Why Most Books Have Rectangular Pages




Yes, this is the cover of my new book due to come out in June, and the book is rectangular - just like most books. Why this shape?

• Print off and cut out the ‘animal skin’ (below) from paper. You can enlarge it to any size you wish – or just imagine it’s been cut out.

• Trim off the remains of its legs, neck and tail to give the largest possible rectangle of skin to be made into pages.

• Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, then in half again and again at right angles to make a group of pages.



Yes it’s the cow’s fault!

Books were written on paper or skin from 1000AD onwards until skin became too expensive and not available in sufficient quantity. However, for a few centuries, even though writing and printing on paper was performed, the most ‘important’ books were always written on pages made of skin. Some books and documents are still written on skin.

Only in recent times have square and landscape format books been published or produced. For nearly two thousand years, books were always rectangular and ‘portrait’ – hinged on the long side.

Today, many books are printed with 8 pages to a side of large sheets of paper, which are then folded to make a gathering and sewn with others, and then trimmed perfectly to construct a book block ready for covering.

This method was used for the earliest books, too - folding sheets of vellum in half, then centrally at right angles, then in half again. Vellum (parchment means the same thing), made from cow or calf skin, was expensive in early times, so book creators always wanted to get the optimum number of pages from one hide, with no waste. When the remains of the neck, leg and tail had been removed, and the sides trimmed straight, the shape that remained for use was a rectangle, so the pages formed by folding were rectangular – and the tradition continued.

This method of folding was replicated for books with paper pages, and the sheets of paper were made in the same proportions as animal skins – and still are. Though no early instructions for folding have been found, study of ancient books from the first century AD onwards proves that this was the standard method of production. All medieval vellum books, without exception, had facing pages alternately ‘hair side together’ then ‘flesh side together’, no matter if they were precious or scruffily written and bound with little care. The same when paper was used, ‘wire marks from the mold (on which the paper was formed)/watermark sides’ together alternated with ‘non-embossed sides’ together.

You can test the outcome for yourself, similarly folding a sheet of paper that is printed on one side only. Facing pages are always the same, and alternate plain and printed – but the nature of the outer surfaces depends on whether you make the first fold with the printing facing you, or the plain side. There were traditions for vellum use. From the late Roman Empire and the Greek Orthodox world, the outer surfaces were flesh side, and this was revived in fifteenth century Italy for non-religious texts. But for the rest of Europe, from the pre-Carolingian to high Gothic periods, the first and last sides of the vellum were always hair side.

Skins were not always folded to make 8 pages (16 sides) in a gathering. In Spain, in particular, enormous 'antiphonal' vellum choir books were produced in the 16th century. I have a single page from one of them:

Antiphonal Page

This one measures 85cm x 55cm.

Some books were smaller than a matchbox. This is the smallest one that I own. It was written in 1460:

A vellum page from a Book of Hours

As well as from cow and calf hides, vellum was also made from sheep, deer, goat, rabbit and squirrel skins – in monasteries, probably the remains of whatever was served for dinner – but these other animals all produced a rectangular sheet for folding, too, and therefore rectangular pages.

There are a few large sheets of vellum in existence that show that pages were sometimes written prior to folding, as a book would be printed today, but it’s uncertain how many early books were created in this way. Illuminations in manuscripts depict monks writing in folded sections and complete books. One scribe was responsible for writing a complete gathering, but multiple gatherings could be written by multiple scribes.

Just in case monks lost the plot of which page to write where on a large sheet, prior to folding, it’s thought the folding was usually done first, the front (fore-edge) slit through, and the folds along the short edge cut but leaving just enough remaining to hold the gathering together but still allow the scribe to turn the pages.

By the 15th century, at the latest, stationers were selling pre-folded and ruled gatherings of vellum and paper, ready for writing.

When I do school visits and workshops, students and attendees can handle these vellum pages and many more items from my collection. It can bring history and books alive - please check out the 'Visits' page on my Writing For Children website, and the 'History of Books'.

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

A Contract Winning Line for the Bologna and London Book Fairs, and possibly others

The purpose and focus of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and London Book Fair, and probably other big ones, too, is the negotiation of the sale of 'rights' of books already published or about to be released, and other deals. Hundreds of publishers from around the world display the latest additions to their ranges, and members of their teams sit at tables at each stand and negotiate with other publishers' and industry representitives.

Our Australian Publishers Association also has spaces for Australian publishing professionals to do business, but in 2010, when I visited, at Bologna it also hosted an exhibition of the work of Australian illustrators, curated by Ann James and Ann Haddon. Individual illustrator attendees were allocated time on this stand, too, to show off their skills. This is me:

The evening APA dinner allows creators and publishing people to interact and get to know each other better. Check to see how your country’s stand representatives can help you.


Many countries’ stands host a ‘party’ at the end of one day. These parties are found by passers-by as well as invitees. Whereas many folk arrive only for the free food and alcohol, it is also possible to make useful contacts at them and get to know publishing professionals better. Special thanks to the APA and Amanda Vanstone for the wonderful spread put on by Australia, and also to those involved with the Italian party and...

It was wonderful for me to be absorbed into the world of international children’s books and their creators. One of my aims was to survey and gain an appreciation of the books currently being released by a large number of international publishers, especially those with which I was unfamiliar. Although this can be done through online catalogues, at a Fair you can easily see the house style of layout and content, and there were books displayed that will never get to the shelves of Australian stores. I was fascinated by the distinctive regional illustration and design styles used by publishers in some countries. The printed catalogues I collected had to be sorted and culled when it was time to weigh the suitcase.

