Making your Characters Come to Life by Yvonne Navarro #ChaBooCha

Making your Characters Come to Life 

by Yvonne Navarro 

You see it in submission guidelines all the time: “We want character-driven fiction.” “We’re looking for interesting characters.” “The story must have multi-dimensional characters.” And you think, “I got this.”

But do you?

Let’s just throw out all those editorial terms right now and go for the single, magical word that your character needs to be:

Alive. 

You might think you can snap your fingers-- Voila!-- and imbue breath, heart, mind and body into a fictional person, but nope. Not happenng. There’s no magical way to do this, and it’s not just backstory that makes something on a piece of paper come to life in the mind of a reader. Picture this: 

Susan (A), seventeen years old, has short brown hair. She crosses the street and stumbles on the curb at the other side, but she keeps going because she has to get to class on time.

Hmmm. That’s pretty dull. What if we knew a little more about Susan before we wrote those two sentences?

(Susan found out two days ago that her little brother has cancer. She had long brown hair until yesterday, when she cut and sold it, and donated the proceeds to a cancer research company. She wanted to quit school and help take care of her brother, but he made her promise to get her high school diploma.)

Let’s rewrite:

Seventeen-year-old Susan (B) crosses the street. Her hair, cut to chin length, tickles the side of her jaw; this makes her think of why she cut it and her eyes burn as she recalls how sick her little brother is, how lousy he felt this morning. She’d wanted to stay home with him but he’d insisted she head to school. “I might be gone by the summer,” he’d told her. “But you’ll still have the future.” For a twelve-year-old, he was too darned smart. Tears fog her vision and she stumbles on the curb, but she keeps going. She has to. For him.

That’s better, but it’s still only a start, depending on whether you working on a short story or something longer. Yes, you’ve created a character, in this case, Susan. But how well do you really know her? I’m a firm believer in knowing way more about my character than will ever be revealed in the story. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “method actor.” That’s when an actor immerses him- or herself so fully into the role they’re playing that they tie emotional moments from their own lives into the part. Some even refuse to break role outside of the set, other subject themselves to the physical excesses the character endures so as to make their acting more realistic.

Going back to writing, think of yourself as a method writer. No, you can’t physically endure all the things you’re dreaming up for your character (unless you’re insane, but that’s the subject of your own blog entry, not mine). But you can do it mentally, in a sort of “method writing” procedure. Start by focusing on your character. No, don’t just think about him, or her. I’m talking serious focus here. Method writing. Inside your head, become your character.

So now what do you see?

If your answer is the computer screen as you scrunch up your face and try to squeeze out a few more words about Susan, then you’re doing it wrong. Don’t see the computer screen, or look at the words you’re typing.

See what Susan sees.

Be Susan.

Here’s my secret. When my POV (point of view, for newbies) is Susan and I’m typing about her life, in my head, I am Susan. I’ve become her. The world I see is the world in front of Susan’s eyes, and my brain is just telling my fingers to record it. Everything else just... goes away. There was a long month some years ago when I was crunched on the deadline for CONCRETE SAVIOR, so I used a recorder in the car to and from work every day, dictating the next scene in the book. It’s a good thing I’m a decent driver, because it was like I’d become hypnotized. Everything I saw was in my mind: Brynna’s next words and actions, those of other characters-- it all played across my mind’s eye. Not the road or the traffic lights-- nothing. I’d pull up to the gate on Fort Huachuca and show them my ID, and not recall a single thing about the fourteen-mile drive from home to where I was. I am not kidding. And yeah-- a little terrifying. Maybe a lot.

So let’s revisit Susan:

Even though she’s staring at the ground as she crosses the street, Susan (C)’s eyes are blurred with tears and she stumbles when she gets to the curb. She can’t think of anything but how sick her little brother was this morning, the chemo already tearing through his body. He was only twelve-- would he make it to seventeen, like she was now? He’d been so sad when he found out she’d cut her hair for money and donated the cash to cancer research. Her books felt like lead in her arms, pinching the skin at the crook of her elbow. She’d wanted to stay home with him but he’d made her promise to go to school, and to keep going, until she graduated. “Don’t drop out. I might be gone by the summer,” he’d said. “But you’ll still have the future.” 

