The Write Marble Blog

Is it possible to write funny, if you aren’t yourself?

From Carol:

What a great question!

Don’t we all THINK we are funny even if other people don’t seem to get our humor?

There are so many types of humor. I heard a great talk about humor at an SCBWI conference several years ago by Hillary Homzie. She talked about “fish out of water” humor. You put a character in a situation where he’s never been before and the humerous result is that he doesn’t know how to act. What he does seems natural to him but totally unnatural to the rest of the world.

My preferred type of humor is word play. I love how the same word can mean different things or how grammar and punctuation can change a simple sentence into meaning something that you didn’t intend. Of course, not everyone gets me. In fact, often the only way my family knows I was “trying” to be funny is because after I say something I laugh heartily!

I know there are other forms of humor, too — situations, goofy characters, slap stick; bodily function humor, plot twists. My thinking is that you need to determine what type of humor appeals to you (makes you laugh hardest). Then read all the books you can that use that type of humor and try it out! If you love to read it, chances are you’ll enjoy writing it and be good at it.

From Kim:

think most of us are funny in conversation, but I find it very difficult to translate funny into my writing. I have a moment of funny here and there, but it’s difficult to carry it consistently.
I went to a workshop on humor in picture books a few months ago. These were the main talking points:

1. Children find three things funny- the misfortunes of others (not anything horrible, just small misfortunes), when normal expectations are not followed.

2. Word play

3. Adults laugh at sitcoms and comedians who make what we normally term stressful, funny- tense family relations, death, etc. Children laugh at what stresses them out too. One way to create a funny picture book, is to figure out the things that stress small children and make it funny. They used underwear and Captain Underpants as an example. Most kindergarten children these days are not that far away from diapers and potty training. They worry about accidents. They stress about their underwear feeling right, etc. The workshop leaders said that these underlying stressors are what make Captain Underpants and other underwear books so totally funny to little ones.

Favorite Words

Kim asks the Marbles to share some of their favorite words!

Since my tag line is, For the Love of Words, I’m writing some content for my website about my favorite words. I know that if you’re like me, the list is endless, but care to share a few of your own?

Here are some of mine:

1. Flicker
2. Crinkle
3. Galoshes
4. Haggle
5. Awe

From Carol

HA! fun topic

My favorite words are ones my kids said:

pine-em-pam-ple (pineapple)
ham-ble-bur-ger (hamburger)
wa-tair (water)
udle-ba (W)

and I love phrases like: jacket pocket

From Deb

Chrysanthemum (and how cool is it that Kevin Henkes has a book of the same title)

ascent (love anything mountain climbing–ascent is such a powerful word!)

ridiculous (have had an affection for that word ever since doing a residency…it was part of a story we were performing with a class and there was this one little girl who would REEEEdicAlus. She loved that word, lol and made me love it too)

I’ve been getting ready for a residency this week. One of the things I do as I am going over things in my head (and I do that alot!) is I will surf the net looking about at this and that. I just came across this page on storyteller and writer Rick Walton’s website-Word Play. It’s a whole lot of fun!

From Laurie

Fun, Kim! Let’s see…. I too love the words my kids say. In fact, I’m so bad that I don’t even correct them sometimes.

Gargen burger
pinano (for piano)
bakini (for zucchinii)
little poop (my son’s favorite bear)

I’m already starting to forget. I’ll have to really listen when they come home from school today.

I also like:

splatter
sprinkle
crinkle
crackle
clatter
scatter
chatter

And many more…

My Favorite Little Golden Book

Guest post by Leonard Marcus

My favorite Little Golden Book was a pretty obcure one called LADDIE AND THE LITTLE RABBIT, by Bill Gottlieb. I don’t remember if I picked it out, or if we somehow already had it at home. It was illustrated with color photographs, which may have been one of the things I liked about it. But the main thing that I liked was the fact that the brother and sister in the book had a dog, a springer spaniel named Laddie. My mother could not be persuaded to let my sister and me have a dog. But I did have the book, and I can still remember dreaming about the pictures–sort of dreaming my way into them.