Before arriving at the Fair, most publishing people will already have booked a full week of half-hour appointments. ‘Gate-keepers’ on some stands only allow entry to those with appointments. This stand belongs to the always wonderful Walker Books:

It may just be possible that an appointment can be made by your agent or publisher for you to promote your already published book to an individual (if you’re lucky), but this is really their job.

A large number of stands have open access and no gate-keepers. With those, I actually found it quite easy to meet and talk to publishers - particularly those producing non-fiction. After initially spying from afar, as soon as an appointment finished and the next person had not yet arrived, I casually walked up to the shelves to look at the books on display. Not knowing if I was a publisher or agent, I was often asked what I was looking at, and why.

Proudly wearing my SCBWI name badge from the Bologna Symposium, my line was, “I’m an Australian author and occasional illustrator, and I’m looking to see if you have any titles that are likely to compete with my new book about to be released - and also to see if there are any gaps in your list that I might be able to fill.”

That was always a good starting point for a conversation and I’d usually be asked what I write. They all wanted to know what was going to compete with their books! I think that coming from a distance is an advantage – it’s a bit different for them to meet someone from Down-Under. As well as fiction, I write about paper crafts, science and natural history, so I came away with names of people who will be delighted to receive proposals from me for books on lettering, decorative borders, the sea shore, fungi, cute furry animals and more. While some stands are manned by sales force members, many have powerful people present, such as the Associate Publisher and Managing Director – or even the company founder.

A similar line could be used by those who are unpublished: “I’m just completing a proposal for a book and I’m looking to see if you have any new titles that would be likely to compete with the contents I have in mind - and also to see if there are any gaps in your list that I might be able to fill.”

It’s easy to leave a business card or flier at every stand - the gate-keepers being happy to discuss the most appropriate person they should pass things to. I didn’t try pitching fiction, but in retrospect, I could have asked at each stand to find out if the publisher was open to submissions and who would be the most appropriate person to send work to. They may even have chatted and I could have tempted interest with a good ‘hook’ line or 'sound bite'.

Advice from the http://www.scbwibologna.org/ website suggests that illustrators contact specific publishers prior to the Bologna Fair and ask if it is possible to make an appointment with an editor or art director. Bring labelled samples to give them. Large sized portfolios are discouraged.

Some publishers (particularly Italian and French ones) advertise a time when illustrators without appointments can briefly show an art director their portfolio and hand over a print. On each occasion, the queue is long. I carried my A3 portfolio in a bag, and having introduced myself and gathered interest in the subject of my then forthcoming new book, I showed artwork used for images that appear in it (...and they readily looked at more), and I left them with a flier.

Going to the Symposium and Fairs was claimable for me as a tax deduction as professional development and research. It is also possible that you may be able to get a grant, perhaps from your regional Arts body, to cover at least some of your expenses.

From Bologna, I travelled to the UK to do research for my YA in progress and also to attend the London Book Fair in Earls Court, and the London Digital Conference. The London Book Fair is similar to the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in many ways, mainly being geared to publishers selling rights. A large corner is devoted to over 100 children’s book publishers. Some had not exhibited at Bologna. As well as the myriad of publishers of books for adults and technical works, the LBF also has stands taken by distributors, printers, illustrator agencies, digital converters, print on demand book services, apps sellers, digital rights negotiators, digital reading devices, remainder vendors and others – along with more parties and a free massage service.

At both Bologna and the London Book Fair, there is a continuous program of talks, seminars and interviews with authors, illustrators and publishing professionals - with translators.

I continued to try the same spiel at the London Book Fair as the one I used in Bologna and found swag of other publishers keen to receive proposals on non-fiction topics we discussed. The first proposal sent out resulted in a contract for the book that I’ve just completed for a UK publisher, ready to be released worldwide in June 2012 – ‘Calligraphy for Greetings Cards and Scrapbooking’ for GMC publications.

Deals are not guaranteed, but I’ve proven that they are possible.

Through http://www.wotif.com/ I even found cheap London accommodation in York House, a converted elegant old terrace house backing on to Earls Court – nothing like The Ritz inside, but clean and all that was needed: 7 nights for 405GBP, with microwave and hotplate cooking facilities.

I believe you will thoroughly enjoy the experience of attending the SCBWI Symposium, Bologna Fiere, the London Book Fair or any of the other big book Fairs if you have the opportunity, and you find them useful. And it doesn’t have to break the bank. I have to admit, however, that I did spend a significant amount on freighting home the catalogues, books and other things I just had to buy while on my trip.

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

Making a Favourable Impression - Networking in 20 Stages

There are some authors and illustrators whose work is in constant high demand and publishers are always eager to receive their next idea. Having a track record of moneymaking successful books is a big plus, but what other factors make a publisher want to work with an author or illustrator?


Obviously, talent is one criterion, and possibly the ability and willingness to help promote books – but there is no doubt that publishers like and prefer to work with ‘nice people’.

‘Nice people’ are open to suggestions from editors and discuss these amiably.

Nice people deliver work on time, every time – even better, long before deadlines.

Nice people are helpful and they don’t phone every day to check on progress.

Nice people respond promptly to requests and are courteous – they are friends.



Let’s suppose that an editor receives and likes stories or book ideas from two different unpublished creators, but can only has room on their list to publish one of them. If one writer or illustrator is someone the editor thinks would probably be ‘nice person’ to work with, and the other is unknown, whose book is most likely to get published?

So, how do you get a good reputation and an unfair advantage before you’ve had a book published?

