2021 #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #2: A Dash of Inspiration, a Sprinkle of Motivation, and Prize Winners!

Happy Monday! If you are feeling anything like I’m feeling today, you’re longing to jump into writing for the week, and struggling to actually take the plunge. I thought I’d share my Monday action plan in case it is helpful to you:

1. Write this blog post to warm up my fingers and brain.
2. Read one mentor text.
3. Critique one manuscript.
4. Work out and watch Night Shift. Analyze the way they develop characters while I watch. 🙂
5. Shower. Ponder plots and characters while I shower. 🙂
6. Flip my sand-timer over and dive into outlining for my adult novel for 60 minutes.
7. Critique one manuscript.
8. Flip my sand-timer over and research a new PB idea for 60 minutes.
9. And if I can squeeze it in, flip my sand-timer over and work on revisions on a PB for 30 minutes.

I didn’t mention the crunchy snacks I will probably consume throughout the day, but eating, thinking, and writing go hand in hand, right?

I also didn’t mention my definition of success:

If I can work out, critique one manuscript, read one mentor text, and work on one manuscript today, I am going to consider that a HUGE success. If I accomplish this whole plan, well then, CAKE for all!

I hope this action plan helps motivate you! Pick two or three things you want to accomplish today or this week and then dive in! In the words of Charlie, “You’ve got this!”

Here’s an inspirational quote to fuel your week:

May your writing enrich your life and enhance your happiness!

And now for our 2021 #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #2 Prize Winners:

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WHO SPENT TIME REVISING and to all of the winners. We will be in touch to help you claim your prizes.

And don’t forget about our annual week-long #ReVISIONweek challenge!

We can’t wait to revise with you September 30-October 6, 2021!

Read more about our challenge here: https://laurenkerstein.net/%23revisionweek.

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren, Joana, Katie, Michal, Lynne, and Shannon

P.S. If you aren’t receiving the emails, but you are signed up for my blog, you can take the following steps:

• Sign into WordPress.

• Go to your “reader.”

• Look at the settings for my site (Insight and Inspiration).

• Click on settings to see if you have the “email me new posts” setting enabled.
  That should enable you to receive emails.

2021 #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #2: PACK YOUR PAGE SPREADS

Welcome to our 2nd #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day of the year! HOORAY!

Pull out a manuscript (or two) and get ready to PACK YOUR PAGE SPREADS!

When we ensure that each page spread is as strong as possible, we craft manuscripts that are satisfying and riveting. You can use the following pinwheel as a guide:

As the pinwheel shows, you can check to see that each page spread has the following components as you revise:

⬜ Visual Language/Illustrator Bait

⬜ Increasing Tension

⬜ If Appropriate to Your Manuscript’s Structure: Escalating Attempts

⬜ Movement and/or Scene Change

⬜ Details That Move the Narrative Arc Forward

⬜ Lyrical Language Devices (Like Consonance, Assonance, the Rule of Three, etc)

⬜ Slowed Pacing as Necessary

⬜ Faster Pacing as Necessary

⬜ A Satisfying Page Turn That Leads the Reader Into the Next Spread

I hope this helps you pack each page with rich, detailed, and intriguing tidbits that:

move your narrative arc forward,

highlight your character’s rich personality,

support smooth pacing,

hone in on your emotional arc,

and craft a manuscript that knocks agents’ and editors’ socks off!

And now for prizes:

If you spend time revising today (any amount of time will do), you can enter the Rafflecopter to win one of these fabulous prizes!

You will have until Sunday, the 11th to enter so don’t delay! Winners will be announced on Monday, April 12th.

Happy Revising Everyone!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren, Joana, Katie, Lynne, Michal, and Shannon

Quick-Read Crafty Tips: Plotsing, Plotzing, and Planting Seeds

One of the questions we are often asked as writers is whether we are pantsers or plotters.

A pantser flies by the seat of their pants.

A plotter meticulously (or not so meticulously) plans out their manuscripts.

You can even take an online quiz to see who you are.

I never know how to answer this question because each manuscript demands a different, individualized approach. But at some point in the process, I need to both plot and pants my way through.

So, I’ve decided I’m a plotser. And no, I’m not referencing the Yiddish word, “plotz”, although I often want to plotz at some point during the writing process.

In my mind, a plotser is someone who falls in between flying by the seat of their pants and actively planning parts of the manuscript.

Anyone who has followed my Quick-Read Crafty Tips or who knows me, knows I LOVE spreadsheets, templates, and graphic organizers. Some might say I think in template, but I also love to see where characters might take me.

I love listening to characters.

I love the unexpected twists and turns along the way.