When it came time to write GOLDEN LEGACY I was eager to learn what I could about Bill Gottlieb. For a long time I came up empty, probably because, as I later found out, his main claim to fame had nothing to do with children’s books. Gottlieb lived in Washington, DC, during th 1940s. He was a jazz afficionado, and during those years he became the jazz critic for the Washington Post. When his editor told him to bring a camera a long to the clubs he visited, Gottlieb discovered that he had a talent for photography too. When you see a photograph of Louis Armstrong or Billie Holiday from that period, the chances are good that it was taken by him. (If you’d like to know more about Gottlieb, the Library of Congress’s “American Memory” website has a page devoted to his jazz photographs.)

One day, in the months leading up to GOLDEN LEGACY’s release, I was speaking to a group of librarians about my childhood fondness for LADDIE and about what I had discovered about its creator. Afterwards, one of the librarians came up to me and said, “Delia Gottlieb, Bill’s widow, is my best friend!” She said that I had to meet her, and so a week or so later the three of us got together in New York City for lunch. Delia turned out to be a very flamboyant and generous-spirited 82 year old who travels the world and seems to have friends everywhere. (It later turned out that she and I had at least three other friends in common.) Delia told me all about the making of LADDIE and the few other children’s books her husband wrote and illustrated–how she would sometimes look for the children her husband used as models, how she would work with the animals to get them to hold their poses just long enough for the shutter-click. But the best thing that Delia told me that day had to do with the dog in my favorite book. The real Laddie, it turned out, was her dog. And Laddie wasn’t really his name. His real name was: James Thurber.

Golden Book Contest Winner

The winner of our Golden Book Contest is Amy Thomas! Her name was selected from the entries who named Leonard Marcus’s favorite Golden Book LADDIE AND THE LITTLE RABBIT!

Listening to Writers

Book Expo America is taking place May 29-June 1. I was reading all about it here. Oddly enough that put me in mind of past Book Expos. I’ve never attended but what I have loved is the opportunity to listen to some of the writers who have attended. It’s a wonderful to be able to listen to the writer’s we read, and gain even greater insight into the words they put on paper, and how they work at their craft.

The official podcast of Book Expo America is here. And for those of you attending…enjoy, enjoy, ENJOY!

Of course all of this leads me to a question for The Marbles and anyone else who would care to join in! Do you have any favorite pod or video casts? Ones that you have found particularly inspiring, from Book Expo or anywhere else?

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS An Interview with Danielle, a local fourth grader

Interview by Angela Cerrito

Danielle recently attended BATTLE OF THE BOOKS, a special event for fourth graders in her school district.

PLEASE TELL US WHAT Battle Of The Books IS ALL ABOUT:

Danielle: Each school puts on a skit from one of the books on the list. There were about twelve of us in our skit because some kids signed up at the last minute. We picked the funniest part of our book (THE TWITS by Ronald Dahl) for the skit. It was when the monkeys and Roly Poly Bird play a prank on Mr. and Mrs. Twit. They flip the furniture in the house upside down. We used poster board to make the furniture and I was a monkey visitor. We had to do backbends and stay upside down. We had to hold the pose for three minutes.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE BEST ABOUT THE SKITS?

Well, I didn’t really get nervous. The only part that made me the most nervous was staying upside down, because that makes me nauseous.

WHAT DID THE STUDENTS DO AFTER THE SKITS? DID YOU BATTLE IT OUT BETWEEN SCHOOLS?

Actually, we made new teams that night. There were eighteen kids on each team and the teams had students from every school. I made three new friends who were kids and friends with the lady I sat next to in the audience.

There was an MC who asked questions about the books and each team picked a spokesperson for every round. Everyone on the team talked together to come up with the answer, then the spokesperson told the MC.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE QUESTION?

I don’t remember the exact question, but when I was in the audience there was a question about A WRINKLE IN TIME and I knew the answer but it wasn’t my groups turn. None of the other groups knew the answer and I was bouncing in my seat so impatient because I knew it and I couldn’t say it. I knew it!

SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAD A LOT OF FUN. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO THRID GRADERS WHO ARE DECIDING IF THEY WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN Battle Of The Books NEXT YEAR?

You have to sign up and read the books on the list. But you should do it. It is for two hours at night and the time goes by super fast. Everyone wants to do it again, but we can’t. Next year will be in fourth grade. Oh and everyone gets a medal that night. And at our school we each got a certificate in front of the whole school the next day and we had a pizza party with cupcakes and cookies. It was great. So I’d tell every third grader, “You should do it. It is so much fun.”

NonFiction Monday

A review by Angela Cerrito

SNEEZE

By Alexandra Siy and Dennis Kunkel

This book opens with photos of children on the brink of a sneeze and wonderful supersized microscopic images of the things that make them sneeze (pollen, dust mites, ground pepper, etc…).

Next there is a detailed description of what happens physiologically when we sneeze complete with more enlarged artwork. The reader gets a peek inside the body…

and a close up view of the microscopic world around them.

Kids will love the gigantic dust mites and the fun facts at the end of the book.

Tween Books

I was wondering if you could discuss the Tween category and what makes a book a Tween and not a YA or Middle Grade. I’m wondering if a tween can be any genre (mystery, romance, etc) as long as its also contemporary, or if it only fits in one specific category. If you could possible shed light on this topic, I would really appreciate it. J

Angela

http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/

********************

From Angela:

TWEEN is the term for children who are not yet teens. The “tween age” is generally 8 – 12 years. They are recognized by marketers and corporations as a distinct target market.

As far as your questions about genres go a tween book can fit into any genre – non-fiction, hf, fantasy, sci-fi, the entire range of publishing. The key to tween book is that it appeals to the age group 8 – 12 year olds and is at their reading level. Though middle grade / tween books have gotten a bit ‘edgier’ as the YA books have gotten edgier, the content of the book must be appropriate to the reading age. Some in publishing expected that the tween category would be a step between MG and YA and in some publishing houses tween books are distinct and in other houses tween books and MG books are very similar.

Some publishers readily identify their lines as tween such as Simon and Schusters Aladdin M!x And Piccadilly Press

VIZ media a licensing company, known for developing manga products actually develops and markets many license products for the tween market across a number of platforms – anime, magazine, graphic novels etc… presented at Concom about graphic novels for the teen market. They also heavily promoted the new film DEATH NOTE at Bologna (I enjoyed the apples with the Death Note logo)

Harper Collins announced they are creating a series for tween girls, Makenzie Blue. This series got a lot of press attention because of its planned corporate tie-ins.

More information about tweens:

Linda Sonna’s EVERYTHING TWEEN BOOK is aimed at parents of tweens

Blog of teen / tween book reviews
Economic study of tween demographic: TWEENS: A Force to be Reckoned With

From Deb:

When I thought of Tween I though of those 11-12 year olds, not quite teenagers who a no longer middle graders–a fuzzy age of in between, almost pun intended. Further reading (including Angela’s great answer!) is high lighting that some publishers, reviewers, editors define tween as 8-12 and interchange it with middle grade. Some blogging librarians include YA books for the 14 and under set on their recommended tween reading lists. So, what makes a book a tween but not a middle grade or YA seems hard to pin down. I think it almost boils down to looking at books (if you are putting them into the hand of your own tweens, or tweens you work with) on a book by book basis..

http://www.mcnallyrobinson.com/teens/browse/category/738/

http://tweendom.blogspot.com/

http://tweenlit.com

Thanks for asking this Angela. It is a great topic for discussion!

The Write Marbles Golden Book Contest!

WIN: A copy of GOLDEN LEGACY: HOW GOLDEN BOOKS WON CHILDREN’S HEARTS, CHANGED PUBLISHING FOREVER, AND BECAME AN AMERICAN ICON ALONG THE WAY by Leonard Marcus.

