For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books!

I blatantly stole this picture of the wise and wonderful Mango from Katie's blog, hoping that neither of them will press charges for violation of copyright. I just wanted you all to see how obviously smart this dog is (and if you click on the image, what happens when writers get into the "zone" near a bag of Beggin' Strips)

segment because he somehow KNEW that I had not gotten my point across correctly and wanted to give me time to regroup.  I tell you, dogs are higher sentient beings that we humans are…

But I digress.  I learned so much from listening to the full episode about book trailers, where to find photos, audio and video that you can use for trailers or blog posts, how to create materials for teachers, how to support indie bookstores while also promoting your books, how to get more than ONE MILLION hits on your website, etc.  Seriously, there’s something for everyone here.

I’m sure after reading this you will want to listen right now.  So, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200, just click here. (That’s a Monopoly reference for my non-U.S. readers…)

Or, if you want to listen later on your iPhone, Android, etc. you can go here and get the app/info you need.  That is totally fine too (although you can forget about getting Park Place and Boardwalk that way…)

I am thrilled to welcome Stacy Jensen today for the inaugural post in this series.  Stacy was one of my first regular blog followers, and she also hosted me on her blog for my very first guest post.  She is generous with her time and talent, and you can find the myriad ways to find and contact her at the end of this post.  Without further adieu, here is Stacy.

Which way to go with your writing? Photo credit: Stacy Jensen

Write Without Rules

Do you ever get confused about what to write? I do.

I read about writing rules on blogs and in books. I hear, “Oh, you can’t do that” in critique groups.  Or, “That’s a tough topic in this market.”

As I’ve been studying the craft of writing picture books, I decided to say “No more” to this chatter when I write. I turn off the rule checklist, stare at a blank piece of paper and go for it.

Last year, I wrote my first intentional picture book manuscript for a Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators’ retreat. As I faced a deadline, I researched the basics of how to write a picture book, but realized I needed to scrap them and just write.

Here’s what I did:

I wrote in rhyme. I’m not very good at it. I should be in rhyming jail, but I did it anyway.

I drew a map of my main character’s neighborhood. I’m not an artist, but the black squiggles helped me visualize where my main character misbehaved in the story.

I studied my ABCs by creating a list of words for my story. It pushed me to not only consider the setting, but also the things, people and places my characters encounter in their world. Plus, I had to find logical items for Q, X, and Z.

I gave myself permission to be a newbie. I signed up for the retreat to learn. I submitted my manuscript to the published author in charge and my small group with no regret.

My drafts are layers in a larger project. Each draft is helping me reach my goal of submitting polished stories to an agent or publisher. I spend non-writing time studying trends, writing tips and word counts. These rules are applied to my story during the revision process.

Just like my son doesn’t like to hear “No” all the time, neither do the stories in my head. They just want to escape and explore the page for a bit before reality reels them in.

So, I’m writing my 12 x 12 in 2012 drafts like there are no rules.

How are rules part of your writing routine?  Can you live without them or do you need them?

Stacy S. Jensen worked as a newspaper reporter and editor for two decades. Today, she mothers a toddler at home, one boy in her picture book manuscripts, and a memoir manuscript. She does this with no rules in mind during the draft stage. You can find Stacy on her blog - http://stacysjensen.blogspot.com, Twitter - http://twitter.com/StacySJensen, and Facebook -  http://www.facebook.com/StacySJensen

It feels as though I have always been wrapped in stories and books. My parents read to me, and I in turn read to younger brothers. Family economics meant we couldn’t own many books, but going to the library was as common as going to the market. I still have the books I received as gifts. They include two “Little Golden Books” that were savored in childhood, and have served as talisman ever since. THE BUNNY BOOK by Patsy and Richard Scarry (1955) and RABBIT AND HIS FRIENDS by Richard Scarry (1953).

I began writing stories when they were given as assignments in elementary school. By seventh grade I was writing even when there was no assignment. My dream of making books became so vivid, I submitted my first “formal” picture book manuscript to a publisher when I was sixteen. Eleven more years of school, work, reading, writing and luck finally brought about LIZARD’S SONG, my first children’s book to be accepted.

Picture books have been my professional focus now for 40 years. Reading them. Writing them. Sharing them with children. Teaching workshops and classes on writing them. Oh yes, and buying them. Lots of them. And now, blogging about them, and helping other writers.

That last line is what George is here to do now – help us writers.  One lucky 12 x 12 challenger will win a critique from George!  All participants are eligible for one point, regardless of whether you complete a draft in Feb. or not.  All you need to do to get your point is leave a comment on this post.  Now, take it away George!

