Writer's Support Room - Open Forum Transcripts

Event start time:

Mon Oct 24 16:53:35 2005

Event end time:

Tue Oct 25 15:16:20 2005



Legend:
Questions from the Audience are presented in red.
Answers by the Speaker are in black.
The Moderator's comments are in blue.

mel boring

Join us this afternoon in the AUDITORIUM-Scheduled Events Room for an "Open Forum" with Web Editor Mel Boring. Mel has published some 25 magazine articles and stories, as well as eight books for the young readers market. He taught writing for 18 years, while being home husband and parent to two of his four children, and doing his own writing. He welcomes your questions on time management, getting started, writer's block, marketing, writing rights, writing earnings, or anything else you'd like to discuss. Bring your QUESTIONS to this open forum-in five minutes.

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The Tuesday afternoon "Open Forum" will begin promptly at 4 Atlantic/CANADA, 3 p.m. Eastern, 2 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Mountain, and noon Pacific. While you wait for the "Open Forum" to start, feel free to use your ASK A QUESTION button RIGHT BETWEEN THE YELLOW "MAP" AND THE RED QUESTION MARK IN ICHAT to post some questions for the discussion group-two minutes from now.

mel boring

Good afternoon! Welcome to this Tuesday afternoon's "Open Forum" session. I'm your moderator, Mel Boring, and the Web Editor for this site. We're back for an informal time of answering any questions you might like to ask, on any subject. So feel free to ask what's on your mind--and I'll tell you what's on mine! First, please read these announcements, then we'll get started….

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IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS: Send questions you'd like answered or discussed by using your "Ask a Question" icon/button. (It looks like a thought bubble icon, RIGHT NEXT TO THE RED QUESTION MARK.) The moderator (me, Mel Boring) will post the questions one at a time in the chat room and do my best to answer them. Also note: If you want to make it possible to ask the longest question you can, first type "/ask" (without the quotation marks), then leave one space after the end of "ask", then type as many characters of your question as you can. If your question is not complete, send the second part next, then if necessary the third, etc…

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WARNING: If you don't post anything at all, SOME of you will be bounced off the system in 15 minutes. TO PREVENT THIS, type something (either a question to the moderator or even a private message) every 15 minutes to stay active and remain online.

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First of all, our Word of the Forum, so it doesn't get forgotten....

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I don't think I've given you THIS one before: "cruciverbalist."...

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Know what it means? If I gave it before, some of you will have a HEADstart!...

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Now, a MARVEOUS announcement to begin our forum:...

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CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Beth Voelker and her husband and family! Karl Leo Voelker arrived on Wednesday, October 12th. He was 6lbs, 13oz, and 20 1/2 inches long. He's doing splendidly!

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Mary Beth has moderated this forum when I've had to be away,...

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and she does a TERRIFIC job....

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She also homeschools all of her THREE children, now there'll be FOUR with little Karl!...

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We ALL wish you ALL WELL, Mary Beth!

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GOOD NEWS from John Prophet: I received an e-mail from Kim Wilson at www.writefromhome.com, informing me that she has accepted my article "The Yin and Yang of Craft Fairs" for publication in April, 2006--paid, too!

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John has been a contributor of articles to our ICL Web Site in the past,...

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is many times self-published, and also the MARVELOUS MODERATOR of his writing group in New England. CONGRATULATIONS, John, WAY TO WRITE RIGHT!

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"cruciverbalist" may SEEM similar to a Harry Potter word,...

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but actually, it has a larger, and more common meaning,...

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and might be recognized by someone who puts words in patterns!

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Jody Little sent us this GOOD NEWS: I was notified last week that my story "Level 10" will be published in the November issue of MY FRIEND. They have held it since February. This is a new market for me, so I am excited. Thanks for letting me share.

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Jody Little, you deserve to feel VERY BIG today, friend!...

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CONGRATULATIONS!!! I've mentioned previously that MY FRIEND is a magazine I was published in in the early days,...

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and a VERY demanding magazine for quality. It may not be good grammar to say it this way, Jody Little, but YOU DONE GOOD!

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Here were two GOOD guesses at the meaning of "cruciverbalist":...

writersblock

A spell from one of the Harry Potter books.

writersblock

that should have been cruciverbalist=A spell from one of the Harry Potter books.