Switch to your character’s POV and everything changes. Are you working on a novel, where the character’s going to be around awhile? Here’s an interesting and fun thing to help you truly know your own creation: make a detailed character chart. I do this for any character who’s going to have more than a passing appearance in every book I write. I picked it up back when I was writing my first novel, and it was such a help that I’ve used it ever since. Unfortunately I don’t remember where I got the idea, just that it was way before widespread Internet use (which means probably in a newsletter, which back then were sent via the U.S. Mail). You can find loads of examples by searching on Google, but my version goes deeply into personal habits, flaws, family members, motivations, personality, preferences (favorite color, decorating style, music, etc.). It asks some hard questions, and if you can’t answer these, my belief is you haven’t thought enough about the personality of the man or woman you’re trying to bring into being. Check it out:

What special trait does this character have to make him/her unique, and why?
Why is he/she different from other similar characters?
Does this character have a secret that he/she is hiding?
How do others see this person?
How does he/she see and feel about his- or herself?
Present or future problem, if any, and how it will get worse?

Yes, these are difficult questions to answer, but you’ll find they’re worth the effort when they help you effortlessly morph Susan (A) into Susan (C). My personal opinion is that you’ve succeeded when you’re recording what your brain is seeing... and even you didn’t expect what your character decides to do. That’s when you’ve made a multi-dimensional character.

That’s when you made someone alive.

*****

Yvonne Navarro lives in southern Arizona and is the author of twenty-two published novels and well over a hundred short stories. Her writing has won the HWA's Bram Stoker Award plus a number of other writing awards. She draws and paints, and is married to author Weston Ochse. They dote on their three Great Danes, Ghoulie, Grimmy, and Groot, and a talking, people-loving parakeet named BirdZilla. Visit her at www.yvonnenavarro.com or on Facebook.

*****

Give-away

Some of you are aware of Nabu the badger, our ChaBooCha mascot. Today's give-away is a Bullyland badger figurine. If you are a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, all you need to do to be entered into the drawing for this figurine is comment on this blog post. Winners will be selected from a random number generator on March 31st at noon (GMT).

Tips for Building your Author Street Team by SASS #ChaBooCha

Hello, Chapter Book Challenge participants! My name is Jo Michaels, and I’m an author, book blogger, radio show host, and all around tank of knowledge from which you may syphon information. I’m also part of a lovely team of women who’ve come together to help support struggling authors. 

Today’s topic is street teams! We hope you find it useful.

Have you ever wondered what a street team is? Ever wanted to create one for yourself and didn’t know how to go about it? Well, the ladies of SASS (Struggling Author Street-team Services) have put their heads together to come up with a few handy tips that’ll have you well on your way to street team bliss in no time.

If you’re ready, get your notepads out and let’s get going!

You need to make sure people are aware that they’re joining a street team. some may not have a clue what that means. There’s a short tutorial below, prepared by a member of SASS, but the rules are up to you. You need them promoting. That’s why you created a street team. You need that support to get your name out there so you can carry on writing!

Be firm with the rules.

Write a description to make it clear it’s a street team not a fan group! Then think of what you want from them. It may seem harsh, but at the end of the day, if they don’t like it they can leave. You will then know who your proper fans are and work from there. Post on your author page asking if anyone wants to join to help spread the word.

Use incentives like ARCs, team previews, team inputs! One author asks her team for their opinions on titles and covers. When you have a fan knowing you value your readers’ opinions, it makes them more willing to help spread the word.

While some of your members may be well versed in the workings of street teams, there will be many who don’t.  Below is a quick guide to help you get started.

Here’s how you can go about setting your street team up for success!

1. Come up with a catchy/clever name.

2. Create your group on facebook and plug in your description.

3. Ask folks to join your team and add them as friends.

4. Create albums of photos in your group for each of your books and upload teasers, covers, and banners. Be sure and put a buy link on the description of each and every one.

5. Come up with an incentive plan and stick to it.

6. Lose the fear of asking for things. This is your street team, they’re there to support you, the writer. If they don’t, they miss out on all the goodies.

Your street team should:

1.  Have an album on each of their devices where they save all your covers, banners, and teasers.  For quick and easy sharing, they should always have these handy.