How to Enter: Guess Leonard Marcus’s favorite Golden Book. Send (mail AT thewritemarbles.com) your guess to us by 31 May or reply to this post. One entry per person, please! Tell us about your favorite Golden Book too!

How it works: The winner will be selected from among all of the correct entries. If there are no correct entries the winner will be selected from all entries received.

Entry Fee: NEVER

At the conclusion of the contest, Leonard Marcus will share the story of how his research for GOLDEN LEGACY led him to meet someone very close to the character in his favorite book.

The Write Marbles sponsors regular contests. For results of past contests click here.

Deb Asks How are you Celebrating National Poetry Month?

One of the celebrations for National Poetry Month is Poem in my Pocket, so for the last couple of weeks I’ve been getting an email a day from Gregory Pincus’s blog-Gotta Book. He is one talented poet. If you have time check it out, and sign yourself up for a daily email poetry treat.And for the rest of the month I plan on visiting our very own Angela’s poetry blog, Making Sense of Life.

How about you?

Q2 Goal Reviews for You by Carol Peterson

We did it. We set those 2008 writing goals. But that was January. April has arrived, and with it, a quarter of the year has slid off the pages of our calendar, leaving the edges worn and crumpled. How did you do? Did you march triumphantly toward your goals? If so, Wahoo! Yippee! Good going, friend!
Or did you wander into a ditch?
Now is the time to take our bearings. Where were we headed? How far did we get? Did we take a scenic path toward a new goal? Part of setting goals is re-evaluating them from time to time. Quarterly review works perfectly. It gives us enough time to make progress; but not enough time to stray too far off track.
I found myself taking a new path this year. I had prioritized my original 2008 goals to
1)    Work on marketing and promotion;
2)    Learn Power Point;
3)    Work on 3 specific picture books;
4)    Revise my MG novel; and
5)    Finish a HRD (“horrible rough draft”) of my YA.
By mid January an idea for a teacher resource refused to sit politely in the corner. By February I had prepared a proposal; by March I had a contract. That meant I was committed to writing and illustrating a 350-page manuscript by March 2009.
So now I had a new goal that took priority over all the others because it was bound by a contract. Meanwhile I had made progress on marketing and Power Point and still wanted to keep my other goals in mind even if they moved down in importance. So now my goals for the rest of 2008 (prioritized) are:
1)    Complete the Fun with Finance manuscript, including illustrations, and front and back matter. Submit to my editor by the end of 2008 (ahead of schedule);
2)    Work on marketing and promotion;
3)    Learn Power Point and
4)    Work on PBs, MG and YA as time allows.
Hey that works!
Separately I planned how I intend to accomplish each of these 4 goals by creating mini goals with deadlines and more detailed thoughts on how to accomplish them. I encourage you to similarly detail the specific “hows” and “whens” (like a map) to keep you from getting lost.
So sit yourself down and analyze your goals. We still have 9 whole months; 3 whole quarters; more than 250 days left in 2008. How do you want to spend that time pursuing the craft of writing?
Accountability helps. So please post your review—what you originally set out to do; how you’re doing now; and any goal revisions you are making for the rest of the year.
Whatcha waitin’for? Q3? It’ll be here before you know it!

Great Promotion Ideas?

From Kim:

Since my book is scheduled for release next Spring, I was hoping my fellow Marbles and our readers could share some wonderful promotional/marketing ideas they have used personally or heard about from other writers.

I found this at Aaron Shepard’s site:

http://www.aaronshep.com/kidwriter/A48.html

From Laurie:

My instructor at ICL, had postcards made up with her new book that was coming out. It was well done and she could pass them out or mail them. I thought it was a great idea! Unfortunately for me, I can’t do it yet ;-( But you can!! Woohooo!!!!

From Deb:

One thing I know I will be doing for sure is a virtual book tour. I think they are great. Elizabeth O. Dulemba has a great article about them, here. Speaking of this particular writer, here is what she is doing for her latest release. Some great stuff I hope to be able to use some day!

