I am repeating an old post

 

 

 I grabbed some favorites from my first line posts and I divided them between prose and rhyming Picture Books. The titles are linked to the books. I have fiddled with the spacing and font and today is one of those times Blogger hates me. So I apologize for the non-uniform look of the titles and links and fonts/. Think of it as Blogger's creativity shining through.
Please tell me your favorite. Want to share your best first line from your own work? Comments welcomed. For those of you doing Nano, good luck to you. Happy reading and writing.

Prose first lines

1. Everything was just dandy till that Emily Post book showed up.
Thanks a LOT, Emily Post! by Jennifer Larue Huget, Illustrated by Alexandra Boiger (First book)

2.  TUESDAY EVENING, AROUND EIGHT.

Tuesday written and illustrated by David Weisner

3.  In the biggest, brownest muddiest river in all Africa, two crocodiles lay with their heads just above the water. One of the crocodiles was enormous. The other was not so big.

The Enormous Crocodile. Roald Dahl Illustrated by Quentin Blake.

4.  In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines 

Madeline  written and illustrated by Ludwig Bemelmans

 5.  Out in the hottest, dustiest part of town is an orphanage run by a female person nasty enough to scare night into day.

Saving Sweetness by Diane Stanley Illustrated by G. Brian Karas 

 

6.  Five little puppies dug a hole under the fence and went for a walk in the wide, wide world. 

The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey - Illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren

 7.  My friend Lincoln says you have two dads. That’s right poppa and daddy.

A Tale of Two Daddies by Vanita Oelschlager Iluustated by Kristin Blackwood and Mike Blane

9.  Mama love to sing. Her singing was always a happy part of everyday life. But everything changed the day after my seventh birthday.

Floating on Mama’s Song by Laura Lacamara, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales(First book)

 10. I took the moon for a walk last night.

I took the Moon for a walk by Carolyn Curtis, illustrated by Allison Jay.(First book)

11.  Once upon a time Chicken Licken was standing around when a piece of something fell on her head.
 

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, Iluustrated by Lane Smith. (As best as I can determine, this was his first book. Wow!)
 

On a cold afternoon, in a cold little town, where everywhere you looked was either the white of snow or the black of soot from chimneys, Annabelle found a box filled with yarn of every color.

ExtraYarn by Mac Barnette. Illustrated by Jon Klassen Extra Yarn is a also Caldecott Honors Book for 2012

 

12. Everyone was perfectly fine with the way things were. Everyone but Mr. Tiger.

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild written and illustrated by Peter Brown  2014 Cybil winner.

 

13.  Whenever the wind lifted off the river, and sent the trees to dancing, I itched to fly a kite.

I’d race to the great Niagara, plumes of mist rising from plunging waters, wind licking at my face.

 A boy like me knew, just knew which day would be perfect for flying kites.

The Kite That Bridged Two Nations by Alexis O'Neil, Illustrated by Terry Widener 2014 Crystal Kite Winner

14.  The Lion is known throughout the animal kingdom as the “King of Beasts.” 
The Great White Shark is the most feared predator in the ocean. 
And the Timberwolf’s howl strikes terror into the hearts of fuzzy woodland creatures everywhere. 
But even SAVAGE CARNIVORES get their feelings hurt.

Carnivores by Aaron Reynolds, Illustrated by Dan Santat  

15.  Peter snuggled into Uncle's lap as the carriage clattered through the valleys of Switzerland. Baby Annette slept in Mother's arms, a small pink blossom against a wall of black.

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus, illustrated by Melissa Sweet, written by Jen Bryant. 2015 Caldcott Honor Book

16.  He was born on an island far away where imaginary friends were created."

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, Written and Illustrated by Dan Santat

 

 Picture Books that Rhyme

1.  Not last night but the night before, three black cats came knocking at the door.

Not Last Night But The Night Before by Colin McNaughton, Illus by Emma Chichester Clark

 

2.  One morning at the breakfast table, when I read the juice box label, (thinking it was tightly closed), my daddy’s pants got orange-hosed. 

 

I Always ALWAYS Get My Way by Thad Kranesky, Illus by David Parkins (Thad is a first time picture book author. It was published in 2009) 

When I grow up, I'll live in a tree.
Just my cats, Quentin, Quigley and me.
 

Growing Up Dreams by Susan J. Berger, Illus by Samantha Bell

 

4.   Beep Beep. Sheep in a jeep on a hill that’s steep

Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw, Illustrated by Margaret Apple (First Book)

 

5.  In a House on a hill there’s a wild little child not ready to close her eyes.

She burrows in blankets and talks to her toys and listens to lullabies.

 

Hillside Lullaby by Hope Vestergaard Illustrated by Margie Moore

 

6.  Many places make a home – a heap of twigs, a honeycomb.

A castle with a tower or two, an aerie with a birds-eye view.

