5 Reasons Why Moms Matter in Children's Literature

The first thing you learn when writing for children and teens is that you have to get rid of the parents.  With parents or other adults around, the kids don't have as many opportunities to go on adventures and get into trouble.  The easiest way to solve this problem is to kill off (or otherwise dispose of) the parents.  I find, though, that getting rid of the parents altogether is often a mistake because parents matter in children's literature.  Moms matter.  So today on Mother's Day, I thought I'd do a little ode to why moms matter in Kidlit and YA.

1.  They provide conflict.  Read any of Carolyn Mackler's novels and you'll find that the central conflict for the teen protagonist often revolves around her relationship with her mother.  In The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things, Virginia has to find her own identity, independent of the identity that her mother tries to steer her toward.

2.  They can incite a story.  In Sarah Beth Durst's Ice the story really begins when Cassie gives up her own freedom in order to free her mother from the trolls.  If it had not been for her mother trapped in the troll castle, the story never would have unraveled from there.

3.  They provide a safe place in a world of chaos.  Though Katniss' mother doesn't play a huge role in The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins), she does provide a safe place, a home base.  In the first book of the trilogy, the mother doesn't appear very much, but in Catching Fire, when Gale is wounded, she springs into action with her healing skills.

4.  And did I mention the conflict?  In Coe Booth's Tyrell, the mother's inability to get her act together and take care of her family is what pushes Tyrell into his caretaker role.  If the mother had been a regular, responsible mother, then Tyrell wouldn't need to take care of his younger brother and he never would have come up with the plan that drives the story.

5.  Finally, even when they're not around, the mother's presence can be felt.  Perhaps the best example of a mother who has a strong impact on the protagonist is Lily, Harry's mother in the Harry Potter series.  While we never see Lily, but we know her selfless sacrifice is partly what protects Harry throughout the story.

To all the mothers, moms and mommies out there, you're awesome!  Despite the scuffs and struggles, remember: protagonists would not exist without their mothers.

To my own Mami: this one's for you.

Announcing: DIY MFA Contest Winners!

Friends, readers, fellow scribes!  Lend me your ears.  I come to share the iggilicious journal love, not hoard it for myself.  As you all may recall, one month ago we embarked on an adventure called DIY MFA and I announced the contest for these adorable iggi journals:

Well, now is the time to announce the five journal winners.  Drumroll please...  *fumbles with envelope*

*opens envelop*

*coughs*

*clears throat*

And the winners are...

Melinda Jones

Ashley Teatum

Jordan McCollum

Selena Wolff

and

MJ (@kreativelymj)

*throws confetti*

If your name is on that list, please email me with your mailing address and I'll mail you your iggilicious journal ASAP!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest.  If you want an iggilicious journal of your very own, you'll be able to purchase one soon, along with other iggilicious products so stay tuned because more info will be coming soon.

Remember, even though the journal contest is over, you can still sign up for the DIY MFA email list and get the FREE workbook.

3 Ways to Make Setting Come to Life

Welcome Back to YA Cafe, where book lovers can gather and chat about teen literature.  I'm your barista, along with Ghenet from All About Them Words.

Each Friday we pick from a menu of topics and share our thoughts on our respective blogs.  We've also got plans brewing for interviews, events and even some exciting giveaways, so stay tuned!  Join the discussion by responding in the comments, on your own blogs or on twitter using the hash tag #yacafe.
 
Today's Special: Larger-Than-Life Settings

In some books, setting is just a backdrop for the story but in others the setting becomes almost as important as the main characters.  What is it about these settings that makes them seem larger-than-life?  And how do we as writers create settings like this?

3 Ways to Make Setting Come to Life

1.  Make setting central to the story.  Settings that come to life are often a central component to the story.  One book that is a perfect example is Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan, a story could only be told in New York City.  When the setting becomes a central component to the story, it often takes on a life of its own.  In Love is the Higher Law, the powerful scene where Claire relights the candles could only happen in Union Square, in New York City.  That image of a teenage girl in Union Square, relighting candles that have gone out in the rain, still stays with me. 

