Getting Motivated - Writing Accountability

by Susan J. Berger

Best saying I took away from the 2016 Summer Conference: Everything's been written. But not in your voice.
If you are the human who never lets day to day interruptions interfere with your writing  and submitting goals, go away and come back next week. No. Scratch that. Please leave us a comment on how you do it.

I am not that human. Work, babysitting, auditions, various curve balls life throw at me take me out of my writing game. And I haven't submitted to anyone in two months even though I do have three perfectly good query letter, thanks to my critique groups.

The only thing that keeps me writing is accountability. For me, that's my critique groups. Going to a critique group with nothing to critique is not acceptable to my ego.

My friend and critique partner Andrea Loney belongs to several critique groups in the children's book market. I currently belong to two active ones. I write in the children's market and the romance market.

I also need a query butt-kicking and submission group.  The Pen and Ink one seems to be slumbering. Oh how I miss them!. Without their butt-kicking, I don't submit. Anyone want to join that kind of group?

You can start a critique group with the business cards you picked up at conference. Email the authors. See if they are interested.
Or go to online to the SCBWI yahoo group and announce you want to start a group. Be specific about what you are looking for. Here's a link to an article from SCBWI  4 Questions to ask a critique group.

Other ways to be accountable:

NaNoWriMo.

I've written five books with NaNoWriMo. One is published. Two I am currently taming into presentability. NaNoWriMo is about finishing a first draft. It's fantastic, but it's no good for picture books.
 

 

12 x 12 Picture Book

Both Andrea and Sue Ganz Schmidt (also a critique partner) have used 12 by 12 and I am interested in doing it next year. The cost is 137. Once  you have been on the program for  a year, you can up the ante to and have special submission opportunities.

12 x 12 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Once you join, you will be encouraged and supported by the friendliest writing community on earth as you attempt to write one picture book draft a month.

• Receive advice from published authors, literary agents & editors
• Motivation and accountability
• Worldwide Membership
• Encourage & support from the friendliest writing community
• Little GOLDen Book members* will have an additional opportunity to submit one polished picture book manuscript to an agent each month February – November
• Monthly guest post  & fabulous prizes from a talented, multi-published picture book author
• Members-only 12 x 12 Facebook group, which serves as a support network, a question and answer pool, and a place to share resource
• Robust Membership Forum
I've emailed to inquire about next year. Hey it's cheaper than a conference. I need to write more picture books. 
If you Google "Writing Accountability" You can come up with either online groups, or an accountability partner. An accountability partner my be what I need to force myself into submission mode. Cause it sure isn't happening on my own.

What about you? Got some suggestions for me? Anybody know a free picture book group?
This is worth repeating. Everything's been written. But not in your voice.  Write on!

 

 

Pitching your book.

By Susan J Berger
If you are going to the 2016 Summer Conference, you may be pitching your book.
First thing you need is a good elevator pitch. John Grisham says. "If you can't describe what a book is about in one or two sentences, you don't have a story worth telling." Harsh and I think he's wrong. I think it means you don't know your own story well enough to narrow it down. So start practicing now.

 

Why do you need a pitch?   The Writer's Workshop post explains how your book will be sold to retailers.

A good pitch might include:
The name of your protagonist with a brief description.
Their "want". It needs to be selfish. World Peace doesn't make a good story want.
What stands in their way?  - Their antagonist or opponent.
What's the worst thing that could happen to the hero or what could happen next.

Hero. Eleven-year-orphan Anne
Their "want",  Dreams of a family of her own.
What stands in their way?  - Their antagonist or opponent. But her red-headed temper and an overactive imagination keep her constantly in hot water.
What's the worst thing that could happen to the hero or what could happen next. Will her latest mistake get her sent back to the orphanage?

Hero. Kindly Wolf
Their "want",  Needs to borrow a cup of sugar to make a posset for his cold.
What stands in their way?  - Their antagonist or opponent. But his terrible sneeze keeps blowing down pigs' houses
What's the worst thing that could happen to the hero or what could happen next. Will he be vilified forever in the annals of fairytaledom?

I have a longer better template for you.. Writing Coach Michael Hauge's pitching formula is available on his  website Follow the link and click on the download. I've downloaded it for myself. It's a perfectly safe word doc. This one was specifically aimed at pitching a romance, but it's adaptable to pitch any story.

Want to share your pitch with us? Oh please share!  Leave it in the comments. Happy pitching!