Breaking Down Your Writing by Melissa Gijsbers #ChaBooCha

Image by by Pexels from Pixabay

Breaking Down Your Writing

by Melissa Gijsbers

Writing a chapter book in a month can seem like a daunting task, no matter what word goal you are aiming for.  It doesn’t matter whether you plan your story before you write or if you just sit down to write, it can still seem like a monumental task.

As someone who has participated in the Chapter Book Challenge since the beginning, I have found that breaking down my manuscript into chapters is one of the best ways to get the writing done.

My usual plan is to write a chapter a day and I set a word count for the chapter based on the sort of book I’m writing. I then have a goal for the number of chapters for the book. If my chapters are shorter, I may write two chapters a day.

Looking at the word counts on publisher’s websites can be a great starting point, however I use that as a rough guide for my first draft as I know that during the rewriting and editing process I will add scenes and descriptions, or take them out, as needed. I also use the number of chapters as a starting point as there are some stories that will need extra chapters.

Your writing plan could look something like this:

• 10 chapters at 750 words each
• 20 chapters at 1000 words each
• 15 chapters at 500 words each
• 10 chapters at 100 words each (early reader)

As well as looking at the story, I also look at what else is happening during the month so I can plan my writing time to set me up for success in writing my manuscript.

Breaking down your chapter book into smaller, manageable pieces will help set you up to complete your manuscript with some days to spare to add extra chapters or start a rewrite before the end of the month.

The biggest thing to remember is to enjoy your story and enjoy the process of writing your chapter book.

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Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author and booklover. She currently has three chapter books published, all written and edited during the Chapter Book Challenge. She lives in Gippsland in Victoria with her two teenage sons and their pet blue-tongue lizard. You can find her online at www.melissagijsbers.com

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Give-away

I (Becky) make metal charm bookmarks. The above picture is just one example of one of my bookmarks. Today's give-away is one of these charm bookmarks. It will not necessarily be the same as the one above as I make them from different charms and different bases on a frequent basis. (I also do themed-ones for specific books.)If you are already a signed-up member of the challenge, all you have to do to be entered into the drawing for today's prize is comment on this blog post. 

Naming Characters by Melissa Gijsbers #ChaBooChaLite #ChaBooCha

Naming Characters

Coming up with names for your characters can be hard. To be honest, there are days when I think that, if I’m having trouble naming a character in a book, it’s amazing that my kids were ever named!

There are a number of ways I try to name a character:

Use the first name that comes to mind

Every now and again, a name will just come to me as I write the story, and it works. If it doesn’t, I figure I can always change the name later if I need to.

Baby Name Books & Apps

Books and apps can be useful when you are trying to find a name that is a specific ethnicity, or you are looking for a name that has a specific meaning. When all else fails, close your eyes, open the book, and put your finger on the page, and use the name closest to your finger!

Top 10 or 100 Lists

If you are looking for a name from a certain year or era, then doing a search for the top names of that year or decade, can give you a lot of great ideas for names you may not have thought about before. There are also lists of the worst names in a year, or strangest names.

Name Generators

These can be useful if you are looking for names for a fantasy or science fiction story or are looking for a name that is a bit different from names that would appear in books, apps, or popular name lists.

Ask for suggestions

When I’m really stuck, I will post something on Social Media asking for suggestions. The ideas that come back may be used in the story or may point me in the right direction so I can find a name for my character. I also know of people who have auctioned off the opportunity to name a character in a story!

Names of people you know

As much as I try not to do this, you could name characters after people you know. This can be both a good and bad thing as people you know could take it as a positive or a negative, especially if you name a less than pleasant character after them!

What are some of the other ways you come up with names of characters?