1. Write. Learn your craft as best you can. Complete something – even if it still needs improvement.

2. Have some totally professional looking business cards printed – not things with streaks and perforated edges. Dress professionally. Look and behave like a professional.

3. Create a website or maintain a blog, or both, and consider producing a newsletter on any topic that interests you. The latter is not essential, but if you have a lot of happy subscribers/readers it can be advantageous.

4. Contribute to Yahoo and similar forums on writing for children and learn from them. Keep all your posts positive. Never criticise a publisher or editor anywhere on the internet – your comments can be found.

5. I never talk about a book’s rejections - not by name, anyway. If a publisher reads these (and they might!) they’ll have pre-conceived negative feelings about it when they receive it for consideration “...It’s done the rounds and nobody likes it – so I probably won’t either”.

6. Go to book launches, meetings and festivals and take opportunities to meet other creators of the same standing as yourself and with a positive outlook – you’ll become a ‘family force’ and be able to help and inspire each other.

7. Listen to people around you at events. Ask questions – people like to know you’re interested in them and to talk about themselves (but you’ll probably avoid people who ramble on and on, so don’t you ramble on, either. When you speak, have a pre-rehearsed and interesting short and snappy ‘elevator pitch’ describing what you write about, or your latest work in progress or finished story, to tempt further conversation and enquiry.)

8. If you meet or are introduced to well published creators, realise that they probably have friends around them that they like talking to. Don’t barge in or be pushy – they are probably tired of people wanting to get something out of them. Just try to come over as a natural and genuine person. But you can offer to promote their work on your blog – become a helpful friend in any way you can think of - with no immediate ulterior motive. Later, they may give you advice on work of your own. ‘What goes around, comes around’. (See 1 – make sure you have something to talk about.). But have no expectation.

9. Connecting meaningfully with one or two people for a significant amount of time is probably more useful that flitting around trying to network with everyone present at an event.

10. Research presenters at conferences that you will attend. Gain industry knowledge and do research on the internet, by visiting bookstores, reading and examining books in libraries to discover what each publishing house is currently publishing, and who the key personnel are – the editor, art director, publisher ...even the sales reps. Yes, the sales reps have a say at meetings that are held to decide which books get published. Find out who has been involved in the production of books that have won recent awards. Congratulating people is always a good conversation starter. You will be recognised as someone who is professionally involved in the industry.

11. Discover where these people hang out professionally – Facebook, LinkedIn, SCBWI Conferences etcc. Listen, to start with. Learn a little about them and their hobbies, and their partners and children.

12. Be helpful. Contribute to forums the ‘important people’ frequent. Your writing will be read. They will form an opinion of your writing skill before your ms hits their table or you meet face to face. They will already ‘know’ you ...however you portray yourself.

13. When attending a conference or talk, try to ask a sensible question that many people are likely to want answered. Start by standing up so you can be seen and give your name. You will be remembered if you later meet face to face, and by other attendees.

14. Using your research, when you meet an ‘important person’, you can start with something personal – “How’s the house renovation going? Did you find time for much surfing this year – what are your favourite spots?” Many editors appreciate a break from people asking about publishing. But have your ‘elevator pitch’ or ‘sound bite’ ready in case you’re asked what you are writing – and after replying, ask if you may send it to the person when it’s completed/been given one more edit and tweak. If they seem very friendly, you can then smile and ask if you can be cheeky and put ‘Requested’ on the envelope and in the cover letter, or if you should just send it for adding to the pile. Give them a business card – they may visit your website. Having your photo on the card may remind them whose it is and encourage a visit (Make sure your site/blog is worth visiting ...memo to self – mine needs an update.)

15. NEVER EVER try to give an agent or editor a manuscript at an event – it’s incredibly unprofessional ...you’ll be remembered for the wrong reason, and editors and agents talk socially to each other, even if their businesses compete.

16. NEVER EVER send gifts or imagined spin-off merchandise with a story.

17. Can you imagine being an editor or agent at an event, with a stream of unknown people coming at you from all directions and introducing themself, hour after hour? It’s not surprising that they like to talk to those people they know well. You’re likely to get a much more relaxed reception if one of their friends can introduce you (see 8) – especially if they can say “Hi Mary, I’d like you to meet my friend Jackie. She’s takes a lot of natural history photos, just like you do.” ...and you’ll immediately have a connection. It will be a relief for them to talk to you.

18. It may well be the case that the person has a full list of clients or is not accepting any more manuscripts at this time, or not in your genre. It doesn’t matter! See 15 – industry professionals talk to each other. Be a nice person. Comment on their Facebook page. If you share a common interest, once or twice a year (not every week!), send a postcard of a surfing spot you’ve enjoyed if you are both surfers, and say “You’d like it here!”. Keep in touch ...gently. If you are an illustrator and the person has children, send each child a small picture – not a full-scale artwork that’s taken a month to produce and an obvious bribe to make the person feel indebted to you. If you meet at another event, they may introduce you to one of their own friends in the industry, or you may produce something more suited to their requirements in months or years down the track.

19. After an event, thank people – even if you didn’t meet them. “Many thanks for all your organisation of the YYY event – it was most useful.” “Many thanks for coming to the YYY event and all the insider info that you shared.” Or if you did meet: “I really appreciate the time you spent talking to me at YYY and the ‘top tips’ you gave us all. The place I was telling you about is called ‘Mandy’s Point’. I’ve enclosed a photo. I hope our paths cross again.”

