13 Ways to Help Your Author Friends

Your author friends can really use your support! Here's how you can help:

1. Review/rate their books on Amazon and Goodreads.

2. Like and share their Facebook posts.

3. Follow their blogs and websites.

4. Buy their books as gifts.

5. Buy and donate their books to your local school.

6. Suggest their books to your local library.

7. Retweet them.

8. Buy their books.

9. Recommend their books to your friends and family.

10. Post about them and their books on Facebook.

11. Blog about them and their books.

12. Share their blog posts on Facebook. 

13. Share their website on Facebook.

Tips for Writing Kids' Plays

If you write for children, don't limit yourself to traditional fiction. Use your story-telling skills to create plays kids will love. Here are a few suggestions about how to do it:

                         1)     Be realistic. Your script probably won't be performed on Broadway or turned into a blockbuster movie. Avoid special effects, amazing stunts, or anything else that can't be accomplished by ordinary kids. Keep costumes, sets, and props to a minimum. Writing in the readers theatre format is one of the best ways to create a play that's simple to stage but exciting in content.

2)     Use an adjustable cast.  Of course, you want to follow publishers' guidelines about size of cast and number of female/male roles. But you can make your play adaptable to various situations by building in some casting flexibility. When possible, include group characters like "Other Students" or "Rest of Student Council." Use some unisex names for characters or double up on titles, such as "Aunt/Uncle" or "Mr./Ms." Adding a narrator provides a large  and handy gender neutral part.

3)     Spread the glory around. Not only is it difficult for one kid to carry most of a play, it's just no fun. All the actors want to have their moment – and their parents expect to see it. Instead of letting your main character do all the talking, distribute lines among a number of roles. If you use group characters (see #2), give them lines that allow for adlibs so everyone gets to say something. For example:
             Other Students: What? Are you kidding? I don't believe it! (Etc.)
           And most importantly, give secondary characters interesting personalities and some problems of their own – that makes them fun to play and entertaining to watch.

4)     Make sure your dialogue rings true. Some characters need to sound pompous, old-fashioned, affected, formal, or otherwise theatrical. Those parts are usually easy to write! Creating realistic dialogue for contemporary young characters can be much more challenging. Real kids don't speak lyrically, reciting over-their-heads vocabulary with perfect grammar. They use contractions and slang, start new sentences without finishing old ones, and interrupt each other. Listen to kids talk to get an idea of how to recreate their conversations, read your dialogue out loud with a critical ear, and polish, polish, polish. Nothing is more essential to a good play than well-written dialogue!  

5)     Step outside the box. Today's kids are used to media that breaks boundaries. They've experienced actors who speak directly to the camera, characters who "know" they're in a television program, and games that allow almost-real interaction. So don’t be afraid to experiment a little with your play! Let the narrator express personal opinions about what's happening onstage. Allow your main character to argue with the narrator. Place a heckler in the audience or bring an audience member on stage. This kind of creativity works especially well in humorous scripts, but it can also add emotional impact to serious plays.

6)     Tell a story. Despite its different format, a play is still a story – and you want to make it a good one! Create a relatable main character, give him/her a problem worth caring about, go through a complete story arc, end up with a good lesson that's not too heavy-handed, etc., etc., just as you would when writing a kids' story or book. This doesn't just apply to serious drama – funny plays need to be well-written, too! Skits constructed of nothing but jokes, gags, and one-liners can be fun, but they're not really satisfying to audiences, young performers, or the adults who work with kids. Make your script meaningful, as well as entertaining. That's the kind of play that gets published and performed!

Want to sell your plays? Here are some possible markets.

6 Tips for Writing Kids' Plays

If you write for children, don't limit yourself to traditional fiction. Use your story-telling skills to create plays kids will love. Here are a few suggestions about how to do it:

1)     Be realistic. Your script probably won't be performed on Broadway or turned into a blockbuster movie. Avoid special effects, amazing stunts, or anything else that can't be accomplished by ordinary kids. Keep costumes, sets, and props to a minimum. Writing in the readers theatre format is one of the best ways to create a play that's simple to stage but exciting in content.

2)     Use an adjustable cast.  Of course, you want to follow publishers' guidelines about size of cast and number of female/male roles. But you can make your play adaptable to various situations by building in some casting flexibility. When possible, include group characters like "Other Students" or "Rest of Student Council." Use some unisex names for characters or double up on titles, such as "Aunt/Uncle" or "Mr./Ms." Adding a narrator provides a large  and handy gender neutral part.