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Here is the REAL, everyday meaning from two smart cookies!...

fantasybookwriter

cruciverbalist a constructer of crosswords

caq

Cruciverbalist is someone who makes word puzzles. I think I am a cruciverbalist sometimes when I try to write!

mel boring

Technically and completely, a "cruciverbalist" is a person who likes word games, especially crossword puzzles--EXCELLENT word sleuthing, fantasybookwriter and caq!

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Barb Cairns send us her GOOD NEWS: In July, I attended the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Writing the Region Workshop in Gainesville, Florida. What a great group of supportive, encouraging writers! The icing on the cake was winning First Prize () for my essay "Magical Moments," comparing my fawn Bambi to Jody's fawn Flag in THE YEARLING. I got to read it at the Saturday evening banquet. My first contest win!

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CONGRATULATIONS, Barb, amid some GREAT COMPETITION!!!...

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That Rawlings Workshop (Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote THE YEARLING)...

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is a SUPER conference. Speaking of SUPER, Barb Cairns, that one-hundred-fifty-dollar prize is SUPER DOOPER!

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GOOD NEWS from Christine Collier herself: My article, "Save the Comics for Me," is published on the Inspiration page of the current issue of CHILDREN'S WRITER. This is the article mentioned last week, and it is EXCELLENT, as I see by my own issue, which arrived last Saturday!

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CONGRATULATIONS, Christine!!! I have read your article in CHILDREN'S WRITER, and,,,

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as usual, you did TOP-RATE writing in that article. It's a VERY PRACTICALLY HELPFUL article--THANKS for it, friend!

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Chris Weigand has GOOD NEWS again: I wanted to share the link for my latest article in Just For Mom. The link is www.justformom.com/articles_full_text_page.php?article_id=812. Enjoy, Love and God Bless!

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CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, Chris Weigand!!!...

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Your article is VERY touching, showing as it does how WE ADULTS can LEARN FROM KIDS! THANKS for it, Chris!!!

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Rose Ross Zediker sent this GOOD NEWS: THE FRIEND accepted my craft, Easter Egg Mint Cups. I'd almost given up on this craft idea but it sold on its fifteenth time out. Now, I'm thankful I was persistent!

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HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS to you, Rose Ross Zediker!...

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THE FRIEND is ANOTHER very demanding magazine in the church-related genre,..

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and you MUST have really done WELL to be purchased by them!...

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MANY HAPPY RERUNS of your writing to you, RRZ!

arnalda

Hi, Mel! What is the right way to list a web page source in

arnalda

a bibliography?????

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GOOD question, arnalda, as usual from you!...

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Let me give you a made-up example:...

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Harperquicken, Jesse, "How to Embroider Easter Eggs for Fun and Profit," May 6, 2005.

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WHOOPS, the WEB reference didn't come through. Let me try that again!

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Harperquicken, Jesse, "How to Embroider Easter Eggs for Fun and Profit," www.embroideryasart.com , May 6, 2005.

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THERE it is! I would put the "www" address inside these: < >...

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(marks that look like arrowheads, on each end of it.

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The date is the date the article on the web was posted, OR was last updated....

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And the author's name is VERY important, because editors want SPECIFICS....

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But what if there is NO author or date, arnalda?...

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Then do it like this:...

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"How to Embroider Easter Eggs for Fun and Profit," www.embroideryasart.com.

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What an editor will do is GO TO that Web site and check it out.

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By the way...

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arnalda kindly let us know this, in response to her question about sending poetry to HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN last week:

poetry for the magazine. So, anyone who has poetry

 

is the person to send to

 

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So poetry submitted to HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN should be submitted to Editor Kim Griswell--THANKS, arnalda!

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CAQ has this follow-up clarification to a previous question: Back to my interviewee approval question. I don't mention the interviewee having approval rights until after it is accepted, correct? I don't mention in the query or cover letter, so and so has approval rights, correct?

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That is correct, caq! Until they BUY the article, or contract for it,...

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it doesn't really belong to them. At the point it becomes theirs, too, they need to know about committments to interviewees.

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Special to scribblegirl from Joan Winter, in answer to her question last week about Canadian writers receiving U.S. payments: scribblegirl: I am happy to say I have never experienced any problems receiving payment for my work from American publishers. However, I have sold only to solid, well-established print and online magazines. I have heard and read of writers, both Canadian and U.S., (Writer's Digest ran an article on the subject) having difficulty collecting payment, but never met any personally. One should be aware that all magazine publishers have different methods of paying their writers, and some take longer than others to pay. Some pay promptly on acceptance; others pay within a week or two of publication; still others take several weeks. One publishing house I sold to took several months and needed some gentle reminders before they paid up, but we remained friends and after they bought another article, the second cheque arrived promptly.

