WOW Wednesday: Greg R. Fishbone on Making the Jump from Writer to Author

by Martina Boone

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In law school, I was taught that there’s a difference between a lawyer and an attorney. A lawyer is qualified to engage in the practice of law, while an attorney is engaged in the practice of law for somebody else. A lawyer becomes an attorney by taking on a client and representing that client’s interests.

So what is the difference between a writer and an author? I think it’s pretty much the same thing.

A writer is a person who writes, while an author writes with a readership in mind.

Being technically proficient in the craft doesn’t turn a writer into an author. Having books in print doesn’t turn a writer into an author. Attending book talks, receiving positive reviews, or winning awards doesn’t turn a writer into an author. Putting the reader’s experience first is the only thing that will ever turn a writer into an author.

Starting out, I wrote mainly for myself. I wrote stories because they were fun for me to write. I wrote stories because they were challenging and I wanted to hone my skills. I wrote books I would have enjoyed reading as a kid. I shared my writing with others and enjoyed their positive feedback, but I was a writer because I wrote primarily for myself.

Today I have two books in print and I’m still struggling with the transition from writer to author. I’m happy to report that I am making progress. While writing the upcoming sequel to The Challengers over this past summer, I was finally able to keep an imaginary reader in mind as I worked. I’m becoming more aware of certain phrases or characters that existed primarily because they amused me. “Aha!” I’d say. “So these must be the metaphorical darlings that Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch was urging us to murder!”

Not to say that authors can’t have a little fun as well. I think a reader can tell when a story was written by somebody who was having a good time with the process. When you read The Phantom Tollbooth, you just know that Norton Juster had to have been pretty pleased with all the wordplay and puns. Lemony Snicket’s books, with their heavy-handed, intrusive narrator, wouldn’t have worked unless the reader was meant to be in on the joke. These and other fun-loving authors keep the reader in mind and still manage to have a blast with the writing process.

I’m still trying to strike the right balance, but it feels good to finish a new chapter and think, “I can’t believe I just did that–the readers are going to love it.” It really makes me feel like an author.
—

The Challengers – Book #1 in the Galaxy Games Series
Follow the Galaxy Games Blog Tour, all October long!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Today’s WOW guest is Greg Fishbone, author of the Galaxy Games, a middle-grade romp through space, in which eleven-year-old Tyler Sato leads a team of kids representing all of Earth in a sports tournament against alien kids from across the galaxy. You can find Greg at on his web site or on Twitter.

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: Oct 26, 2011

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Getting Published | WOW Wednesday

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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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