Tag Archives: writing process

Feb6

Children’s Book Authors: Why It’s a Good Idea to Write Lesson Plans for Your Books

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Tiffany Turner

I’ve been thinking of writing about this subject for awhile, because I learned a lot during the lockdowns for the pandemic. As a retired teacher and children’s author, I have a unique perspective on this subject, and I thought it would be a good idea to finally share it with you.

Lesson plans are a great way to turn your book into an educational tool. I found as a teacher, most books have themes that can be used instructionally. It’s a matter of matching up what your teaching with the message/ theme of a book. Believe me, teachers are looking for them. So, make it easy for them. Set-up a way for teachers to find the educational points of your book by creating a lesson plan for it or a helpful study guide for teachers. It’s something that book clubs can use as well.

But how do you get the lesson plans? Study Guide? The quickest way is to write it yourself. And I’ve supplied a template for you. You just plug in your themes, messages, ideas, subjects covered from your book into the template study guide below. Any good teacher can use the study guide to make up their own lesson plan and include your book in a lesson or unit they may be teaching.

So, ready to get started? Just click the button to download below to get to the free template in PDF format. Print it out and fill it in or use the digital copy to start your own study guide. Adapt as you need to your book.

study-guide-template Download

Another thing you can do is hire a teacher/retired teacher to write lesson plans or a study guide for your book. They are a little more complicated than just a simple study guide. All you’ll need to do is give them the grade levels that you think your book will be educational for. If you want to see what most teachers use, they are called a “5 Step Lesson Plan”. You could try to write it yourself if you’ve had teaching experience. You’d be surprised by how much a picture book can be used for or how a middle grade book can be read-aloud to younger children or read by older children as a reading assignment.

The last thing that can be done is to create a teachable unit to go along with your book. When I was teaching, I actually developed a unit for my first book in my Crystal Keeper Series, “The Lost Secret of Fairies”. I had used the writing of the manuscript and the other books to help teach writing during writing workshop. Then, when I finished my book, I used the book during reading time as an assigned novel study. Any book can have a novel study unit assigned to it. I do have the whole unit now available for free and my ebook edition priced really low to make it easy to get copies. I have had many home-school students/parents take advantage of this opportunity, especially when I first posted it during the Spring Lockdown of 2020. I really felt a pull to support the many students and struggling parents at home. Now, it is a testimony of how a unit for your book can help get it into readers’ hands.

So, I hope this helps in bringing more sales of your book into your life, and gets it into the hands of more children. It always feels satisfying to me to hear stories about children enjoying my books. A study guide, lesson plan, or novel study unit will make your book more appealing to educators and parents. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve found this has helped and/or any experiences you might have had with lesson plans or study guides for your book.

-Tiffany Turner

Children’s Fantasy Author

Editor/Head Writer of

Indie Children’s Authors Connection Blog

Aug8

Guest Post: 5 Tips to Help You Write Awesome Children’s Characters

Posted on August 8, 2021 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Savannah Cordorva is a writer with the website, Reedsy.com.

Good characters are the key to any novel’s connection with its readers, and this is no different in children’s books; if anything, it’s truer. Think of iconic children’s books like Harry Potter, Matilda, or The Hunger Games —what do they have in common? Their characters are relatable, driven, and memorable.

Indeed, even the most fantastical books rely on human themes to resonate with readers. After all, it’s usually the way that characters interact with elements in the book that makes it interesting, rather than the elements themselves!

This is why, no matter what sort of children’s book you’re writing, it’s crucial to develop strong characters that will stay in your young readers’ hearts for generations. Master these tips and you’ll be well on your way.

1. Establish your character’s age and relevancy

Many popular children’s books are remembered for their cherished protagonists. However, there are a couple of elements that set the best apart from the rest: age and relevancy.

Specifically, the ideal formula for long-lasting characters is that they should be both a few years older than the target readers and experiencing similar real-life issues. Children love reading stories that they can relate and aspire to!

For example, Percy Jackson is twelve years old in Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, and attracts readers around ten years old. Of course, while Percy’s young fans won’t be discovering their mythical powers, they are growing up and will soon be entering new environments and making new friends — just like him.

As long as you explore human themes, feel free to give your characters the most fantastical plotlines you can think of. And if you want total control of your characters, consider self-publishing your children’s book! Linking your protagonist’s story to a real-life lesson is the bread and butter of character writing, but if this lesson is somewhat unconventional, the self-pub route could be your best shot at conveying it without compromise.

2. Build their drive and motivations

You’ve established your character’s age and relevancy. Great! The next step is to make sure your protagonist’s main goal — the essence of your story — is clear. Whether you’re writing a short story or a novel, it’s crucial to get this right. A story’s narrative arc will fizzle without motivation to propel things forward. And with children’s relatively short attention spans, they certainly won’t be giving precious attention to a lackluster plot.

This means another huge part of well-written children’s characters is that what they want or need drives the plot. Imagine how boring a story like Treasure Island would be if Jim Hawkins didn’t want to find Captain Flint’s treasure. And Watership Down wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without Hazel’s need to escape from the warren’s destruction. Once your character’s key motivation is established, the rest of their story should unfold with ease!

3. Put thought into their appearance

While a character’s internal thoughts are very important, that doesn’t mean their external characteristics deserve none of your time. Though personality is Priority One in terms of story, physical characteristics are often what make a first impression, in books and reality.

So while your protagonist’s appearance might not directly affect the plot, it can impact how supporting characters respond to them. And of course, if you’re writing a picture book, how the characters look will be a major part of the reader’s experience — and will likely contain visual clues about their personalities, emotions, and so on.

