Getting Book Reviews for Children's thru Middle Grade Books

Juvenile readers do not generally post book reviews; there are the security issues of a child's online presence, for one thing. Authors of these genres rely heavily on word of mouth advertising and get their reviews from avid readers who review a lot of books. I wanted to support an author friend, who is a member of my critique group, by buying her book for my granddaughter. Buying books is definitely a way to support authors, but what else could I do? Even small efforts make a difference. If I were the reader, I would do a book review. Why not post what my granddaughter thought of the book? Can/should parents and grandparents give reviews by proxy for minors? I decided to give it a try.

I avoided leading questions and asked general ones (see below). Then I posted the review as myself in her behalf. Here's how it turned out for Janice Sperry's The Rebel Princess:
I bought this book for my granddaughter, skimmed through it and found it delightful, but didn't actually read the whole thing. This review is what my granddaughter (age 10) said about it:
What did you like or not like? Her: I liked that Charming turns into a mouse and when they are trapped by the tooth fairies. Me: It's clever and funny.
What did you think overall? Her: 5 stars. It was fun. It had the right amount of everything.
Would you recommend it to anyone? Her: Yeah. I already told my friend about it and I'm going to lend it to her.
Tell me more about it. Her: At first Raven hates Charming but she crushes on him in the end. Me: There's a character arc. Her: The author explains really well, enough that I wanted to eat the gingerbread house. Me: Good descriptions.
There you have it!

Do you think more children's reviews should be published from their viewpoint? Is there a better way to go about this?

Finding Your Pace as a Writer

Are you racing against someone else's speed?

Writers talk about pacing within their stories, but what about pacing in their lives? Most of us struggle for that elusive perfect balance. One writer may only get snatches of writing time while another can't break away to eat lunch. Not all weeks are created equally, but where do you generally find yourself, and how can you strike a better balance? We need to make sure that we are neither putting off writing just so we can redo the closet we organized last week nor are we putting words before people.

 

Are you moving in the right direction?

I find myself in a blessed position. I'm an empty-nester whose husband supports me financially. This means I have the leisure to spend a good chunk of my day writing. That's a good thing because I'm a slow writer. I tend to use my left-brained editor side as often as my right-brained creative one.

There has to be something that pushes us to keep striving, to improve. After 20 crunches becomes easy, you go for 25, right? My critique group offers me the right amount of push each week. Give yourself some kind of reasonable goal/deadline to shoot for. Even if it takes you ten years to write your book, you'll have that accomplishment ten years from now.

Points to Ponder:
Motivation. What stirs you to action? Write down your realistic goals. Place them where you can find them.
Accountability. Report to someone--submit pages to a critique group, editor, share with a friend, check off goals in your diary...
Support. Who are your cheer leaders? Get with other writers online or face-to-face. Interact. Believe in yourself!
Improvement. Read new-to-you writers, take a class, find tips on blogs, attend a writer's conference...
Prioritize. Those to whom we serve/pay attention become better supporters than the neglected. Eliminate unnecessary activities.
Balance. Feed all aspects of your life in appropriate proportions. Be mindful of physical, spiritual, intellectual, personal, and inter-personal needs and relationships.

Make it the best week you can by doing your best. Happy writing!


  

Freedom To Dream

Jelly Belly Jellybean Mosaic

As America celebrates freedom and independence, I've pondered on the freedoms I have as a writer. Freedom of the press is a given that comes to mind, not to diminish its importance in any way. The power of the word is remarkable. That I can type out anything I want for this public blog would have been a wonder in a different time and country. I'd love it if even one reader found inspiration, encouragement, a good writing tip, or a recommended read that they could take from my words each week. Thank you for visiting.

The next obvious freedom I see is using my time for writing. In this I am truly blessed. I have a good husband who supports me financially and supports the way I spend my time. After we moved to CA for his job change, I retired from substitute teaching to write full-time. Only recently have we seen fruits from that and the light at the end of the tunnel. It's a long, rough road but I will get there. I love it and I'll make it work!

Mosaic at the Jelly Belly Factory in Fairfield, CA

To those whose time is more restricted but have decided to push down this road, don't let anyone tell you that you can't live your dream. Those who persist will improve, reach goals, and end up living their dream. It often takes longer than anticipated. But you can do it! Many have done it and more will follow. Writers and bloggers wherever you look would love to help and are cheering you on.

Figure out what personally holds you back, what you need to do to work around or through that (or find help), and go for it! Push forward. Dream big and work hard. The freedom to do so is there.

The new-to-me blog of the week is Laura's Literary Tips and Tutorials at http://lauralynnwatkins.weebly.com/. Laura shares wonderful, helpful articles for those of us learning our writing dream.

Writing Community VS Writing Bubble

Do you ever feel like you are being watched over or protected by unseen forces (other than divine providence)? Lately, my circle of writer friends have given me answers I didn't realize I sought. Someone's post, comment, or e-mail gave me direction before I could ask, like an a-ha moment. It helped me realize how valuable a connection to the writing community is.

Why should you as a writer care? The time will come when you need a beta reader, someone to show you how to format your e-book, someone to brainstorm with, a supporter and cheerleader to keep you going, someone to interview on your blog, and the list goes on. As much as an author would love to be left alone to write, she becomes a public figure in a small or large spotlight. He must deal with promoting himself.

