Ten-Minute Blog Break - 7th May

Tuesday seems to have come around faster than ever this week, thanks to the bank holiday weekend. So pull up a chair, a cup of tea and a biscuit and let's have a look at this week's Blog Break selections.


Fresh from winning the SCBWI Crystal Kite for his debut novel 15 Days Without a Head, Dave Cousins gets a whole week(!) devoted to his new novel Waiting for Gonzo at Space on the Bookshelf. It kicks off with an interview with Dave, who talks about his favourite books and admits to loving the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels (thus winning extra geek points from me). I'm sure that some authors would react to all this attention by growing an enormous ego, but Dave is so self-effacing that he probably wonders what all the fuss is about!

Everyone has their moments of doubt. Let Jane Heinrichs tell you about how "I Almost Gave Up" and why she's glad she persisted. Shana Nieberg-Suschitzky is talking about Undiscovered Voices (as indeed is Words & Pictures) but looking at it specifically from an illustrator's perspective. And I have to give a shout out to Amanda Lillywhite, because I know she gets very excited when she features in the Blog Break! More pertinently, she also wrote a nice post about Free Comic Book Day, which happened last Saturday.

I discovered a wonderful blog this week and then hesitated about whether to include it. On the surface of it, there are lots of reasons why I shouldn't feature Jo Wyton's Let's Get Serious in this Blog Break - she's one of my close friends, she got a mention last week and she blogs for Space on the Bookshelf who got a mention above! But Jo's blog about teen fiction is (much like her) incredibly passionate and enormously likeable. So I'm including it anyway.

Finally, I wanted to take a moment to talk about two SCBWI members called Margaret, who were both remembered in different ways this week. Juliet Clare Bell wrote a beautifully heartfelt post in tribute to her mother Margaret Storr, who died in March this year. And at Sara Grant’s launch for her new YA novel Half Lives, she asked us all to raise a toast to Margaret Carey, to whom the book is dedicated. Both Margarets have a legacy that lives on in their families, their friends and the writing they left behind.

Nick

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Nick Cross is a children's writer, blogger and all-round digital guru. In 2010 he was a winner of Undiscovered Voices with his zombie comedy Back from the Dead.
Read Nick's latest blog post, a story of grand ambition, serious pressure and major disappointment: How Not to Write the World's Greatest Book.

Killer First Lines

By Alex English

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

Whether your first line comes to you in a flash or you slave over it for hours, we all know that those first few words of a novel are vitally important. A first line can suck the reader in or turn them right off. Of course, the rest of your novel needs to be great too, but a dull first sentence might mean your manuscript languishes on the slushpile or even ends up in the bin. Is your first line a killer first line?  



1. Does it have tension? 

‘There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.’ The Graveyard Book, Neil Gaiman.The key to a killer first line is that it makes you want to read on. A great first line raises more questions than it answers. Whose hand is it? Why is it holding a knife? And what horrible things is it going to do with that knife?

"The key to a killer first line is that it makes you want to read on."

2. Does it fit the genre? 

‘Long ago, on the wild and windy isle of Berk, a smallish Viking with a longish name stood up to his ankles in snow.’ How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell. Hands and knives are all very well, but if you’re writing a picture book for three-year-olds that just won’t work. Read Cressida Cowell’s first line and you instantly know you’re reading a funny middle-grade novel. The first line tells the reader exactly what to expect from the rest of the book.

3. Does it tell you about the main character? 

'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,' grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.’ Little Women, Louisa M Alcott.When I polled SCBWI members on their favourite first lines, there was a clear winner. The first line of Louisa M Alcott’s Little Women immediately shows us something about the protagonist Jo’s character and situation.

"The first line tells the reader exactly what to expect from the rest of the book."

4. Or throw you into the action? 

'It was a dark, blustery afternoon in spring, and the city of London was chasing a small mining town across the dried-out bed of the old North Sea.' Mortal Engines, Philip Reeve. Phillip Reeve doesn’t tell us anything about his protagonist, but he certainly plunges us straight into the action. From the off we are part of the chase, and we know this is no ordinary London. An effective start to a gritty and fast paced book.