2.  Keep an eye out for competitions on Facebook pages. These are usually book blogs who offer to change their profile picture/banner to the winning author’s cover for a week so it's visible to all that visit the page—some also offer author spotlights. All will usually be quite clear what they are after, and the usual ones are detailed below:

2a.  Covers - book covers only, some blogs allow you to add buy links if you have them

2b.  Banners - banners only, be careful though as some blogs run banner competitions where they use 3 covers to make a banner so keep any eye out on the description

2c.  Teasers - teasers are images with book quotes to draw people in

2d. Tag - just tag the authors name (which is why it's important you’re friends with one another)

Most of these contests are won by "Mr. Random selects," so authors with smaller street teams have the same chance as those with larger. Some, however, are "most likes no dups" so basically your team should check whether you have a post. If you do, they should like that post instead of duplicating and diluting the amount of likes. Each time your team posts for you, make sure they tag you, too. Some contests award extra likes if the author likes or comments on the post! Some blogs will have the stipulation that you must be a follower of the blog to enter, so make sure you and your team members like the page.

3. Throughout the year, some pages will also run reader awards, when these are posted they will be "most likes wins.” Watch out for those, and enter your street team so they can win, too!

From time to time, you should donate prizes to top performers. Things like e-books, signed books, gift cards, and swag go over well, just make sure you have a way to track the incentive.

*****

About SASS:

SASS is a group on Facebook that helps promote new Indie authors (those with less than 3k likes on their pages) and helps numerous authors whip their street teams into shape. They also run blog tours, cultivate reviewers, and do all things bookish (there’s even a member that makes book trailers). Oh, and they do it all pro-bono. So, if you’re having trouble with your street team (not creating, but with the management of it all), feel free to contact the administrators on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/SassifyYourself Oh, and we’d love a like, if you feel so inclined to do so. You can also follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SassPromotions

***** 

Give-away

Today's give-away is The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book by Jo Michaels. If you are a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, all you need to do to be entered into the drawing for this book is comment on this blog post. Winners will be selected from a random number generator on March 31st at noon (GMT).

Writing is Magic #ChaBooCha

Sorry for the delay in posts. I usually have a post ready for you every couple of days during the challenge, but this time, most of the guests who will be posting have asked for dates in the middle of the month or end of the month. I hope you are all doing well with the challenge do far, we are already more than one-third of the way through the month. To keep you inspired, I'm re-posting this article that was first posted on the Blog Your Book in 30 Days blog here.

***** 

Writing is Magic

The one vice that most writers are susceptible to is procrastination. It is so easy to find many, many things that need to be done and to tell yourself, "I'll sit down to write after I've done..." But this is the path that leads to never finishing your book.

For those of you who are able to set aside specific writing time, then by all means, get your bum in a chair and start writing. Make sure you designate that time for writing though. If you need to check your e-mail or you want to spend some time on Facebook, give yourself set times for doing so. Your best plan is to set aside a set amount of time for writing and when the time is up, then you can go and check your e-mail, browse the internet and chat with friends on Facebook and Twitter. Or set yourself a specific word count to reach for the day, before you start spending some more relaxing Internet time,

Some writers have very little free time, so sitting in a proper chair at a desk and writing is not an option for them. If this is the case for you, you need to use any chance you have to sit down, wherever you are, and write. If you are in your car waiting for your son or daughter to get out of school, grab a notebook or laptop and start writing. You can even dictate your story into your phone if necessary. If you are sitting at the doctor's office waiting to be called in for you appointment, whip out your notebook and start writing. If you are walking the dog, bring your phone with you and dictate your story as you walk. Be creative about how you fit in your daily writing. Maybe dictating while walking your dog is not actually SITTING, but sitting down and getting your bum in a chair is not the only way to write your book. ("Bum" is a British word for "butt," and I think it sounds nicer.)

Some of you may be wondering why getting yourself to sit down and write, or getting yourself to write during those tiny snippets of time when you are out and about, is so difficult to do. You love to write stories, so why do you fight it? Why do you find excuses not to do it? Why do you spend your time doing a variety of different things, all of which can wait, when you should be writing? Isn't writing your calling? Isn't it the one thing that keeps you going? So why do you struggle?

It's because, no matter how much you love to write, no matter how much you feel pulled and prodded by your own subconscious to write your stories, writing is hard. Putting pen to paper or setting your fingers on the keyboard while staring at a blank screen and typing in those words, is difficult. the words must come from deep inside of you in order for them to work. The words might form more easily in your mind than they do on the paper or screen. But the stories you tell are unique, and because of this uniqueness, the good words, the ones that breathe life into a character and transport your readers into another place or another world, those words don't come easily. They have to be played with and prodded, teased and shaped, in order to work.