From Carol:

you won’t do a lot of stuff until you get some art work, but you could find a simple paw print online and create some bookmarks and pass them around. I sent you a template for bookmarks last year you could use.

Also make a list of the zoos and wildlife museums — even regular museums–within your area or however far you’re willing to travel. Make sure they know about your book and how to order them. Tell them you’re available for presentations.

Start preparing activities and lesson plans right now for school/library/scouting visits. Plan some nifty field trips you could lead to go find paw prints in nature.

Prepare your publicity packet and start sending things out about a month before your book release. Get yourself interviewed for your local newspaper. Are you part of a homeschool network? Chat yourself up with them.

Deb–I love the idea of a virtual book tour. I’m gonna look into that site you sent us.

A Booklist From February’s Draw!

As part of February’s draw for a critique we asked entrants to send it the names of two of their favorite rhyming picture books. Here are those books:

How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? By Jane Yolen illus. by Mark Teague

Way Out in the Desert by T.J. Marsh and Jennifer Ward illus. by Kenneth J. Spengler

The Magic Paintbrush by Julia Donaldson illus. by Joel Stewart

I Hate School by Jeanne Willis illus. by Tony Ross

Merry Christmas, Merry Crow by Kathi Appelt illus. by

Is Your Mama a Llama by Deborah Guarino illus.by Stephen Kellog

Trucks by Patricia Hubbell illus. by Megan Halsey

Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Fireman Small by Wong Herbert Yee

Going to Sleep on the Farm by Wendy Cheyette Lewison illus. by Juan Winjngaard

Big Red Barn by Margaret Wise Brown illus. by Felicia Bond

Parts by Tedd Arnold

Mrs. Mcnosh Hangs Up Her Wash by Sarah Weeks illus. Nadine Bernard Westcott

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson illus. by Jane Chapman

And To Think That We Thought We’d Never Be Friends by Mary Ann Hoberman illus. Kevin Hawkes

Any that you would like us to add to the above?

What Has Been Your Biggest Source of Education as a Writer?

From Kim:

My fellow writers have been my biggest source of education. I learn when I read their books. I learn when I hear author’s speak at conferences. I learn a lot when my fellow marbles critique my work.

I think it’s so nice to be in a profession where colleagues don’t consider each other competition. I know of no other profession where so many folks work so hard to educate each other and bring each other up to another level of success. I think that those of us who have been called to this are so blessed.

From Carol:

I have a big ditto on Kim’s comments. I learn so much from other writers. Especially crits. Everyone can look at the same story and see something different. Or have different ideas of ways it could go. It’s awsome!

I also learn a lot from reading. I wish I could just sit and read/write; read/write all day. But I suppose living life helps with the writing process, too…

From Deb:

Other writers. And especially the writers I have had the privilege of being in critique groups with, over the years. I learn from the critiques given to my work, but also from the critiques given to others. This last year with the Marbles, I have learned in leaps and bounds where the art of crafting a picture book is concerned. And it’s not just learning from writers in this format. I learn from writers who share what they about writing on their blogs, and on boards like Verla Kay’s. This is an incredibly generous community I have the honor of being a part of.

And one other source-reading, reading, reading. Picture books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, poetry. What a way to see what we know about the craft of writing, put into practice.

From Angela:

The first time I had a professional manuscript critique at a conference, the editor gave me a mini-lesson in the craft of picture book writing. I learned so much in such a short time!

There are also some great writing books out there on the craft. But I agree with my marble buddies –my greatest education has been time spent with other writers (in person and online) struggling together through ideas, blankity blank first drafts, and revisions

What about all of you? What’s your source?

What is your favorite Valentine book or poem?

Let’s say goodbye to February with some Valentine Favorites!

Kim gets us rolling with:

We have a few favorites at our house:

The Best Thing About Valentines by Eleanor Hudson

Arthur’s Valentine by Marc Brown

The Night Before Valentines Day by Natasha Wing

However, I heard Brenda Ferber read her pb manuscript, The Yuckiest, Drooliest, Stinkiest, Best Valentine’s Day Ever, at a conference a few years ago. She recently sold it to Harcourt. When it’s published, it will be my new favorite!