I recall when I was content to stay in my own writing bubble but I've since learned that the more serious we get about our craft, the more we need each other. Contrary to logical thought, one writer's success is not another's competition, just as one good book in a library does not diminish the worth of those around it. As long as creativity is alive, one good idea does not ruin someone else's similar plot premise. No one else can write the book you will write and vice versa. But we can and do help one another along the way.

Developing one's participation in the writing community takes a little bit of time and effort. Here are some things we can do now to reap the benefits later:
1. Communicate with other readers and writers. Use your voice, small or big. Make a blog comment. Ask a question. Ask for feedback. Share an idea.
2. Knowledge. Find an author or two that you like and subscribe to their newsletter or follow their blog. Be in the know with what is happening with the authors you care about. Become part of their community.
3. Friendship. Meet other readers/writers at conferences, online, libraries, form critique groups. Each has something to offer, something to learn, and friends to gain. It's win-win.

Thank you, fellow writers. I hope I can give back.
What has your writing community done for you?

Support For Your Writing Addiction

And the WINNER of the wall hanging is . . .

JORDAN McCOLLUM

Thank you to all who participated in my Gratitude Contest!

The last post for this month of Gratitude is that I'm grateful for the support of my family. Support is crucial. Writers who go it on their own can go months or years without getting a single pat on the back or hearing the words, "Well done!" In my case, I imagined it would take a year to write and revise a book. Maybe another year to get reader feedback, tweak some more, submit, and hear from the publisher. That's a long time to go without any encouragement. In reality, it took me double that amount of time. My husband allowing me to use my time writing and giving financial support toward writer conferences was a great boon to me, as was having a good critique group.

But what if you don't have support close by? 
You have to find/create it. Either that or have super-human inner-strength.

Suggestions: Find a critique group that gives positive feedback as well as suggestions for things that don't work in your manuscript. Recognize that the latter is a gift--someone else telling you the spots where you can make your story better. Learn to enjoy the process of getting your best story out there. Seek out blogs and writer friends for help and encouragement. Pin up an inspiring quote. Make some goals and reward yourself for steps along the way to achievement. If you thrive on competition, find a writing buddy to 'sprint' with or participate in contests like NaNoWriMo. Involve those in your household by having them brainstorm ideas with you or read short segments. Respect their time by not pushing too much on them, but keep them informed through tidbits of what you achieved that day. If they can't take the smallest amount of interest, seek another source. Search online or ask your librarian to help you connect with writers. Attending a workshop can give you face-to-face connections that may lead to just what you need. The road will have some bumps but keep your eye on that destination! You can do it!

Got a suggestion to share?

Just Do It

I allowed a day to feel sorry for myself last week after withdrawing from my critique group because our long distance relationship wasn't working. It was ironic, actually, after my previous post below on support in which that group had played a major part. After all I had done to keep our live critique group going, it surprised me that some where not more willing to put up with the inconveniences of my temporary separation from them. Sigh.

It got me thinking about those who lose theirs or have no support group at all. Some deal with anti-support. I know of a dedicated writer whose family members tell her she wasting her time. How do we cope with that? How do we stay strong? Has the Olympic athlete who comes in short of a medal wasted all that time? Of course not!

Believing in one's self is reinforced as we meet milestones and receive small validations along the way. It's harder when you are the only or main one giving that validation. There has to be stuff inside us that gives us the guts and drive to do our best at what we love, living without regrets, in spite of someone else's measure of success.

Here are two quotes worth posting near your computer that could spur you on:
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the task itself has become easier, but that our ability to perform it has improved." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The whole idea of motivation is a trap. Forget motivation. Just do it. Exercise, . . . (writing a book), . . . or whatever. Do it without motivation. And then, guess what? After you start doing the thing, that's when the motivation comes and makes it easy for you to keep doing it." -- John C. Maxwell

Please share your inspiration. (Then get back to work!):) And thanks for visiting!

Olympic-sized Support

Ever feel like you're trying to display your best work but something keeps fencing you in? Can't get needed support?Feel like giving up? It's all too common. We'll never know the amount of would-be-writers who give up. But we often hear from those who make it that it's a lonely profession or that they couldn't have done it without a few cheerleaders on their side. I'd rather you and I sit on the latter side of that fence.

Support. It's huge. It's easy to think of Olympians just now. They have to practice, practice, practice. So do writers. They have trainers and coaches. Writers have how-to-books, conferences, and critique groups. Hopefully. But who is there to cheer them from the stands before anything gets in print?

Most writers I know have a day job or are busy mothers. Making the time to write takes initiative and passion. Somewhat like Olympians. We need our own milestones to spur us on like an athlete who wins a heat. It could be a contest we enter, positive feedback from a critique group or judge, or a husband who gets the kids to bed for you so you can write an extra hour. Set your own doable goals for some self-motivated support. Sometimes you're all you've got. Don't forget the rest of us in your same shoes who want your success almost as much as their own. I'm rooting for you!

Don't forget the biggest truth of all -- giving up never got an athlete or writer to the finish line. We all need support, but it often comes in spurts. How do you get Olympic-sized mileage out of small spurts to keep you going? It takes more than luck and dreams. Let's make it; we can do it!