 

 Castles Caves and Honeycombs by Linda Ashman Illustrated by Lauren Stringer
 

 

7.  See the piggy, see the puddle, see the piggy in the middle of the muddy little puddle.

See her dwaddle, see Her diddle, in the muddy muddy middle.

See her waddle, plump and little, in the very merry middle.

 

The Piggy in the Puddle by Charlotte Pomerantz Illustrated by James Marshall
 

 

 8.  In a wee little house in a wee little hole, lived a wee little mouse and a wee little mole.

 

One Dark Night by Lisa Wheeler Illustrated by Ivan Bated.(This was Lisa Wheeler’s first book. She has written many wonderful books. I wanted to blog the first line of the first one.)


9. Dusk creeps in and day is done.
The last few rays of stubborn sun
Cling to the hilltop, tree and town.
We wish that we could push it down.

 Bats at the Ballgame Written and illustrated by Brian Lies  

The Simple Ideas Behind Promotion for Writers

By guest Poster A,J, Cosmo

A.J. Cosmo is the best-selling author and illustrator of over thirty children's books. I first met him at a book sale at Encino Elementary School. I sat next to him ans was impressed by his style of presentation. The first book of his I read was The Monster That Ate My Socks. Loved it.

Check out his work at ajcosmo.com that is, if you like monsters, imagination, or heart.

I do! A.J not only has a great website, he has a free picture book for following him. I signed up to test it out and Pretty Please? Princess Polly is delightful

The Simple Ideas Behind Promotion for Writers

Everyone wants to promote, or should I say, they

need to promote. For some reason authors tend to shy away from sales. We tell people that it's about the passion, or the craft, or the love of just doing it, which is true, but it would be disingenuous to say that money isn't a factor.

So how do we sell books? Well, why do people buy books?  There are three reasons why a person purchases a book:

1. Entertainment
   The book appeals to them for the sake of passing time, making them feel better, or making them think about something new.
   
   If your book relies on entertainment alone, make sure that you understand what it is about your work that people enjoy. Be sure and ask your readers because the answer may surprise you. Once you understand that, make sure that all of your sales material points to it.
   
   
2. Information
   The book appeals to readers because it contains something they want to know or teach.
   
   This applies well to non-fiction but can also apply to fiction. Some books for children may secretly teach language and shapes while some grown-up books may take place in a historically accurate or otherwise well researched setting. Make sure that your advertising tells readers what they will gain from investing in your book.
   
   
3.  Symbolism
   The book represents more than the sum of its pages. It represents an ideal, movement, or a group of people that the reader wishes to be a part of.
   
   How many of you have gone to a speaker, loved what they said, bought their book, and then never read a single page? Don't feel guilty. You weren't buying their book, you were demonstrating your appreciation of that person and your agreement with their views.
   
   If you can score school appearances, events, or conferences to sell your books, good for you! If you can't though, you can still attach your book to a cause. Wonder by Raquel Jaramillo marvelously tied itself with the relationship between othering and bullying while Harry Potter has become synonymous with perseverance.

Hopefully your book can sell to at least two of these ideas. After all, the best textbooks are also entertaining while wonderfully written narratives can unite entire groups of people (think of John Green.) Spend some time considering how you would sell these features of your book and to whom those features would most appeal.

Basic marketing is nothing more than informing people of something they might like. Inform the right group of people in the correct way and you won't even be called a marketer. Tell the wrong people in an offensive way and you will be thrown out as a shyster.

If we turn all of this into a process you get something that looks like this:

1. Determine what you have.
2. Determine who would want it.
3. Test how best to describe what you have.
4. Find where these people gather.
5. Present what you have to them in an appropriate manner         (as dictated by the customs of the group.)

Simple, no?

Notice how I haven't once mentioned a traditional ad- that's intentional. Ads are like rain; most people ignore it, some avoid it, others get upset by it, but very few people enjoy standing in the middle of it. What you need is something more focused.

If you have a romance book, you would start your promotion by finding groups of romance readers. The more specifically the group matches your product, the better. If your book is about creating romance, you would look for an audience of lonely people to show the work to. If your book is a revolutionary love story about an oppressed minority, you could speak at a convention hosted by said minority.

What you don't do is blow $500 on shotgun Facebook ads, spam Twitter with "buy my book" tweets, or guilt trip your friends and family into making a purchase. All of that will only end in poor sales and tears.

Human beings naturally promote to each other, it's in our DNA. As a species, it's beneficial to share where delicious fruit trees are. Yet, we are also distrustful of those outside our tribe. If your brother tells you of good food, you will go at once to retrieve it, however, if a stranger tells you the exact same thing, your first thought may be of a trap.

