Black and white spaniel sitting
Big, fuzzing brown puppy sitting
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Young Husky sitting
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On Readers, Bloggers, and Gratitude: The Reason We Write Books

by Martina Boone

I got home from BookItCon Chapter Two, a great charity event for readers up in Moorestown, NJ, yesterday to find my editor had sent me an early copy of the paperback of PERSUASION. It’s gorgeous, don’t you think? I sat down and stared at it for a while, realizing that meant that we were really one step closer to the end of the series. I couldn’t decide how that made me feel, it was a bit overwhelming. But ultimately, I think the single biggest emotion is the one that I felt during the New Jersey event.

There were many readers at BookItCon who were familiar to me, and many I’d never met before. And all of them reach out to help the reading community in some way and expand the reach of books and authors. There is nothing more simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming than to hear someone say they sent a signed book of yours to Romania (when you know that costs about $40!!!!), or to get to hug someone who spent many times more than the list price of your books to get them signed in a charity auction. Just seeing the way that readers light up when they talk about books, my own or someone else’s, makes me so honored and proud to be part of this community.

So I just want to take today out from the regular blogging schedule to say thank you to anyone who reads books and supports authors. I had long chats this weekend with several bloggers and fans, and it struck me how much they do for authors.

  • Writing blog posts about their anticipation of upcoming releases
  • Buying books
  • Requesting them from libraries
  • Adding books on Goodreads
  • Posting photos on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumbler
  • Reviewing books on their blogs, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, YouTube etc.
  • Hosting giveaways or blog tours
  • Sharing with bookclubs or other groups of friends
  • Tweeting about books or otherwise spreading their love

There are so many, many touchpoints that a book has to go through to stay alive in this business, but it all begins and ends with people sharing their love and excitement.

I always say this in the acknowledgements of my books–which are usually as long as the books themselves–but I can’t say it enough or with enough heartfelt gratitude: THANK YOU to every reader, librarian, blogger, teacher, bookseller, and person in the publishing industry. Reading books has brought me joy my entire life. It has changed the lives of my children. And when I think that I have the opportunity to get to have readers share my words and my worlds through the pages of a book I have written, I still have to pinch myself.

Thank you. If you’re a writer, know that this is a feeling that is worth any amount of pain and heartache and all the learning and growing your book and this business puts you through. If you’re a reader, know that you are loved and appreciated.

Sending hugs all around!

XO

Martina

Martina Boone

Martina Boone is the award-winning author of the romantic southern gothic Heirs of Watson Island series, starting with COMPULSION from Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse and the Celtic Legends Collection of novels set in Scotland, Cornwall, and Ireland beginning with LAKE OF DESTINY. She’s passionate about improving lives through literacy and the love of books, and she runs the Compulsion For Reading program to distribute books to underserved schools and libraries.

She lives with her husband, children, Shetland Sheepdog Phinney, and Zoey the lopsided cat, and she enjoys writing contemporary romantic fiction with a hint of magic set in small towns and beautiful places. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.

Post © Martina Boone and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Posted: Aug 9, 2016
Category: Imported from AYAP
Tags: Martina Boone | Readers

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The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p> <p>Your main character needs to be:<br /> • Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br /> • Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br /> • Active enough to drive the story<br /> • Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p> <p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />
The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p> <p>But your theme needs to be:<br /> • Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br /> • Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br /> • Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br /> • Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p> <p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />
The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p> <p>In general, your plot should:<br /> • Hook readers fast<br /> • Build tension that a child can follow<br /> • Create page turns that feel natural<br /> • Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p> <p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.
The Arms of your story are the side characters.
The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p> <p>Your setting should:<br /> • Make your character's world feel real<br /> • Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br /> • Connect different scenes and moments organically<br /> • Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p> <p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black. 

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