Children’s Writing Web Journal

• Nifty blog from kids’ writer Elizabeth Varadan: http://is.gd/JdqE Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #

• A Writer’s Secret Weapon: http://is.gd/ImCM Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

• Find Story Ideas in Tossed Treasures: http://is.gd/HGld Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Phoenix Books Launches Children’s Line: http://is.gd/Hbgu Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #

• Get asked this alot: #1 self pub resource: http://www.parapub.com Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Free open source novel writing software: http://short.to/yvr Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com - Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Worried book industry gathers for convention http://is.gd/Fm2V Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• searchable database of literary agents: http://jijr.com/mCv Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Big list of places to sell a kids’ book. Good stuff! http://is.gd/jHEi Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Interview w/kids’ author Chris Gall: http://is.gd/FlXy Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

• Give It Up for the Toddlers! http://short.to/b3ig Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• YA writer? Read this b4 u publish: http://short.to/b3g8 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Libraries as works of art: http://short.to/b3z3 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• A clueless parent’s guide to Twilight. http://budurl.com/ez6s Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• How to Make YouTube Kid-Safe: http://is.gd/CqlC Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Librarian Action Figures! http://budurl.com/t2km Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #

• Attack of the Zombie Copy! http://is.gd/Cadp Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Writing Tip - Stopping Readers in Their Tracks: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=2362293 #
• Finding kids books @ bargain prices: http://is.gd/wYSw Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

Looking to add some accuracy and realism to your story telling? Check out these resources:

The Fiction Writer’s Guide to Psychology. If one of your characters is undergoing therapy, here’s how to make sure you dealing with facts, not myth. This site details psychological disorders, therapy techniques, ethical issues for psychologists, jargon, the dynamics of a therapy session and more. An excellent find for writers who don’t know their Freud from their Jung. http://www.archetypewriting.com/index.html

Police Body Language and Behavior. Officer Lynda Sue Cooper shares the secrets of police body language in this fascinating article. How do they stand in a danger situation? How do they approach a possible criminal? What steps do they take before entering a buidling? Great insight — and just the sort of thing that would bring your police character to life. http://www.hodrw.com/cop2.htm

For more writing tips, head on over to The CBI Clubhouse, the new site packed with audio, video, insider advice and much more — all about writing children’s books!

• Cool 19th century kids’ books in full color. http://is.gd/9NTo Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

• Promoting a book? this is a VERY useful post for you: http://is.gd/B71g
• RT @gregpincus Great recap of a conversation about revision - http://bit.ly/Jobnj #writing #kidlit #writers
• RT @asuen1 How to Find an Agent #kidlit #writing http://bit.ly/15ybPU
• New free video! “3 Ways to Ramp Up the Tension in Your Writing” http://is.gd/B6vZ
• $$ saving coupon codes for buying books online: http://snipr.com/7o429 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Toss your characters a curve w/instant conflict generator! http://snipr.com/7r848 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com #
• Kurt Vonnegut on how to write w/style: http://is.gd/Zhx
• Meanings of first names. Apparently, I’m a “gift from God” http://is.gd/78Wb
• How to Come up w/Story Ideas: http://is.gd/AUla
• 100 Best First Lines of Novels: http://is.gd/htwZ They omitted my #1: “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas”
• Neil Gaiman on how he gets ideas: http://is.gd/eo8z
• Loads of writing advice: http://is.gd/zofX
• Vintage Children’s Books brought back to life - http://fleck.com/m2WPC
• Tips For Writing What You *Don’t* Know: http://is.gd/AUaz
• Q&A w/agent Rachelle Gardner http://is.gd/AfDq

Here are two writing exercises we really like.  They’re both excerpted from our acclaimed guide for beginning children’s writers, Career Starter:

IMPROVE YOUR USE OF POINT OF VIEW & VOICE:

This is a really fun one:  Take a famous story you know well, and rewrite it in first person from the point of view of one of the lesser known characters.  What would the story of Cinderella be like if told through the eyes of an evil stepsister?   Or try re-telling the story of Snow White using each of the Seven Dwarves as the narrator.  Would Dopey and Grumpy see things the same way?  Match the narrator’s sensibility — angry, jealous, scared, joyful, indifferent — with the tone you use.

IMPROVE YOUR CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS:

Describe a child through the objects in his or her bedroom. You can do this two ways: either by showing the child in the room (and told in first or third person), or by having another character look through the room while the child isn’t there. Try to give a sense of the child’s physical characteristics from his or her possessions.   It’s tempting when creating characters to fall back on stereotypes (the jock, the cheerleader, the brain). To break this trap, try starting with a stereotype, and adding a few objects in the room the reader won’t expect  — perhaps the jock still has his favorite childhood stuffed animals, the cheerleader displays a set of philosophy books and the brain owns a bag full of ice hockey gear.

For more information about the Career Starter beginner’s guide, go to http://write4kids.com/starter.html

For much more great information about writing children’s books, stop by the CBI Clubhouse, our new community for writers that’s packed with audio, video, articles, inside writing tips and much more.  We’re at http://cbiclubhouse.com.