And Deb adds:

An all time favorite for just reading to myself, or sharing with a classroom is:

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli.

How long did it take for your first acceptance?

Kim:

I started writing and submitting seriously in the Fall of 2002. I sold an essay to the writer’s newsletter Once Upon A Time in February 2003. A few months later, I sold my first children’s poem, Tap Dance, to Wee Ones. That sale proved to be just the beginning of my relationship with Wee Ones. A few years and over 50 magazine and online sales later, I became the poetry editor for Wee Ones.

Laurie:

I started submitting seriously, in 2005 or 2006.  One of my first stories I was working on called, Something Old, Something New, was accepted within 3-5 months of writing it, by Hopscotch for Girls.  However, I’m not so sure that getting your first submission accepted is the best thing.  Because after that, reality sets in, and you realize how tough it really is

Carol:

I began writing January 2001. I submitted my first magazine article in early 2002 and it was accepted about 2 weeks later. I remember pulling the envelope out of the mailbox and thinking, “Wow, they sure rejected me fast!” But it was an acceptance. Cool!

Angela:

About 3 months after I started writing, one of the poems I’d entered in a poetry contest was accepted by a greeting card company. The contract sat unopened in my home for days - I thought it was a list of contest winners and didn’t expect I’d be one of them. By that time I was also working writing test passages (on spec) for about  a month.

On Writing The Query

The Question

Hi Marbles,
I know you just finished up with your query contest and I have a question
that might go along with the “query” theme.

What is a good opening sentence for a PB query. I’m used to sending complete
manuscripts for picture book submissions. I’ve studied authors websites and
ideas about writing queries. I seem to get a grip on stating my plot and
characters, my publishing credits, why I chose ABC editor, and the thanks
and the Puleeze say you want to read my full 300 word manuscript. It’s that
first line that’s killing…

Can you Puleeze help.

Thanks
Mona (Pease)

And a special guest answer from Kelsey the judge for our January Contest:

Tips for writing queries (works for any age group or genre):

Remember, the query letter focuses on the BUSINESS end of writing. This is all about how you can skillfully SPIN your work to attract an agent’s or editor’s request. So begin by detaching yourself from your ‘baby’. Now…WORK IT! Note: If you include one single page of your manuscript, the agent’s or editor’s attention will be focused pretty much solely on that and NOT the query letter, naturally. So if you don’t receive a request, that’d be a good reason why. Although, sometimes folks don’t get requests even with a stellar query letter.

Why?

Well, it could simply be because that particular agent or editor isn’t interested in the subject matter of your manuscript. It’s not about how fabulous the writing is… The competition is so tough out there that agents and editors can pick and choose between all sorts of fabulously written pieces, so they veer toward what subject matter interests them the most right then. And that means… Try, try again! And yes, eventually you WILL find that agent or editor who is very much interested in YOUR manuscript’s subject matter.

But first… Let’s just say all you’ve got is a query letter to send out–no sample pages allowed according to submission guidelines or whatnot. What should that query letter of yours look like? Well, below is the way ‘I’ prefer (the internet and many books offer tons of other ways).

Good luck!

Kelsey’s Preferred Form:

Agent or editor’s name and contact info.

Date.

Dear Agent/Editor.

Now, hit off with a movie trailer one-liner (NO ‘what if’ questions or ‘imagine yourself’ sentences).

Go into one or two short paragraphs about the story (include name and age of MC). And end that last paragraph with anything BUT a question mark.

Ask politely if you may send your manuscript.

Now go into the stats of your manuscript: Title, genre, age group, word count (in whatever order), and a sentence or two about the MC’s emotional growth. Don’t let it sound ‘preachy’ or ‘moralistic’.

Write a short paragraph about WHY you wrote this story: Any influences, experiences, etc? Don’t say anything like, ‘All my students, children, grand-kids loved it’.

Write a short paragraph about your qualifications (if applicable, but don’t worry if this is skipped entirely, what matters most is the manuscript).