Writing is art. Despite this, it doesn't matter if you are writing non-fiction, fiction, poetry or anything else, writing is still work. It's work that comes from your heart, from your very soul. Stringing out tiny bits of your soul onto the page for people to read is scary. And because you are sharing bits of your soul with others every time you write, you want to make sure that every word that comes from you is magical.

Of course writing is hard. It's also something more; it's magic.

*****

Give-away

Today's give-away is a $5 USD Amazon gift certificate. If you are a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, all you need to do to be entered into the drawing for this book is comment on this blog post. Winners will be selected from a random number generator on March 31st at noon (GMT).

Seven Editing Tips from Miranda Kate #ChaBooCha

Note from Becky: At this point in time, you should be writing your stories without pausing for the editing process until later. But it doesn't hurt to keep some of these tips in mind while you are writing your first drafts. Besides, this is the perfect post subject right now because tomorrow (March 8th) is National Proofreading Day. 

Seven Editing Tips 

Whether you are writing your very first novel or your fiftieth, you are starting a process. And writing the first draft of your novel is the first step in this process. 

This is the time to write with complete abandon, only paying attention to the story, plotline and what your characters have to say; let it all pour out, because this is the easiest step. The next one is where the hard work begins – editing your novel.

Most writers edit their novels several times. They use beta readers to read through it and give them feedback, and professional editors to help tighten their writing and make the story the best that it can be. But before they bring other people in, they go through it themselves first.

Editing in itself has its own process, and many writers struggle to know where to begin. I recommend that once you have finished your first draft, you leave it for a while. How long is up to you: a few days, a week, some prefer months or years, but give it time to rest in your mind as well as on paper, so that when you pick it up again, you can look at it through fresh eyes. 

And what should you be looking for?

Well besides the standard typos, grammar and punctuation – like making sure you know the difference between there, they’re and their; when to use it’s and its; or the difference between a comma and a full-stop and when to use them – here are a few things worth checking.

Consistency

This applies to the plot of your story, the timeline, background, and details of your characters. For example, I realised at the beginning of one of my novels I had said a character’s child was called Amber, but later changed it to Daniel without realising. I’d not only changed the name but the gender as well! And another character referred to an event that hadn’t happened at that point. Picking up on these inconsistencies and correcting them is crucial.

Consistency also applies to spellings of names and places. If they can be spelt more than one way, pick one and make sure you stick with it throughout. I read a book once where the spelling of a character’s name kept changing. It confused me and I wondered if it was a different character.

Then there is consistency in formatting and layout. Things like indenting the paragraphs or leaving a line between; using quotation marks (single) or speech marks (double); using a dash: should it be long or short? Should there be spaces round it or not? Using numeric numbering or spelling out the numbers? All of these are the writers’ choice, but the important thing is to pick one and stay with it throughout the novel.

Tenses

Consider the tense you are writing in. It can be quite easy to slip from present into past (is vs. was), or from simple past tense into past perfect tense (was vs. had been) in the same paragraph.

People struggle to know how and when to move from was to had been, or sometimes juggle between the two, not realising that they might be making a mistake. It occurs most often when writing flashbacks or referring to an event that happened a long time ago. I tend to find that the more recent events work best using was, and the further back, using had been.

Sometimes flashbacks can be written in Present tense, but these are usually denoted by a scene break or chapter break and are not what I mean here. I mean when you slip into different tenses within the same paragraph. It’s worth being aware of.

Repetition

A common problem is the repetition of words. This can be in the use of descriptive words as well as in using connecting words, like that, and, or but. We all have favourite words we like to use, and it can be hard to notice them ourselves. It’s why using beta readers and editors helps.

I also watch out for similar sounding words in the same sentences or paragraphs, even if spelt differently. For example:

‘With a sudden flash, the sword broke the surface. It soared upwards through the rising steam, turning end over end.’

Here I would have chosen another word to replace sword or soared.

And if a descriptive word has been used in a previous paragraph on the same page I will endeavour to find an alternative.