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Last week scribblegirl had asked about payments from the US to Canadian writers,...

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and Joan Winter IS a Canadian, WELL published, and I was PLEASED that she told us about her OWN experiences being paid as a Canadian writer by U.S. publishers.

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Here's a GOOD related question from vettemom:...

vettemom

What are a Canadian writers chances in a US market?

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Their chances are as GOOD as their writing, vettemom!...

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In my early days of writing, the 1970s, I sensed a kind of prejudice...

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that Canadian writing was inferior. But I have not HEARD or THOUGHT that since then....

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Canadian authors for children are VERY well respected,...

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and U.S. publishers would be as open to a GOOD story or article from a Canadian...

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as from ANY writer in the US, vettemom.

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Here is an upcoming SCBWI conference for writers around Vancouver, BC: For writers living in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, or even south of the border (U.S. writers most welcome), our SCBWI writer's group is holding a semi-annual event November 26th. It will begin with an informal get-together, followed by critiquing, lunch, and two guest speakers. Anyone interested could e-mail me at winterjoanw@yahoo.ca for further info and directions. THANKS, Joan Winter!

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Joan Winter has been VERY helpful to today's Open Forum!

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omalizzie asked for a repeat of: Where can I find what articles a magazine has published in years past? The online CHILDREN’S MAGAZINE GUIDE, will give you this information quickly and easily. It is at: http://cmg.lu.com/ and it lists stories and articles published in most children’s magazines for years past. You can SEARCH or BROWSE BY SUBJECT here. In searching on the CMG Web Site, I see every kind of magazine from CRINKLES to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC’s GEOGRAPHICA to TEEN PEOPLE. I searched for the subject “Aquariums” and found a story in LADYBUG from 2005, an article in the online TIME FOR KIDS from 2003 and another 2003 article in RANGER RICK, omalizzie.

 

 

 

 

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That Web Site: http://cmg.lu.com/ is VERY helpful in finding out what has been published in magazines for children--BOTH fiction and nonfiction.

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THANKS for asking about it again, omalizzie!

fantasybookwriter

/ask Most Authors stay within there particualr genre is

fantasybookwriter

/ask anything wrong with having 2 different chapter books

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No, NOTHING is wrote with having two different chapter books, fantasybookwriter!...

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In fact, it's GOOD to go outside your particular genre,...

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because, if you write picture books, for instance, your publisher won't be able to do more then about one per year....

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So if you ALSO write chapter books, or Young Adult books, you'll sell more of your writing.

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Should you stick to ONE genre? NO, not is you want to sell as much writing as you can--GOOD question, fantasybookwriter!

cosmos

What is a good website for specifics and guidelines on writing level books? Do they have lists of words for level one or level two and so on?

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Yes, there ARE lists, and books, cosmos. But I can't list them without some preparation....

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SO I've put your question in my file for NEXT week's Open Forum--OK?...

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In fact, maybe that'd be a good one for the Q&As in Monday's Tuesday Open FOrum announcement!

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arnalda has this follow-up:...

arnalda

The webpage in question just says copyright 1996 - 2000

arnalda

I couldn't find a "last updated" date

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Then you would put that copyright date, arnalda,...

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and it would be sufficient. WHat you basically want is ALL the bibliographic data you can find on the page....

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If there isn't much, there isn't much, and editors understand....

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Just don't use TOO MANY Web sources in your biblio, of course.

arnalda

Thank YOU, Mel!

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You are WARMLY WELCOME!

caq

A suggestion is to make a note of the poetry editor's name in the 2005 or 2006 Children'st Magazine guide, Highlights part, Poetry Editor: Kim Griswell, Editor.

mel boring

GOOD suggestion, caq--I'll see that it gets to the "right ears" to get it done--THANK YOU!

writersblock

Are there any possible copyright infringement issues with using words from a song in a story?

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Yes, writersblock. Any song is copyrighted.....

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If it is OUT of copyright (roughly those dated BEFORE 1922 right now)....

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then there is no need. But if you wanted to quote the lyrics of "Imagine," by John Lennon,...

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you would look at a copy of the music, find who OWNS the copyright,...

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and write to that person, or the book, or to the Web site it's found on.