3)     Spread the glory around. Not only is it difficult for one kid to carry most of a play, it's just no fun. All the actors want to have their moment – and their parents expect to see it. Instead of letting your main character do all the talking, distribute lines among a number of roles. If you use group characters (see #2), give them lines that allow for adlibs so everyone gets to say something. For example:
             Other Students: What? Are you kidding? I don't believe it! (Etc.)
           And most importantly, give secondary characters interesting personalities and some problems of their own – that makes them fun to play and entertaining to watch.

4)     Make sure your dialogue rings true. Some characters need to sound pompous, old-fashioned, affected, formal, or otherwise theatrical. Those parts are usually easy to write! Creating realistic dialogue for contemporary young characters can be much more challenging. Real kids don't speak lyrically, reciting over-their-heads vocabulary with perfect grammar. They use contractions and slang, start new sentences without finishing old ones, and interrupt each other. Listen to kids talk to get an idea of how to recreate their conversations, read your dialogue out loud with a critical ear, and polish, polish, polish. Nothing is more essential to a good play than well-written dialogue!  

5)     Step outside the box. Today's kids are used to media that breaks boundaries. They've experienced actors who speak directly to the camera, characters who "know" they're in a television program, and games that allow almost-real interaction. So don’t be afraid to experiment a little with your play! Let the narrator express personal opinions about what's happening onstage. Allow your main character to argue with the narrator. Place a heckler in the audience or bring an audience member on stage. This kind of creativity works especially well in humorous scripts, but it can also add emotional impact to serious plays.

6)     Tell a story. Despite its different format, a play is still a story – and you want to make it a good one! Create a relatable main character, give him/her a problem worth caring about, go through a complete story arc, end up with a good lesson that's not too heavy-handed, etc., etc., just as you would when writing a kids' story or book. This doesn't just apply to serious drama – funny plays need to be well-written, too! Skits constructed of nothing but jokes, gags, and one-liners can be fun, but they're not really satisfying to audiences, young performers, or the adults who work with kids. Make your script meaningful, as well as entertaining. That's the kind of play that gets published and performed!

A Day For Writers

If you live in the Cincinnati-Dayton area, you're in luck! Greater Harvest Workshops is offering a wonderful day for writers on Saturday, February 27, from 8:30-1:30 -- and I'm not just saying that because I'm one of the presenters. Look what's planned for this jam-packed Saturday, designed to move you closer to your goal of becoming a working writer and published author:

Schedule:
8:30-9:00 - Registration
9:00-9:20 – Opening Session
9:30-10:30- Workshop #1
10:30-10:45 – Break
10:45-11:45 - Workshop #2
11:45-12:00 – Snack Time
12:00-1:00 - Workshop #3
1:00-1:20 – Closing Session

Choose one workshop from each session.

9:30-10:30: Workshop 1

Selling Short Pieces in the Christian Market – Donna J. Shepherd

Have you dreamed of writing for books like Chicken Soup for the Soul or seeing one of your devotionals published? Donna's workshop will focus on finding markets and how to submit your writing to anthologies, magazines, and ezines.

You Can Write a Novel – Teresa Slack

Writing a novel can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. In this workshop, I’ll show you how to access the skills and material you already possess to turn your story idea into a finished novel.

10:45 –11:45: Workshop 2

The Pros and Cons of Self-Publishing – Linore Rose Burkard

Many writers today are taking this route to publication. Is it something you should consider? Speaking as someone who has self-published and traditionally published, Linore can speak with authority on the topic, and will guide you through the steps to deciding if self-publishing is for you.

How to Find Your Niche As an Illustrator - Liz Ball

Liz Ball is the author/illustrator of the popular Hidden Treasures hidden picture puzzle books, 18 picture books, and is published in over 100 newspapers, magazines and publications throughout the U.S. and internationally. In her workshop, Liz will explain the steps to becoming a professional illustrator. She will also look over your artwork and give you personalized advice.

12:00 -1:00: Workshop 3

The Seven Planks of Your Platform – Donna J. Shepherd

As a speaker or writer, it is in your best interest to build your marketing platform as early as possible. Are you wondering, what is a platform? Why do I even need one? And the biggest question of all: How do I start building mine? In this workshop, Donna will share seven tips for establishing yourself as a professional speaker and/or writer and connecting with your audience.

So You Want to Write for Kids? – Diana R. Jenkins

Diana Jenkins is the author of hundreds of magazine stories, comic strips, and plays for kids. In her workshop, she will share her journey and offers tips for getting published.

The whole day -- including snacks -- costs just $29! For more information, go to Greater Harvest Workshops. Hope to see you there!

Random Acts of Publicity

Here's a great way for writers to support each other! It's called "Random Acts of Publicity Week." The basic idea is that for one week we help publicize other writers' work by writing those reviews, etc. -- all the stuff we think we'll do someday but never do. For more information and some great ideas, go to http://www.darcypattison.com/authors/random-week. Thanks, Darcy!