DON'T HESITATE - TAKE ACTION . . . verbs in your story

 

Action Verbs

Action Verbs are “in-the-moment” words that move a story forward. As writers, we want our reader’s eyes to keep scanning the page, not to stop on a term, word or lack luster phrase.

Mark Twain was once quoted for saying: “When in doubt, strike it out.”

An Action Verb describes the action taking place in the story by using immediate words such as run, walk, do, smile, drive, jump.

Here’s an example of a passive word choice opposed to an action verb.

Before: She was running…

Action: She ran …

Before: She was talking about …

Action: She told…

 Before: The group was beginning to come toward the table…

Action: The group sat at the table … 

Here are some examples of Passive words versus Powerful terms:

Powerful                                                                  Passive

Is	Am
Does	Did
Are	Was
Be	Were
Being	Been
Should	Would
Have	Has
Can	Could
Must	Might

 

Here's a list of Action verbs (or strong, powerful, and descriptive words):

Charge

Shoot

Plunge

Hurl

Fling

Lob

Carve

Forge

Force

 

And, if you need more examples of stronger word choices:

INSTEAD OF:                                           USE THIS:

Increased                                                    Advanced

Helped                                                        Strengthened

Started                                                       Launched

Found                                                        Discovered

 

Last, but not least, here is a short list of strong action verbs to use in your writing:

Advance . . . your story

Advise

Alter

Amend

Amplify

Attack

Balloon

Bash

Batter

Beam

Blab

Blast

Bolt

Boost

Brood

Burst

Bust

Cackle

Capture

Catch

Charge

Chip

Clasp

Climb

Clutch

Collide

Command

Cower

Crash

Crave

Crush

Dangle

Dash

Demolish

Depart

Deposit

Detect

Deviate

Devour

Discover

Dismantle

Drag

Drain

Drip

Drop

Engage

Engulf

Enlarge

Ensnare

Erase

Expand

Explode

Explore

Expose

Extend

Extract

Fight

Fish

Fling

Fly

Frown

Fuse

Garble

Gaze

Glare

Gleam

Glisten

Glitter

Gobble

Govern

Grasp

Gravitate

Grip

Groan

Grope

Growl

Guide

Gush

Hack

Hail

Heighten

Hobble

Hover

Ignite

Illuminate

Inspect

Instruct

Impart

Jostle

Launch

Lead

Leap

Locate

Lurch

Lurk

Mimic

Moan

Multiply

Muse

Mushroom

Mystify

Notify

Obtain

Oppress

Order

Paint

Park

Peck

Peek

Peer

Pilot

Poison

Pop

Power

Prick

Probe

Prune

Recite

Recoil

Remove

Report

Retreat

Reveal

Reverberate

Revolve

Rip

Rise

Ruin

Rush

Rust

Saunter

Scamper

Scan

Scorch

Scrape

Scratch

Scrawl

Seize

Serve

Shatter

Shepherd

Shimmer

Shine

Shock

Shrivel

Sizzle

Skip

Skulk

Slash

Slide

Slink

Slip

Slump

Slurp

Smash

Snag

Snarl

Sneak

Soar

Stare

Starve

Steal

Steer

Storm

Strain

Stretch

Strip

Stroll

Struggle

Stumble

Surge

Survey

Swell

Swipe

Swoon

Tail

Tattle

Toddle

Transfigure

Transform

Travel

Treat

Trim

Trip

Trudge

Tussle

Untangle

Unveil

Usher

Veil

Wail

Weave

Wreck

Wrench

Wrest

Wrestle

Wring

Yank

Zap

Zing

Zip

 

The Witches - Maleficent, Elphaba and Glenda

If you want to see how to make these life-size Witches, just click on the video below or visit my YouTube channel to check out a load of Halloween and other holiday crafting ideas.

If you make these witches, please share a link with me so I can check them out too.

