A Tool Box for Creatives

By Suzy Leopold

Today is Groundhog Day! Will Punxsutawney Phil see his shadow?

Since today’s GROG Blog post is about toolboxes—not the legendary groundhog, let's move on . . . 

Many creatives keep toolboxes. 

A toolbox contains various tools. A toolkit also keeps tools—resources and skills to increase knowledge and support—creativity all kept inside a box or container.

Many writers and illustrators create toolboxes. Items are organized in one place and can easily be transported. The toolbox supports creating at home, at the library, a cafe, at a writing conference or workshop.

A writer's toolbox can be used to expand and master the craft of writing.

A toolbox may be a physical container with shiny tools and resources or it can be a metaphorical toolbox to develop deeper knowledge. Both are designed to improve creativity.

It is not the tools that matter but what one does with the tools and the ability to use the tools effectively.

Peer Inside a Toolbox

Suzy’s Writing Toolbox

• Writing tools--pens, pencils, markers

• A package of highlighters

• Post-its for plotters and pantsers; Post-it plotting ideas 

from Leah Cheak; from Julie Cohen (links will redirect you)

• Index cards

• Dictionary and thesaurus

• Mentor texts to mine for the author's craft

• A timer

• Craft of writing books

More Tool Ideas for a Writer's Toolbox

• A writer's notebook or journal

from Ralph Fletcher & Dolly Garland

• Picture book elements 

from Kathyrn Evans

• Picture book essentials 

from Joanne Sher

• Writing tips:        

 1. Make every word count with excellent word choices 

from Debbie Ridpath Ohi & Josh Funk 

 2. Rules of three 

from Pamela Hodges

• Create graphic organizers 

from Rob Sanders

• Create book templates or book dummies 

from Debbie Ridpath Ohi

• Continue to grow and learn 

from Josh Funk

• Revisit goals and adjust as need be; SMART Goals 

from Joe Bunting; Suzy

• Keep records of manuscript submissions 

from Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Index cards with tips

What's in your toolbox? In the comments share the tools you keep in your writer's toolbox.

#NESCBWI Spring Conference: A Midwestern Gal Leaves for Parts UNKNOWN by Kathy Halsey

Should I stay or should I go? My happy conundrum this spring - go to The Wild Wild Midwest or head to New England for Parts UNKNOWN?" I chose the latter and that has made all the difference. I blame it all on MG/PB writer, friend, photog, Writer's Loft Board member, Pam Vaughan. And two others to blame... conference co-chairs, Josh Funk and Heather Gerry Kelly.

Pam likes to joke that I left my "tennis shoes" back in Ohio and slipped into Eastern "sneakers" to reinvent myself. Writers, challenge yourself to go outside your usual circle, your own SCBWI group, and grow. I learned so much, met so many new writers, talked w/industry experts, received a hug from Jane Yolen, and snapped a pic of nonfiction writer extraordinaire, Melissa Stewart, 2015 Crystal Kite winner. 

It will take me several months to unpack my new knowledge and several more blog posts, too. Don't worry, I will be sharing the expertise and juicy tidbits. GROGger Christy Mihaly will tag team with me, too. We met up several times and shared stories with 12x12 folks for pizza and camaraderie.

Short, Sweet Takeaways for Today

1. Have a goal in mind when choosing conferences. My goals included extending my network, meeting some author luminaries. getting a critique from editor Julie Bliven; following a nonfiction track throughout the conference.

2. Meet on social media before you go to a new conference. Many of us newbies connected via the #NESCBWI16 hashtag first and planned to meet at specific sessions/events.

3. Try something new. (Well, the theme WAS reinvent.) I challenged myself. I struck out and did not cling to my roommate the entire conference. I entered the Pitchapalooza contest and ate alone at the MVP lounge one night. Results...stronger pitch and new friends. 

4. Be brave, confident, and know you have something to share. Approach editors, agents, published writers and really talk. I now have a new vision and way to tackle a WIP for educators because I sat w/ Megan Dowd Lambert at the #AskAMentor session. With no one at her MFA table, we instead discussed her amazing professional book, READING PICTURE BOOKS WITH CHILDREN. Lucky me, I had 30 minutes uninterupted with her. 

5. Attend every event you can, even if it goes into the wee hours. The keynotes were amazing and the sessions were vetted beforehand, so this really was the best of the best. 

Yes, I am still drinking the NESCBWI conference Kool-Aid and will share more with you later! I still have to tell you about The Writer's Loft, and The Unlikely StoryBookstore & Cafe owned by Jeff Kinney, and...stay tuned. 

Figurative Langauge, The "Author's Tool Belt" & 5th Grade Writers by Kathy Halsey

I have been co-teaching/volunteering as a "Writer-in Residence" with Lydia Tokarz, 5th grade gifted E/LA teacher and her class for 3 months now. Lydia and I hope to turn this experience into a professional book for educators and writers alike. We work together in a language arts block Mondays and Fridays. Today is a sneak peek into the fun 5th graders have writing picture book biographies. Yes, they study mentor texts like us in our project #Write4Real, crafting their own PB bios. 

We have dumped our info into rough drafts and are letting our writing "rise" by revising. Two weeks ago we focused on Figurative Language, a CC standard. ( We ARE fitting Common Core into this project. Our advice: teach from your passion and work the standards around it.) Lydia is so creative, and she made up this chant for her kiddos about Figurative Language. They've recited it for me, acted it out, can identify it in others' work. NOW they are making it real in their OWN writing.