I also know that at some point, no matter how I initially approached the manuscript, I have to go back to check that I’ve planted seeds for every twist, turn, and event. Otherwise, the events won’t feel organic and seamless.

The “planting seeds” concept struck me quite hard while on the elliptical yesterday. Let me explain…

In order to get my butt to the elliptical, I have shows that I’m only allowed to watch while working out. In the show I’m currently watching, the concept of seed planting leapt off the screen and into my brain. I decided to create a template (I know…shocking!) in order to track the plot twists and subsequent seeds I need to plant.

Here are some examples (I’m not mentioning the name of the TV show so that I don’t spoil it for anyone):

Do you want to try this too? You can find a complete blank template at: https://laurenkerstein.net/critiques%2Ftemplates.

Whether you are a plotter, pantser, plotser, or a plotzer , I hope this chart helps you plant the seeds you need to make your plot twists smooth and organic!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren

Quick-Read Crafty Tips: Imposter Syndrome

Imposter Syndrome is real. It’s real for pre-published writers. It’s real for published writers. It’s real for prolific writers.

But in the words of Florence + the Machine, “It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back, so shake him off.”

Well, I’m here to tell you that shaking off Imposter Syndrome isn’t as easy as it sounds.

And yet, it is so darn hard to write with Imposter Syndrome on your back.

What if instead of working against Imposter Syndrome, we find a way to work with it?

Here are a few strategies to try:

I HEAR YOU: Okay, Imposter Syndrome. I’m not hiding from you anymore. I hear you.

You don’t think I’ve got what it takes? You don’t think I’m a real writer? Well, here are three writing tasks I’m going to do today to prove you wrong:

• Read mentor texts and look for words I love.

• Open a manuscript I haven’t looked at in a while and write notes about three ways to improve it.

• Read an article about craft and write down something new I want to try.

TAKE THAT, Imposter Syndrome!

BORROW YOUR ENERGY: Hey Imposter Syndrome, you sure use a lot of energy yapping negative thoughts in my ears. I’m going to borrow that energy and turn it into something useful.

I’m going to:

• Set a 15-minute timer and cull through a manuscript for words that I can strengthen.

• Create a new character (or revisit an old character) and write out all of the expressions they might use.

• Critique someone else’s work to help them on their journey.

BOOM! See! I’ve got this, Imposter Syndrome!

NEW DEFINITION: I realized something, Imposter Syndrome. In order for you to have power, I have to believe your definition of what a writer is. Well, I’m here to tell you that I have my own definition and I like it much better.

A real writer is someone who:

• Puts words to paper, even if it isn’t every day and even if the words aren’t quite working yet.

• Reads about craft.

• Puts their butt in a chair (or stands at their desk) and attempts tasks to further their writing.

So take that, Imposter Syndrome! I hear you, I siphoned your energy, and I have my own definition of real writers.

You’re welcome to float around, if you must, but I refuse to give you power!

Bye bye, Imposter Syndrome. I’ve got to go.

I have lots of writing to do!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren

Quick-Read Crafty Tips: Temperament and Character Development, a Book Birthday, AND #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day Prize Winners! Oh My!

Rather than flooding your inbox, I’m sending out one blog post chock-full of important information, helpful writing tips, and an exciting #BookBirthday announcement! Hold onto your hats…

GUESS WHAT! GUESS WHAT! GUESS WHAT!

HOME FOR A WHILE is moving into bookshelves TOMORROW! I’m ecstatic to see this book make its way into the world! Click the cover for a sneak peek!

HOME FOR A WHILE is a book from my therapist’s heart! I wanted ALL of the children with whom I worked to see themselves in the pages of a book. I wanted to create a book that offered hope, positive emotion regulation strategies, and showed the impact we can have on others when we see their strengths.

It is tricky to create compelling characters, especially when we want to be realistic and hopeful at the same time. Here is a Quick-Read Crafty Tip to help you with this process..

In their book, Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions, Pat Harvey and Jeanine A. Penzo talk about the way temperament impacts children’s reactions (and adult reactions for that matter). This is one of the best books I’ve ever read as a parent and as a therapist. Their insight about children’s reactions are applicable to real life and to writing. They can help us sort out our characters and develop them more fully.