Thank the agent or editor, but do NOT say something like, ‘I know you’ll love my fabulous and exciting manuscript’, or anything of that nature. Agents and editors don’t like being ‘told’ they’ll like or love something–they prefer to decide for themselves–just like you and me.

End with sincerely and leave space for your handwritten signature. Then type your full name and contact info below.

Finally, all of this should fit on one typing sheet with normal margins.

Do you feel that having more than one critique group is beneficial, or harmful?

I personally feel that too many can be harmful, rather than helpful.  If you happen to be lucky enough to have a really good one, than I would recommend sticking with just one.  But if you have more than one genre, than of course, one for each would be fine.  - Laurie

I have my Marbles, which is an email group and I have an in-person group that meets once a month. I have been in my in-person group for almost 6 years. We all started as newbies and have kind of grown together. The group used to be more mixed in genre, but over the last few years has gone more toward novel writing. This isn’t a genre that I’m interested in pursuing at the moment. Consequently, I sought an opening in a group that focused more on picture books. I saw an ad posted on the CW-list seven months ago for an opening in the Marbles. I applied and was thrilled to find out that I had been accepted! My writing and critiquing of picture books has strengthened so much over the last several months. I don’t plan on leaving the other group because I have such a close bond with them, and even though I don’t write what most of them write, I still feel like I learn from them and they learn a bit from me. I do agree with Laurie, though. Unless you are writing in more than one genre, if you have a good group, you only need one.  -Kim

I don’t feel that the number of critique groups or members in a group can be harmful. Each writer must judge their own work and what is necessary. Some writers don’t use a critique group at all, others rely on their agents for initial feedback, and some have professional critiques before they send their work to their agents.

When I first started writing for hire, I joined a critique group for magazine writers and one for YA fantasy writers (I was working on a middle grade fairytale and to this day I’m grateful that they let me in!) I learned a great deal about my own writing and I also learned from reading the critiques of fellow group members in both groups.

I think each writer needs to evaluate the critiques they receive and the amount of time they spend critique other works to see if the group is beneficial. I left both groups mentioned above because I began writing in other areas. It wasn’t easy to leave and very tempting to stay because I trusted their great critiques. But it can interrupt the focus of the group if one member is writing something totally different.

A nice thing about in-person critique groups is the moral support for writers. Also an in-person meeting usually has more time for brainstorming about manuscripts and prospective publishers. My in-person group even arranged a weekend retreat. (It was wonderful!)

My advice to any writer looking for a critique group (or considering joining a new group) is to sit back and ask, “What am I looking for?” And seek out a group that matches that need.

One hazard of joining a critique group is that you may become friends with the members. Friends typically don’t want to upset one another. That is an important difference with critique group friends – in a critique group a true friend is one who isn’t afraid to point out the weaknesses and shortcomings in your work. And you will thank them for it. This is the way you improve your manuscripts so future editors don’t notice the same weaknesses.

Some of the nicest things my critique buddies have told me:
I don’t really care about your main character
I don’t understand why he / she acted that way
This is too much of a coincidence
Revealing the mystery didn’t seem like a big enough surprise because there wasn’t really any other option or choice
Is this a slice of life or a story?
Are there enough visual triggers?
I really don’t think Main Character would have said or done this

Currently I belong to The Write Marbles, an informal in-person critique group, and a group that exchanges full novels. Still I seek out critique at conferences from writers, editors and agents. I also continue to exchange manuscripts with fellow writers from my old critique groups and friends I made at conference. I learn from their work and I trust their critiques from my work. Yes, they are friends. But they are WRITER FRIENDS.

Poetry Friday-Book Review by Kim

With delicious verse and delectable watercolor illustrations, TODAY AT THE
BLUEBIRD CAFÉ- A BRANCHFUL OF BIRDS is a tasty treat for any audience.
Deborah Ruddell weaves wondrous words together about a toucan tour guide, a
kingfisher in desperate need of a comb and a grasshopper-katydid-cricket
buffet at the Bluebird Café, among others. Joan Rankin paints perfect
pictures of a cockatoo on a wedding cake, pixies and swans, and my personal
favorite, a robin bathing in a bathroom sink.