5 Top Literary Agents for New Authors

 

New Authors Looking for a Literary Agent should check out these agents:

1)      Bill Clegg (The Clegg Agency) Here’s his submission page with all the info you need:

Submissions: http://www.thecleggagency.com/submissions

2)      Juliet Mushens (Caskie Mushens)

Submissions: https://www.mushens-entertainment.com/submissions-guidelines

3)      Lisa Grubka (Fletcher & Company)

Submissions: https://www.fletcherandco.com/resources/

4)      Stephanie Delman (Sanford J. Greenburger Associates)

Submissions: https://www.greenburger.com/agent/stephanie-delman/

5)      Henry Dunow (Dunow, Carlson & Lerner)

Submissions: https://www.dclagency.com/

 

Makeup for Mature Women - Age Minimizing Lotion

Before      And   After   

We all want to look and feel our best but sometimes we have to make a little effort and other times we have  to make a  lot of effort. 

After being at home for the last year and a half, it's taking  me a little longer to get back into the swing of things, especially with makeup.

That's why I thought I'd share a  few things I'm learning on this journey into my mature years. :D I hope you find some of this info helpful. And, if you watch the video below, please  let  me know what you think and if there's something you'd like me to try just leave a comment. Thanks for spending a  little time with me.  

Quick Crafting Project You Can Do With Your Kids or Grandkids - Coin Purse

Here's a Super Simple Craft you could do in an hour with your kids and give the little wallets-coin purses as gifts. If  you choose fun fabrics, you could make seasonal wallets that you wouldn't worry about spending a fortune on. 

These little wallets have three pockets. And they are big enough to hold business cards, credit cards, coins and cash. Plus, you could adjust the pattern and  make it bigger if this size isn't perfect for your purse. 

If you'd like to see how simple this is, must click on the video below. And, if you make one/some, let me know what you think. I'd love to hear what  you thought of this super simple pattern.

IT'S OVER - Now What? 15 TIPS For What You Do When the Writing and Illus...

If you're curious what you should do after attending a writing/illustrating conference, check out my short video below for 15 Tips to help you on your path to publication.

Thought for Thursday - Word Snobs

 

I was talking with my kids the other day and we were discussing words and how much they matter. 

You can soothe a person's feelings with a kind word spoken at the right moment. Or  you can destroy a relationship by slinging words  like weapons.

Overall, we can use one word to put a different slant on a perspective, much like colors you might use in art, words paint pictures. 

I was saying to my husband this morning that the "intricacies" of....

and he said, "why don't you just say the "details" of  ...

I tried to explain by saying "details" is a blunt word that doesn't describe the little nuances of what I was trying to explain.

He said, "Nuances...now you really sound like a word snob."

It's important to know my husband speaks multiple languages, while I only speak one. So maybe that's the reason I use more descriptive words when I'm speaking English. Plus, I want to paint my pictures with words...not to say I wouldn't want to paint a picture with colors if I was talented enough to do it effectively. 

Anyway, what do you think? Is it being a  word snob to use a more descriptive word or is it something else entirely?

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Writerly Wednesday - 5 top Literary Agents Looking for Writers and Illustrators

HERE ARE 5 OF THE TOP LITERARY AGENTS FOR 2020-2021

 

These are some of the top literary agents in the industry. Not all are accepting submissions at the moment, however, it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the names, agencies and requirements of submission so that in the future you are prepared to submit to them.

1)    Holly McGhee (Pippin Properties):

Holly requires an exclusive submission – check out her details here:

https://www.pippinproperties.com/submissions

Query to: ExclusivetoHolly@pippinproperties.com

2)    Stephen Barbara (Inkwell Management)

 https://inkwellmanagement.com/

Stephen is always drawn to compelling stories that marry quality writing to bold, imaginative concepts.

Put the name of the agent you are submitting to in the subject line of your query

No attachments: In the email, include a query letter and a short writing sample (1-2 chapters).

Illustrator include a query letter and a link to your portfolio. Please note that InkWell only accepts queries for books.

 Query to: submissions [at] inkwellmanagement [dot] com

 3)    Rosemary Stimola (Stimola Literary Studio)

https://www.stimolaliterarystudio.com/the-agency

DO NOT QUERY THIS AGENT AT THIS TIME: Rosemary is not currently accepting unsolicited submissions.

 4)    Emily van Beek (Folio Literary Management)

https://www.foliojr.com/emily-van-beek/

Accepts: YA, middle grade, and picture books must be author/illustrator

Send Query to: email to Emily @ foliolitmanagement . com

In the body of the email send query and 10 pages

5)    Laura Rennert (Andrea Brown Literary Agency)

https://www.andreabrownlit.com/Team/Laura-Rennert

 Laura takes a wide variety of literature. She accepts picture books to young adult. On the adult side, literary-commercial fiction, thrillers, horror, sci-fi/fantasy, speculative fiction, and some historical fiction. She loves literary voice and commercial conception.

