by Rachel Toalson | Books
Writing the Fiction Series: The Complete Guide for Novels and Novellas, by Karen S. Wiesner, was a book specifically about the techniques and best practices we should use when creating a fiction series. Trilogies, quartets and series aren’t really books that you can just begin and see where the story goes, because there are important methods to use when bouncing from book one to book two or book twelve to book thirteen.
Wiesner takes her readers through all the elements that keep readers reading an entire series. She outlines different kinds of series ties you can have, like characters or groups of characters, location or setting, or plot. She highlights the importance of at least having a bare bones structure in place for what the entire series will look like before you even release the first book in the series. Since I now have the first books of a series under my belt, I completely agree with that advice. Having a plan, at least a vestige of one, is better than making it up as you go when you’re writing a fiction series. Otherwise, you’ll have a whole lot of open loops and things that don’t really matter, and that just gets annoying for readers.
Wiesner also takes her readers through the series arc as well as the individual story arcs for each book in a series and talks about the plants, which are, essentially, mysteries, that series authors use to keep readers engaged and reading.
Chapters detailed things like story arcs versus series arcs, stand-alones versus cliff-hangers, single genre versus multiple genres, novel series versus novella series, and probably the most crucial chapter: organization of a series.
At the end of the book, Wiesner talks a little bit about marketing a series and the importance of creating a brand with your series name, which is something I’ve been thinking a whole lot about lately.
What were probably the most valuable features of the book were the series brainstorm worksheets, which you could replicate, and the very end of the book, where Wiesner includes some appendices that detail the story arcs and series arcs of several different series in several different genres. I found it helpful to look at an actual book as an example. Some of them I hadn’t read yet, but Wiesner’s breakdown of them was still incredibly helpful.
I’ll definitely be using Wiesner’s tips to continue planning for the rest of my Fairendale series and also for the many other series I have in the works right now. I found this book highly valuable to me, and I hope it is for you, too.
*The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books I find valuable myself. I don’t even actually talk about the books I don’t find valuable, because I try to forget I wasted time on them.
by Rachel Toalson | Books
My 6-year-old is reluctant reader. This summer, I aim to change that, so I’ve put some fun fantasies, lots of animal books, and some entertaining, danger-filled stories on his summer reading list.
Here’s a look at the books he’ll be reading.
1. Maybe a Fox, by Kathi Appelt (a wonderful story about sisters and a fox, illustrated by one of my favorite artists: Alison McGhee)
2. The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman (a short, sweet read about a spoiled prince and his brave whipping boy)
3. Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai (a wonderful story about an immigrant girl. It’s written in verse, which means it’ll make him feel like he’s reading fast.)
4. How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell (an imaginative story with dragons, Vikings, and brave children.)
5. Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (a heartwarming story about a boy and a special dog.)
6. Woof, by Spencer Quinn (a fun mystery with a girl, a dog, and a stolen prize marlin.)
7. The Tale of Despereax, by Kate DiCamillo (one of my favorite fantasies about a mouse who becomes a knight.)
8. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo (another of my favorite fantasies about a stuffed bunny who goes on a trip and rediscovers love.)
9. Because of Winn-Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo (a beautiful story about a girl named Opal and a dog named Winn-Dixie.)
10. I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, by Lauren Tarshis (an adventurous tale of a kid who survived the sinking of the Titanic. The whole I Survived series would be great for reluctant readers.)
11. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, by Lauren Tarshis (another adventurous story about a kid who survives the destruction of Pompeii.)
12. The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown (a wonderfully entertaining tale about a robot stuck on an island. Brown’s sequel to this one comes out this year!!!)
12. Where the Sidewalk Ends, by Shel Silverstein (another of my favorite poetry books by Silverstein—because poetry is good for kids.)
You’ll notice that Kate DiCamillo makes quite a few appearances on this list. That’s not only because she’s one of my favorite writers but also because she has a way of wrapping a story around a kid that makes them feel like they’re not required to sit and read for an hour every day—they’re actually choosing to. And this is exactly what I want my 6-year-old to get from this summer’s reading list.
The books mentioned above have affiliate links attached to them, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on them and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
by Rachel Toalson | Books
Thanks, But This Isn’t for Us: A (Sort of) Compassionate Guide to Why Your Writing is Being Rejected, by Jessica Page Morrell, is a book about all the things writers do that turn off not only potential agents and editors but also readers. Morrell is an independent editor and sees all sorts of books come her way. She puts together all her expertise on what makes and breaks a story and compiles it in this helpful guide that breaks down into chapters on conflict, dialogue, theme, characters, first pages and much more.