20. Briefly mention your connection in a cover letter for your story manuscript:

Dear Ms Person,

Thank you for your most useful talk at the YYY event and answering my question about word counts. It was wonderful to meet and chat socially afterwards.

The enclosed 600 word story has been written for children aged 3-5...



I hope you will be recognised as a ‘nice person’ ...someone who is ‘normal’, professional, friendly but not pushy, creepy or overly generous, someone easy to talk to, someone who listens and is likely to understand what is required if asked to do something or consider making changes, someone who is unlikely to be demanding or shout down the phone, who appears efficient and is likely to make deadlines, someone it will probably be a pleasure to work with for book after book after book.

I hope you will produce many books that are successful for publishers and for yourself.

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

Coincidences - Part 1

Edmund Kean was a famous early 19th century English actor. My great grandfather was a collector of theatre memorabilia, and I have inherited this hand coloured and autographed print. I think it shows Kean playing Richard III.

Somehow, I can work it into my creative YA biography in progress. But what a coincidence to discover, when I dropped some unwanted items into in a suburban Lifeline charity shop in Brisbane, that they had a copy of Raymond FitzSimons’ book 'Edmund Kean – Fire from Heaven' pub. Hamish Hamilton, 1976. I don’t think it would ever have been a best seller in Brisbane and I imagine there'd be very few copies in the whole of Australia, but will be mighty useful to me. And it’s a most interesting and readable book, too! I could have chosen any of so many other charity shops, or just walked out without looking...

There have been so many other coincidences in my life that an art director once suggested I compile a book. Have you experienced any?

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

Inspiration for Writing

I’m told that I’m a hoarder, and I can’t deny that I love collecting things – particularly small things. As I told Sarah Davis, illustrator of Anna Branford’s ‘Violet Mackerel’ books, and she posted on her blog www.sarahdavisillustration.com/the-blog-of-small-things, I started when I was a child by asking friends and relatives if they had anything small that they could let me have for my ‘museum’, which was a special drawer. They gave me some amazing things – but since then, I’ve also bought items. I’m always surprised how little you have to pay for some ancient objects either in stores or through online auction sites. For less than $15, I bought a 4th century Roman stylus that was used to write on wax tablets (wax-lined trays) by ...well, who do you think?

After a message was received in a tablet, the flat end of the stylus was used to burnish the wax surface so that it could be written on again - recycled wax.

Putting such an object into a child’s hand, or that of an adult, can be a powerful inspiration for the imagination. I can do that at workshops and presentations, but why don’t schools develop their own collections? I’m sure children and parents would be pleased to be involved in fundraising for such a purpose.

This is an Elizabeth I half groat, first used by someone between 1558 and 1603. What could you have used it to shop for, or pay for, at that time? Under what circumstances might you have received it?

On my Writing for Children website, you’ll find many more workshop ideas on the ‘Visits’ page.

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

Water Keeps the Words Flowing

Fellow Brisbane writer and author of children's books, Sheryl Gwyther, posts lots of good advice and interesting topics for discussion on her blog. A few of us chimed in to reply on today’s topic – ‘Write Garbage and Edit Brilliantly’. http://sherylgwyther.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/write-garbage-edit-brilliantly


At the end of her comment, Kaz Delaney http://www.kazdelaney.com/ said that proximity to water gets her into the writing zone - “Sitting by it, walking by it, watching it, showering in it, swimming in it.”

I’m the same. My computer keyboard position allows me to look out through large glass doors to my tiny fishpond, garden and the park over the road.



Sure, I’m distracted when the magpies come down each morning for a dip to wash their feathers, but my output is seriously diminished if all I can see are walls and furniture. I have never written anything sensible when sitting at our kitchen table. Sometimes I can get the creative juices flowing curled up in back-breaking position in a comfy armchair, but I still like to be able to glance out of a window.

Though I do tap away at the computer to write, that’s not always the case. Often, the action of handwriting helps the words to flow, too. It’s so much easier to pour emotion into drawn letters and words in the same way that body language and gestures aid verbally telling a story.

Do you have places at home where you prefer to write, or cannot write? Do you get your best ideas in the shower? You can write in pencil on laminate in the rain or in a shower if you really want to, you know - maybe even underwater.

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/

My Poem for Australia Day

Raise your glasses to Australia -

Its forests, surf and sun,

Music, art and bar-b-ques,

Its sport and having fun.

Raise them to its people -

Mates and those not met -

Folk from many nations

Who've come to work and set

This country above others:

Prosperous, friendly, fair -

A land of peace and harmony

(True wealth beyond compare).

Although our kin weren't born here

Our hearts have found their home

In towns and in the Outback -

No matter where we roam.

On Australia Day let's celebrate,

Aborigines as well,

This land with power mysterious

That holds us in its spell.

Peter E Taylor 2010



I was born in England, have lived in Australia for 25 years and know that if I ever reside anywhere else, I will always want to return to Australia. I love its people from all backgrounds. Mateship. Simple pleasures. Creative talents. Aspirations and caring. But it is a spiritual as well as physical home. I hope I am not alone in feeling that it is really ‘the power of the land to claim us as its own’ that we celebrate on Australia Day – the power of Earth Mother ownership of us that Aboriginal people have appreciated for thousands of years.

While I understand thoughts of Australia Day celebrating British settlement will offend those of Aboriginal descent who reflect upon unsavory and negative experiences settlement has heaped on individuals, tribes and cultures, as far as I understand, the first celebrations were in fact recognition by transported convicts, ex convicts and early settlers that they were delighted to be Australian. That they belonged to the land.