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Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author, blogger, and speaker who has been a member of the Chapter Book Challenge since it began. She currently has three chapter books published, all written and edited during the challenge. When she’s not writing or running workshops, she is caring for two teenage boys and working in the family business. You can find her online at melissagijsbers.com and www.facebok.com/melissagijsbers

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Give-away

Today's prize is a copy of Shakespeare: A Book of Quotations. If you are a signed-up member of the Chapter Book Challenge or ChaBooCha Lite, just comment on this blog post in order to entered for the prize. Winner will be chosen by a random number generator on the 30th of September 2018.

Running a Writing Group for Young Writers by Melissa Gijsbers #ChaBooCha

When I first got back into creative writing in 2012, I spent most of my lunch breaks in the local library getting books and resources to help with my writing. It could be anything from books about Magic Lanterns to books about bullying and friendship. I would also spend time talking with the librarians about my writing, my goals and dreams, especially my dream of becoming a published author.

It was with great surprise when I was approached to run a school holiday workshop. At that point, I hadn’t published a book! The workshop was a success, and the library asked me about running a regular group for young writers. I said yes and have been doing it ever since!

The group is quite casual, giving the kids the opportunity to ask burning questions about writing, editing, publishing, and reading. We share writing tips, book recommendations, and even do some writing with fun prompts, such as using chocolate bars (that’s one of the favourites).

In the Kidlit community, I hear so much about doing school visits, but not so much about running groups outside school. One thing that I’ve found through running this group is that there are teens out there who really want to write, and there are libraries who are wanting to run activities for teens.

Working with teens is so rewarding. Each person I work with is looking for their own writing style. Many of them are also finding the information given to them at school doesn’t necessarily fit that style. Having the opportunity of a regular writing group gives them the opportunity to explore different genre, different writing prompts, and different styles. I know that my writing style never quite fit in with what my teachers wanted, and the kids have enjoyed hearing about my experiences as a teen writer.

The teens are also growing in confidence as writers. I love watching this grow from week to week. There are many kids who come along and, on their first time, hardly say two words. As time goes on, their confidence grows as they start asking questions and sharing the pieces they have written during the session, to bringing in work they have done at home or at school to share with the group.

I hope that by coming to the group, these teens will grow in confidence and one day I will be looking at the shelves of a bookshop, spot one of their books on the bestseller shelf and say: “I knew them when they were first starting!”

To start a regular writing group, contact your local library or even your local school, and see if they are interested. They may have a group of teenagers that come to the library after school who would enjoy the opportunity to talk about writing regularly, or the school may want to start a lunchtime or after school club with students who are enthusiastic writers.

For this service, I charge less than a traditional school visit as the group is smaller and it’s a regular income instead of a once off. It’s also less structured than a school visit would be, to give the students the opportunity to ask the questions they want to ask, in an environment that is comfortable for them.

Oh, I nearly forgot, I always have some sort of reward for the kids who participate, usually a chocolate frog or a lollipop. It’s amazing how much this small reward can get kids involved!

When looking at writing groups, find out about what requirements there are, such as Working with Children checks and insurance. The requirements may be different depending on where you are. Having these in place before you contact the library or school will make it much easier to get started.

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Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author who has three middle grade books published, all written during the Chapter Book Challenge! She has two teenage boys and runs a regular group for young writers at her local library. You can find her online at www.melissagijsbers.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/melissagijsbers.

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Give-away

Today's prize is a copy of the book "Writing for Children and Teens: A Crash Course (How to Write, Revise, and Publish a Kid's or Teen Book with Children's Book Publishers)" by Cynthea Liu. If you are a signed-up member of the challenge, all you need to do to enter the prize drawing is to comment on this blog post. The winner will be selected by a random number generator at noon on March 31st and announced within 24 hours of the drawing.

Muddling Through the Middle by Melissa Gijsbers #ChaBooCha

Keep Going Through the Middle

It’s about the half way point of the Chapter Book Challenge, and we’re all at different points in our journey. Some people are powering along, and others are still just starting. Wherever you’re at, well done. You are further along in your book than you were at the start of the month.

It is also the point when many of us start slowing down and getting burnt out.