Morrell writes in a very conversational tone. She’s blunt, but it comes across in a humorous way, rather than a know-it-all way, which I appreciated.
I liked everything about this book. It was very informative and helped highlight some of the important things that writers can go back and revise in their manuscripts that will make their stories so much better. But probably the thing I liked most about Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us is how once Morrell was done getting her point across about whatever it was she’d chosen—like dialogue or conflict or first pages—she then had a whole list of deal breakers, which were essentially the most common mistakes she sees in the manuscripts she gets. Sometimes it’s incredibly helpful not just to know what to do, but to know what not to do. Not many books tell us what not to do, and that was probably the most helpful aspect of this book.
I found that the deal breakers were simple enough to compile into a list that I’ll be using to assess my manuscripts before calling them finished.
One of my favorite sections of the book was where Morrell talked about revisions and new drafts. I pretty much do what she does, and I actually have some additional drafts that I do for perfecting purposes, but her guide was really helpful, because it included a checklist for the drafts she recommends all writers do. I’ll definitely be incorporating this checklist into my process and also developing some checklists for my own additional drafts.
All in all, Thanks, But This Isn’t For Us, was a highly valuable book to read. Morrell knows her stuff inside out and back again.
*The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books I find valuable myself. I don’t even actually talk about the books I don’t find valuable, because I try to forget I wasted time on them.
by Rachel Toalson | Books
My 8-year-old is a voracious reader. He will read anything and everything—but he wasn’t always this way. He had an amazing teacher during his second-grade year at school. This teacher reiterated what his mama always told him: reading unlocks knowledge, which unlocks the world.
So this summer, I made him a list that celebrates knowledge and imagination. (He’s already finished three of them. I should have made him a longer list!)
1. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill (a lovely fantasy about a girl and her witch mother, with sorrow and hope at its core. Knowledge: Sorrow is better shared.)
2. Paperboy, by Vince Vawter (a sweet story about a boy who takes over a newspaper delivery job for his friend during the summer and meets the most interesting people. Knowledge: All people have their own pain.)
3. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier (a superb story about a blind thief who embarks on many adventures and finds redemption. Knowledge: We don’t always know what we think we know about people.)
4. Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, by Jonathan Auxier (an excellent story about a girl who restores ancient books and must retrieve some important ones so she can protect them. Knowledge: It’s worth risking your life to preserve books.)
5. Magyk: Septimus Heap Book 1, by Angie Sage (One of my favorite fantasies for kids—fantastic world-building, fun characters, and a twist-and-turn kind of story. Knowledge: Even a seventh son can make a difference in the world.)
6. Smile, by Raina Telgemeier (a graphic novel that deals with embarrassing braces, fake teeth and friendship. Knowledge: You know who you are. Be yourself.)
7. The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy (A wonderfully entertaining fairy tale retelling that will make you laugh out loud. Knowledge: Princesses can be heroes, too.)
8. As Brave as You, by Jason Reynolds (a fantastic story about two brothers who spend a summer with their grandparents. Knowledge: There is love and safety in family.)
9. Unbound, by Ann E. Berg (a beautiful novel-in-verse that highlights the plights of a slave girl. Knowledge: History is hard but doesn’t have to be repeated.)
10. Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai (a wonderful story about an immigrant girl. Knowledge: We’ll never know the reality of another’s life until we walk in their shoes—kindness and empathy are supreme.)
11. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, by Grace Lin (a marvelous story about a girl who attempts to save her parents from poverty. Knowledge: what we need and what we think we need are two different things.)
12. A Light in the Attic, by Shel Silverstein (another of my favorite poetry collections—funny, imaginative, informative. Knowledge: Silly is fun.)
I’m sure he’ll blow this list out of the water and that, at the end of the summer, I’ll have a much longer one to share.
The books mentioned above have affiliate links attached to them, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on them and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
by Rachel Toalson | Books
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport, is a book about cultivating more deep work in your life. Deep work is defined as the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.
I can’t say enough about this book. Truly. Many of the principles in it are things that I intuitively set up in my own work life, but all of them were good reminders for me. And, in the distracted world in which we find ourselves today, I can’t think of a more valuable book to teach us about how to develop our focus and increase our meaningful work without demanding more time from our schedules.
Newport is a very cut and dry personality, and that comes through in his writing. He has some extreme ideas about productivity and ways that we can better use our time and increase our deep work practice. I agree with his ideas, but I suspect that some people, who maybe aren’t as rigid as I am, might not. Still, this book is incredibly valuable for helping us work our way toward less distracted work time.