Here are a few examples of the way temperament might impact reactions (as adapted from Harvey and Penzo). Let’s think about a child who falls off a bike:

Child A: Initial Reaction: Gets up, brushes themselves off, gets back on the bike

Delayed Reaction: Talks to caregivers about what happened

Child C: Initial Reaction: Gets up, kicks bike, walks away, head down

Delayed Reaction: Doesn’t want to talk about what happened, might yell or “act out”

Child E: Initial Reaction: Cries, runs around screaming for help, refuses to get back on the bike

Delayed Reaction: Very difficult to soothe, cries inconsolably, angry at caregivers, but can’t explain why, might react in a “behavioral” way

This paradigm has not only helped me as a parent and clinician, it has also helped me as a writer. Who is your character? How do they react to adversity? How do they react to attempts to be comforted? What is their initial reaction? Delayed reaction?

These questions acted as a guide when I wrote about Calvin. He leans more toward the Child C temperament. His negative thoughts and feelings impact and fuel his actions. He doesn’t want to talk about what happens. His emotions are so intense at first, that he can’t access Maggie’s support.

He tries to calm his body, but his emotions get the better of him.

Art by Natalia Moore

With patience, persistence, and positive strategies, Calvin is able to calm his emotions and accept Maggie’s concern and caring. Calvin is able to tackle his emotions like a superhero!

Art by Natalia Moore

Thinking about Calvin’s temperament helped me make each scene more authentic, believable, and resonant. I hope this tool will help you develop your characters. What role will temperament play in your character’s narrative and emotional arcs?

And now, for the celebration…

I hope you’ll join Natalia Moore and me as we celebrate Calvin finding his home for a while on Sunday, February 7th at 2:00 pm MST. You can RSVP by clicking on the link below, or by emailing Lauren Casey (see email below). The event is free, but you must RSVP to attend. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-with-lauren-kerstein-and-natalia-moore-tickets-136506601921?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch

And finally, here are the prize winners from our first #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day of 2021. Joana, Katie, Lynne, Michal, Shannon, and I had a blast revising with everyone! We can’t wait to see you for our next #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day on April 7th, and our full #ReVISIONweek September 30th-October 6th!

Congratulations to all! We will email you regarding your prizes.

I hope you have a wonderful, productive, creative week!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren

QUICK-READ CRAFTY TIPS: OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF INDIES: BOOK WISDOM FROM BOOKSELLERS

WAHOO!

I have such an exciting announcement for you!

This April, I am hosting a month-long celebration of independent bookstores, just in time for Independent Bookstore Day on April 24, 2021. Each #BookBirthday Tuesday, I will post a collection of book wisdom from booksellers around the country.

(Art by the extremely talented, Lily Williams. Check out her fabulous books!)

If you have a bookseller you love, please share this post with them on social media or via email! I’d be thrilled to feature them! And if you’re a bookseller and you’re interested in participating, please fill out this Google Form by March 15th. I’d LOVE to include you in the celebration!

Here’s a sample of the fun to come from Second Star Books to the Right!

(Thank you, Dea Lavoie, for this wonderful wisdom!)

AWESOME, right?!

I hope you’ll join me in April for bookseller wisdom and a sneak peek at the amazing independent bookstores that enrich our lives.

Here are a few of my local favorite bookstores:

And…don’t forget to BUY books from your local bookstores. Books change the world!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren

(P.S. Natalia Moore and I are hosting a Book Launch Party with Second Star to the Right for our new book HOME FOR A WHILE (Magination Press). We hope you’ll join us on February 7th at 2:00 pm MST!)

P.S.S. Please join me at another one of our fabulous local Indies, BookBar Denver, for a virtual storytime on February 11th at 4:30 pm MST.

2021 #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #1: What Type of Re-VISION-ary Will You Be Today?

Hello #ReVISIONweekers!

We are SO excited for our first #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day of the year!

For a change of pace, we thought we’d share a couple of videos for your viewing pleasure. These videos are chock-full of revision tips to help you on your journey.

What type of ReVISION-ary will you be today?

Are you going to be a:

• Word-count cutter?

• Visual-scene star?

• Critique culler?

• Make-each-word-count critiquer?

• Hone-in-on-your-humor hotshot?

• Narrative-arc checker?

• Emotional-arc polisher?

• Critique-partner commenter?

• Musical revisionist?

There are so many options! Check out these short videos to learn more about each approach.

But most importantly:

Be true to yourself.

Revise from the heart.

And trust the process.

In the worlds of Charlie, “You’ve got this!”

And now, let’s talk about prizes. As long as you revise today or tomorrow (even if it is just for a moment), you can enter to win a prize. Here’s how…

Visit: https://laurenkerstein.net/%23revisionweek on Friday to enter the Rafflecopter. You will have one week to enter. The Rafflecopter will shut down on Friday, January 29th at 12:00 am MST.

Winners will be announced on Monday, February 1st.