2.  Drop your reader in the middle of the world.  In Sarah Beth Durst's Ice, the story opens in the middle of the Arctic pack ice, with Cassie chasing a polar bear.  We feel the ice on her face mask.  We see the crystals swirling in the air.  Right away we are engulfed by the world of the story. 

3. Details, details, details.  Take time to build details into your story and the setting will come to life.  in Love is the Higher Law we have that moving scene where Clair is looking for the railings near Ground Zero.  That detail of those railings makes the setting come to life.  Even for someone who doesn't live in New York City, they can identify with some of the emotion that Claire feels when she realizes those railings survived.  Here is that moment:

"As I turn to walk south, I am sure in my bones that the railings won't be there.  As I walk closer, I think it might be possible that they've survived.  As I turn and see the Financial Center's plaza, hurt but still standing, I think it's very possible, but still I can't believe it.  Nearer and nearer.  I see part of it is blocked off.  Then I can see it.  Right there.  I am so happy and so sad at the same time.  I am exuberant and despondent and utterly, completely beside myself.  There they are,  And I know it's ridiculous--with so many dead, so much destroyed that I can feel so much joy over a series of metal letters affixed to a metal railing.  Life ends, and life goes on.  Words disappear and words remain."

Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Ultimately, it all comes down to this: Believe in your setting.  Your reader will believe in you.

What do you think?  Are there other ways to make setting come to life?  What's your favorite larger-than-life setting?

Want to hear more about larger-than-life settings?  Fellow barista, Ghenet shares her thoughts on her blog: All About Them Words.  Check it out, then tell us what you think!

4 Core Elements of the Writing MFA

Even though April is over, DIY MFA continues, though in a more relaxed fashion.  Since many participants from April are new to DIY MFA, I thought I'd do some review posts every week to go over some of the DIY MFA concepts we discussed back in September.  Today we'll go over the four core elements of a Writing MFA (Master of Fine Arts) and how you can do-it-yourself to create your own DIY MFA. 

In a Writing MFA, writers must...

Read.  Most MFA programs have a literature component, where students must take a series of literature classes along with their writing coursework.  At The New School, not only do you have to take literature classes, you actually have to write a literature thesis as part of your graduation requirement.  In that sense, reading is a huge component of the MFA process.  Similarly, DIY MFA puts an emphasis on reading the literature.  By creating a reading list, reading the books and writing responses to what you read, you can simulate the literature study you would do in an MFA program.

Write.  Of course a writing program must include a lot of writing, and so must DIY MFA.  In a writing program you'll receive instruction on the craft of writing and be pushed to produce a substantial number of pages each semester for your workshop.  This process of writing and rewriting helps you hone your craft and strengthen your own abilities.  Without a writing component, the MFA (including the DIY MFA) would miss the point.  To be a writer, you have to write.  It's that simple.

Workshop.  The workshop is a central component of any MFA in writing.  By giving critique to other writers, you sharpen your reading skills.  In receiving critique on your own work will learn to make your writing stronger, as well as develop skills to handle rejection and criticism on your work.

Connect.  One component that many writers forget is connecting to the writing community.  Connecting can happen in many different ways.  Attending readings, going to conferences, connecting with other writers via the internet... these are all great ways to engage with the writing community.  The reason community is so important for writers is that otherwise writing can be a very lonely enterprise.  Community gives us a reality check and helps us stay motivated.

Which of these elements is easiest for you?  Which is the biggest challenge?

Fitness for Writers Blog Series: Feel Better Write Better

I've been spending a lot of time at this computer lately.  I sit and write, write and sit.  Then one morning as I was hunched over these computer keys, I realized that if I make some small but meaningful changes to my nutrition and exercise, I'll feel a whole lot better.  I'll have more energy and feel more engaged when I'm working.  And then it hit me: if I feel better, I'll write better.