Don’t worry; you’re not the only one feeling like this.

I’ve been participating in the Chapter Book Challenge since the start and here are some of my tips for getting through the middle:

Take a break – A night off can make a huge difference. I now factor in a night off when I’m planning my writing time.

Sit somewhere different – Maybe you just need a change in scenery. Take your notebook or laptop to a café, or even just sit on the couch if you usually sit at a desk. A change is as good as a holiday, right?

Use a different medium – If you normally write on a computer, try writing a chapter in a note book, or vice versa. It’s the same idea as writing somewhere different as a change can help you get a new perspective and help get you excited about your writing once more.

Get some feedback – Sometimes it can be helpful to get a bit of feedback on what you’ve written so far. It could be from other members of the challenge, or from someone in your family. I get feedback from my kids.

Review your research – If you’ve been doing a lot of research for your book, reviewing your research can give you a fresh perspective on your topic, or give you some ideas for things you could include. Even if no new ideas come, it can help you get excited about your topic again.

Whatever you do to refresh yourself, keep going. There is still half the month left. You can do it.

About the Author

Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author and blogger. She has had flash fiction stories feature in a number of anthologies and her first children’s book, Swallow Me, NOW! was written in the 2013 Chapter Book Challenge, and was published in October 2014. When she’s not writing or coming up with ideas for stories, she’s running around after two active boys and working in the family business. You can find her online at MelissaGijsbers.com or on Facebook. 

Give-away

Melissa Gijsbers has generously offered an e-book copy of her book "Swallow Me, NOW!" as a prize for one lucky member. If you are a signed-up member of the challenge, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post in order to be entered into the drawing. the winner will be selected by a random number generator on March 31st.

Writing Snippets - Guest post by Melissa Gijsbers (plus a giveaway)! #ChaBooChaLite

My 10 year old son is a budding composer. He loves how different notes sound on the piano and putting them together to make a piece of music. He has an amazing ability to tell a story using music.

A couple of months ago, I sat and watched him with his piano teacher as they told the story of a train leaving the platform and a man who missed that train because he was caught in the toilet!

Most recently, he’s been playing around with Garage Band, an app on my iPad that helps with composing music. Right now, he’s working on a piece about feeling sick and recording snippets of music he plays on the piano ready to mix later. Often, he’ll hear them back and think they’re rubbish, but his piano teacher told him to never delete them. You never know when they’ll be perfect to put into a composition.

What does this have to do with writing chapter books? I hear you ask. Hang in there, it will become clear.

I find that there are some days I sit down to write and will write a snippet of a story. It may be a scene, or a paragraph or a single line. Sometimes I look at this snippet and think it’s rubbish and should be thrown away, but I keep it.

I’ve found that every now and again, I’ll stumble on that snippet and find it’s the basis for a story or will fit perfectly into something I’m already writing. That character name I jotted down on the back of a receipt while I was driving might be the perfect name for my next villain, or the paragraph I wrote as part of an exercise at writers group might be the perfect opening to a new story. That silly line I wrote while waiting to pick up kids from after school activities might even fit to help me get over a major bout of writer’s block.

Believe it or not, a snippet written while waiting for school pick-up formed the basis of Swallow Me, NOW! the manuscript I wrote during the March 2013 Chapter Book Challenge and is now due for release next month.

Hold on to those snippets of writing, just as my son holds on to his snippets of composition. You never know when they may be just the line of text you are looking for.

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Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author and blogger. She has had flash fiction stories feature in a number of anthologies and her first children’s book, Swallow Me, NOW! is due for release in October 2014. When she’s not writing or coming up with ideas for stories, she’s running around after two active boys and working in the family business. You can find her online at MelissaGijsbers.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/melissagijsbers.

LINK: Swallow Me, NOW!   

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Give-away

One person who comments on this post (and is signed-up for the challenge) will win a handmade charm bookmark made by me (Becky). Winner will be selected by a random number generator and announced on September 30th, 2014.