Here are the fabulous prizes:

May you have a day filled with revision magic!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren, Joana, Katie, Lynne, Michal, and Shannon

P.S. I hope you’ll join Natalia Moore and me as we launch our latest book, HOME FOR A WHILE into the world on February 7th at 2:00 PM (MST). You can email Lauren Casey (address below) or visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-with-lauren-kerstein-and-natalia-moore-tickets-136506601921

Quick-Read Crafty Tips: 2021 #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #1

Do you hear that sound?

No, it’s not Rosie and Charlie playing superheroes.

Kerstein/Wragg

It’s not Calvin clunking up the steps of another new house.

Kerstein/Moore

And it’s not Lillybelle refusing to be in distress.

Pastro/Ortiz

Do you hear that sound?

It’s the sound of people cheering as they gear up for our first #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day of 2021!

WAHOOOOO!

Moldilocks is sipping and slurping tea as she prepares.

Marie/Lorenzo

U is jumping high with excitement because…

Stocker/Disbury

On January 20th, we’ll immerse ourselves in revision magic! Please add your name to the comments below if you’d like to join us. Don’t forget to make sure you’re following Lauren’s blog. And as a special treat for this month’s Tune-Up Day, we’ll share two short videos that are chock-full of revision tips!

As always, we’ll have PRIZES, PRIZES, PRIZES just for participating. If you spend at least a few minutes thinking about revisions, you can enter to win.

Chewie thinks best when playing ball. What helps you think best?

Babay/Smietanka

Tabitha and Fritz have a purrfect idea. They’re trading places for a change of scenery. Surely that will help their creativity.

Frawley/Stansfield

So, don’t delay.

Capture your creative spark.

Make some noise!

Spread the word!

And rev your revision engines because #ReVISIONweek Tune-Up Day #1 is about to begin!

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren, Joana, Katie, Lynne, Michal, and Shannon

(P.S. Please join Lauren Kerstein and Natalia Moore on February 7th at 2:00 pm (MST) as they help Calvin find his home for a while with storytime, an art demonstration, and a video about the journey of a picture book!

Guest Post by Erin Dealey: Six Quick-Read Crafty Tips for Writing a Manuscript in an Epistolary Format

Hello everyone! You are in for such a treat today! Erin Dealey, my friend and beloved agency sister, is visiting my blog to share quick-read crafty tips for writing a manuscript in epistolary format. Her suggestions are outstanding!

And speaking of outstanding. HAPPY ONE WEEK BOOK BIRTHDAY to DEAR EARTH FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN ROOM 5 (Erin Dealey/Luisa Uribe).

If you haven’t read this book yet, dash to your computer to order it from your favorite local indie or anywhere books are sold. It is FABULOUS! You can watch the book trailer here:

And now, without further ado, Erin Dealey take it away…

Feel. Write. Risk. 

I love this motto in the header of Lauren’s blog: INSIGHT AND INSPIRATION. It sums up the journey of my new picture book, DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 (Harper Collins/ Illus. Luisa Uribe / Dec. 1, 2020). It was a bit of a risk to write this story in letters, but I felt like Earth might have a lot to say about how kids can help her, and express how grateful she is when they do. 

Thinking of writing an epistolary story? Here are six Quick-Read Crafty Tips for you: 

1. Know your characters. Who is writing the letters? Who will write back? My theater students know if you’ve been cast in a role in a play, the first thing to do is learn all you can about the character. I do this as a writer too. 

Create a bio. Delve into their world. 

In DEAR EARTH, Room 5 is making class New Year’s Resolutions and decides to help protect Earth, but they aren’t sure how. Some may think it’s crazy for them to write to Earth, but the kids in Room 5 are believers. They have high hopes. In thinking about the character of Earth, I felt like being out there in the vast universe might get lonely sometimes. In my mind, Earth does not get many letters, so she is thrilled to hear from Room 5. And in these crazy times, Earth’s spirits are lifted by Room 5’s positivity and dedication. 

Note that not much of this is actually said, per se, in the text of DEAR EARTH… But knowing these details helped me to craft the letters they exchange. 

Illus. Luisa Uribe/ DEAR EARTH/ Harper Collins)

2. Establish a strong voice for each character. Make a list of distinct words or phrases that each character might use in their letters. Make sure these match their age and experiences. Rhythm and length of sentence also help establish tone of voice. In DEAR EARTH, I wanted Room 5 to follow the basic format used to teach letter writing. I didn’t set out for the letters to rhyme, but they did. Room 5 breaks with the rhyme from time to time, which made their letters seem more kid-centric to me. And when Bernard takes over in the summer, I felt like he might not be a super-rhymer at first. (But he takes a risk!)  Earth, on the other hand, has many more years on the kids in Room 5 and I felt like her letters would be both lyrical and caring. 