It was like I just discovered gold!  It seemed so easy: just make some meaningful changes to my exercise and nutrition and I'll be a better writer... inside and out.  Trouble is, I don't know the first thing about nutrition or fitness, so I called up my good friend and trainer, Missy, and asked for some help.

Then I got another idea.  If this really works, I don't want to keep it to myself, I'll want to share it with all my writer friends (that's you!).  So I invite you all to go on this adventure with me.  Every Tuesday for the next three weeks, Missy will guest post with fitness tips and exercises especially designed for writers or people who are computer-bound most of the day.

Kicking off this series is a brief intro on Missy.  For more about Missy, check out her blog and her Facebook page.


Introducing... Missy!

Missy’s passion for fitness and nutrition is contagious.  With 7 years of personal training experience and a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics, she knows how to help people reach optimal physical performance through proper nutrition.  She has certification in personal training from NASM, a TRX certification, is Pre-Post Natal Certified and trained in Integrated Flexibility.  Missy uses a diverse selection of exercises in her approach, including: boxing, plyometrics, yoga, weights and bands.

Always challenging herself to reach optimal health and fitness, Missy competes in the bikini division of the National Physique Committee.  She took 2nd place in her first competition, 4th in her second, and made it to a Nationals just a few short months later.  Missy is proud to say that unlike her fellow competitors who used traditional dieting, she went against the grain and incorporated an all natural, organic, approach to her own nutrition.

But perhaps Missy's greatest strength is how she relates to people.  She takes a realistic approach to fitness and nutrition, and has a genuine love for making people feel good from the inside out.

Writing Challenges as Mindful Writing

Writing challenges are a great way to practice mindful writing.  I've talked about mindful writing in the past, and the idea is to be fully present in your writing and in the moment.  The question is, how do you do that when you're doing a challenge?  If you're pushing to write a whole novel in a month or a different story every day, you don't have time to be mindful, you just have to cram in as much writing as you can.  Right?  Believe it or not, challenges like StoryADay and NaNoWriMo are actually great exercises in mindful writing.

Here's why:

1.  You have to practice.  When you do a challenge like this, you're reinforcing the daily practice of writing.  You're showing up at the page every day and that's the first step of mindful writing.

2.  You have to be present.  If you're writing a story every day or trying to finish a novel, you can't allow yourself to be distracted by other ideas or projects.  You need to focus all your energy on the project at hand.  This is great practice for mindful writing because if a new and sparkly idea comes up, you have to practice setting it aside so you can work on the current story.

3.  You have to bounce back.  If you miss a day or slip up during the challenge, you have to bounce back and keep writing.  You don't have time to mope or beat yourself up for "failing" the challenge; you just have to write the next story.  This forces you to set aside those judging thoughts and go back to writing.

Remember: Mindful writing is about being fully present in that moment and in that writing project.  That means noticing when your inner critic is trying to barge in and letting those thoughts go.  It also means bringing yourself back to that project when your thoughts or ideas start to wander.

Are there any challenges you're facing in your writing?  Is there a way you can use the experience to practice mindful writing?

Story A Day

I was recently interviewed by Julie Duffy of StoryADay and the interview is posted at StoryADay.org.  Squee!  Please check it out and share your thoughts so Julie gets lots of comments on it!

As we embark on our Writing Marathon today, I wanted to mention StoryADay, which is an awesome challenge that starts... today!

StoryADay is sort of like the short story version of NaNoWriMo, except instead of writing a novel in one month, it's all about short stories.  The idea is you write and finish one short story every day for the month of May.  Julie's set up a fantastic site where you can connect with other writers doing the challenge and post stories as you write them.  I did StoryADay last year and it was great fun.  Didn't win, but that's not really the point... the point of the challenge is to rekindle that love for writing and it definitely did that.

So if any of you are wondering what to do after your DIY MFA time in April, I recommend checking out StoryADay and trying out the challenge.