Is it therefore possible that we whose forefathers were born overseas and people with Aboriginal ancestry can celebrate our attachment to the land, as one, on Australia Day?

If the land owns us, and not the other way round; if we believe the land is important and influential in our lives, we obviously have a duty to treasure and protect it. Our children have to feel attachment. Will those in cities who spend their childhood days permanently wired to games consoles or computers develop the same love of the land as those who experience dirt between their toes? Will they grow to feel ‘as Australian’?

There is a high probability that those who were born afar but have happy memories of childhood, teenage and early adult years exploring the countryside and/or city alleyways at night as well as in the daytime, in the land of their birth, will always feel some attachment to that place. This is possibly why many Australians choose to maintain dual Nationality. How many Australians of mature years, who were born here and have similar memories, could move to India and call themselves truly ‘Indian’, or to Japan and declare themselves ‘Japanese’ after a short number of years, if ever?

With councils’ focus on building rather that preserving what tiny remnants of bushland exist for childen to explore in cities and towns; with our love of safe, crack and litigation free walking and cycling tracks through parks; our insistence that creek-beds and sides are sterile and concreted instead of encouraging connection with the soil and nature, I fear we do our children and Australia a disservice. Creativity enhanced and inspired by adventure is minimized. If there is a single place in our country where, through fear, we would be reluctant for our children to play or explore unsupervised for hours at any time, we have a right to expect at least attempted remedial action. Without fighting for and ensuring freedom to fully experience and become part our land, we diminish the nature of Australia.

Can this Australia Day, therefore, be a united celebration of the land to an extent that government agencies, as well as individuals, will pour every effort into caring for our environment, and enhancing freedom and safety for all in our beloved nation?

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com

The number '4'

Yes, it’s another new start. This really is the year of the blog. Well that’s the plan! Something for adults wanting to create books for children, and something for children who like to write, draw and be creative.

It’s pretty obvious last year was a write off for blogging for me – but not for book writing. GMC Publications, in the UK, is just putting the final touches to ‘Calligraphy for Greetings Cards and Scrapbooking’ and should send it to the printer on January 24. It will be out in June. Yipee! It was a very time consuming project – but I’m delighted with the colour proofs I’ve been sent.

Next project: This one’s for charity and organised by www.uTales.com . uTales allows authors and illustrators to use their enhancement tools to create and sell  books with basic animations without charge. A percentage of profits go to www.PencilsofPromise.com, a very worthy charity that helps communities in the developing world to establish schools and libraries. A group of creators are now collaborating to produce one spread each of an alphabet book, and a counting book, for which all profits will go to Pencils of Promise. I’ve composed the verse for the number ‘4’ and the wonderful Anil Tortop www.anilmation.com will illustrate it. I’m finding it incredibly hard to wait to see how she interprets it. I may write the words in calligraphy, if there’s room. We’ll see. I’ll let you peep when it’s done.

Four green frogs with big googly eyes

Eating wiggly worms and crispy crunchy flies

This one's for me, and here's one for you -

A special one for Mummy, and my Daddy, too.

Four full frogs with big googly eyes

And fat froggy tummies - just look at their size!

Special thanks to my ‘think-tank’ friends who helped refine the choice of words!

If you’d like to draw pictures yourself to go with the words, and send them as images, I’ll add them to this blog and to my website – Peter (at) writing-for-children.com. You could print out the words first and draw the frogs around them to make a picture or poster. Or you could imagine it was for an open 2 page spread in a book, and if you want to, have some lines of the verse on one page and some on the other, splitting them up as you like.

Book illustrators usually start by making rough sketches of where everything might fit. They try lots of ideas and then work more on the one they like best. One big wide picture could be drawn for a double page spread with a background to cover the whole area, but no important drawings where the words will be positioned. The words are usually created on a transparent layer that a computer can arrange over the top of the picture. This allows new replacement words to be used if the book gets published in a foreign country.

Character profiles

My natural voice is 'chatty'. It does me well for writing non-fiction for the popular market and the occasional article. But now I'm on a YA I’m finding it much harder. I need to concentrate on the characters' voices. Perhaps I should give each a Jung Myers-Briggs personality profile test. Do they have creative ideas (which are sometime impractical), or are they good at seeing all sides of an argument (but no good at making up their minds), are they the ones that always make sure there's a cake for a birthday or a they 'the delegator', the 'listener', nit-picking perfectionist, party animal that energises the group...

Families, committees, gangs, teams etc all work best when the members know and respect the strengths and weakness of each other, and that there's a mix. So, too, with knowing characters and writing about them. Their voice and actions have to be believable and consistent for their personality.

And look in a train station, bus, exam room, family function - no two people sit in a chair identically. Have you ever tried describing the unique way each of your characters sit?

Some of my characters I know well, but not all of them yet.

I've been told that as I keep writing, the characters will also take some control of the story. We’ll see!

Personality profiles were also an important ingredient for the success and efficiency of the business groups I was with on Monday. I was employed by marketing conference presenters and facilitators Performance Frontiers http://www.performancefrontiers.com , on behalf of Bond University, for whom they were conducting the event. My job was to write down the key words and phrases in calligraphy as they were generated - ending the day with 3 panels each about one and a half metres square. I had about 2 hours to do each. The initial idea was for the university to cut the panels up at the end so that each department kept a chunk as a reminder of their contributions and the outcomes from the day - but they decided to keep them intact (at least for a while).

Many thanks to organisers and presenters Judith, Suzi, Taya and Kate and all at Bond for a superb day!

