Nancy Kelly Allen's Blog, page 45

Historical Fiction/Call for Submission

Today, I'm showcasing an engaging book, With Purpose and Promise, by Kentucky author, K. Melissa Burton.

Young readers love historical fiction because they can learn about events and people of years gone by in an interesting way. When reading a textbook, they gain facts, but when they read a historical novel, readers become involved in the lives of the characters. As readers make an emotional connection to the characters, they are more likely to remember the facts and historical events.

Histor...

Writing Tight/Contest

We writers often fall in love with our words. We don't want to change phrases in narrative or dialog because we like the way they sound. We like the characters and the situations we've created. If we change the words, we've changed the story. Deciding what text to remove is a difficult decision for me, but as hard as it may be, I cut words in every manuscript I write.

In my flower garden I clip, trim, snip, and prune plants. I tug away weeds and deadhead flowers. What remains is a garden that...

I Write Like, Contests

Today, I'm all about having fun so I'm leading you to the Internet site, I Write Like. In a box you paste a short piece of your fiction or nonfiction work and click the analyze button to see which famous writer you write like. The statistical analysis tool evaluates your words and writing style and makes a comparison.

On fictional pieces, my style was like Steven King's. Not once. Not twice. Three times. I hope this program is spot-on with accuracy. If not, it's fun to dream.

When I submitted...

Voice, Contest and Call for Submission

Voice is that illusive ingredient all editors are looking for in a manuscript. I usually approach voice in a story by considering how the writing "sounds" on the page. I experiment with different voices before I decide how I want the character to speak. After I write a few lines, I read it aloud, but not in the presence of company for fear of being committed.

Narrative voice is the way the narrator is telling the story. Many writers struggle to develop a this voice, which is like a fingerprint...

Critiquing a Manuscript, Part II, Calls for Submissions

Attend to these details of a manuscript to give it a professional look, feel, and sound.

Punctuation, spelling, grammar. You have only one opportunity to make a great first impression. Don't destroy that opportunity with a rushed manuscript filled with simple mistakes. Keep these in mind when writing the cover or query letter, also.

Create fresh and appealing similes and metaphors and avoid cliches, worn-out phrases.

Use age appropriate comparsions that match the subject of the text.

Rhyming t...

Critiquing a Manuscript Part I, Contests, Call for Submissions

Writers benefit from new eyes reading their words. Feedback from others provide valuable information, especially if the feedback is from writers who understand what to look for in a manuscript. Those who are critiquing should look at a piece in two ways: the overall story and specific parts, also known as the big picture and the small picture.

Overall story evaluation includes character assessment: Are the characters believable? Does each character have unique traits, such as speaking differen...

Perseverance, Part II, Zen story, Contest and Call for Submissions

An Old Zen Story:

The Zen master dipped a brush into paint. With swift flicks of the wrist, he trailed dazzling colors across the canvas. A young Zen student stood beside the master and watched.

As the painting grew more beautiful, the Zen student whispered, "Master, how do I learn to paint beautiful pictures?"

The master continued to paint.

Ten years later, the Zen student returned and said, "Thank you, Master."

The Zen story resonated with me because to be a writer a person must write. Learning...

Perseverance Part 1, Famous Writers' Rejections, Calls for Submissions

Perseverance is that catch-all word that means commitment, hard work, patience, and endurance. These qualities improve the job performance of many workers, and writers are no exception. For most writers no shortcuts exist in the publishing business. A writer has to hone writing skills. The best way to learn to write is to do just that, write. And read other authors' works. Writing and reading take time, perseverance. Also, a writer needs to learn the market in order to submit the manuscripts....

The Funny Business of Writing Humor for Kids, Part III, Contests

Today's blog is part III of my article, The Funny Business of Writing Humor for Kids.

Knowing the sensibilities of the audience is imperative to a writer, especially when writing humor. Young readers use books to help discover the world around them, so the more we know about young readers, the better we can develop the humor in our writing.

Humor should not the focus of a story. The story is a vehicle to make readers think and feel. A story without a purpose is probably going to fall flat, wit...

The Funny Business of Writing Humor for Kids, Part II, Calls for Submissions/Contest

I'm pleased, make that thrilled, Woohoo!! to announce that my latest picture book, Trouble in Troublesome Creek, has been selected to represent Kentucky at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. this fall. The National Book Festival is organized and sponsored the Library of Congress. One book per state is selected for this honor.

Since most students are out of school for the summer, I will not post student activities until September.

Today's blog features part II of my article, The...