 Query via form: https://querymanager.com/query/LauraRennert

Flosstube Episode #8 - My 3-Spiders Design and other Fall Patterns

Things are starting to get back to normal - Let's all HANG IN THERE!

If you'd like to join me and my sis on our crafting journey, just click on the video below.

Makeup Tutorial for Mature Women

I'll be 60 in September and have worked to stay healthy and look my best throughout my life. I thought I'd show you how I work to stay healthy and use makeup and common household items to look my best, as inexpensively as I can.

RED, WHITE and BLUE Striped Cake to Celebrate!

I wanted to make a practice cake for my July 4th celebration. So, this is what I made. If you're curious about a yummy vanilla buttercream frosting, check out my recipe listed in the YouTube description box. It is simple, yummy and cheap to make. 

If you make one, please let  me know. I'd love to see it. 

How to Make Homemade Dandelion Tea

Have you ever wondered what Dandelion Tea tastes like? Well, I wanted to find out. So, I made some. It was  easy to do. All I had to do was go out in the yard and gather some dandelions for my tea. 

If you're curious how I made the tea, just watch the clip below.

Voice for Writers

When writers submit a query with an example of their work, they wait and sometimes wait and wait to hear back. And, like Tom  Petty said, The Waiting is the Hardest  Part.  

But then when that long-anticipated email arrives, excitement floods the writer's heart.

Sometimes, it is a quick let down with the only bit of feedback saying, "The sample didn't speak to me." Or, sometimes the feedback might be, "The voice didn't resonate with me."

"The Voice" might seem like an easy thing to capture but it's not always so easy.

Voice is a  difficult thing to define but literary agent Rachel Gardner said, "Your writer's voice is the expression of YOU on the page."

But even hearing this definition, voice is still an "unseen" characteristic of your writing. I think of it as an element that makes the characters come alive. 

This is a clip I put together years ago with my family to help "show not tell" what Voice is. 

Each person will show an example of Voice, that illusive element all writers strive to achieve. 

I hope you enjoy it.

 If you can't view it, copy and  paste this url into your browser: https://youtu.be/_4h_PnIFLzg 

StitchFix Unboxing

If you hate shopping for clothes, like me, check out this video. And, if you get a StitchFix, let me  know. I'd love to hear your input.

3 Literary Agents Looking for Clients - Writerly Wednesday

 

1) Jessica Faust of Bookends Literary: https://bookendsliterary.com/submissions/

Accepting: fiction, women's fiction, mystery, thrillers, suspense and domestic suspense. She enjoys dark stories and loves a Midwestern perspective.

Also accepting: some nonfiction: including current affairs, personal development, self-help, mind, body, and spirit, and business.

She’d also like to represent more business books by women and business leaders of color.

To submit: to Jessica Faust go to her submissions page and submit to her Query Manager form https://querymanager.com/query/jessica_faust

2) Bernadette Baker Baughman of Victoria Sanders Literary: 

https://www.victoriasanders.com/about-us

Accepting: thrillers, contemporary novels, magical realism, young adult, and books for kids.

Also accepting: pop-culture, gift books, and memoir.

To submit: Send a query letter with the first three chapters (or about 25 pages) pasted into the body of the message to queriesvsa @gmail .com 

3) Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger Literary: 

https://www.harveyklinger.com/about/harvey/#andrea

Accepting: fiction and nonfiction, including projects for adult, young adult and middle grade audiences.

To submit: Send your query to: andrea @ harveyklinger . com

Words Matter - Be Kind - Spread Positivity

Join me while I craft my words and attempt to spread the seeds of positivity, just click on the video below. 

3 Publishers Accepting Un-agented Author's Picture Book Manuscripts - WRITERLY WEDNESDAY

 

Picture Book Writers, if you're looking for Publishers who will accept manuscripts from unrepresented authors, you might want to take some notes because here are three  publishers accepting unagented picture book manuscripts:

1) 

Albert Whitman & Co accepts submissions from authors without agents:

They are looking for fiction and nonfiction picture books for kids 1 to 8 years old. 

The Word count should not exceed 1000 words. 

