Wordle is a free online tool that takes any text and creates a “word cloud”.  The more a word shows up in the text, the larger it appears in a cloud.  Here’s a Wordle cloud I created using the text of Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address.

I can think of a few  interesting uses for children’s book writers (or any writer, for that matter):

• Run your manuscript through it to see if you’re overusing certain adjectives.  If a word that has nothing to do with the theme of your story is larger than those that do, perhaps it’s time to take out the thesaurus and vary your word choices a bit.

• Need to write a plot synopsis, but you’re not certain what to say?  Let Wordle show you what the overriding themes of your story are.  It’s pretty clear what President Lincoln had on his mind while crafting his speech by examining the Worldle above.

• Perhaps you can find a novel way to use one of these for storytelling purposes.  Maybe providing a Wordle of each chapter throughout a manuscript would be a memorable way of summing things up?  Or take the dialogue from each character and create their own Wordles and run them back-to-back.  I leave the possibilities to your own creative minds.

Have a look for yourself at http://wordle.net

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

• Fightin’ Bookworms: Module 2 of the CBI Challenge is online! The topic: Developing Your Story Idea. Get it now: http://cbiclubhouse.com #
• Lots of free videos re: writing children’s books: http://is.gd/Vk6H Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• R U an aspiring children’s book writer? Check this out: http://is.gd/Vl9f Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com #
• Common freelance rates for editing, writing, etc: http://is.gd/Vmp0 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Five things you didn’t know about Dr. Seuss: http://is.gd/VmaO Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Check out these cool bookcases: http://is.gd/VkQc Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, The Essential Children’s Writing Resource #
• Overused children’s book ideas; http://is.gd/VknF Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Body Language – A Writer’s Secret Weapon: http://tinyurl.com/bjl93t Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Interview w/S.Hawking re: his kids book: http://is.gd/ozLk Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Child star of “Slumdog” to publish life story: http://is.gd/VnxP Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Fightin’ Bookworms: we now have realtime chat @ the CBI Clubhouse! Go to http://cbiclubhouse.com & look at the sidebar. Then, get chatting! #
• Bestselling kids books: http://is.gd/VjCp Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, the Essential Children’s Writing Resource #
• Video: 7 Things Editors @ Children’s Book Publishers Wish They Could Tell Writers http://bit.ly/6U3Gx Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com #

The new edition of the Children’s Writing Update e-zine is now available for your viewing pleasure. This issue features:

* resources for “mom writers”

* news about two major contests

* links to a slew of “how-to” videos for children’s writers

* an article by Laura Backes called “Writing Without a Map”…and much more.

It’s free!

Have a look at http://write4kids.com/update.html

• Writing Picture Books FAQ- Do I Need an Illustrator? http://bit.ly/grY9j Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• 40+ Free Blog Hosts http://is.gd/Tus6 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, The Essential Children’s Writing Resource #
• Big list of Caldecott winners http://is.gd/TuzP Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Tips on writing dialogue: http://is.gd/TLzC Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Video: A Crash Course in Submitting a Manuscript to a Publisher http://is.gd/TumX Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com #
• Lots of children’s book news: http://is.gd/TGdH Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, The Essential Children’s Writing Resource #
• Fascinating stuff @ new World Digital Library: http://www.wdl.org Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Free ebook: How to Write Great Picture Books: http://is.gd/TuvD Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Horn Book Award Winners: http://is.gd/TtUK Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Hot Books to Keep Kids Reading: http://jijr.com/hmjE Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Spotlight on author Cynthia Rylant: http://is.gd/Tu9r Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• PW’s weekly children’s book reviews are up: http://is.gd/Tu1r Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

We’ve just posted a new Squidoo lens about writing for children. Here’s the link:

How to Write a Book for Children

Feel free to bookmark!

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

Here’s the first of a series of videos that will address the most frequently asked questions from beginning children’s book writers:

You can also view this video (and get the embed code for the video) at YouTube, MySpace, Blip.tv, Viddler, 5min, Graspr and i2TV

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

Editors are sometimes too polite to tell writers what they need to hear.  So we’ll do the job for them!