That's why finding your audience, your tribe, is so important. Before you can find that tribe though, you first have to understand exactly what kind of fruit you have and who specifically has the taste for it.

Dispatch #13: Comparative Titles

by Lupe Fernandez

During many a SCBWI conference or workshop, the audience is advised to use comparative titles when pitching their manuscript, such as Harry Potter meets Dr. Seuss or Curious George meets Twilight.

Here in the vast wilderness of the Northern Hinderlands, I have created a few modest comparative titles for future query letter.

Picture Books

• Good Night Moon meets Apollo 13 (The Lost Moon)
• The Story of Ferdinand meets The Jungle
• Curious George meets Gorilla's in the Mist
• Clic Clac Moo meets Animal Farm
• Polar Express meets The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition

Middle Grade

• A Wrinkle in Time meets Gone with The Wind
• The Lightning Thief meets Like Water for Chocolate
• Ella Enchanted meets The Handmaid's Tale
• Charlotte's Web meets Pride and Prejudice
• The Borrowers meets Atlas Shrugged

Young Adult

• The Hobbit meets Valley of the Dolls
• Lord of the Flies meets The Scarlet Letter
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants meets The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
• Vampire Academy meets Fast Food Nation
• The Forest of Hands and Teeth meets Anna Karenina

These are a few of my favorite comparative titles.
Do you have any?
Care to share?
If you dare...

Muse Hunting Plus a Giveaway

Nancy Stewart

by Susan Berger

Pen and Ink welcomes Guest Blogger, Nancy Stewart.

Enter to win a copy of Bella Saves The Beach by leaving a comment at the end of the post.

What is it about muses? I know they take their work seriously, and yet conjuring up mine can be quite a chore at times.

I almost always search for her at the computer. She’s usually there, but not today.  Sometimes she hides in my Favorites List.  But not today.  How about the Homepage?  Nope.  One more try my lists of guest posts.  Occasionally she will transform herself into a bright new post from an old one.  Today, no such luck.

Not one to give up, I go to the gym.  Strangely enough, she hangs out there.  And usually her gym ideas are good ones, full of life and vigor.  She particularly likes the elliptical.  Actually, so do I.  But after 20 minutes of trying to coax her to visit, I give up and move to other machines where I’ve never seen her ply her magic.

On the way home, I stop by the bookstore.  I congratulate myself on a stroke of genius.  She can’t not be there, I tell myself.  It’s a muse kind of place, after all.  She’s not there.  Not even in the kids’ books section.  She’s always in the kids’ books section.  Copying ideas, I tell her, but she rejects that notion.

Ah, well.  I give up.  I’ve learned there’s no future in sleuthing after a muse that does not want to be detected.  So home I go.

I consider the computer a lost cause, so I opt for a glass of iced tea and a comfy chair.  And then, like a tiny bee buzzing in my brain, she’s here.  She speaks of Bella and Britt and empowering kids, of a middle grade novel set in Africa, of a chapter book series.

My muse is such a tease.  But when she gets down to business, there’s no stopping her!  Today, I’m just happy she visited, threw out a couple of notions then left me to ruminate. 

What is it about muses?  I still haven’t figured out that answer.  But I’m happy I have one! 

Thank you, Nancy for stopping by as part of your blog tour for Bella Saves the Beach written by Nancy and Illustrated by Samantha Bell.

Bella and Britt are worried about all the trash appearing on their beautiful beach.  But what can they do?  Britt is leaving on vacation, and Bella can’t solve the problem alone.  Without adults to lend a hand, can they possibly save their beach?

Excerpt from Bella Saves the Beach:

Bella, Britt and all their friends built sand castles and filled moats with salty sea. But this summer, the girls were worried.

         “Look at all this trash, Britt,” said Bella.

          She nodded. “Yeah, and I leave on vacation tomorrow. I can’t help pick it up!”

Next morning, Bella walked along the beach alone. “Hello.” Bella said to the old crooked beak pelican, perched on his piling. “Somebody has to help, and I guess it’s me.”

 Bella is the newest book in the Bella and Britt series. The opening book of the series, One Pelican at a Time, was the first book published on the Gulf Oil Spill.

You can purchase the PDF download (huge bargain) at GUARDIAN ANGEL PUBLISHING 
Or you can buy the paperback or hardcover at AMAZON or  BARNES AND NOBLE

 OR 
Our lucky winner will receive an eBook copy of Bella Saves The Beach.  Leave a comment below to enter. We've turned on anonymous commenting this week to make it easy for you to enter. Please leave a contact email address (i.e. sueberger3 at aol dot com)in the comment so we can reach you.

Visit Nancy at NancyStewartBook.com or at her blog.

Pen and Ink is delighted to be a stop on Nancy’s Blog Tour. You can catch up with her tomorrow at  Write What Inspires You.