of my Savior … and reach people who wouldn't come within a mile of a church if it was the last building standing at the end of the world?

 

If Lewis thought so, why not at least try?

 

Then a classmate decided that my science fiction books had invited demons into my life. This was a year before Peretti published This Present Darkness. So what could a recovering Trekker do, when someone tried to impose their square hole on her star-shaped peg?

 

Contained in the pages of this book is my answer.

My master's portfolio thesis and defense of speculative fiction as not only an evangelistic tool, but good for your soul.

Off the Bookshelf: SOCIAL MEDIA FOR TODAY'S WRITER, by Diann Mills & Edie Melson

 

Okay, I admit it, I NEED HELP with promotion and just being visible and audible, when it comes to letting people know about my books.

Even after reading this book and getting some, "Oh, okay, that makes sense" moments .... *sigh* it's gonna be a while before I get even a portion of this put into practice.

But this is much-needed advice and guidance, and greatly appreciated.

The authors go through different concepts and platforms, step by step, explaining why something should be done, how, what not to do, and give guidance on keeping things organized. And most important, help authors avoid being overwhelmed!

Chapters discuss laying a foundation for your social media presence, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube, and staying organized .... Yeah, I need to read through this book a few more times, and apply sticky notes and highlighter, to help me really put everything taught, simply and clearly, into action.

Thanks, DiAnn and Edie!

Off the Bookshelf: WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, by Regina L. Brooks

Subtitle: Everything you need to know, from crafting the idea to getting it published.

Very thorough, very useful, very well-organized.

The chapter titles say it all (and lots of examples and even explanations of why you shouldn't do something):

Five Rules for Engaging Readers of Young Adult Fiction

Meeting Your Characters

Building Your Plot

Setting the Timeline

Learning to Write Dialogue

Getting Constructive Feedback

And the appendices:

Feedback Resources

Publishing Processes at a Glance

YA Publishers

And more than what I've listed.

If you want to learn about it or NEED to learn about it, here's a great foundation for either starting out writing, period, or switching your focus from another genre/market/audience.

The Adventure: SANDRA MERVILLE HART, The Story Behind the Story, part 1

This is the “story behind the story” of how my Civil War romance set during the Battle of Gettysburg, A Rebel in My House, was born. 

Something drew me yet again to Gettysburg. I knew a story awaited me. My husband and I walked the battlefields. Ideas stirred when I found Tennessee troops with the brigade who began the fighting on the first day. Nothing solidified so I kept digging.

I discovered fascinating history at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum. Surely my story touched this place. After spending several hours wandering the museum and surroundings … nothing. I trudged on.

I explored Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, Gettysburg Museum of History, Gettysburg Railroad Station, General Lee’s Headquarters Museum, and The David Wills House where President Lincoln stayed. I learned intriguing facts at the Jennie Wade House, Shriver House Museum, and “The Women of Gettysburg Tour,” an evening walking tour.

Ideas strengthened. My husband and I walked the town’s streets around the “Diamond”—the town square where women and children suffered a nightmare from which they didn’t awaken for many months. Then we spent another afternoon and evening at the battlefield.

Three Tennessee regiments fought the beginning battle on July 1^st. They didn’t fight again until they joined in Pickett’s Charge on the battle’s final day.  

The sun sank low on the horizon as I stood alone on Cemetery Ridge reflecting over the expansive field crossed by Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. Though the land is peaceful once more, it still tells a story. My imagination soared while the sun disappeared.

I had to tell what the townspeople endured. What if a Gettysburg seamstress fell in love with a Confederate soldier? What if they both made promises to loved ones? Some promises are impossible to keep …

About Sandra:

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories. A Musket in My Hands, a Civil War romance where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, is 2019 Serious Writer Medal Fiction Winner and a 2019 Selah Award Finalist. A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and second place in 2018 Faith, Hope and Love Readers’ Choice Award. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger on My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. Her novella Surprised by Love in "From the Lake to the River" is set during the 1913 flood in Troy, Ohio. Trail’s End in "Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys" is set in the wild cattle town of Abilene, Kansas. Not This Year, her nostalgic story in the "Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path," released in the fall of 2019.

Connect with Sandra on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Amazon Author Page, and BookBub.

The Adventure: JPC ALLEN, pt. 2 of "How to Describe Characters in Show Don't Tell"

How to Describe Characters in Show Don’t Tell

CONTINUED FROM THURSDAY

The "handle" is Terence O'Neil looks likes Rae's idea of a professor, which invites the reader to think of their idea of a professor. Then I add some specific traits.

Another candidate for Rae's father is the sheriff, Walter R. Malinowski IV: “He was one of the few people I'd met who made me feel short. Close to six-six, with biceps bulging like pumpkins under a rumpled button-down shirt, he could easily become the next Thor if he grew out his blond crewcut and added a beard.”

The "handle" is that he looks like Thor. Blonde crewcut and his height and bulging biceps are the specific traits. Readers are reminded that Rae is tall--maybe inheriting that feature from the sheriff if he's her father?--and that she likes superhero movies.

