Good Morning my wonderful friends and blog followers,

I am happy that all of you continue to follow me, even though I am so sporadic with this duty! Shameful, I know.
Today, I want to talk a little bit about your main character and his/her goals.
First of all, let me remind you that every story must have a conflict. Without conflict, there is no story.
So, with your conflict in mind, ask yourself, "What were my main character's goals at the beginning, i.e. before the major conflict of the story? What were her/his short term goals - which may or may not be accomplished in this book? What were his/her long term goals? How will the conflict and it's final resolution change (or not) these goals?
Remember: It is important for your character to change and GROW, because of the events in the story.
How will your character grow? Is it an interesting, compelling growth or is it lame? Beef it up! Make it big! What is that saying? "Go big or go home" I am trying, in mu latest WIP (work in progress) to go big, but I'm having trouble. I need to review my character's goals!!!
Have a Happy RE-writing Day!
Mary Ann Duke

The Different Categories

Yesterday I talked about the various categories of children's books.
Today, I'll give a more complete definition of each category.

1. I mentioned Board Books. They are for babies and toddlers and as I said, are usually concept books. In other words, they may teach the child, names of animals, colors, numbers/counting, etc.
2. A category I didn't mention is, Early Picture Book. These are for children from about the age of two to five years old. These are usually 500 words or less and are simplistic ideas or stories. Each page is illustrated. By the way---you do NOT choose your own illustrator. The publisher does that.
3.Next, is the regular type of Picture Book. These are written with the four to eight year-olds in mind. As I said yesterday, the average word length for this category seems to be favored at 700 words. If you have a really great story that must use more words, fine, just don't go over 1,000 words. Usually, there are illustrations on every page. Of course, the story must be about something of interest to a child of the above mentioned age group. Remember: The MC (main character) must solve the problem or be the "heroine" (or "hero") at the end of the story.
4. Easy Readers are for children who can read the books by themselves. Therefore, by necessity, this category has several levels. If you choose to write for this group, study the "I Can Read" books published by HarperCollins.
5. Early Chapter Books are written or children six to nine years old. The chapters will be only about three pages in length. There may be some linear drawings every now and then, but no color illustrations as in picture books.
6. Chapter Books are for children seven to 10 years old. The chapters can be a bit longer, with more details, but still not lengthy in sentence structure.
7. MG or Middle Grade novels are written for eight to 12 year olds. The characters in these books should be a little older than the reader. You can choose almost any subject, time period or world view for this category. I gave some details about MG and YA in my blog yesterday.
8. YA or Young Adult books are for children ages 12 and older. There are several characters who will interact with the main character and can be a source of help or hindrance in the plot. You should write about subjects that interest teens of today. Now, let me say this: In my opinion, some YA writers push the envelope too far and write about dark, negative life problems that are not uplifting. I know, in the end, the readers learns that the negative things are not what they should choose, etc. But, I personally want the children of our world, when they read, to find fine, upstanding, dignified, cheerful, wholesome characters that they can emulate. Of course, there must be a "villain" but just don't wallow in the mud with him! IMHO (In my humble opinion.) My mother always said, "If you stir it with a stick, you'll get some of it on you."
Happy Writing.

So, you want to write, do you? Or, do you want to be published?

If your mind is swirling with ideas and your fingers are itching to help get them into printed form, you must identify where you should begin.
What kinds of books do you want to write? I write children's books--as you already know if you've been reading my blog.
BUT---there are several categories in the Children's Books realm.
Board Books
Picture Books
Early Chapter Books or Bridge Books
Chapter Books
MG Books
YA Books
Novels
I must leave my blog for now. Come back in a few days and I will give details about the various age groups, page numbers, material discussed, etc. and I hope you will find it helpful.\
HAPPY WRITING!
Mary Ann Duke, Ed.D.

As I said on Facebook this morning, writing is very hard work. Even writing a picture book is very difficult. In fact, because there are so few words and you must make every word count, it's even harder to write a PB than a chapter book.
In the middle of the night I got this great idea for a picture book. NOOOOO!!!! Every new idea means tons of work. I want/need to work on the four manuscripts I already have "in the hopper."
Maybe I'll write down the particulars of my "wee hours inspiration" and file it for later--when my other four are published and I need something to work on LOL, LOL!!!! I can dream!

Hello!