Back to writing my new calligraphy book, due to be published in 2012.

Peter Taylor

www.writing-for-children.com

PS My Writing for Children website has just been updated!

Doing the Research

Happy New Year!

It’s a long story, but after a book and a half published in the last two years and a contract for a new one in progress, yes, I’ve decided it’s time to start this Writing for Children blog again. Again. I will post on it regularly! More about the books another day – I just find this fascinating:

James Lucas was famous in the 1860’s for his eccentric behaviour as an English hermit. After his death, his life story was forgotten until a local historian and solicitor, Reginald Hine, wrote about him and other townsfolk in the 1930’s. Hine states that James had sisters Anna Maria, who died young; Emma, who married barrister Edward Walker; and Harriet, who married an Austrian Count and was never heard of again. How easy it would have been to perpetuate these facts in the account of family happenings that I’m writing from their brother George’s imagined point of view, which will hopefully end up as a book for ‘young adults’.

When a fellow Book Links Queensland http://www.booklinks.org.au/ member, Shirley Stubbs, kindly offered to use www.Ancestry.com to check a couple of things for me, particularly the causes of their parents’ deaths, she found a lot more of interest. In census, wills and parish baptism records she discovered that James left 57,000 pounds – the present day equivalent of about $12million - and Emma and George got their shares. But what about Harriet? Had she really gone abroad and died? No. The census pages show that she remained living in England and had 5 children, one son married Emma’s daughter (his cousin) – and the pair of them lived in a house that their uncle George once occupied. So the family certainly knew that Harriet was still alive, and her whereabouts, in the lead up time and when the inheritance was due to be shared out. Yet when Harriet died in Brighton, her worldly wealth and effects totalled less than five pounds. So why was she cut off? Did the family deliberately hide her existence for some reason, or is the myth of her disappearance a figment of folklore or no research?

What a great start to the year - today I’ve found that one of Harriet’s great great grandchildren has a presence on Facebook! It will be wonderful to see if he replies to my friendship request and discover what he knows.

Moral – don’t believe all you read. Do the research yourself.

But at some time you have to stop researching and write...

Have a rewarding New Year, and I hope it’s a healthy one.

Peter Taylor

http://www.writing-for-children.com/

SCBWI Report - What to do after you have completed the first draft

Here are some notes I made from the last SCBWI meeting I went to:

At the July meeting of the Queensland branch of SCBWI Australia (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), we were delighted to have Louise Cusack, author and manuscript assessor/development consultant/editor http://www.louisecusack.com/, speak to us about what to do after finishing the first draft of a story, and she also provided a lot of other great advice:-

Ask any editor what they look for in a ms (manuscript), and you’ll probably be told the same thing – ‘A good story and characters I care about’.

Stories are about people. The people you put in your story must come across as real.

Make sure it's clear as to whose story it is. In some mss, the main character is not the one the author intended to write about.

Consider each character as an iceberg. Only 10 percent of an iceberg appears above the surface. You will only show about 10 percent of a character in the story, but you must know all about the other 90 percent.

You must love your main character. Think of your best friends. What is it about a particular ‘best friend’ that you like most? Consider making that trait a virtue also possessed by your main character.

Each character will have a best virtue and worst flaw. Make sure you know what each is. (We were asked to write these down for our main character.)

In the first few (??3) pages, in the first scene, show (don’t tell) your main character’s best virtue in action.

Stories must have conflict - there must be an adversary, or a problem to be overcome. This must be the core of the story.

The main character wants (what is their goal?) because (what is their motivation?) but (what is the external conflict?).

The goal and motivation for the main character must be clear.

(Though stories for very young readers rarely have an internal conflict, those for older readers usually include an emotional problem facing the main character, which affects their life.)

The best external conflicts push the character’s emotional button (internal conflict), so:

The main character wants (what is their goal?) because (what is their motivation?) but (what is the external conflict?), and this really winds them up because (internal conflict). This is resolved by (ending).

The conflict has to test their virtues to the max and make their flaws show up to the max.

The internal conflict is affected by the external conflict.

The thing the character never wants to do becomes the thing that he/she must do.

In a structural edit, list all the scenes, then, beside each one, write down what it has to do with the main character’s goal. How does it help or hinder progress to the goal?

Always write from beginning to end of a story without polishing each chapter. That way, when structurally editing, it’s easier to discard unnecessary scenes. If they’ve been polished, it’s more tempting to keep them when you shouldn’t.

You should have confidence in your ability to edit and polish at the end – give yourself permission to write knowing that it will be edited and improved later.

Check all details for continuity - eg the floor plan of buildings is known, so you don’t write about turning left from the kitchen to the lounge at the beginning, but turning right at another point in the story.

If romance is involved, it is never enough to centre the plot around misunderstandings - they could be easily sorted out if the people sat down together or talked to each other.

If the main character falls in love, it is important to make clear the exact time when this occurs - never let them just grow in that direction.

To increase your own feeling of the reality of characters, consider cutting pictures of people from newspapers or magazines – people with a sinister look, a twinkle in their eye… , and create a collage of them all.

When writing a synopsis, first list all the evocative words in the story, then include a large number of them.

In a synopsis, most editors like to know how the story is resolved. They mainly read from the slush pile at night, in their own ‘free’ time. The synopsis must convince them that it will be worth spending their leisure time reading the sample chapters.

When a ms is taken to an acquisition meeting, the accounting department may ask how much editing it will require, ie, hours of an editor’s time at $x per hour. Is it worth the expense?