The last candidate is Jason Carlisle, a businessman and a member of the wealthiest family in the county. “Besides being fashionable enough for a runway, Jason had dark brown hair, gel sculpting every strand in place, and soft brown eyes that held a warmth I wanted to wrap myself in. If he was a few inches taller and more muscular, he'd make a perfect Superman.”

The "handle" is Superman. Specific traits are hair color, eye color, and being fashionable. Rae has brown eyes, so she notices that trait. Her description also shows that she likes the man.

Throughout the story, I dribble in reminders of the characters’ appearance. When Terence O'Neil is nervous, he rubs his beard. When the sheriff appears suddenly at an abandoned house, "his massive frame" fills the doorway.

In a future post, I’ll tell you about the sequel I’m writing about Rae and the relatives, friends, and enemies she discovers in Marlin County, Ohio. If you’d like to meet Rae and solve the mystery of her mother’s attack and her father’s identity, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, my blog, or Goodreads, then comment here. I’ll enter you in a drawing for a hard copy of Christmas fiction off the beaten path and announce the winner on May 29. If you win, you’ll get five more off-beat Christmas stories, including “Crystal Christmas” by Michelle!

*****

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo. She’s been tracking down mysteries ever since. A former children’s librarian, she is a member of ACFW and has written mystery short stories for Mt. Zion Ridge Press. Online, she offers writing tips and prompts to beginning writers. She also leads writing workshops for tweens, teens, and adults, encouraging them to discover the adventure of writing. A lifelong Buckeye, she has deep roots in the Mountain State. Join the adventure on her Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.

The Adventure: JPC ALLEN, "How to Describe Characters in Show Don't Tell"

How to Describe Characters in Show Don’t Tell

One of my favorite novels is The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. And one of the reasons I like it so well is that the main character Ponyboy describes his older brothers and the members of his gang in great detail. In fact, a good chunk of chapter one is devoted to their descriptions. I've always liked getting vivid pictures of the characters in the first few pages. It makes the story come alive to me. But The Outsiders was written over fifty years ago. Today, those kinds of lengthy descriptions would be considered poor writing.

When I wrote my YA mystery short story “A Rose from the Ashes” for the anthology Christmas fiction off the beaten path, I was faced with the problem of how to describe characters in "show don't tell" without slowing down the story. I also had to describe them from the deep point of view of my main character (MC), nineteen-year-old Rae Riley. Those descriptions would not only tell readers how characters looked but something about how my MC saw them.

I hit on a combination of mentioning a few key traits and then a "handle", a description to sum up that character. I learned this technique from Michelle. As the story progressed, I'd dribble in reminder descriptions to help readers "see" the characters.

In "A Rose from the Ashes" from the anthology Christmas fiction off the beaten path, Rae is trying to uncover the identity of her father and if he was the attacker who tried to murder her pregnant mother twenty years before. Her late mother said only three men could be Rae’s father. I had to make those three male characters distinct individuals. Perhaps more than other MC's, Rae notices the physical traits of the men because she's looking for connections to her own characteristics.

I introduced one that is a professor this way: “Terence O'Neil was my idea of a professor. Over sixty, balding with a closely cut black and white beard covering cheeks that shook when he talked. He even smoked a pipe.”

The "handle" is Terence O'Neil looks likes Rae's idea of a professor, which invites the reader to think of their idea of a professor. Then I add some specific traits.

CONTINUED ON FRIDAY

*****

JPC Allen started her writing career in second grade with an homage to Scooby Doo. She’s been tracking down mysteries ever since. A former children’s librarian, she is a member of ACFW and has written mystery short stories for Mt. Zion Ridge Press. Online, she offers writing tips and prompts to beginning writers. She also leads writing workshops for tweens, teens, and adults, encouraging them to discover the adventure of writing. A lifelong Buckeye, she has deep roots in the Mountain State. Join the adventure on her Facebook, Instagram, or Goodreads.

Off the Bookshelf: HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN'S BOOK, Institute of Children's Literature

This handy little book of guidance comes from my Alma Mater -- I took the 2-year correspondence course from the Institute of Children's Literature back in the "old days" -- when correspondence courses were handled through snail mail. I started at the end of my senior year of high school and got my first rejection letter while still taking the course.

Everybody needs a refresher course in the basics, in what they know -- or think they know. Reading books by people who have been doing it longer than you is always helpful, and when it comes to writing, there's always something to learn, a new perspective through someone else's eyes.

Chapters include:
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
How Old is Your Reader?
Writing Basics
Plotting a Great Story
What Editors Wish Writers Knew
Jan Fields' List of Five Good Tools that Can Get You Into Bad Trouble
Checklists. (especially helpful: Organization; Character and Settings; Sentence Structure; Mechanics)

Some of this information is presented as Q&A, so you get an idea of the questions other writers are asking too.

Very useful. No matter what you know or how much you think you know, it's always good to KEEP LEARNING.