If you want to become a writer there are many, many things you must consider.
One important thing is to KNOW your character(s).
How does one become aquainted and make them believable?
You need to create the character and create his/her world.
Below are some ideas on how to accomplish this creation:
Write down your main character's name.
What does he/she look like? Hair color, size/shape, type of clothing (If female is she a tomboy or girlie-girl? If male, is he rough and tough or timid?)
Where and in what time period does this character live? Perhaps you could draw a map of the neighborhood.
Where does your character spend most of her time? What are some things she does there?
What is her favorite thing to do after school and/or on weekends?
Does your character have pets? Describe the pet(s).
What is your main character's goal in this story?
What character traits does she possess that will enhance her chances of accomplishing this goal?

These are only eight ideas for you to consider when creating your believable characters. Can you think of others that will help you and the reader KNOW and CARE ABOUT your character(s.)
Oh, don't forget! Your characters must NOT be perfect. Each one should have both positive and negative attributes. Just don't go overboard and make us dislike the good guy and love the villain.

Happy ReWriting,
Mary Ann Duke, Ed.D.

Hello My Blog Following Friends!

A few days ago I mentioned that I would give you a list of a few words that can/should be omitted from your manuscript. I used to tell my students, "They are weak, wimpy words." I said, "I want you to WOWW me. That means to WIPE OUT WIMPY WORDS."
Some words are weak and wimpy because they don't commit. Words such as:
nearly
almost
just
really
about

Sentences that use the verb "be" are weak. They are helping verbs, but they don't help us make our writing stronger. Sentences using the "be" verb can be rewritten in a better way. Examples of the "be" verb:
is
are
was
were
will be
has been
will have been

When writing for young children do you use the word, "Look!" too frequently? Look out for that!

I hope this tiny bit of information helps you strengthen your writing. Good Luck!

Mary Ann Duke, Ed.D.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

Good Morning Blog Readers of Musings With Mary Ann, Today, in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm going to write some interesting facts about the early Pilgrims. Some of this information may give you an idea for your next book. Have you ever heard of a Lug Pole? In early Pilgrim homes a lug pole was a thick wooden pole, stretched across the fireplace, just above the fire. Pots and kettles hung from it. Of course, their food was being cooked in those pots and kettles. The lug pole was made of green wood so it wouldn't burn up. Nevertheless, occasionally,even the green poles caught fire and all the pots and kettles that hung from it crashed into the fireplace, ruining the dinner. What are Spoon Meats? In the pots hung from the Lug Pole were soups and stews. Another pot held water, while another had pudding. These puddings were called Spoon Meats by the Pilgrims. Pilgrims used the word "meat" to mean any kind of food, and Spoon Meat was any kind of food eaten with a spoon. Do you know about the Pilgrims' White Pots? Chicken eggs that were roasted, boiled, fried or baked in custards were called White Pots. What are Blackjacks? Special drinking cups brought over from England were called Blackjacks. They were made out of boiled leather and waterproofed with tar. Most families had only one or two blackjacks. During the meal they passed the blackjack around and each person took a drink, then passed it to the next family member. They didn't realize they were sharing germs. So, this Thanksgiving 2016, you may not cook using a Lug Pole, and you probably won't drink from a blackjack, but I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful day bonding together, feasting and giving thanks. Mary Ann Duke DrMad92@verizon.net

Good Morning Blog Readers of Musings With Mary Ann, Today, in honor of Thanksgiving, I'm going to write some interesting facts about the early Pilgrims. Some of this information may give you an idea for your next book. Have you ever heard of a Lug Pole? In early Pilgrim homes a lug pole was a thick wooden pole, stretched across the fireplace, just above the fire. Pots and kettles hung from it. Of course, their food was being cooked in those pots and kettles. The lug pole was made of green wood so it wouldn't burn up. Nevertheless, occasionally,even the green poles caught fire and all the pots and kettles that hung from it crashed into the fireplace, ruining the dinner. What are Spoon Meats? In the pots hung from the Lug Pole were soups and stews. Another pot held water, while another had pudding. These puddings were called Spoon Meats by the Pilgrims. Pilgrims used the word "meat" to mean any kind of food, and Spoon Meat was any kind of food eaten with a spoon. Do you know about the Pilgrims' White Pots? Chicken eggs that were roasted, boiled, fried or baked in custards were called White Pots. What are Blackjacks? Special drinking cups brought over from England were called Blackjacks. They were made out of boiled leather and waterproofed with tar. Most families had only one or two blackjacks. During the meal they passed the blackjack around and each person took a drink, then passed it to the next family member. They didn't realize they were sharing germs. So, this Thanksgiving 2016, you may not cook using a Lug Pole, and you probably won't drink from a blackjack, but I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful day bonding together, feasting and giving thanks. Mary Ann Duke DrMad92@verizon.net