Note that writing in rhyme is tricky. You can’t always say exactly what you want, because of established rhymes or rhythm. I solved this issue in DEAR EARTH… by letting Room 5 and Bernard break the rules when they needed to, because why should they be experts in rhyme? The postscripts are an example. I tried to make sure, however, that the breaks weren’t too abrupt, and that they still matched the tone. 

3. Listen. When you’re deciding how a character might reply to the previous letter, listen. What is the character in the previous letter trying to communicate? Make sure the next letter is a reply to this, and not just a random letter designed to move the plot forward.

4. Plot? Yikes! Yes, you need a plot, even in an epistolary manuscript. You may not have a classic narrative arc, but your main character needs to change somehow by the end. This handy STORYSTORM TEMPLATE UPDATED pdf might help you here. In DEAR EARTH, you will see that Room 5, Bernard, and Earth have evolved by the end of the book. (I’d explain further but–No Spoilers!)   

5. Study a few mentor texts. As far as epistolary picture books go, I’ve always been a big fan of Mark Teague’s Mrs. LaRue books (Scholastic), and my all-time favorite is THE JOLLY POSTMAN (Allan & Janet Ahlberg/ Little Brown). Of course, you can also take a look at DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5.  : ) 

(Illus. Luisa Uribe/ DEAR EARTH/ Harper Collins)

6. Risk. Yes, it’s a bit risky to write a story in letters but GO FOR IT! I like to tell students that authors play with words. Why not play with format too? It was a risk for Room 5 to write to Earth, just as it’s a risk for you to submit an epistolary manuscript to an editor or agent. But who knows? Like Earth, they might just WRITE BACK!  

 (Illus. Luisa Uribe/ DEAR EARTH/ Harper Collins)

P.S. DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 (Harper Collins/ by Erin Dealey /Illus. Luisa Uribe / Dec. 1, 2020) is available wherever children’s books are sold. 

“A well-thought-out presentation of an important environmental message.”      Kirkus Review

To learn more about me or my books, see erindealey.com, or follow me on Twitter @Erin Dealey or Instagram @erindealey. 

P.S.S. THANK YOU, dear Lauren, for letting me take over your blog today!  

Thank you for coming, Erin! I loved having you. And again, HAPPY ONE WEEK BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Quick-Read Crafty Tips: Pickles, Pie, AND (Drumroll Please…) HOME FOR A WHILE Trailer Reveal

Well, somehow 2020 just keeps rolling on. As we approach the holidays, I have a few thoughts for you about our creative work this holiday season. I also wanted to share the trailer for HOME FOR A WHILE (Magination Press/Illustrated by Natalia Moore) that my amazing younger daughter helped me create.

But first, let’s talk about pickles and pie.

Thanksgiving is not Thanksgiving in our house without pickles, pie, dairy-free mashed potatoes, and vegetarian stuffing. Those staples render smiles on everyone’s faces and happiness in our tummies.

Although the holidays are going to look different this year (well, everything looks different this year), we can still hold onto things that are important—like pickles and pie. Maintaining small pieces of important traditions is a way to bring some joy to catawampus holidays. It offers a way to manage conflicting and complicated emotions.

In HOME FOR A WHILE, Maggie helps Calvin learn strategies to manage his emotions by finding activities that bring him joy—like shooting baskets. We can always find joy, even in tough times.

You can also find joy when you create. Instead of putting pressure on yourself, engage in creative activities that make you happy. Perhaps that means playing with words or silly puns. Perhaps that means creating a scene with visual language that transports you to another place. Perhaps that means drawing a picture of a brand-new creature.

Throw away the pressure.

Find the joy.

And identify your strengths…

Our strengths provide a foundation for success—a life raft in rough waters. Take a moment to identify three of your strengths. Then be sure to nurture those strengths as much as possible. For example: I have a particular affection for and strength in making dairy-free mashed potatoes. I hold onto that each year with everything I’ve got!

Maggie helps Calvin see strengths in himself that he never saw before. Nurturing our strengths is critical to emotion regulation, opening our hearts, and finding joy.

So, as you approach the holidays, allow yourself to grieve the traditions you’ll miss, and make time to celebrate the traditions you can still include—like pickles and pie. Hone in on your strengths and use them to propel you forward in life and in your creative pursuits.

Happy Thanksgiving!

HOME FOR A WHILE is moving into bookshelves on February 2, 2021, and is available for preorder wherever books are sold. I hope you enjoy the trailer:

Feel. Write. Risk.

Lauren