NA-NU NA-NU! How NaNoWriMo Helps a Picture Book Writer - by Kathy Halsey

As you munch on turkey, give thanks with family and friends, perhaps you have a moment to read about a another November tradition, NaNoWriMo. Ask your parents or others around the table today if they recall the Mork and Mindy sitcom that featured comedic genius Robin Williams. Robin played the alien Mork from the planet Ork, and his greeting was, "NA-NU NA-NU."  I felt rather like Mork, visiting another planet as I began my November journey through National Novel Writing Month. 

The challenge to write 50,000 words in one measly month seemed monumental. It feels that way still. I may not make the word count, and  today, if I keep writing at my current pace, I'll reach the finish line March 27, 2017. Plenty of people who embark on this adventure say they "fail" the first year. Whoa, that's harsh. However, my "failure" is still a win in my book. 

I primarily write picture books, have tried my hand at a chapter book and even dipped into  a middle grade. I pride myself of word counts of 300-500 and by final draft time, I usually cross that finish line. So could this older dog learn a new trick? I had to find out if I could sustain a much brisker clip.
 

My motivation was a "failed" PB biography that just wouldn't budge. Taking revision to the nth level, I played "what if." What if this became a first person, middle grade, historical fiction? I became my main character and revised my structure to a travelogue on which to hang my plot and research. I shared that beginning with a friend's 5th grade class, and voila, they actually clapped after my reading. Yes, I guess I'm writing a middle grade novel. GULP. So here's a few tips to chew on along w/the turkey sandwich.

Top Tips from a Newbie

1.  Prepare for NaNo ahead of time. There are meetings all over the country during October on the website. Also the site includes articles and help boards similar to the SCBWI blue boards.

2. I had a topic and plot via my PB bio, which helped. Perhaps you can dust off a manuscript that tugs at you still for NaNo. I used my fourteen spreads and reimaigned them as chapters. 

3.  Gather your tribe. I hooked up with picture book and nonfiction writer friends  from FaceBook  and they became my first NaNo 'buddies." We spur each other on.

4. Go to meet-ups within your region. This may be more difficult if you live in a small town, but it helps. Some meetings are informational; some are like-minded folks who write on their own, yet join together. I found coffee, munchies, and camaraderie at   The Thurber House and two library branches in Columbus, Ohio. 

5. Be kind to yourself if you slip up and don't reach your word count target for the day. My daily target is 1667 words and I don't always measure up. But I will not quit.

6. JUST WRITE. Sounds simple, but it's not. I am a constant editor and rough drafts come slowly. That works for writing a picture book draft, but for NaNo, I had to plunge forward with a truly #%% draft. I had research holes to fill, too. When I had no time to sift for dates or names, I just wrote "XXX" and highlighted it for later. It almost killed me at first, but it is a DRAFT. (This gets easier over time.)

7. Make this challenge your own. My middle grade novel is probably going to be 30,000 + words, not 50,000. I have to research as I write this month because of the radical change in structure. And, I may not get done by November 30. What? Me worry? No, if  I get this middle grade written by the time the NESCBWI conference rolls around, I win. These are my goals, MY NaNo.

The Benefits

1. NaNo forced me to adopt a real writing routine which became a ritual.  I researched in the morning or read sources for the section I'd write in the afternoon. Afternoons were for writing and "writing sprints." (Timed writing with others made me accountable. Try it even if you aren't interested in NaNo.) 

2.  I found more writing time in my day by breaking it down into manageable segments. The official name for this is the "Pomodoro Technique." The method breaks time into 25 minute intervals with short breaks. Here are twelve timing apps to help. 
3. The resources within the NaNoWriMo website are awesome. There are pep talks and wonderful forums. Listen to these forum titles: Plot Doctoring, Reference Desk (great for NF), Worldbuilding and The Adoption Society. Folks leave characters, plots and catchphrases they've abandoned that you can pick up. 
4.  The confidence you will gain with sustained writing. Yes, there is a real "zone" or "flow" that happens w/this type of writing. My biggest surprise is that my main character really does enter me, and I just type what she is thinking, doing, and saying. I used to scoff when I heard this from other writers. 

Whether I run a 5K or a marathon, I will finish. (If I don't cross the finish line in November, I'll join Camp NaNo which let's me complete a project in any month.)  
I am proud of stretching beyond my comfort zone and pushing myself past what I think I'm capable of as a writer. I took a big leap forward, and I win! 