You may write well, but a ‘head hopping structure’, without flow, may lead to rejection. An appraisal for structure may help avoid this. It's a common reason for rejection.

Mss get rejected for simple reasons that you have no control over. A ms can be well written and rejected by one editor because they don’t like ‘time slips’, whereas another might like that plot feature.

Louise wrote seriously for eight years before her first book was published.

Never give up.

Write what you love most, because after you have been published, people will want more of the same.


Happy writing - may the words flow freely!

Peter Taylor
http://www.writing-for-children.com/
www.myspace.com/writingforchildren

Word Art

Though now writing fiction and non-fiction for young children and mid-grade, my first books were non-fiction for adults - 'The Australian Manual of Calligraphy', pub. Allen and Unwin in 1987, and 'A Manual of Calligraphy' pub. Unwin Hyman / Harper Collins in the UK and NZ. I have more non-fiction for adults planned too.

My calligraphy tutors have included the world's finest - 'The Queen's Scribe' - Donald Jackson, Thomas Ingmire, Michael Gullick, Kennedy Smith, Gaynor Goffe and many more.

I'm just writing a proposal to perform at the Queensland Poetry Festival in September, but I'm not sure if this is what they have in mind:

I'd like to spend the 3 days of the Festival working on a large roll of paper, writing poetry in calligraphy as word pictures, starting with one poem and then adding and interweaving lines of onlookers' choice, so that in the end, a large scroll is produced.

Throughout this time of demonstration I would be able to talk to bystanders about design, layout, texture, scale and materials – and provide advice. Thomas Ingmire said:

“It is only the expression of the words, the conviction, the passion, the love behind them, which gives them meaning.”

Here's the result of my recent experiment to visually interpret parts of 'Relearning the Alphabet', by Denise Levertov.

D
In the beginning was delight. A depth
stirred as one stirs fire unthinking.
Dark dark dark . And the blaze illumines
dream.

V
Vision sets out
journeying somewhere,
walking the dreamwaters

Better get back to the proposal!

Peter Taylor
www.writing-for-children.com

technorati tags:Writing, children, adults, calligraphy, poetry, Denise, Levertov, Peter, Taylor

Cruikshank, Phiz and 'Mustard' George

On my www.writing-for-children.com website is the facitilty to sign up for my newsletter, 'The Art of the Story'. Whatever your interest in writing for children, or illustrating, I hope there's always something of interest.

It has a section that features the work of early illustrators of books and work that children would have seen - though not necessarily work produced with children specifically in mind.

The last edition (January 2007) features the world's first 'strip-cartoonist' - 'Mustard' George Woodward and provides pictures of one of his prints published in 1798.

I've also included some pictures from Cruikshank's 'Scraps and Sketches' album of 1832. In this book he gave personality to inanimate objects. Can anyone tell me who the first illustrator was to do this?
I've always thought of Cruikshank engraving and producing black and white prints, but I have a series of coloured Victorian "scraps" produced, presumably, from Cruikshank's paintings of 'The Derby' horse race. These show getting there, the event, and the journey home. One scene includes and names 'Phiz' - who, like Cruikshank, illustrated books for Charles Dickens. Does anyone know if Cruikshank and Phiz were actual friends?
You can find this and previous editions at 'back-issues'.
I hope you'll enjoy them and want to subscribe - they're free!
Happy writing and illustrating!
Peter Taylor

technorati tags:Writing, for, Children, Illustrating, Story, Cruikshank, Cruickshank, Phiz, Dickens, Mustard, George, Woodward, cartoon

Tip for Writers

Professional writers for children belong to the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators - SCBWI. To become a Full Member, you have to have had a children's book published.

Editors receive manuscripts from authors and all kinds of 'wanna be' writers, and can get jaded reading dozens of unprofessional letters and stories with no potential.

Even finding out about the Society and paying the fee to become an unpublished 'Associate Member' shows that you are serious about the craft, and many Associate Memebers have had books published for adults but not yet for children.

After considerable recent discussion amongst members of the Yahoo Children's Writers forum (thanks everyone for your input and advice!), it was generally agreed that:

By mentioning SCBWI on the outside of your submission envelope, whatever level of your membership, you give an editor an expectation that the contents will be professionally presented and could be worth reading, and may just encourage them to spend a little extra time considering what you have written - enough to make the difference and eventually send you a contract to sign. Before joining SCBWI, writers at least will have probably had professional tuition through a course, and the chances are that a member will belong to a critique network and have worked on their manuscript for a considerable time and noted the insights and advice of their writer buddies.

If a member, it is suggested that you write in the bottom left-hand corner of your submission envelope:

SCBWI Member

or

SCBWI Full-Member

or, if the editor gave a presentation at a SCBWI event and said they would read material from attendees:

SCBWI Member

Attendee July 2006 Queensland Conference

Of course, the envelope could just be ripped open by an office worker and discarded before being read by an editor, so I usually put something about SCBWI membership early in the cover letter too.

If you are a serious about writing for children, I suggest you research and join the Society.

(You're still allowed to give your manuscript a hug for 'good luck' as you drop it in the mail! Luck can always play a part in acceptances - but you might find my cover letter recipe useful too.)

Peter

www.writing-for-children.com

technorati tags:writing, for, children, submission, submit, SCBWI, story, manuscript

Here's A Good One For Writers

If you are a writer or an author, you'll know the importance of impressing an agent or editor with more than just the quality of your writing.

Yesterday I listened to a wonderful free mp3 on 'How to get a 6 figure advance' on www.prsecrets.com

Not very likely for for a book for children, but lots of good tips are provided!