Figurative Langauge Chant

by Lydia Tokarz

An author wears a tool belt of figurative language. 

Figurative language helps a reader visualize.

I say simile, you say..."like or as" 

(right hand, left hand)

I say metaphor, you say..."is" 

(hands on hips)

I say personification, you say..."person"

(motion head to toes-Vanna White style)

I say hyperbole, you say "exaggeration" 

(spirit fingers)

I say idiom, you say "funny expression"

(thumb on nose waving fingers)

I say onomatopoeia, you say "pow, pow!!" 

(Comic character double punch) 

Together in our Readers' Circle we read Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle (Pura Belpre Award, Illustrator) twice and discussed its evocative use of language. 

We always read aloud, and strive to use diverse, recent mentor texts. Next, students paired up, we divvied out books, and dove into language, recording our results on a class poster which delineated poetic devices. Each pair shared their findings, and finally we gathered into critique groups to discover/add these elements to  our manuscripts.

Here are a few of our texts and findings:

Firebird  is filled with great text: exaggeration - "The space  between you and me is longer than forever;" simile - "like the dying sun over the horizon;" metaphor - "You are the sky and clouds and air."

In Shooting for the Moon: The Amazing Life and Times of Annie Oakley they discovered onomatopoeia - "BANG!" and consonance - "the fierce wind whipped."

 

And suddenly, after another group noted that Balloons Over Broadway's title was itself figurative language, kids began pointing to titles that flanked the room shooting out, "Mrs. Halsey, Mrs. Tokarz, look, Star Stuff, Earmuffs for Everyone! Figurative language is everywhere." What a great "aha" moment for us all. 

Two fun craft books for student writers we'd also like to recommend that our kids enjoy were If You Were Alliteration by Trisha Speed Shakan and her companion book, If You Were Onomatopoeia. 

#Write4Real continues until spring break. We'll keep you informed of our progress. Other amazing moments on our journey thus far include:

•  a Skype visit with author friend Miranda Paul, One Plastic Bag
•  student writers receiving email from Walter O'Brien, founder of Scorpion Computer Services and executive producer of the TV series Scorpion. Two fifth grade boys emailed questions to fill in their research holes. 
• sharing our impressions of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast with author Josh Funk. We may Skype with him this coming Friday. 

My "aha" moment so far: Make writing real, share your passion and your work with students. You teach them and they teach you. It's a win-win for all even if you are still not published.You have so much to share about the TRUE process of writing.

Your Bio--Connect to Your Readership

View image | gettyimages.com 

By Janie Reinart

Connect with your young fans on your website, blog, or book jacket with a kid-friendly bio.  

Some tips to try:
1. Keep it short. 
2. Tell something quirky. 
3. Personalize with some of the favorite things in your life.
4. Be playful.
5. Add a photo.
  
Here are some of my favorite examples:

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen never thought she'd grow up to be a writer. As a child, she thought of being a doctor (but she's afraid of blood), a lawyer (but she doesn't like losing arguments), a carpenter (but she's too clumsy), a model (but she likes eating too much), a presidential candidate (but she had a dissolute youth), a UN ambassador (the argument losing thing again)... almost everything but a writer.

Sudipta visits schools to share her stories and experience, and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her family and an imaginary pony named Penny.

Drew Daywalt

Although Drew Daywalt grew up in a haunted house, he now lives in a Southern California home, haunted by only his wife, two kids, and German Shepherd. A Hollywood screenwriter by trade, The Day the Crayons Quit was his first book for children. His favorite crayon is Black.
 

Peter Brown

Peter Brown writes and illustrates books for young whippersnappers. He grew up in Hopewell, New Jersey, where he spent his time imagining and drawing silly characters. He studied Life Lessons at the School of Hard Knocks, and then got his B.F.A. in Illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Ame Dyckman

Ame Dyckman reads and writes picture books when she SHOULD be sleeping. She's the award-winning author of BOY + BOT, TEA PARTY RULES, WOLFIE THE BUNNY, the upcoming HORRIBLE BEAR (Spring, 2016), and more she can't talk about yet. Ame lives in New Jersey with her family, her crazy cat, and the characters from her books. Follow Ame on Twitter (@AmeDyckman), where she Tweets picture book reviews and pretty much everything that pops into her head.

Josh Funk

Josh Funk grew up in New England and studied Computer Science in school. Today, he still lives in New England and when not writing Java code or Python scripts, he drinks Java coffee and writes picture book manuscripts alongside his wife, children, and assorted pets & monsters.

Josh is the author of LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST (Sterling), as well as the forthcoming picture books DEAR DRAGON (Viking/Penguin 2016), PIRASAURS! (Scholastic 2017), JACK! [and the beanstalk] (Two Lions, 2017), and more.

Josh is terrible at writing bios, so please help fill in the blanks. Josh enjoys _______ during ________ and has always loved __________. He has played ____________ since age __ and his biggest fear in life is being eaten by a __________.

I have been working on my bio. Share your bios and pictures with us in the comments. Have fun!

 

Janie Reinart wears many hats, performing as a clown in children’s hospitals, sharing original tales in schools as a musical storyteller, and volunteering as a poet in residence at an inner city school to help children find their voice. Best of all, Janie loves playing with words and writing for children. She lives in Ohio with her husband, and is always up for a game of cards, hopscotch, or dress-up. Just ask her thirteen grandchildren.