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Here is an EXCELLENT writing question!...

high hopes

When should you consider a manuscript "dead in the water"?

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My OWN "rule of thumb," high hopes,...

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is to send ANY manuscript out TWELVE times, and...

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if it's rejected twelve times, THEN I revise it....

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Then I'll do it twelve times MORE....

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If it doesn't sell by then, I put it away, perhaps to work on later,...

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or just RETIRE it.

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About the poetry for Kim Griswell and other poetry editors we talked about:...

camry

how many poems should be submitted at one time?

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The rule of thumb for most poetry editors is about a half-dozen, camry.

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Providing they are SHORT, or course.....

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With poems the length of Silverstein

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's...

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"Sylvia, Sarah,...Stout, Who Wouldn't Take the Garbage Out,"...

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just ONE, because that one is long---and FUNNY!

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Righter would like to find out: This summer an author who'd submitted to the CBHI magazine group (Turtle, Humpty Dumpty, Jack & Jill, etc.), said that her rejection

CBHI was not currently accepting outside submissions. (Their website never gave this information.) Are they accepting yet

 

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I called the CBHI in Indianapolis just yesterday to find out, Righter....

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They said that the ONLY ones NOT accepting right now are...

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CHILDREN'S DIGEST, CHILD LIFE and HUMPTY DUMPTY'S MAGAZINE....

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The OTHERS, Dan told me, are "cherry picking" only now...

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which means they are picking only the BEST of the BEST submissions....

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What's likely happening is that the Children's Better Health Institute is probably having financial problems,...

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which is NOT unusual for them, and they have a full "freezer" of purchased pieces, and will be buying very few for a while....

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But all the others, other than those THREE, will keep on buying SOME pieces, Righter.

fantasybookwriter

What's the best way to view primary sources -letters,diaries

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At larger libraries, fantasybookwriter, such as university libraries, and big-city libraries....

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THEY usually have a Rare Book Room, where you can read those old and brittle documents by looking at them right in the room....

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They MAY not be so old and brittle, but are rare, and kept under cover....

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Here's an example: I needed to read a magazine article...

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written by the wife of the man who first used laughing gas to pull teeth,...

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and she wrote the article about 1890,...

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for a magazine that doesn't publish anymore....

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So I went to a university library (The U. of Iowa) and read that magazine there, and wrote notes about it...

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as well as wrote down quotes from the article that were useful in our chapter about anesthesia and its development.

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Lisa has asked us: I received a postcard from HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN saying, "Thank you for 'bearing' with us while we review your manuscript." It has a picture of bears on it, and someone has handwritten the manuscript name on it. I've heard a lot of people on the boards talking about the "scale card" from HIGHLIGHTS, and they explained it as the same kind of thing with a picture of scales on it. Is it the same thing, and do you know how long I can expect to wait for a reply? Thanks!

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I e-mailed my friend Marileta Robinson, Senior Editor at HIGHLIGHTS and a good friend about this today, Lisa....

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She told me they were PHASING OUT the "scale card" and starting to use the BEAR CARD....

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But they BOTH were sent out at the same point....

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My educated guess is that that card is sent to a submitter...

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AFTER the first readers are finished reading the manuscript....

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And THAT process takes a LONG time....

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The first readers are VERY experienced people, like former HIGHLIGHTS editors and authors who have contributed to the magazine a lot....

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The manuscripts are SNAILMAILED to them, a LONG and time-consuming process,....

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THEN the manuscript--IF it makes the cut--is evaluated IN-HOUSE, Lisa....

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And of course the WHOLE STAFF must read it, and that could take a while....

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But I would guess you're HALFWAY HOME toward acceptance of your manuscript, Lisa!...

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GOOD FORTUNE to you on that manuscript, my friend!

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Here is, for cosmos, an answer to the question of word usage level:...

spotslover2

Mel, there is very good book that I use, called "Children's Writer's Word Book," by Alijandra Mogilner.

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THANKS, spotslover2! That is the "Bible" of grade-level determination for words and word usage, cosmos!

cosmos

I just received in the mail today my notebook for my ICL children's book writing course! I'm excited to begin!

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CONGRATULATIONS, cosmos! And we wish you GOOD FORTUNE in your writing for children, friend!

wc24

If you are writing a nonfiction article on a group or tribe/

wc24

How do you go about narrowing a nonfiction topic?