I recommend you visit the site and investigate ...and no, I'm not an affiliate.

Happy writing

Peter Taylor

www.writing-for-children.com

technorati tags:Writing, Children, tips, agent, editor, Peter, Taylor, advance

Writing For Children Videos

Happy New Year, everyone!

Yes, one of my 'resolutions' is to add to this blog regularly. I had hoped to create a new one that was hosted on my site, so that added pages help search engine ranking - but that's still on the 'to do' list, so I'll get back to writing this one.

My www.writing-for-children.com website has been greatly added to in the last few months. I hope you've checked out the new videos on creativity. They show lots of interesting documents and books from my collection. Many date from 1280 to 1880. I also show calligraphy techniques and how to create artist's books.

Producing videos and putting them on websites is easy. New ones will feature how books are created for publishers, and the kinds of things I can talk about and share on school visits, particularly 'The History of Books' and 'Creating Your Own Books'.

Better get to it!

Hoping you all find 2007 a happy and healthy one, filled with love and peace.

Peter Taylor
www.writing-for-children.com

technorati tags:Writing, Children, Video, School, history, books, calligraphy, artists, creativity

The Mad Month of November

I've gone crazy and signed up with http://www.nanowrimo.org. That's 'write a 50,000 word novel in a month (November)' ... actually 'National Novel Writing Month' - but it's international. Yes, it's possible! 6000 people succeeded last year.

Deadlines really do work to bring achievement. Thinking about the perfect opening, the perfect dialogue, the perfect ..., really do hold me back. You are bound to do re-writes and kick it around hard afterwards, but wouldn't it just be nice to have something actually 'there' to work on later??? That was my logic anyway.

But novels are really not my thing, so I'll give it a go to write 'a book' in a month - even though it is more likely to be non-fiction or 'fiction-faction' ... whatever it is you call a non-fiction story with fictional dialogue. I want to write the story of 'Mad James Lucas' for children.

I was amazed with what I could actually write and produce when I worked in another simililar scheme 'to create and put an ebook on a site in a month'.

I definitely work best to deadlines and with constant kicks / encouragement from others trying to do the same thing.

You can register up to November 29th! Even if you don't write or finish the novel, it's worth signing up just to be able to use the forum - there are so many friendly positive people who freely offer great advice and support. I hope I can reciprocate too.

Better get to work quickly and develop a plot ...

Wergle Flomp

I was delighted to have my lunacy recently recognised by winning a minor prize in the Winning Writers 'Wergle Flomp' competition for parody poems, for which, I believe, there were close to 1500 entries from word-wide. Perhaps that puts me amongst the world's craziest writers!

In January 2000, David Taub tried to write, under the pen name of Wergle Flomp, a poem that would be rejected by poetry.com. He failed!

The contest gives real prizes to poems written in jest and submitted to poetry.com.

((March 2014 - This competition has now changed to being for humorous poems in general, not parody, and with no necessity to submit to poetry.com  
 http://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free ))

The origin of Wergle Flomp can be viewed at 
http://www.scribd.com/doc/209812770/Wergle-Flomp-The-Poems-That-Started-It-All


Here's my winning poem:

Leedabole and the Froggy-hopple

A suddy croakamole: the sinewlade leggymires pushy still
Into the swoonupping girlyfling, her eyebolds transfissured
By the greeny webbles, her spiritule almire at his will,
She holdips his slimeblade bodyling againthro hers.

How can those terrifoldy stiff fingerloppers grippold
And holdify her potentimal princeling now slippy-slidingo from her grippylasp?
And how can bodyling, trying oh so hard not to over-trippold,
But feel the heartypumps
…thumpy thumpy,
…thumpy thumpy,
…near to burstivating where they lie?

A smacker-kisseroogy, maybold a smacker-kisseroogy will break
The magicome spell, retrove the prizal and princeling now appearifolding
Agamem-ning-nong deaddy-diddylo.
                                                        Being so up-caughtafied with this,
So desperangle for successoscopy and not findy a fake
Did she abandonfile cautionment to the windy-puffs and fearfolding
Her last chancit was here, up-puckermole
Before the loosencaving fingerloppers had to let him dropple?

"Leedabole and the Froggy-hopple" is a parody of "Leda and the Swan" by William Butler Yeats. The style is similar to that of the late 'Professor' Stanley Unwin - with apologies.

Translated:

Leda and the Frog

A sudden croak, the sinewed legs pushing still
Into the swooning girl, her eyes transfixed
By the green webs, her spirit almost at his will,
She holds his slimy body against hers.

How can those terrified stiff fingers grip
And hold her potential prince now slipping from her grasp?
And how can body, trying not to trip,
But feel their hearts near bursting where they lie?

A kiss, maybe a kiss will break
The magic spell, return the prize and prince appearing
Agamemnon dead.  
                            Being so caught up with this,
So desperate for success and not a fake
Did she abandon caution to the wind and fearing
Her last chance was here, pucker up
Before the loosening fingers had to let him drop?

 Leda and the Swan    W.B.Yeats

    A sudden blow: the great wings beating still
    Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed
    By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,
    He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.

    How can those terrified vague fingers push
    The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?
    And how can body, laid in that white rush,
    But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?

    A shudder in the loins engenders there
    The broken wall, the burning roof and tower[20]
    And Agamemnon dead.
                        Being so caught up,
    So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
    Did she put on his knowledge with his power
    Before the indifferent beak could let her drop? 

....Back to writing something sensible!