How To Plot a Picture Book

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2016 How to Plot a PB Good Morning Friends, It is NOT easy to write cute, clever, rhyming books for children. Falling off a slick log is easy (just a little southern saying my Florida family says a lot,) but, writing - any kind of writing - is not easy. Rhyming books are the most difficult to properly construct, so STUDY before you start working with that animal! I'm not tackling rhyming today. I need to study more, myself. Today, I want to talk about plot. As a teenager I enjoyed plotting to capture the attention of a handsome classmate, or plotting what to wear to capture friends' approval, etc. Silly girl. Today, I'm writing about plotting picture books. There are several ways to approach and plot. 1. Turn on good music. I love Il Divo, Elvis, Carrie Underwood and one song by Foreigner. However, some days I prefer silence when writing! 2. Look at the notes on your bedside table that you jotted in the middle of the night. Hmmm. 3. Put your bottom (backside, buttocks, tush, whatever you call it) in the chair and stay there! 4. Now we are ready---so I will begin again with Number One. 1.You need a main character that you & the reader like. Something must happen to this character. 2. Give your MC (main character) something to strive for, or accomplish. 3. He /she plots how to accomplish his/her desire. 4. Of course, he runs into roadblocks or complications. 5. The situation gets bad. 6. The situation gets worse! 7. The MC finds solutions and solves the problem. No one else solves the problem, not his Mommy or his Daddy or the wind. Just him. And, he can't wake up and say, "It was all just a dream." NO! It must be a satisfying conclusion. TIGHTEN UP YOUR WRITING. I will talk about ways to do that in another blog. In the meantime, Have a Great Day Writing. Remember: Writing is REWRITING! Love Ya, Mary Ann Duke, Ed.D.

I'm happy and I'm healthy!

It's been almost a year since my mastectomy. No chemo or radiation needed. I healed more quickly than the doctor expected. In fact, I went shopping and out to dinner less than 24 hours after the surgery. I am just so happy that I'm healthy.

WILL MY MANUSCRIPT MATTER?

Happy Monday Morning!
In a few minutes I'm going to Manor Care Nursing Home to be the Story Lady, complete with costume.
But first--SOME INFORMATION ABOUT WRITING:
A few questions to ask yourself about your manuscript:
1. Will this book matter to kids, their parents, an editor, a publisher, to the universe?
2. Can I evoke a (wonderful, scary, exciting, sad-then-glad) reaction in a child or adult with my story?
3. Does the first sentence grab the reader?
4. Will my reader keep reading after the first page?
5. Does the reader soon know the setting and time frame of the story?

These are just five things to think about as you begin writing your Novel, MG, YA, Early Chapter Book or Picture Book.

Have a Happpy RE-writing Day!

For Which Age Group Should I Write?

Good morning!
I promised I'd specify the levels/age groups for picture books - also other books for youth.
Remember, this could vary--according to which book(s) you read.
Here's the leveling I like:
Early Picture Book - 500 words
Picture Book - 1,000 words (or fewer) 4 - 8 year olds
Non-fiction Picture Book - 2,000 words maximum
Early Reader - 3,500 words maximum
Chapter Books - 10,000 words maximum
Middle Grade Novels - 8 - 11 year-olds, 20,000-40,000 words
Young Adult Novels 70,000 words - age ranges vary
This is a guide to help you decide for whom you want to write and to begin your journey.
Happy Writing and Rewriting!

It's my own fault, I know.

It's my own fault, I know.
On my first blog I had 24 people who read and/or responded. Then, I didn't keep it up.
This month I began blogging again. I posted 6 or so blogs. To my knowledge, no one has read any of those posts. Same with my various tweets this month.

Anyway, when I tweeted today I said that I'd mention writing for children in my blog. So, here goes.