Newport is a professor and doesn’t argue that distractedness is bad; he just argues that deep work is better. He then outlines the ways that we can actually increase our ability to perform deep work in a meaningful manner. The principles and strategies were communicated in a very clear and concise manner, without professor-speak, which I appreciated. Newport wove his strategies in with his examples of other deep workers in all sorts of fields, from blacksmithing to computer programming to writing.
One of my favorite things about this book was that Newport detailed other people’s deep work practices and gave many different ideas that were not just his own. This helps readers to see from a variety of experiences and choose from many different methods.
I learned some very practical solutions for determining what sorts of deep work I’ll do and how to increase my deep work practice and, maybe even more importantly, what sort of shallow work would be worth my time and energy. I learned how to analyze where my time is going and the purpose behind those to-do list items. One of my biggest struggles is trying to determine whether what I’m focusing on is the best use of my limited time. There are some things that have crept into my schedule simply because every other writer I know does it. Well, that doesn’t mean it’s good for me. Newport’s book helped me clarify all of that–and gave me permission to quit if I needed to.
With the more than 3,000 words of notes I took from reading this book, I’ll deepen my own deep work practice and use Newport’s strategies to analyze everything I’m currently doing in light of deep and shallow work. I don’t want to do more than 40 percent shallow work, because the deep work is the work that really matters. It’s true that it’s necessary to do some shallow work, but if I can strategically limit that shallow work, I’ll open up more time for the things that really matter to me.
I also really enjoyed that Newport gave readers permission to hide away and not feel badly about it—not that I’m going anywhere anytime soon. But maybe, at some point in the future, I’ll be like Henry David Thoreau. You know, when my kids are grown. Because a place in the woods, with six kids crammed inside, doesn’t feel much like a Walden.
*The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books I find valuable myself. I don’t even actually talk about the books I don’t find valuable, because I try to forget I wasted time on them.
by Rachel Toalson | Books
Every summer my boys and I work on summer reading lists, which they will be required to finish by the end of the summer in order to get a book of their choice added to their personal library. They read books alone and we read books together—because reading is good for kids. It increases their vocabulary, it teaches them empathy, it bolsters their hearts to overcome whatever life throws their way.
I could go on and on about the value and wonder of reading, but what I really want to do here is share the list that my 10-year-old and I came up with for his summer reading requirement. This year I wanted to choose books that would specifically promote empathy by introducing my son to realities that he hasn’t lived. I curated his list to include plenty of books that tell the stories of people who have lives very different from his.
He’s a great reader, so of course he’ll consume plenty of “light” reads this summer, too. But in order to add a free book (courtesy of Mom and Dad) to his library, these are the books he’ll have to mark off his list:
1. Navigating Early, by Clare Vanderpool (a sweet story about two boys who embark on a journey across the Appalachian Trail.)
2. Wonder, by R.J. Palacio (a beautiful story about a boy with a disfigured face. He’s already read this one, but I thought it would be good to read again, since the movie is coming out soon!)
3. The Inquisitor’s Tale, by Adam Gidwitz (an entertaining story about the Middle Ages and three kids on the run—written in like Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.)
4. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill (a lovely fantasy about a girl and her witch mother, with sorrow and hope at its core.)
5. Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai (a wonderful story about an immigrant girl.)
6. Moon Over Manifest, by Clare Vanderpool (a historical story of a girl who spends a summer in a small town, away from her father.)
7. The Witch of Blackbird Pond, by Elizabeth George Speare (another historical story of an accused witch during the witch trials.)
8. As Brave as You, by Jason Reynolds (a fantastic story about two brothers who spend a summer with their grandparents.)
9. Ghost, by Jason Reynolds (a heartbreaking/heart-mending story about a boy who runs track and learns what it means to be part of a team)
10. Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sachar (an imaginative story about some scientific biofuel that becomes a danger to residents in a town.)
11. Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier (a superb story about a blind thief who embarks on many adventures and finds redemption.)
12. Sophie Quire and the Last Storyguard, by Jonathan Auxier (an excellent story about a girl who restores ancient books and must retrieve some important ones so she can protect them.)
13. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud (a magical series about wizards and djinni and all things magical.)
He’ll also read Shel Silverstein’s Falling Up, because I always require my boys to read poetry. Poetry teaches the cadence of language and helps build a greater appreciation for words and sentences in the books they read.
This summer is already shaping up to be a great one.
The books mentioned above have affiliate links attached to them, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on them and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
