It's Writer's Wednesday:

Here are more SCBWI Critiquenic Thoughts to Consider while revising your picture book manuscript.

Thought #2 Word Choice: Avoid "began to" - "started to" - "tried to" as they slow the action -- go straight for the verb instead: began to run = ran, etc. Use the active "jumped" over the passive "was jumping."

Thought #3 Watch those adverbs: "walked quietly" could be: tiptoed, skulked, crept, etc. Each word lends a different shade of meaning. A writer's job is to find the exact word to convey the thought or action.

Yes, your writing should be descriptive, but with only 500 - 1,000 words to play with, every word must do more than merely describe. Let your picture book language engage the reader, provide insight into character, and suggest the motivation behind the action.

Check out "Kill Adjectives and Adverbs" for more on descriptive language.

On Saturday, I was privileged to be one of the leaders for a SCBWI Critiquenic. I had the opportunity to read the work of some wonderfully imaginative picture book writers and make suggestions along with other members of the group. There were a number of thoughts that applied not just to the specific works under discussion but to picture book writing in general that are well worth sharing.

Thought #1. Your story must capture the imagination of an illustrator. Use a picture book dummy to break down your story and then ask yourself what is the picture. Remember that the illustrator is relying on your words alone to be inspired. You won't be including notes about the artwork so be certain that you've created action-packed word pictures within the text.

Here is the answer to Friday's Famous First: "I was not very old in 1938, just six, and a little thing," is from the Newbery Honor Book - The Upstairs Room, written by Johanna Reiss.

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted today by Kelly Polark.

My offering is the book The Night Before Summer Vacation, written by Natasha Wing, and illustrated by Julie Durrell. As the title suggests, this book is written in the style of the Clement Moore poem and details the preparations made by a family for summer vacation.

Here is Friday's Famous First. Can you identify the title and author of this famous first line?
"I was not very old in 1938, just six, and a little thing."

It's Writer's Wednesday.

Check out the post on Keeping Your Story's Narrative Focused by author Janice Hardy for Rewrite Wednesday at her blog: The Other Side of the Story. She's provided a writing sample for reading then followed it up with commentary on each paragraph of the story in which she points out the gradual drift in focus.

Lack of focus is a problem many writers experience as they try to keep readers informed about aspects of character or backstory, but the end result can slow the action or push the story off track to the point that the reader can become uncertain of the point of the story.

I try to keep these questions in mind as I write:

• What is my story about?
• Is this information pushing my story in the right direction?
• Do my readers need to know this information?
• And if they need this information, do they need it at this exact point in the story?
• Am I telling or showing?

Do you have a book to sell? Part 5. After time out for Memorial Day, here is the last in this series on selecting books for my library collection.

How do I whittle down my list to the Must-Haves? In part 4, I discussed the fiction collection. Now it's time to give non-fiction equal attention. My goals are similar.

• Engage all the students as readers. In this case, I'm going to need books across the K-6 reading levels to introduce topics and provide in-depth information for research, and report writing.
• Develop appreciation for the ways in which information can be organized. I'm still looking for exemplary writing, but in non-fiction I want students to see organization, clarity, and careful research modeled in the books they utilize.
• Support the curriculum: I want titles that support the instructional standards and content for grades K-6.

Once again I will turn to reviews to help me sort out my preferences from among the dozens of books that exist on each topic. How well does the book attain its stated goals and work for its intended audience?

• I'm watching for key words and phrases such as: well-researched, thoughtfully structured, evenhanded, comprehensive, current, uncluttered, easy to read, and yes, entertaining.
• Along with the quality of the writing, I'm looking at the organization of the book as a whole: table of contents, index, illustrations, quotes, primary source material, timelines, tables, charts, grafts, maps, glossaries, bibliographies, and related websites (where appropriate to the subject) can provide added value.

How does your book measure up?

Here is the answer to Friday's Famous First: "The trouble with running away is you know what you're leaving behind, but not what's waiting up ahead,," from the Coretta Scott King Honor Book, The Road to Paris by Nikki Grimes.

Poetry Friday Roundup is hosted this week by The Cazzy Files.

A conversation yesterday evening with wonderfully talented glass artist Laila Asgari led me to contemplate inspiration as today's theme which led, eventually, to this delightful book of poetry. Don't ask me how my mind works...I'm just happy to have this to share. "Flamingos on the Roof," by writer and artist, Calef Brown is a collection of twenty-eight poems in a variety of forms that are whimsical, mythical, nonsensical, and definitely inspired.

Here is Friday's Famous First: Can you name the title and author for this first line? "The trouble with running away is you know what you're leaving behind, but not what's waiting up ahead."

It's Writer's Wednesday

I've had several questions recently about query letters and what type of biographical information to include.

Bios vary depending on the type of project you are submitting. The first thing a publisher wants to know is if you have publishing credits. Ideally, you've had successful sales of a work similar to the one you're submitting. Even if that is not the case...say you've been published in recognized periodicals and now have a book you are shopping...the fact that you've been published in another genre can work to your advantage. It tells the editor/agent that you have some experience.

If you're unpublished, perhaps you have writing or literary experience as an editor, writing instructor or English professor.

If you are writing non-fiction, you'll also need to demonstrate that your are a credible expert on the subject of your book. If you write about rocks and minerals, the fact that you're a geologist is information your publisher wants to know.

Think of your query letter as an interview and your publisher as a potential employer. Then remember that publishing is a business. What makes you marketable? Do you lecture or have some sort of name recognition or following that is large enough to account for a portion of the reading audience.

If this doesn't apply, don't worry. Ultimately, it's all about the writing.

For more on this topic read: How to Write a Successful Query by Moira Allen.