5. Does it tell the reader something about your novel? 

‘There is no lake at Camp Green Lake.’ Holes, Louis Sachar.The first line of Louis Sachar’s Holes tells us a (w)hole lot about the book in just a few words. It captures the dry, witty, pared-down voice of the novel perfectly. It also tells us, or rather shows us, that Camp Green Lake is going to be no holiday camp. Finally, it gives us a hint that something isn’t quite right at this camp.

What are your favourite first lines from children’s books? What makes a killer first line? Do you slave over your first line or does it just pop into your head? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

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@alexthepink

Alex English is a freelance journalist and copywriter from London. By day she writes for national papers, magazines and commercial clients, mostly on food. By night she wrestles with her first novel - a middle-grade fantasy. She occasionally dabbles in picture books.

Rediscovered Voices

by K.M. Lockwood

As part of our Undiscovered Voices theme, K.M. Lockwood offers some points about getting voices into your work, and some exercises to help.






The standard advice you get is to listen to people on public transport. Well, I use the bus a great deal and unless I wanted to transcribe one-sided conversations on mobiles about where to meet and when, it’s not much use.

Most of my work is set elsewhere and elsewhen – so contemporary voices with their Americanisms won’t do. It would be like trying to film in Jane Austen’s Bath with all the Subways, Starbucks and KFC outlets in shot. And even if your work is bang-up-to-date contemporary, beware of current slang. It goes off quicker than a prawn mayo sandwich in a heatwave.

So what’s a writer to do?






I went back to my roots. I studied linguistics epochs ago in Loughborough and I have a longstanding passion for dialect. I’m not suggesting you transliterate any – it looks ugly on the page – but do listen for the distinctive phrasing. (Dialect does have rules – just different ones to standard usage).

And it’s not just for dialogue or first person narrators. Close third person tellings need distinctive voices too.

Your bit

Here’s the plan:

1. Visit Survey of English dialects for just English counties or Accents and dialects/BBC Voices , Millenium memory bank & Langlit/sounds for all the UK
There is some international work here:
Dialects Archives though most is a set text.

2. Find the voice nearest to where you grew up – the nearer, the better.

3. Enjoy listening carefully and look at the notes or transcripts where available. (Some bits are for keen linguists but the grammar can be useful).

4. Create a short monologue for a younger version of one voice.

5. Now go back and select a different place – perhaps where you’ve been on holiday, have relatives from, worked or studied at. Repeat steps 3 & 4,

6. If you’ve not become completely hooked by just listening, have fun putting your two diverse characters together. Maybe they share a railway carriage, embark on a ferry together or meet in some other way. Notice how local phrasing can be distinct and different. Don’t be afraid to repeat verbal tics – people do. It gives verisimilitude, if done subtly.

One last point – this is one occasion when the much-maligned adverb and adjective can come into their own. How else can you convey the character spoke huskily, or had a nasal twang? ‘I reckon it’s best to avoid dialogue tags unless needed,’ she said thoughtfully... 

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@Lockwoodwrites

K. M. Lockwood is a writing name of Philippa R. Francis. Once a primary school teacher, she became a graduate of the MA in Creative Writing at West Dean College in 2011. Her story The Selkies of Scoresby Nab was short-listed for the Mslexia Children’s Novel Competition and long-listed for the Times Chicken House in 2012/13. She was born in Yorkshire but now lives by the coast in Sussex. Her writing shows her deep fascination with British folklore and the sea. Her interests include reading, scuba diving and belly dancing, though not at the same time. She also blogs at the-wedding-ghost.blogspot.co.uk

May is Undiscovered Voices Month

So May is Undiscovered Voices month on Words & Pictures. Undiscovered Voices is the competition for SCBWI writers and illustrators in the British Isles and now beyond. If your emotional arc is all over the place like Duck's, you may be thinking shall I give it a go? Well, in the words of Mrs Doyle "Go on go on go on go on go on go on go ON!" It's a brilliant opportunity as proved by those who took part in the London Professional Series Event the other week. I was pleased that the winners included honorary mention, Helen Peters with her The Secret Hen House Theatre, which has done so well. I had a mention last time.