Dialogue Punctuation

Punctuation in dialogue can be tricky. There are a lot of hard and fast rules about how to punctuate around a dialogue tag (the word you use before/during/after a line of dialogue to denote who is speaking, e.g. said Sheila). Here are a few of them:

Lines of dialogue that are followed by a dialogue tag that denote the character has actually spoken, such as: said, continued, muttered, replied, answered, spoke, interrupted, snapped, spat, snarled, wailed, whispered, should ALL end in a comma before the dialogue tag. For example: ‘It’s hot in here,’ said Reggie.

When a sentence is broken by a dialogue tag and continues after it, a comma is used after both the first part of the sentence AND the dialogue tag. For example:  ‘If we’re going to do this,’ Doreen whispered, ‘we’re going to have to do it fast!’

Sometimes the speaker of a piece of dialogue is denoted by an action or facial expression before, after, or during a line of dialogue. If that is the case then it should have a full-stop at the end of it, NOT a comma. For example: Pauline handed him a brochure. ‘Take one, have a look at it and come back to me.’

I find that once I know how to punctuate dialogue correctly, I use it automatically when I write, making it easier when editing.  If you are ever unsure about the punctuation you are using, always check.

You can find more examples on my blog. 

Head-hopping

Head-hopping is a term used when a writer jumps from one character’s point of view to another character’s point of view within a single scene, so the reader witnesses both character’s thoughts about the same event or moment in time.

Most people write in first or third person view point, and it has become acceptable to swap between the two in a novel to follow more than one character. But the changeover has to be defined by a chapter break or scene break.

Head-hopping differs from a view point change in that it occurs in the same paragraph or scene, which can confuse the reader. They are distracted from the story by the interruption of a second character’s thoughts and feelings. It can disrupt the flow, making the story difficult to follow and possibly result in the reader disengaging.

For example:

Randy wished Marybeth would stop flirting with other guys to get his attention; it made him feel uncomfortable and embarrassed. As he watched her fling her arm round another one of his mates he felt stupid, although he laughed it off. She pulled his friend in for an embrace knowing she could never like him as much as she did Randy, but it was fun to tease.

We swap from Randy’s feelings to Marybeth’s in the same paragraph. It comes as a jolt as we realise we are no longer looking through Randy’s eyes at the end.

Separating the viewpoints by chapter or section break would improve this.

Info dumping

Information dumping is when you give a lot of information about a character, a location, over describe something, or go into too much detail. It can break or interrupt the flow of the story.

If you are building a scene with suspense or tension and then suddenly decide to tell the reader something about the character’s background at that moment, it can kill it and cause the reader to disengage. It doesn’t mean the information isn’t relevant, but it might be better placed elsewhere.

To avoid this ask yourself: Does this move the story along? Does this add to the story? Is this relevant here? Does the reader need to know this? Does it work at this point? 

Reading Out Loud

And my final editing tip is read your work out loud – especially dialogue.

If you struggle to do that and would prefer it to be read to you, you can use software like WordTalk, which can be downloaded for free and added to your toolbar in Word. I find it invaluable. It picks up missed typos and misspellings that have become invisible to my eyes. And it helps me know if the sentence works or not.

***** 

Miranda Kate is a Freelance Proofreader/Editor who loves helping authors with their writing in whatever capacity they need. She is published in multiple flash fiction anthologies. Miranda is currently working on her own novels, but finds editing other writers' stories much more enjoyable.

Find Miranda on twitter at: @PurpleQueenNL

Miranda’s editing services at: http://manuscripteditingservices.weebly.com/

Miranda’s writing blog at: http://purplequeennl.blogspot.nl/

***** 

Give-away

Today's give-away is a paperback or e-book copy (winner's choice) of Writing Irresistible Kidlit: The Ultimate Guide to Crafting Fiction for Young Adult and Middle Grade Readers by Mary Kole. If you are a signed-up member of ChaBooCha, all you need to do to be entered into the drawing for this book is comment on this blog post. Winners will be selected from a random number generator on March 31st at noon (GMT).

ChaBooCha guest post line-up for 2016 #ChaBooCha

Guest post line-up for the Chapter Book Challenge 2016

Starting on March 7th, guest posts from the authors and editors listed below will be posted to the blog. I've given you a brief summary of the guest-posters credits here so you have an idea of what is to come. Some of the bios were sent in already, and the ones that haven't been sent in yet were created by taking bits and pieces about the authors from their Amazon author pages or from their web pages. Their official bios will be included in their guest posts. The list below is in no particular order and does not reflect the order in which the guest posts will be published. I can tell you that I have read at least one novel (sometimes more) or several short stories from each of the guests who will be posting, and, because of this, I am able to assure you of their talent and skill when it comes to the craft of writing.