From Flicker to Final Manuscript

The initial flirtatious idea for a new book is always delicious. That moment is packed with possibilities, but it will remain just that unless we take action. We must do the work. And, our primary work is doing all we can to maintain a sense of play as we write.

A sense of play allows us to take chances, to experiment, to explore with no purpose beyond the pleasure of looking. Play around by placing the idea in the middle or the end if a story, as well as the beginning. Drop it into different contexts. Try different characters. What you discover could affirm your first instincts or offer a more original story than you expected.

A sense of play also means getting words on paper or the computer screen. Thinking, pondering or musing about writing is NOT WRITING. If you want to be perfect then leave the page blank. If you want to create a story then dive in and get messy with changes, dead ends, revisions, and glorious surprises. Such surprises give us the chance to surrender and win. Clinging to our initial idea and plan for a book is not play. It is locking one’s self in box. As a child once said, “If you draw a picture of a dog and it looks like a horse then it’s a horse!”

My TOMORROW’S ALPHABET grew out of a failed novel. WISE ACRES was initially just one piece of a larger (still unpublished) book. Two of my forthcoming picture books began as poems in a collection that fell into limbo when the interested publisher sold the company.

We all feel stuck or stymied from to time as we write, but fretting about being stuck only makes things worse. So…play instead. Don’t try to find the best idea or sentence. Play toward options no matter how crazy they might feel. Relaxing into a mood of play may be just the thing to let the right idea sneak in the back door.

If a manuscript is flailing and you’re not sure why, relax and play. Go back to the picture books you love and savor them. Examine them like Lego creations to see how they work so well. The books we love are always waiting to teach us more about writing.

If we focus on all the aspects of publishing we cannot control we’ll never get out of bed again. But we can control the process by maintaining a sense of play and possibility. That in turn makes the process too enjoyable to avoid, and that makes us eager to write and write and write some more.

Books That Nurture a Sense of Play 

ART & FEAR: OBSERVATIONS ON THE PERILS (AND REWARDS) OF ARTMAKING by David Bayles & Ted Orland

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING by Amy Schwartz

CHERRIES AND CHERRY PITS by Vera Williams

DANNY’S DRAWING BOOK by Sue Heap

DOODLER DOODLING by Rita Golden Gelman. Illus. by Paul Zelinsky

FREE PLAY: IMPROVISATION IN LIFE AND ART by Stephen Nachmanovitch

REGINA’S BIG MISTAKE by Marissa Moss

THREE BY THE SEA by Edward Marshall. Illus. by James Marshall

Thank you so much George!  That was an inspired post, as always.  Imagine thinking of writing as play time!  :-)

Participants – to enter to win the critique from George, you must be an official challenger and leave a comment on this post any time during the month of February for one point.  On February 29th, l’ll put a check-in post on the blog.  If you completed a picture book draft in February, you can let us know in the comments of that post for another point.  I will draw a winner using Random.org and announce on March 2nd.

CONGRATULATIONS to the 401 brave souls who decided to take this plunge with me.  I am so grateful to you all for providing ME with the inspiration and encouragement I need to meet my writing goals this year.

A few announcements and reminders:

1. I have sent an email to all registered participants confirming your participation in the challenge.  You DO NOT NEED TO REPLY to that email.  It is for your reference.  If you believe you signed up for the challenge and do not get an email from me, please contact me at JulieFHedlund (at) gmail (dot) com as soon as possible.
2. If you want to be eligible for at least one point toward this month’s giveaway – a PB critique from author Tara Lazar, you MUST leave a comment on her post by midnight EST on Wednesday, February 1st.  I will draw a winner through Random.org on February 2nd.
3. Check the blog tomorrow for our monthly check-in.  If you completed a PB draft in January, leave a comment saying so and you’ll be eligible for an additional point toward the giveaway.  Please remember that a comment on the check-in post will not count unless you’ve also commented on Tara’s initial post.
4. All “official” 12 x 12 announcements, giveaways and prizes will be made here on the blog.  Please make sure you are following so you receive all of the information.
5. We have a very active 12 x 12 Facebook group where people are introducing themselves, sharing information and support and forming critique groups.  If you are on Facebook, I highly encourage you to join us there.
6. I am now following all 12 x 12 participants with Twitter accounts. If you haven’t already followed me back, please do so at https://twitter.com/#!/JulieFHedlund.  I have created a list of all 12 x 12 participants that you can follow if you want to keep up with your fellow participants: https://twitter.com/#!/list/JulieFHedlund/twelve-by-twelve-in-2012.  We are tweeting about the 12 x 12 challenge using the hashtag #12x.  If you provided me with your Twitter handle and I wasn’t able to follow you, you will hear from me within the next week or so via email.
7. I am also following all participants who are blogging.  If I had any difficulty following your blog, you will hear from me within the next week or so via email.  Some of you provided me with static author and/or illustrator websites.  Please note that I am not able to follow those, as they do not have feeds embedded into them.
8. We have created a list of participant blogs on the Facebook page, and I encourage you all to follow each other.  We’re here to support one another, after all.
9. As a reminder, all “official” 12 x 12 posts will have our banner displayed across the top.  It’s a companion to our lovely badge.  So whenever you see the banner, you know that post will be 12 x 12 related.  Don’t forget you can put the badge on your blog too!  Wear it proudly!
10. Last, but certainly not least, GOOD LUCK to everyone!  I can’t believe we’re already almost one month in.  What a fantastic month it has been!

