E is for ... Editing

Many writers tell me that they hate to edit. They love the feeling of getting the words down, but hate having to go through and either take those hard earned words away, or to add more words. I used to feel sort of like this. But once I was hired as an editor, those feelings quickly disappeared. Maybe it was because I was getting rid of other people's words. More likely, it was because I truly saw how the right words make the story flow better.

Here's how I view writing and editing:
The writing is the foundation of the story. Visually, I think of it as a sculpture that's created the more words I use. It's not like I think of the sculpture as a bust or any certain shape other than maybe a large piece of rock. There's dimension to it, but no specific features.

Because each word is so important in a story - even more so in poetry - I have no problem slashing and burning words that I've written. I don't feel like I have to keep them just because they appear on the paper. Editing is carving out the story, just like carving out a shape in the rock.

What's your viewpoint on editing? Do you love it, or hate it?

D is for ... Danger

Whether you are writing a fantasy, action-adventure, mystery, growing up, or humor middle grade story, there usually is an element of danger in the plot line. It may be physical danger (The Book Thief, any of the HP books, Percy Jackson series), the threat of danger (Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and the man who pursues Bod), or a fear that has become a danger in the main character's mind (any of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books). Danger always exists.

It is a key element in pushing the main character toward the resolution of their conflict. There has to be some sort of motivation for the character to get through to the end. If there isn't, well, there really isn't a story. Just a bunch of words strung together that somehow was published!

We may as writers (or even as readers) not think of conflict resolution as the resolution of danger, but in most cases it is.

What are your favorite books that have danger as part of them?

C is for ... Character

Undoubtedly one of the most important elements of any fiction writing is creating characters, both the main and the secondary (supporting) characters. Storyline will only take a reader so far. If the characters are not fully and completely developed, the reader will do what all authors DON'T want them to do - put down the book and never pick it back up again.

Here are a few quick examples of how to develop a character:

• Create a character study which includes simple to complex information about the character. Examples are: name, age, gender, location (where do they live), likes/dislikes, occupation, fears, family members, friends, extra-curricular activities, biggest desire in life (or story), quirky behaviors, etc.
• Description of a character will only get a reluctant reader so far. Through dialogue and action, characters can reveal much about themselves. Take for instance Willy Wonka. Could you imagine his character as a stuffy, old professor? The story would have been so different if he hadn't had those crazy conversations, ideas, and mannerisms.
• Relationships with other characters show a lot about the main character. A good main character doesn't leave his best friend behind when there's trouble. Or perhaps, the two characters weren't really all that good of friends if either of them rats on the other to the principal.

 Who are your favorite characters either from childhood or now?

B is for Boy-Based

Again keeping in line with the genre I write, I thought I'd spend a few minutes talking about boy-based middle grade fiction. Boy-based means that the main character is a boy and the storyline reflects what boys would be more interested in as opposed to girls. But---that doesn't necessarily mean that there aren't any girls in the story.

The Percy Jackson and Harry Potter series are both examples of boy-based fiction. They both have adventures that are geared more toward boys, but both stories also feature girl characters as well.

Why is boy-based fiction so important? There are studies that show a drop in reading interest in boys during the elementary years and reading tests from the U.S. Dept. of Education show that girls score higher than boys at every age. Reluctant readers tend to be boys. That's why Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Captain Underpants series are so popular (and I bet why they were written - to help those reluctant boy readers get interested in something.)

I'm in no way dissing girls. Hey! I am one. But, I've always been a reader. My oldest son is a reluctant reader, and that is why I write boy-based fiction - for kids like him who need to be interested in reading. Because if you can't read, you won't succeed in life.

What's your favorite boy-based book?

A is for ... Adventure

Today's the first day of the A to Z Blogging Challenge. Over 950 bloggers have committed to blog each day (Monday through Saturday) about a topic starting with a letter of the alphabet. Since today's the first day, we start at A.

So, are any of you surprised that I chose Adventure for A? I felt like I sort of had to because of the name of my blog. But more so because, for me, adventure is the one of the keys to writing middle grade chapter books. Kids between 9 and 12 are learning to step outside of their comfort zones. They don't always need to hold their parents' hand. They are beginning to believe that there is life outside of their home territory. This is where a sense of adventure truly begins. They are old enough to play outside without having a watchful eye on them, and they are testing their bounds of freedom.

Adventures can come in the way of creating new imaginary games or having the ability to finally ride their bikes around the block with only their friends. Maybe it's being able to go to a laser tag birthday party without their Mom or Dad hanging around in the lobby. Or it could be spending the night for the first time at a school friend's house. Still, an adventure could be the responsibility of now having a cell phone.

Since kids grow and mature at different rates, the word adventure means something different to each age. Because of this, the storylines for kids this age are endless. As long as the writer remembers that life during these years are filled with new and exciting adventures, the reader will most likely come back for more.

What sort of adventures do you remember having as a kid?