*****

Yvonne Navarro lives in southern Arizona and is the author of twenty-two published novels and well over a hundred short stories. Her writing has won the HWA's Bram Stoker Award plus a number of other writing awards. Visit her at www.yvonnenavarro.com or on Facebook.

SASS is a group on Facebook that helps promote new Indie authors (those with less than 3k likes on their pages) and helps numerous authors whip their street teams into shape. They also run blog tours, cultivate reviewers, and do all things bookish (there’s even a member that makes book trailers). Oh, and they do it all pro-bono. Visit them on their Facebook page and on Twitter.

Nancy Holder is a five-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association. She has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times. She and Debbie Viguié coauthored the New York Times best-selling Wicked series for Simon and Schuster.  They have continued their collaboration with the Crusade and the Wolf Springs Chronicles series, and are hard at work on a teen thriller. She is also the author of the young adult horror series, Possessions, for Razorbill. She has sold many novels and book projects set in the MTV Teen Wolf, Buffy the Vampire Slayer,Angel, Saving Grace, Hellboy, and Smallville universes. She has also sold approximately two hundred short stories and essays on writing and popular culture. Her anthology, Outsiders, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award in 2005. She is an editor and writer of comic books, graphic novels, and pulp fiction for Moonstone Books, where much of her work centers around Sherlock Holmes. She writes a column for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Bulletin. She also teaches in the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing Program, offered through the University of Southern Maine. 

C. Hope Clark is founder of FundsforWriters.com , a writer's resource awarded 101 Best Websites for Writers by Writer's Digest Magazine each year for over a decade. Her weekly publications reach 40,000 readers. She motivates and educates writers to step up, take charge, and create their careers. Her latest FFW release often discussed at conferences is The Shy Writer Reborn: An Introverted Writer's Wake-up Call. She's the author of The Carolina Slade Mystery Series, the first release entitled Lowcountry Bribe, by Bell Bridge Books. Tidewater Murder and Palmetto Poison released the following two years. Hope branched out with a new series in 2014 with Murder on Edisto, book one in The Edisto Island Series. Edisto Jinx came out in 2015 with the third in the series expected summer 2016. 

Miranda Kate is a freelance proofreader/editor, living as a British expat in Holland. She writes flash fiction and has stories in a variety of anthologies, including Once Upon a Time, 100 Doors to Madness, Twisted Tales 2015, and Spooky Tales. Miranda's most frequent genre of choice is horror.

Daniel Swensen is the author of Orison, a fascinating fantasy that follows a feisty young thief named Story. You can also find his short story Burn for free on Amazon.

Rose Pressey is a USA TODAY bestselling author. She enjoys writing quirky and fun novels with a paranormal twist. Her paranormal series include A Haunted Vintage Mystery Series, The Halloween LaVeau Series, the Maggie, PI Mysteries series, the Larue Donovan series, the Bayou Series, the Rylie Cruz Series, A Paranormal P.I. Mystery series, the Haunted Tour Guide Mystery series, A Haunted Renovation Mystery series, the Mystic Cafe Series, the Chase Charley Mystery series, the Hadley Wilds series, and the Trash-to-Treasure Crafting Mystery series. She can be found on Facebook. 

Joy Corcoran is a writer and artist who lives in Portland, Oregon and blogs about how the arts impact and improve our lives. She reviewed books for 12 years at WEVL Community Radio in Memphis. Joy has had stories published in various regional and literary magazines. She's worked with the Portland Storytellers Guild and the Oregon Women's Caucus for Art. She also worked with the Yuhuhugs team to help create The 12 Lessons for Greatness, stories for children and essays for parents on values.

Melissa Gijsbers is an Australian author of children’s books and flash fiction. She is a contributing author in all three Teapot Tales anthologies as well as a variety of other collective works. She was the first official regional ambassador for the Chapter Book Challenge (Melbourne group) and is a member of the SCBWI. Her first book for children, Swallow Me, NOW! was released in October 2014. Her book 52 Blog Post Ideas: Blogging for Authors came out in Summer 2015. You can find out more at www.melissagijsbers.com.