If this embedded video doesn’t work, you can also view the video at any of these places: Yahoo, MySpace, Revver, DailyMotion, Blip.tv, Veoh, Sclipo, Viddler, Howcast, 5min, Graspr and i2TV

Interested in learning how to write a book and send it to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

• No health insurance? This info can help: http://snipurl.com/bs2i3 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com Children’s Writers’ Community #
• Writer’s Block…A Thing Of The Past: http://is.gd/OEdQ Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Useful glossary of publishing terms: http://is.gd/OwqV Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #
• Fascinating exhibit: Kid’s Books of the Soviet Era: http://is.gd/OwBb Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com – Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Cause and Effect in Children’s Books: http://is.gd/OwiS Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Home of the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• Staying Young as a Children’s Writer: http://is.gd/Ownb Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, The Essential Children’s Writing Resource #
• 100 Search Engines for Writers: http://is.gd/Owd6 Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Come Join the Fightin’ Bookworms! #
• New free video: “7 Things Editors Wish Writers Knew” http://is.gd/Ow6I Jon, http://cbiclubhouse.com, Where Children’s Writers Meet #

Authors know the power of giving out freebies to promote their books. Bookmarks, stickers and the like are a great way to spread the word. The problem is getting the stuff in the hands of enough children, teachers and parents to make a difference. 

Here’s the solution: “freebie” websites. These sites list offers of free goodies for a variety of audiences, and are excellent places for authors to be listed. 

Here are some links to get you started: 

Freebies for Teachers
Freebies for Parents
Freebies for Kids 

You can either offer your freebies by mail (request that folks include a self-addressed stamped envelope to defray your costs) or, if it’s a bookmark or other paper item, perhaps you can offer it online in PDF format. That way, you can also get more traffic to your website! 

Interested in writing stories and sending them to children’s book publishers? Come on over to The CBI Clubhouse for audios, videos, insider writing tips and much, much more!

• Jon’s Twitter Updates for 2009-05-12
  Posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 in Uncategorized – Comments: (1)
  oops — that should be: New Blog Post “Video: Do You Have What It Takes to Make It As a Children’s Book Writer?” http://bit.ly/f2xwR # Know any songwriters? Have ‘em check out this new site: http://is.gd/yX7h New @ the Clubhouse: Take Chances To Get Published http://is.gd/yUAO Roll call of great (and censored) books: http://short.
• New Video! 4 Rules Beginning Kids’ Book Writers Should Never Break
  Posted on Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 in writing tips – Comments: (3)
  From picture books to young adult novels, there are certain rules newer children’s book authors should never break. Here they are!Enjoy!If you can’t view this for any reason, you can view the video on YouTube, MySpace, Metacafe, Blip.tv, Veoh, Sclipo, Viddler, Howcast, Graspr and i2TVIf you enjoyed this video, please spread the word by bookmarking it with social sites like Digg or StumbleUpon using the “Share/Save” button just below.
• Video: Do You Have What It Takes to Make It As a Children’s Book Writer?
  Posted on Monday, May 11th, 2009 in writing tips – Comments: (2)
  Successful, published children’s book authors tend have four things in common. See if you have what it takes to make it writing children’s books and getting them published.If you can’t view this for any reason, you can view the video on YouTube, Metacafe, Blip.tv, Veoh, Sclipo, Viddler, Howcast, 5min, Vimeo, Graspr and i2TVIf you enjoyed this video, please spread the word by bookmarking it with social sites like Digg or StumbleUpon using the “Share/Save” button just below.
• Writing Exercises: Point of View, Voice & Character Descriptions
  Posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 in writing tips – Comments: (2)
  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.
• Writing Tip: Add Realism To Your Writing
  Posted on Friday, May 22nd, 2009 in web resources – Comments: (2)
  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.