What do we know about the different age groups in children's writing? It's according to which article you read. But here's what I've found:

Middle Grade Novels are for 9 to 12 year-olds
Chapter Books or Early Readers are for 6 to 8 year-olds
Teen Novels 12 years and up
YA or Young Adult novels deal with controversial subject matter (NOT my genre!)

Another reference I perused stated that:
Middle Grade Novels are for 8 to 12 years old. They should have 12 to 15 chapters with 6 to 8 pages per chapter and approximately 1200 words per chapter.

Upper Middle Grade are for 10 - 14 year-olds.

So, as you can see, not every publisher agrees. But these are "ballpark" figures so you can be more on target and knowledgable when you begin to write. BUT--as the market changes, so will these category designations, I believe.

Happy Writing and Rewriting!
Mary Ann Duke

Have you ever felt like an idiom?

I taught idioms in 4th grade. An idiom is a word or group of words that say one thing, but mean something else.
An example: It's raining cats and dogs. It means that it's raining very hard. But, it does not mean that cats and dogs are coming down with the liquid drops.
Idioms can be difficult because they're largely cultural. However some are universal.
While a fiction writer probably wouldn't use them for the narrator, she/he may have the characters use one once in awhile. It spices up the dialogue. Kids seem to really enjoy the word and the colloquial phrases that accompany.
So, keep in touch, because I'm all ears. Don't get cold feet or feel like a fish out of water by writing to me. You'll get a kick out of it. Well, I'm going to call it a day and make like a tree and leave(s).
Or something like that!

Valanee's Author Signing + Main Characters

It's after midnight, so it's October 16, 2015. I will write anyway.
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 I hosted an Author Signing for my friend, Valanee Eriksen.
Valanee has a new book published. CHRISTMAS BELLS and HERO TAILS is 90 pages of delight.
Buddy the Rat fears for his life, meets and makes friends at Christmas. 
I decorated my house Christmas-y. I made and served Christmas sugar cookies with sprinkles. Buddy discovers those on page 46 of the book. I scattered "crystal" snowflakes on Valanee's signing table as crystal snowflakes are a part of the story.
I'm crossing my fingers I'll get a contract soon.
Here are my main characters of my six different manuscripts:

Tillie
Ruby
Billy
Troy
Goldie (a dog)
Carolina and Uncle Mortimer

 I won't give the book titles, though. Just because. 

Good Night!
Mary Ann Duke

Hello--Again

Friends and family, writers and readers,

Writing----Today I submitted three manuscripts to different publishers. Each time I submit, I am soooooo hopeful. Full of hope. Never do I feel hopeless. Then, three months later (or three years) I get a rejection. Then, I'm sad. But, alas and alack, I can now work to make it better. I will persevere.

 I'm excited tonight because we're planning a trip to Hawaii. My husband, our daughter, and three grandchildren are going. It will be fun.

An article I read today said that writers should put their e-mails on their blog, website or twitter so publishers or agents can contact them.

My email address is: DrMad92@verizon.net. There you have it. 

Have a great weekend. I wish you success in your endeavors, whatever they may be.

Mary Ann Duke

DrMad92@verizon.net

A conversation with uthor Suzy Toronto

Good afternoon my Blog Reading Friends,

I hope you, my friends, are reading my blog.
I will write more frequently. Why? Because I just had a great coversation with author, @Suzy Toronto. She reminded me that I don't have to write a full article with educational information for every blog. Her enthusiasm spurred me on.

I have taken (off and on) watercolor classes for 4 years now. I really enjoy this. It's so calming, therapeutic and fun. This month I'm trying to paint a teenage girl. She is beautiful. I hope the painting will be. So far, it looks like a human and not a booger. That's good.

Here's hoping I get feedback from some of my blog readers.

Have a happppppy week!!

Mary Ann

Musings With Mary Ann: Musings From Mary Ann

Musings With Mary Ann: Musings From Mary Ann: Hello! Here we go! This is my first attempt at being a blogger. I hope to give you information on writing and other interesting tidbits as...

Musings From Mary Ann

Hello!  Here we go! This is my first attempt at being a blogger.
I hope to give you information on writing and other interesting tidbits as I feel inspired by the Muse!
When I learn how, I will post a picture  --  of me in a bikini.  HAAAA! I think not!
Mary Ann Duke
Author of Writing For Real-World Reasons
Author of Trapped by a Teacher
Author of The Chicken Catchers
Author of over 75 articles