Regional Ambassadors & the Teapot Tales anthology series #ChaBooCha

ChaBooCha Regional Ambassadors

The Chapter Book Challenge has been growing year on year and, there are some things I cannot do because of the restrictions of my location, such as meet-ups. As a solution, in places where there are more than just one member, ChaBooCha has Regional Ambassadors. 

ChaBooCha regional ambassadors are the people who coordinate Chapter Book Challenge events within their region. In order to become a regional ambassador, there first needs to be more members in your region than just you, and your main duties are to arrange write-ins and meet-ups with other members within your region and also to spread the word about the challenge within your region.

Promotional materials, when they are in the budget, get sent out to our Regional Ambassadors, and printable files will be sent as well. A special RA badge will be created for RAs to use on their blogs and websites, if they so choose. As things move along, there may be more perks added for RAs.

If you think this is a role you might like to take on within your region, send me an e-mail. (There is only one RA per region, but they may choose a co-RA.)

The Teapot Tales anthology series

The Chapter Book Challenge began in 2012. In 2013, in an effort to help pay for the prizes, the domain, some of the promotional materials and other related stuff, members started contributing to an anthology of flash fictions stories. There are now three anthologies in the Teapot Tales series of anthologies: "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unique Fairy Tales" (Teapot Tales: Volume 1) and "Teapot Tales: Pirates, Mermaids and Monsters of the Sea" (Teapot Tales: Volume 2) and Teapot Tales: A Collection of Unusual Fairy Tales (Teapot Tales: Volume 3). 

Submissions are only open to Chapter Book Challenge members. The anthologies are sold through Amazon, but will be expanding to other retail outlets. All authors retain the copyrights to their stories to publish in their own collections or on their own websites. Up to three stories may be submitted. 
Submitting to the anthology is completely voluntary; you do not have to submit any stories in order to participate in the Chapter Book Challenge. Proceeds go towards the Chapter Book Challenge. Contributing authors get an author bio listed towards the back of the anthology in an "About the Authors and Illustrators" section. Artwork (line drawings) is also accepted.. Submission information can be found at Melusine Muse Press.

This year's anthology title is "Teapot Tales: A Collection of Extraordinary Fairy Tales." The stories are flash fiction (minimum word count 300 words/maximum word count 1,000 words) and are to either be a new take on an old fairy tale (sometimes called twisted fairy tales or fractured fairy tales) or completely new fairy tales.

All work must be your own.

Deadline for story submissions (and artwork): August 31st, 2016

Welcome to ChaBooCha 2016! #ChaBooCha

 

Welcome to this year's Chapter Book Challenge!We started back in 2012 with only 23 members but have grown to over 350 signed-up members this year. (I'm hoping we reach 400 before March is finished.)

For those of you who are new to the Chapter Book Challenge here's a little information about it:

The Chapter Book Challenge, otherwise known as ChaBooCha first ran in 2012. It runs every year in the month of March. The challenge is to write one completed first draft of an early reader, chapter book, middle grade book or YA novel in the month of March, starting on the 1st of March and finishing on the 31st of March.

During the month of March, there are helpful blog posts from published authors, agents and publishers to help members hone their craft, and there are prizes available throughout the challenge.
ChaBooCha has a very relaxed atmosphere where members help each other to achieve writing goals.

You can sign up on the website using the sign-up form, and you can also join the Facebook page for updates and information. There is a Twitter page and members interact with one another throughout the year in the Facebook group. It is completely free to join the Chapter Book Challenge.

We have a wonderful line up of authors, agents and experts in the field of writing who will be guest posting this month. I will have the list up a few days from now.

 When you sign-up, you will begin receiving e-mails in your inbox every time a blog post goes up. You may unsubscribe from the e-mails, but, just so you know, the e-mails only go out during the month of March and will end when the challenge ends anyway.  If you signed up for the challenge in a previous year, you will remain signed up and do not need to sign up again.

You must be signed up in order to be eligible for the prizes. Signing up for the challenge carries an extra benefit this year; you will be entered into a drawing for a Kindle Fire. One signed-up member will win a Kindle fire at the end of the month.

 If you'd like to display a Chapter Book Challenge (or ChaBooCha) badge on your blog or website, you can grab them (in various sizes) from below.

Facebook banner (click to enlarge)