I was also glad that in Nick’s Blog break mentioned the play from one of my favourite stories, A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time and got the thumbs up from Julie Day who knows about the challenges of Aspergers first hand. Rosie’s 'Undiscovered Stories' feature on Wednesday was bursting with ideas, Maureen’s wooing of Seven Stories made me want to head North, and Michelle’s Writing Space this week did me the power of good. Line of the week goes to Julienne Durber “Clutter is your friend”.  Good news, I have lots.

Who went to Lincoln Inspired? Could you could leave a comment on Liz's Network News? And illustrators, I'd love to see what a Hat of Wonder looks like as I’m sure all Words & Pictures’ readers would. I’m here if you’d like to send me a picture of one.

I'm away at the moment and getting ready to explore so, before I tell you about next week, I can only do a pic from the hotel window.  Here it is…

Where in the world?

…and so next week, with news, blogbreak and celebrations, we have.…

• A feature about first lines from Alex English (You may have joined in the chat on the yahoo group.)
• Some ‘Rediscovered Stories’ from KM Lockwood
• What did you Ask an Agent? Gemma and Molly have the answers on Wednesday
• Plus on Friday, especially exciting for illustrators and comic creators, Bridget Strevens-Marzo reviews Nobrow Press' new imprint, Flying Eye Books.

Back on Tuesday.

Jan Carr

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Jan Carr is the editor of Words & Pictures. Her fiction is older middle grade, she blogs occasionally and loves to write in magenta.

Hip Hip Hooray for a Winner, a Wonderful Deal and a Write Now Longlisting!

Andrew Weale
@andrewweale

Congratulations  Andrew Weale, Clare Furniss and Martin Stewart! This week I go undercover to bring you the Underpants of Shame - happily, none of this week's featured  celebrants  are actually wearing this hideous garment. In fact I hereby award them  the Giant SCBWI Hat of Wonder!

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Andrew Weale is the author of five picture books. These include the ultra scary pop up Spooky

Hazy undercover shot of
 Underpants of Shame....

Spooky House that has just won the 2013 Red House Children’s Book Award. His counting book, A Quiet Day in the Jungle, has also been shortlisted for the 2013 Sheffield Award. As well as writing, Andrew is a professional actor and singer and has worked with star names such as Alec Guinness and Kevin Spacey. He is now a lecturer on children's writing at Winchester University and gives popular visits to many schools and festivals around the country. At the Imagine Festival this year, he did a highly successful event with star illustrator Ben Cort to promote Nora. Grown ups and children were warned to join in the fun, or suffer the eternal humiliation of The Underpants of Shame. Happily, Andrew need not wear them himself and neither shall Clare Furniss.

Clare Furniss
@ClareFurniss

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 The Year of the Rat, a YA novel by debut SCBWI author Clare Furniss, will be published by Simon and Schuster in the UK and the US after they won an eight way auction for the title. It's been quite a month for Clare as she only got her agent, Catherine Clarke of Felicity Bryan Associates (who she first met at a SCBWI agents party), four weeks before the two-book deal was made! 

Clare's success is especially heartwarming as, along with Rebecca Colby , Clare was the recipient of British SCBWI's Margaret  Carey conference last year. Both writers went on to get agents and book deals very soon after. The Year of the Rat will be out in the UK in 2014, and will also be published by Hanser in Germany and Bompiani in Italy. Clare studied at Cambridge and worked for several years in political media relations. She now lives in a very untidy house in Bath with her husband and three small children and is completing an MA in Writing for Young People at Bath Spa University. Sharing the Hat of Wonder with Clare and Andrew is Martin Stewart.

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Martin Stewart’s novel, The Marionette, has been longlisted for Pan MacMillan’s Write Now

Martin Stewart
@isleofbrona

Prize! The Marionette’s protagonist, Fin dreams  he meets his terminally ill grandfather as a young boy. As his granda’s health worsens in the waking world, the boy in his dreams starts telling him stories; and something is happening to the broken, rotting, marionette… Yikes! 
Martin lives in Glasgow. After fuelling his love of writing on the University of Strathclyde’s MLitt course he- much to his surprise- found himself teaching English. He loves writing about family and horror; building stories with the bones of folklore and a modern voice.