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I would suggest, with a group or tribe as you mentioned, wc24,...

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that you write only about ONE aspect of that group....

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For instance, if you wrote about the Nez Perce Native Americans,...

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perhaps you would ONLY write an article about their HOUSING, wc24, their actual living quarters, their cooking and such, in the article....

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Or you might write just about their child-raising ideas, for other instance.

caq

You could get primary sources in museums couldn't you? I know my daughter catalogued some in a small local museum one summer. Had to wear white gloves and use tweezers.

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Yes, YOU BET, caq, and THANK YOU, Ma'am!

mel boring

You may have to view such artifacts behind glass, but you can see them....

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And sometimes BOOKS are opened to a certain page to read, a significant page in that book. GOOD info, caq!

wvstoryteller

With the push to have children write on higher levels,

wvstoryteller

should we begin to write on higher levels for children say

wvstoryteller

in elementary school?

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No, not really, wvstoryteller....

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Educators still want you to write for first-graders, for instance, on a first-grade level of reading difficulty....

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and so on for the other grades....

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That's why the book, THE CHILDREN'S WRITER'S WORD BOOK, by ALijandra Mogilner, is WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN CHOCOLATE!

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I'll try to bring some more suggestions for this next week, including a couple of Web sites where you can check the reading level of your own writing.

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D needs to find out: If you want to do a book that are plays that you have adapted from children's literature, what is the procedure for doing this as far as

from the authors

 

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Write to the PUBLISHER of the children's literature, at the address given in any book or other publication, D....

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And ASK them for permission, or ask them HOW TO GET permission, WHO to get it from....

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But that is a very important point. Always find an address for what you are using to write plays, and get permission in writing....

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By the way, here is an important "plagiarism" case going on right now:...

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GOOGLE is planning to publish on the Internet WHOLE BOOKS that are under copyright, without asking, and they are being taken to court for that by the Writer's Guild and others....

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YAHOO, on the other hand, is planning the same kind of project, but PLANNING TO SEEK, and even BUY permission to do it....

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It WOULD be wonderful to find the ENTIRE text of any BOOK you need for research right on your computer through the Internet....

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and I believe that WILL happen, but it will only happen when it is done legally, by seeking permission from authors and publishers and paying for it.

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AT needs to know: I just finished assignment #4 which of course is nonfiction. All the resources I found were from previous books or articles written on the subject. It seems to me that reading books and articles that others have written and then using those same books and articles as references is somewhat like

am rewriting what someone else has already done. It

 

rewording and rearranging. Am I missing something in the lessons, or is that the way some

 

last thing I want to do is plagiarize

 

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That's the way nonfiction is ALWAYS written, AT,...

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by reading books and articles and using the information in them....

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Otherwise, how would we LEARN what we must to write a book?...

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BUT THAT IS NOT PLAGIARISM....

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If I read in a book: "The monarch butterfly caterpillar spends 15 days in its caccoon changing into a butterfly,"...

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and I COPY THOSE EXACT WORDS, that is plagiarism....

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But if, in my book or article, I write: "It takes 15 days for the caterpillar to transform into the monarch butterfly," that is NOT plagiarism...

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I've put it in my OWN words, and that is permissible.

caq

Mel, my suggestion was for each of us to make notes in our Magazine Gudes as we get names of editors for different magazines. For instance I have the science editor for Highlights written in my guide. If I was into poetry I would put Kim's name in it to.

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Oh, THANKS, caq, GOOD IDEA!...

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I was thinking to get ICL to include that info in their guidebooks! Your idea is MUCH more practical!

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WOW, I'm WAY overtime, and MUST go before I turn into a PUMPKIN here!...

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THANK YOU for being here today, and other questions will appear in next Monday's Announcement e-mail....

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THIS THURSDAY evening, our Chat Guest will be Bruce Coville,...

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a children's author that children LOVE, and you'll see why if you come talk to him Thursday evening. He is a KICK of a funny person, and I'll looking forward to the interview myself....

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BYE FOR NOW!

lisalisa

Thanks, Mel!

mel boring

You are WARMLY WELCOME, lisalisa, see you Saturday, friend!

fantasybookwriter

Thanks Mel and everyone - I learned quite a bit today

mel boring

You are WELCOME as a day in spring, fantasybookwriter, and MOREPOWERWRITING to you!

paige

'Bye...and many thanks, Mel

mel boring

Bye, paige, and thank YOU, friend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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