The Picture Book as "Object?" Yes, THE STEAM of PBs by Kathy Halsey

We picture book writers have probably analyzed our genre in a gazillion ways. But, have you thought of the picture book as an "object?" If we examine a picture book in its totality via the STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) lens, we notice that the "book as object" is

• engineered
• produced
• designed
• and is a multimodal format.
  

My own educational process in mining the picture book as object began with Megan Dowd Lambert's groundbreaking professional title READING PICTURE BOOKS WITH CHILDREN, 2015, Charlesbridge. Megan, a mom of five, is a multitalented authors/educator with an MA in Children's Literature from Simmons and almost a decade at the Eric Carle Museum. She knows the picture book and created a new approach for storytime that educators, librarian, AND writers can adapt for their own purposes. In librarian parlance, this book is "E," for "everybody" connected to children's literature.

By studying the format via the "engineer-design" process, students of all ages will better see why we librarians have designated the picture book for "everybody," also. The book or "paratext" may become a more significant subject to older students and educators across the curriculum via this point of view. STEM and STEAM are currently educational buzz words that rightly belong to books, especially picture books with their specific format of 32 pages, illustrations, end papers, back/front matter, and typography. 

For Educators/Librarians (Visiting Authors, too)

• Megan created/field-tested "The Whole Book Approach,"   during her Carle Museum tenure. (Peruse the SLJ article here.)  
• Instead of using storytime for "artificial" themes such as zoo animals or holidays, invite children to look at picture books as museum pieces that tell a story. 
• Ask questions such as: "What's going on in this picture?" and "What makes you say that?" Then wait for the response. (based on the Visual Thinking Strategies of Housen and Yenawine)
• Take time to explore/examine a book's paratexts, the material beyond art & main text, before you read aloud. Children will be fascinated by what covers, jackets, endpapers, and front matter lend to the totality of story.
• Expect these strategies may take time. However, interruption of the story proper can be a form of engagement by your audience as well as a great way to approach questions!

For Picture Book Writers

• Dive into this book and use it for the craft of writing especially if you are a writer only, not an illustrator. After studying this for my craft, I realized I need to trust the design layout as well as the illustrator to say what my words may not.
• Use the "Glossary of Book and Storytime Terminology" for design terms that may be unfamiliar. (Do you know the terms "knockout type," "recto," and "intraiconic?")  
• Much of "show don't tell" for which we writers strive can happen with the physical elements of typography, use of the gutter and other physical book constructs.
•  Here are two examples:
• Notice the font size changes in BULLY by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. As a writer, she doesn't need to say the bull yelled or when the character changes his approach to the other animals. Typography does it for her.
  
• Or examine Chris Raschka's YO YES for character change and development. Placement of characters on opposite sides of the gutter and then on the same side of the gutter show us visually the progression of friendship. No words are needed. 

Megan Dowd Lambert @ NESCBWI

I can honestly say that READING PICTURE BOOKS WITH CHILDREN has freed me as a writer to approach my manuscripts differently. I can let my words breathe better on the page knowing the "codex" (look in the glossary...) will also project my plot to readers. And, as an educator and speaker, I can draw readers and audiences into the picture book world in an engaging new way!

ReFoReMo ~By Suzy Leopold

Calling all picture book writers! Grab your writer's toolbox, a journal to take notes and your favorite pen. It's time for some picture book research. 

ReFoReMo

WHO? Picture Book Writers 

Fiction and Nonfiction

WHAT? Reading For Research Month

A writing challenge to help you reform your writing and learn how to use mentor texts. 

WHEN? March 1st through March 31st 

Registration opens February 15, 2015

To kick off the event prior to registration and be eligible for some prizes consider spreading the news through social media. To find out how to do so and enter for prizes go to ReFoReMo.

WHERE? Your choice for a favorite place to read and write.

WHY? Whether you are an experienced published author or a writer who is honing the craft of writing, you will find that studying and researching the newest picture books on the market is an excellent tool to have in your writer's toolbox.

HOW? Reading and researching mentor texts. Both fiction and nonfiction picture books. Recently published, highly recommended picture books will be studied.

A Tall Stack of Mentor Texts

Authors, educators, and librarians will share daily posts along with recommendations for five quality picture books. Inspiration, tips and excellent book recommendations will be made.

Read more about this upcoming event at ReFoReMo and find out who the twenty-eight guests are. Wow! What a line up!

Mark your calendars for this upcoming event! You won't want to miss it. Thank you, Carrie! 

Carrie Charley Brown