Send a cover letter (inside the email) including the following information:

• A brief description of the story;
• Your bio (including any relevant publications and/or pertinent information regarding your expertise related to your story)
• List comparative book titles that have been recently published (during the past five years.) Include similarities and how your manuscript is different.

• You do not need to include illustrations but, if you are an illustrator, include pdfs or jpegs not to exceed 4 MB

Send letter and  attachments to:

• submissions@albertwhitman.com
• The Re: Line (or subject) should read: “PICTURE BOOK: (story title) by (author name).”
• Submission Guidelines for Unrepresented Authors | Albert Whitman & Company

2) 

Charlesbridge Children's Book Submissions: Charlesbridge Children's Book Submissions

Charlesbridge publishes fiction and nonfiction picture books.

They tend to focus on nature, science, math, social studies, biography, history, and the arts.

They accept only digital submissions for all manuscripts, including author/illustrator book dummies.

Send the complete picture book manuscript.

Via Email to:

childrens.submissions@charlesbridge.com

3) 

Flashlight Press

Seeks fictional children’s picture books for children 4-8 years old.

Word Count: Under 1000 words with a universal theme that deals with family or social situations

Email: submissions@flashlightpress.com

Include in the Subject Line Include: QUERY for the Title of Your Manuscript.

Attach your manuscript as a .doc, .docx, or PDF and copy the following text into the body of the email with your responses to the blanks included:

Title of Story: _____________

Word Count: _________

Target Age: ________

Subject or Theme of story (1-5 words): _____________

Summary (3 sentences or less):___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Your Name: _____________________________________

Occupation: ________________________________________________

City, State, Country: _________________________________________

If you have been published previously, list titles, publishers, and pub dates: _____________________

Anything else you’d like to tell us: _______________________________________________

Submission Guidelines - Flashlight Press

 

Author Interview of Heather Ransom Science Teacher who Can Almost See th...

 It's Wednesday, May 5, 2021, and it's Cinco De Mayo. I hope you're all having a great sunny day - like we are in Portland, Oregon.

And for my writer friends, I've got an interview from a writer who is also a business owner, a science teacher and has had an eco-mystery published as a trilogy. So, if you're interested in science this might be right up your alley, or perhaps you're interested in writing a trilogy and getting it published, Heather might be the person you'd like to hear from.

So check out my interview of her below.

Flosstube Episode 7 - A Short Update of Progress, Plans and the Blackbir...

My sister and I have been trying to do things  we used  to love to do when we were young. One  of those things is cross-stitching. Sew ;D we're working on projects we can do together - even if we're apart. And one of those projects is a Halloween decoration. And, if you've seen any of my blogs around the Fall, you know I love to decorate my yard for the kids. And this cross-stitch project might give you a clue about this  year's plans for decorating my yard. 

I'm also taking part in a cross-stitch SAL (which is a Stitch Along) and I'm hoping the SAL will help me make some progress on my Blackbird Design-Spell of the Moon (which just happens to be another Fall Themed pattern). 

Plus, there's a little bit about a fiber art stop at Jorsted Creek in Olympia. 

Take a peek below at the short clip, if you're interested in crafting, stitching, knitting and more. 

Plus, Happy May!

Word Count for Writers: Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult and More

 

Word Count/Page Count and More

If you're a writer just starting out, you might have a lot of questions. Some might involve craft, how to create a story, how to develop a character or just how to even begin the process. I'll try to cover those issues over the next few months but I wanted to start with some basic information today about "required" Word Count/Page Length in books.

"Required" is a loaded word because some people say the word count is whatever it takes to tell the story. That might be true in a creative sense but, if you eventually want to get your book published, you'll want to follow some general guidelines that will make your book more attractive to agents, editors and publishers. 

I have looked at publishing links, agent blogs and expert recommendations to gather some basic guidelines to follow. Here’s what I’ve found:

WORD COUNT:

Board Books should be no more than 100 words

Early Picture Books should be a maximum of 400 words

Picture Books should be up to 600 words

Nonfiction Picture Books can be longer at 3,000 words max, but try to keep it closer to 1,000 to 2,000 words

Early Readers are 1,500 words is the max

Chapter Books vary widely based on the audience but usually they start at 4,000 words and max out at 15,000 words

(Additional information according to Scholastic)

Middle Grade Books are for kids in 3^rd-6^th grade with age ranges of 6-11 years.

