Sparks

For me, a story starts with prayer. I ask the Lord for a hint of an idea to get me going. The idea can be for a newsletter article, a book proposal, a fiction story, or even a blog. I take everything to Him first, asking for a little spark. Then I wait.

 

I used to get my sparks in the wee hours of the morning. I’d suddenly awaken with an idea floating in my head. Now it can come at any time. I just have to be “listening.” The best way for me to listen is to not think about the idea. Since I’ve already presented my request to God, I don’t want my own thoughts influencing the process. So I try very hard to think of anything other than my project.

 

The hardest part comes when I have a deadline looming and I still have not received my spark. The tendency is to start getting nervous, but I’ve found that it’s better for me to calm down and keep waiting. God has never failed me yet. He always ignites my mind with the right idea at the proper time.

 

Looking for a great story starter? Ask God to give you a spark that will fuel your imagination.

 

Contributed by Catherine L. Osornio

An Illustrator’s Perspective: A Story’s Start Begins at the Cover

I’m an illustrator, and I’m also a shopper. When I’m working on an illustration I find it best to keep my shopper’s hat on too.

For me, the shopper, there are three places that start the story: the front cover, the back cover and the first few pages. When I’m sifting through a sea of books, looking for good reading, these are three elements that help me with my selection. As an illustrator, I don’t have any say about the second two, but the front cover requires both my shopping and artistic expertise.

From a shopper’s and illustrator’s perspective, the front cover is an important story starter. The challenge for the illustrator is to attract the shopper’s attention while telling something about story.

A dominant color is an effective way to attract the shopper’s attention. Is there one color that expresses the mood of the story? I also like to consider color trends. Is there a fashionable color out right now that would be appropriate for the story or target audience?

Another way to attract the customer is by including a human element. For me, the shopper, I feel an instant connection when an expressive face is peering at me. When I look at the cover and see someone happy, sad, worried, etc., I want to know why the character feels that way and will investigate by reading the first few pages.

The next criteria in my book selection process is the storytelling that appears on the cover. The cover art is like an appetizer, a tiny morsel of the delicious story inside. I want to relate to the character from the very beginning, therefore the artwork needs to show something interesting or reveal an aspect of the conflict without giving away the resolution.

When I’ve completed a book I’ve enjoyed reading, the illustrator in me likes to go back and analyze the cover art. Did the artist have an intimate understanding of the characters and story? What elements did the artist employ to intrigue the reader’s interest?

As a shopper and illustrator, the story’s start (the cover) is a great way for me to end the story. When the story is good and the artwork is strong, I feel a greater connection to the characters than when I started. It’s as if I’m looking at a photo of someone I care about. It’s very satisfying.

Contributed by Veronica Walsh, children’s book illustrator

Story Starters

Here are a few story starters. See what you can do with them.

Katrina wanted to go to the sleepover with her friends but she had a huge problem…

It was late. Joshua knew he should not be here…

The cold October wind whistled in Justin’s ears as he watched the tiny boat crash into the pier…

Joel saw the puppy huddled in the corner. Except for two black dots on one foot, its hair was all white. Joel looked closer. The puppy…

McKenna’s heart beat wildly as she watched the front door swing open…

Happy writing, Gloria

Vroom! Vroom!

How do you start a story? Well, how do you start a car? You get in the right vehicle, insert the right key, and turn on the ignition. Starting a story is really the same thing.

When you begin a story, make sure you have the right vehicle for it. Are you thinking of writing a children’s book when the subject matter would go better for adults? Have you a picture book in mind but a chapter book would be a better fit? What is the right audience? Keep it in mind as you write your story.

Now the most important part—the key. And just which is the right key? You can fumble all the keys on your key ring and try first one and then another, but only one is going to fit. If you try to hotwire the vehicle’s engine you might get stuck down the road when you want to start it again. So what is that one right key for your story vehicle? Prayer! It’s the right fit for every story you want to write. Without prayer our writing is without purpose and can be like slogging through a field of mud. With God behind our writing the ideas come thick and fast, and when we reach the tough parts we can be confident we are in His will and the work becomes lighter.

So polish up that key, climb in the vehicle God has chosen for you, and start up your engine.
Chugging or zooming, your story is on its way. Enjoy the ride!

-Contributed by Shirley Shibley

Practice with Purpose

Land your very next contract with story starters!

Send three to five story starters to that magazine you’re trying to break into and ask the editor if she’d be interested in assigning one for you to write.

Send one story starter as a query to the editor at a book publisher you’ve been studying.

Learn to practice improving your writing through developing story starters–but practice with purpose. First study the magazine you want to target or the book publisher where you want to land a contract. As you study, make a list of types of stories they already publish. Jot down notes about potential story ideas (or story starters) that come to your mind while you’re studying their product line.

Choose your favorite story starters and zip them off to an editor. Let the editor choose which story starter interests her the most. Who knows? You just might get your foot in the door and be on your way to landing a contract!

-contributed by Nancy I. Sanders

Looking Around Us

This month our theme is STORY STARTERS. Have you ever had difficulty coming up with an idea for a story? Of course you have! Every writer grapples with that problem from time to time (hopefully not every time!) Perhaps we can learn a lesson from the Five Grumpy Writers:

Five grumpy Writers
rarely left their houses,
where they sat at computers
and ignored their spouses.

The five grumpy writers
met one time each week.
They’d run out of ideas.
There was naught to critique!

Writer number one said,
“We need a change of milieu.”
So they left their computers
and went to the zoo.

Writer number two said,
“I’d rather be writing.
I miss my computer.
This isn’t exciting.”

Writer number three said,
“Not a thing is inspiring.
I need Internet and e-mail
or this writer’s retiring!”

Writer number four said,
“I have writer’s block!
This is wasting my time.
Tick-tock, tick-tock!”

Writer number five said,
“The elephants stink!
The kids are too noisy.
I can’t hear myself think!”

Then the zoo keeper spoke up.
“Try looking around.
Ideas for new stories
can always be found.”

So, they wrote about animals
till their pencils were nibs.
But what inspired them the most
was a zoo full of kids!

They heartily agreed
that kids of all ages
gave them ideas galore
to write pages and pages!

So the five happy writers
made a promise to leave
their computers more often
and take a reprieve.

The writers—-all five,
had smiles on their faces,
as they sought inspiration
in interesting places.

They visited parks.
They watched children play,
and went back to the zoo
on School Field Trip Day.

From then on they carried
their notebooks and pens.
And they found life inspiring,
not secluded dens.

Sheryl Crawford plans to visit the zoo—SOON!

Copyright 2008 Sheryl Ann Crawford