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Finally a big HOORAH to SCBWI members Wendy Meddour and Lydia Syson who, with their clearly wonderful editors,  have both made the Branford Boase shortlist .  I'm thrilled that two of the seven shortlisted authors are SCBWI members.
Take care of that Hat you fabulous people, I think we might be needing it again! ( You can keep the Underpants Andrew, we won't be needing those...)

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Kathy Evans is Celebrations Editor for Words & Pictures. She is South East Network Coordinator with Mariam Vossough and is represented by Sophie Hicks at Ed Victor.

Duck & Bear Episode 2

It's rolling! Episode 2 of Amanda Lillywhite's exciting tale of Duck and Bear is now online.

Will Duck complete her edits and finish the novel? Where is she going in the rain? And what's on Bear's mind? Find out here!

Network News Central North

By Liz Miller 

 

Here in Central North we are a welcoming group of published and pre-published writers and illustrators of everything from picture books to YA. We hold regular writing workshops, occasional author talks and annual publisher events alongside our thriving monthly critique meetings at the Museum of Lincolnshire Life. Most of our group are Lincolnshire based but the Nottinghamshire contingent is growing and we’re always trying to think of new ways of reaching our members in East Riding and South Yorkshire.

Writing, critique and support are priorities but in recent months many of our members have also been seen bowling, climbing, power walking, running, cycling, fencing and working out with Davina. What is driving them to these extreme fitness challenges?

Well if you’ve been to Lincoln you’ll know all about the vertiginous incline in the middle - Steep Hill.

So when our very own Addy Farmer told us she was putting together a fantastic selection of events as part of the forthcoming Lincoln Inspired Festival of Literature, Performance and Art, we knew we had to do some serious training.The following SCBWI led events take place over the weekend of 11th and 12th May . . . betwixt the top and bottom of this hill.

We warned you it was steep!

On Saturday 11^th May, Addy will run The Craft and the Graft and the Road to Being Published at Lincoln Drill Hall, offering one- to- one slots for children’s writers.  Book in early and you’ll have time to stroll leisurely up to the Museum of Lincolnshire Life for Museum Curator and SCBWI member, Debbie Holt’s Inspiration Through Artefacts session. Book in late and we suggest you pack your running shoes because you won’t want to miss it – we know, we’ve done it before! Come and handle objects from the museum’s educational boxes, hear some of their stories and be inspired to write your own.

We're going on an artefact hunt.

Walking shoes on (or something faster if you need food as well) and then it’s back to the Drill Hall to hear Emily Thomas, publisher with the fabulous HOT Key Books, talk about the children’s book industry and how she finds and nurtures talent.

Now you can don your leisure shoes as you have time to wander, shop, be a tourist, relax, eat, sleep, fence, bowl, whatever. Just remember to come back on Sunday morning, 12th May and join Katherine Lynas (temporarily poached from the North East, shhh don’t tell them!) Katherine will be leading a Scrawlcrawl from the Drill Hall. Pens, paper and drawing equipment advisable; bowling balls and epees optional. Sturdy leisure shoes should be fine – it is Sunday after all.

If you’ve been inspired to join us for these events, further details and booking information can be found here. 

If you’ve been inspired to come and join us at one of our monthly meetings we’d love to see you.

SCBWI Central North

Or if you’d like help in setting up something more local to your part of Central North we can support you to do that. Email Addy Farmer and Gill Hutchison at centralnorthATbritishscbwiDOTorg

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Liz Miller writes picture books and joined SCBWI in 2010. She has a penchant for volunteering which has led to her being joint moderator of the SCBWI e-critique group PictureBook Too, co-founder of the Early Readers e-critique group and a reading volunteer in local schools. She knows she should sit on her hands when volunteering opportunities arise but life would be less varied and she can’t write with her nose.