Still more questions?  Please leave them in the comments.

Why I Like This Book: This book has equal appeal to both kids (who are the monsters) and the parents (who have to corral the monsters into bed).  We don’t have the bilingual version, but I’m sure that would make the story even more fun and educational to read.  My son asks for this book at least once a week.  Hmm… I wonder if he recognizes himself in little Paul?

For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books!

1. The chance to win craft-related giveaways such as critiques, books, consultations, etc. from our monthly featured authors.  This month’s prize is a critique from Tara Lazar.
2. Access to the 12 x 12 Facebook Group, where an active and supportive group of writers are cheering each other on and helping each other out.  Seriously, these people are already moving mountains for each other – forming critique groups, sharing resources, giving advice.
3. Spontaneous opportunities such as the one being offered in February – a chance to win a critique with freelance editor Tamson Weston.
4. The biggest benefit?  You could end the year with 12 shiny PB drafts.  What could be better than that?

If you are ready to take the plunge, you can sign on the digital line here.  

Two exciting 12 x 12 in 2012 announcements!

Announcement #1

Beginning February 7th, a pre-published participant of the 12 x 12 challenge will guest post on the blog for the new Tuesday 12 x 12 series.  Each participating author and/or illustrator will write a post on a topic of their choice related to the challenge – why they joined, what they’ve learned, connections they’ve made, books they’ve written, etc.

I am so excited about this series because it will give you a chance to get to know some of the talented and courageous writers who have taken the plunge with me into this challenge.  Many of these writers, you will discover, have fabulous blogs of their own where they generously share their knowledge, successes, and bumps along the road.

You may be wondering why this series is focused on pre-published authors specifically.  For one thing, I guess I have a soft spot for pre-pubbies (my newly minted term), since I am one myself. Second, I already have plans to feature many published authors and illustrators throughout the challenge, so I wanted to shine the light on the great folks putting in the hours and the hard work it takes to get published today.  Finally, I have learned so much from reading their blogs already, and I know you will too.  After all, you don’t have to be traditionally published in order to have knowledge and experience worth sharing.  If so, my own blog would be out of business!  So I hope you’ll come by on Tuesdays and give these brave souls the support and encouragement they deserve.

Announcement #2

I was thrilled to welcome freelance editor Tamson Weston into the 12 x 12 challenge as a participant.  Tamson has very generously offered to give participants a FANTASTIC opportunity to practice writing pitches for the chance to win a manuscript critique from her.  More details will be provided on February 16th when the contest goes live, but because you will only have FOUR DAYS to submit your pitches, I wanted to give you some advance warning so you can start working on them in your “spare” time.

You may choose ONE of your WIPs and submit a pitch that is no more than 140 characters (same as a maximum Twitter message), along with THE FIRST line of your book.  The only exception is if your book is in verse, in which case you can submit the first four lines.  So get ready, because this is a HUGE opportunity.  The grand prize winner will receive a manuscript critique from Tamson.  Again, more information on how to submit, how the entries will be judged, etc. will be posted on February 16th.

Tamson is published children’s book author and editor with over 15 years experience at several prestigious publishing houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Disney Hyperion.  Adam Rex, Mac Barnett, Robert Weinstock, Adam Gopnik, Jane Leslie Conly, Anne Rockwell, Deborah Hopkinson, Jen Violi, Alexander Stadler, and Dan Santat are just a few of the authors/illustrators she’s worked with.

Are you excited yet??

Now, I suggest you go follow Tamson everywhere she lives!

Tamson’s Blog

Tamson’s Facebook Page

Tamson on Twitter

For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books!

For more books with resources please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s blog and find the tab for Perfect Picture Books!