Writing Challenge for Today - Alternatives

If one takes the challenge to build on something said by an AOL Children's Writers' Group member and Chat visitor, and a noted author of the past (perhaps Willa Cather or Edith Wharton),

 

Consider: If, as some people claim, all the plots and story settings have already been written, and you are a new writer, or a writer starting to write in a genre new for you, you need to put a unique spin or twist on one of those plots and/or settings to write your own unique creation.

 

Keeping in mind that you are a writer for children or young teens, and then going a step further than what is stated in the paragraphs above, try this writing exercise:

 

Consider: If you were to write a story that’s an “up to date” version, or a modern twist on, a story previously written, what would you write?

 

"Ella Enchanted" and “Enchanted” may come to mind as examples of new twists on fairy tales.

 

What about twists in other stories? Think: how would you write alternative stories featuring other than the original characters, or places, or plots, or parts of plots?

 

[To get you started, you might think of “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court” that’s an alternate version of Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court”]).

 

Think of a classic children’s or YA book. Try to replace an all-important place in it with another place.

 

Which place would you suggest as an alternative and how would the plot change and yet maybe stay similar to the originals?

 

Also, a bit harder, how would you change characters and then write alternatives to the original story? (Changes may be in who is a main character and who are primary characters like sidekicks to the main character. There could also be new characters).

 

Also, which plot part in a classic story would you change, and how would the story and characters change because of that?

 

Would any of this be possible? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no.

 

Do you feel up to taking this challenge?

 

I dare you to give it a try!

Writing Challenge For Today - Of Children & Politics

On this the birthday of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, during a presidential election year - think about this:
   PBS TV commentator Bill Moyers recently suggested that viewers offer their suggestions of which books a president should take to the White House with her or him.
   One viewer wrote in and suggested Dr Seuss's THE LORAX, HORTON HEARS A WHO, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO, IF I RAN THE ZOO
    To put some other, innovative, twists on this invitation:
<> think about why that viewer suggested Dr Seuss's books for children
(somewhere at this Moyer's PBS Web page, you can find a link to a video clip with an answer given by the person who recommended these books: www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/blog/2008/02/bill_moyers_reading_recommenda_1.html)

<> think about which book you would suggest that  young members of the First Family bring to the White House, and why.
<>Lyn suggests, for example, in general:
> a book about their young predecessors
> a book by a young predecessor
> books on issues of concern to young people of their own generation
> books that, like Dr Seuss's, can reveal something important that a First Daughter or Son needs to know

Your Challenge: what would you suggest, or what might you try to write, in the categories referred to above, or in another category you might think of, for a young member of the First Family?

Writing Challenge For Today - in Historical Fiction

For those of you who are interested in writing historical fiction, try this writing challenge or exercise with a particular angle.

 

Its just one of the variety of angles you can use when you write in this genre.

 

Write a scene for a historical novel for children. In this scene, show your young main character meeting a well known historic person, and interacting with this person in a small or big way that will be important to the plot of the novel you might write.

 

To help get you thinking about how you might do this, here are three examples of historical novels for young readers, and the historic people the young main characters meet:

 

<>“Beth’s Story” (from the Portraits of Little Women series written by Susan Beth Pfeffer and published about 2001)(based on a character in Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel LITTLE WOMEN). In this alternate story, Beth (the third of the four sisters in the original LITTLE WOMEN), visits New York City, goes to a play in a theater, and meets Abraham Lincoln.

 

<> “The Gentleman Outlaw, and Me” by Mary Downing Hahn (a girl, in disguise as a boy, travels west to find her father, and journeys with a boy she meets along the way. In a town where they find themselves during their journey, they briefly meet Doc Holliday) [If you read this book, note another interesting character (not famous historically, except perhaps as a type of unusual person for that time). She is introduced toward the end of the story, but she is no less important to the story and the young main character]

 

<>”Johnny Tremain” by Esther Forbes (a fictional boy during American Revolution meets John Hancock and Samuel Adams, and is helped by one of them)

 

Can you think of, or find, other historical novels with this angle too?

 

Now its time for you to “make that scene”!

Creating Characters

Certainly as writers you have thought about the many ways that characters can be created.

Have you thought of the ways that real people may be models of fictional characters, or how fictional characters (completely or partially)(exactly or the opposite) may be based on real people?

Take a look at the Web sites cited below for information about two famous children's stories' characters and the real people they are based on:

 Find out about Alice Liddell (the girl who was the basis for the Alice of the "Alice in Wonderland" and Alice Through the Lookinglass" books by Lewis Carroll (aka Lewis Dodgson) http://www.pancakeparlour.com/Wonderland/Wonderland/Alice_Liddell/From8to80/from8to80.html 

and  www.marktwainmuseum.org/content/research/faq.php (scroll to question about Mark Twain's characters: Tom Sawyer, Becky Thatcher, and Huck Finn)

Now think of someone you know, or traits of a few people you know, and write a paragraph that creatively paints a portrait in words of a young character for what could become one of your stories for children or teens.

Tags: challenge for children's writers and writers for teen readers

Today's Writing Challenge - Life After Harry Potter?

Maybe you believe each book a children's writer writes should stand on its own merit, or maybe you believe that there surely must be a writer "out there" who can provide a successor (pun intended) to the Harry Potter phenomenon.

Whatever your viewpoint, take a look at this article:
"Publishers search to find Harry Potter's replacement" http://www.pe.com/entertainment/stories/PE_Fea_Daily_D_nextpotter22.1147b8f.html

Here you will see information on some suggestions of, one might say, "book life after Harry Potter."

Do you agree, or disagree, with the suggestions - or do you think there may be another writer's creation that could be the one that's successful after Harry?

Maybe its you who has a manuscript, or you who could write one, that could "fill the bill" or meet such "great expectations." Maybe its you who could even create a character that might be able to metaphorically "walk in Harry's (or Hermione's) (or Ron's) shoes," or in his/her footsteps, or beyond them, perhaps.

Ponder the possibilities. Maybe you have your own room full of secrets, or a magical gem, or _____ ... just waiting for you to wave your wand, and ....

Well, you get the idea now  :) 

Another Writing Challenge - of Fairy Tales

If you can get a copy of the May 21, 2007 TIME Magazine, be sure to read the article "The End of Fairy Tales?" on pages 83-85.

In the meantime, or after you read the article, study the types of re-writes fairy tales have gotten, then think about whether or not particular types of re-writes might be clever or go too far, and then think about how you might re-write a fairytale. Which fairy tale would you choose? How would you change it, modernize it, or give it a unique twist?

And think about this: would you return to the original grim Grimms' fairy tales style, stay with a sweet Disney version, try another different grim version, or go in a completely opposite direction, or use your very own unique technique? 

Go ahead now - take the challenge!

 

another writing challenge - An Age Old Question Updated and Adapted for Children's Writers

Here is an adaptation of a question that is often asked of readers: Suppose you were stranded on a desert island, or (in keeping with the modern age), suppose you were on a space station or moon base for a long time. Choose 6-12 children's books you would like to have with you to help pass the time. They should also be books, or even magazine articles, that would keep inspiring you to write. One of your choices can be something written for writers by a children's book or article writer. Here are my choices: parts of LITTLE WOMEN, all of THE SECRET GARDEN, A WRINKLE IN TIME, THE MIXED UP FILES OF MRS BASIL E FRANKWEILER, TOM'S MIDNIGHT GARDEN, BARBARY, and an article by Rachel Carson on the sense of wonder in children. Now its your turn.  

Tags: challenge for children's writers