Word Count Length: 30-50K words

Young Adult Books: are for kids in 7-12^th grade with age ranges of 12-18 years.   

Word Count Length: 50-75K words

PAGE COUNT:

Chapter Books are typically 35-65 pages 

Low-Middle Grade Books are 45-90 pages

General Middle Grade Books are 90-120 pages

Young Adult Books are 150-200 pages

And, if you’re curious about chapter length, check out Mary Kole’s 2017 blog post: Children'sBook Manuscript Chapter Length | Kidlit

Helpful links:

FrequentlyAsked Questions about Children's Writing (writing-world.com)

According to Writing World  FrequentlyAsked Questions about Children's Writing (writing-world.com)

According to Mary Kole at ManuscriptLength: How Long Should a Children's Book Be? | Kidlit:

(According to Writing World: www.writing-world.com/children/FAQ.shtml)

Flosstube Episode 6 - If the Hat Fits

Halloween is just around the corner...at least  when it comes to cross-stitching.

We're sisters who are trying to relearn some of the things we thought were fun...when we were young...er.

It's been a long time since we were crafting together but it sure is fun to spend time relaxing (almost) sometimes  we have to frog things and this was one of those  time. But, it's always fun to do something we love together.

I hope you'll join us on our creative journey. And, if you do, please share your journey in the comments below. 

Beginning artist Pencil and charcoal sketch

During the pandemic, I had to find ways to spend my extra time. So, I took up art. Something I have always enjoyed but never have taken any classes to be able to do. Anyway, I know I'm not very good but I'm learning a lot this year and I'm enjoying the quiet peaceful time I spend sketching and/or painting. 

If you are a beginning artist too, please comment below, so I can check out your stuff. We newbies need to band together and encourage each other to keep on going when we aren't happy with what we've done...yet. :D

Anyway, I've included a short video which shows my process. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you all have an artful life.

Writerly Wednesday - Don't Feel Rejected - or at least you're in GREAT company

 

A Short History of Rejections for When You’re Feeling Rejected

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 144 times before it was picked up and became a runaway best-selling book.

2) Madeleine L’ Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle In Time was rejected 29 times.

3) Lisa Genova’s novel, Still Alice, was rejected more than 100 times, and she went to self-publish, carrying books in the trunk of her car. Her book then went on to be a best-seller and a popular movie starring Julianne Moore, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Alice.

4) The Tale of Peter Rabbit was turned down so many times, Beatrix Potter eventually self-published the beloved story.

5) Ursula LeGuin’s novel The Left Hand of Darkness was rejected as being “endlessly complicated…hopelessly bogged down…and unreadable.” 

6) Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help was rejected from 60 agents before it was picked and turned into a best-selling novel and film.

7) One of Louisa May Alcott’s rejections of Little Women, included this quip: “Stick to teaching.”

8) In response to Moby Dick, Peter J. Bentley, of Bentley & Son Publishing, asked Herman Melville, “Does it have to be a whale?” 

9) Alex Haley’s Roots was rejected 200 consecutive times.

10) Shel Silverstein had a difficult time publishing The Giving Tree, which he was told would never sell.

11) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was rejected so many times that author L. Frank Baum started keeping track in a journal he called A Record of Failures.

12) Harry Potter was famously rejected by nearly a dozen publishers before one agent’s 8 year-old daughter devoured the book and demanded more. Only then was it picked up. What if that 8 year-old had been napping??

13) The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, was described as “An irresponsible holiday story that will never sell.” And then, it sold 25 million copies worldwide.

14) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most number of rejections for a best selling book (121 rejections).

15) Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries, collected so many rejection letters, she kept them in a bag under her bed that eventually grew enough she could not lift it. Her book eventually sold 15 million copies. 

16) Jason Wallace’s Out of Shadows is rejected 100 times by literary agents and publishers, before it is taken on and wins the Costa Book Award in 2008.

17) James Patterson’s novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was rejected by 31 publishers in a row, then went on to become a best-selling novel. Patterson went on to write 19 books in a row that landed on the best sellers list.

18) Kate DiCamillo racked up a staggering 473 rejection letters in six years before she published her first novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.

(Thanks to Darlene Pagan for this inspiring list)