The poems and illustrations sing together, capturing the unique
personalities of each of the twenty-two birds mentioned. This is a humorous,
novel take on many different types of birds. I encourage you to get a hold
of your own copy today and dig-in to this beautiful, tasty treat!

What are some of you favorite Caldecott Winners?

Kim:

Well, I can’t choose just one. Some of these are Honor books. Going back in time and working my way forward:

Make Way for Ducklings- I recently read that McCloskey had such a difficult time drawing the ducks, he took a few up to his apartment, fed them wine until they passed out and then was able to draw his beautiful birds:).

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Strega Nona- I’m a huge Tomie de Paola fan!

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers- If I absolutely had to choose one favorite, this would probably be it. It makes me cry every time.

More recently, we are loving the Knuffle Bunny books at our house!

Deb:

I have a favorite multi Caldecott winner-David Wiesner. His book, Tuesday, was a favorite of mine to use when classes came into the library for tours. In that book, my favorite illustration, the last one-when pigs fly! Many years later I was reading through the new picture books coming into the library. One of them was The Three Pigs. I loved it, and thought it was brilliant. The Three Pigs escape Big Bad Wolf by leaving the pages of the story. David Wiesner is a master at telling tall tales in illustration.

His Link:

http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/wiesner/home.html

Caldecott Winners (I’m reading this years winner The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick-wonderful!):

http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecottmedal.htm

Angela:

I’m stalling here because I have no way of answering this question. Even when I’m called on to write book reviews, I prefer to only review recommended books. That’s what works for me. I feel even less qualified to judge artwork; I can barely draw a stick figure!

And there are so many Caldecott winners that I love. And many honor books in our house that are read again and again and again, board books we can’t part with even though everyone in the family has them memorized and our youngest outgrew board books years ago. MORE MORE MORE SAID THE BABY (Caldecott Honor Book 1991) is one we love. We actually act out the book as we read it. So the littlest one gets kisses on the tummy, taps on the toes and kisses on the eyelids. They soon learn their lines, “More, more, more.” Now my kids read it to any baby who visits.

The list (Caldecott and Honor Books) includes – OWL MOON, WHEN SOPHIE GETS REALLY REALLY ANGRY, CLICK CLACK MOO, MIRETTE ON THE HIGHWIRE, and others (!) that this is not an easy choice.

If forced to pick, I have to choose WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE because of the many ways it is a perfect book. And it has that quality I mentioned above — about acting it out. From the first time I read it aloud to my children (my oldest was two) we acted it out. It started with the two page spread without any text.
“Read” my daughter demanded.
“Um…well there’s nothing here.”
She pointed to the picture. “Read it.”
“It’s just a picture.”
“Right Mommy, and what is the picture saying?” (She’s so patient with me).
Well Max was making wild rumpus… and I made some too… it was silly and fun and a great way to ‘get into’ the book. And ever since in our family that page has RUMPUS – Wild Rumpus!
I think I even have a video somewhere of Alexandria at age 2 or 3 gnashing her terrible teeth and rolling her terrible eyes and… well, you get it.

PJ:

Hmmm. So many good books to choose from. Too many to actually pick a single favorite.

I’m delighted that Hugo C. won for this year. I heard Brian Selznick speak in NYC at last year’s SCBWI conference. Such an intelligent and thoughtful person! And I love Ellen Levine–know her from Vermont College, so I’m glad her story’s illustrations were honored.

As a woodblock printer, I love it when wood/lino prints win, such as My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann and Snowflake Bentley, illustrated by Mary Azarian (I’ve been a fan of hers for years).

I loved The Red Book, by Barbara Lehman. Brilliant design.

And right up there near the top is “The Song and Dance Man,” written by Karen Ackerman and illustrated by Steven Gammell. Wonderful colors, energy and love.