This is why, regardless of your artistic abilities, it’s worth sketching out your characters, from their hair color to their type of shoes. It doesn’t have to be Van Gogh-worthy, but having a concrete reference for your character’s appearance will make it easier to imagine — and therefore write out — more realistic scenes in your story.

This may be particularly helpful when it comes to dialogue. Another useful thing to consider is your character’s voice: What do they sound like? How do they interact differently with one character vs. another? Does their voice match their physicality, or present a comical contrast?

(If this sounds like a lot of details to organize — or if you’re looking to go even more in-depth — try checking out some character profile templates to help, or perhaps just a few character-building questions to get the ball rolling.)

4. Choose meaningful, memorable names

Well-named characters are sure to stick in readers’ heads. It sounds simple, but giving a character a name that reflects their key traits will tie everything together — and tell readers what to expect!

A classic example of this is Harry Potter’s Remus Lupin: “Remus” nods to the Roman myth about the twins Romulus and Remus who were raised by a wolf, while Lupin is derived from the Latin for “wolf”. So — spoiler alert — it’s no surprise that Remus Lupin turned out to be a werewolf, with a name meaning “Wolf Wolf”. Another perfect example of this is the much-loved Miss Honey in Roald Dahl’s Matilda, who is adored for her sweetness.

Though a name might seem a small feature, plenty of creativity goes into naming popular children’s characters! Whether your characters’ names are obscure linguistic references or common synonyms, make sure they’re fun to learn and impossible to forget.

5. Make character conversations believable

Going back to dialogue for our final point, many children’s writers are tempted to write their dialogue as they think children speak. But unless you’re a preschool teacher or a parent, try to avoid presuming anything!

Indeed, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with your target audience to facilitate more believable conversations. Good ways to research might be volunteering at your local school or working at a library. Bonus points if you have friends and family with children that you can ask to proofread your book. Their endorsement is a major signifier that you’re on the way to helping your target audience feel understood and represented.

Of course, every child is different, with their own personalities, opinions, mannerisms, and quirks. Keep in mind that your characters should progress and change, but dispositions — for example, a sharp sense of humor or joyful attitude — aren’t usually as fluid. A good rule of thumb is to figure out the essential traits your character has and stick with them. With this in mind, your characters are sure to instill readers with plenty of intrigue and love.

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading fiction (especially YA fantasy, and picture books to her niece and nephew!) and writing short stories.

Tiffany Turner was the editor on this post.

Sep24

Tiffany Turner To Teach Online Spooky Story Writing Workshop

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

It’s getting near that spooky time of year. After over 15 years of teaching a spooky story workshop to my students, I’m offering it for the first time online. Bring Halloween indoors in an academic way, and keep this season spooky, fun and safe! It will be available two ways.

1) This first way to sign up for this workshop is as a full online in-person experience taught by myself live on Zoom. It will be available through the tutoring center called Knowledge Quest. I’ve worked there now for 3 years tutoring students in person and in local schools before the pandemic.

Now, the opportunity to learn from myself, a published author and certified teacher, is through Knowledge Quest. It starts on Oct. 5 through Oct. 29. There are two sessions, one for grades 3-5 and the other for grades 6-8. Each session will have one hour a week for four sessions. Kids will have an hour of instruction and will be walked through activities and given assignments to continue writing between sessions.

**Some at home support, such as looking over the story and doing feedback with your child, will be required.

I’ve taught and developed this spooky story unit over the years and I have put up some parts of it FREE to do through my website. But this is the full unit, developed by me, and available only this upcoming month of October. By the end of the sessions, all the students will have written their own stories that they can share on Halloween night. They will learn character development, create a plot with problem/solution structure, study the spooky genre, and have a lot of fun! They’ll have a chance to unlock the creativity within them.

**Note times are Pacific Daylight Time since I’ll be teaching the workshop live through Zoom. Sign-ups for the live Zoom instructional spooky workshop is through Knowledge Quest.

Find out more and REGISTER HERE!

2) The second way to take the workshop, especially if it would be difficult to in your time zone, is to sign up for my online writing school course. It’s the first course available, and I plan to develop more through the next several months. I’ve decided to develop the spooky story writing workshop first since the basic posts on the blog are so popular, and my students loved it as their favorite story during the school year.

Here is the blurb from my writing school “Keep On Writing”:

Ready to have some fun writing? Here’s a course to help children love writing and enjoy it. I often found children didn’t get to enjoy the writing projects assigned when I was a teacher. So, I developed an, exciting “Spooky Story” writing project for the month of October that I taught for over fifteen years in my classroom. Now, your child can experience the joy of writing and using their imagination.

Taught through a Writing Workshop format, I go over all the steps of writing, prewriting, drafting, revision and proofreading and creating a final draft. Each lesson includes mini-lessons on the craft of writing including organizing ideas through graph organizers, writing dialogue, “Show, Don’t Tell”, plot creation, character creation and conflict, and problem/solution story structure.

Write your own Spooky Story in either a live workshop with Mrs. Turner or in her online writing school. Get spooky and stay safe this Halloween! Use your imagination and write!

When your child finishes the course, they will have a fantastic story of their own creation to share with family and friends. As they go through the writing process, they are asked to work with a family member or guardian with the writing process in which they learn to gain feedback on their writing and make changes. Anyone in the family or through Zoom can fulfill this role making it a bonding activity with your child.

Whether this course is being used during the fall for a Halloween project or any time during the year to engage children in writing, or help adults write for children, it has always been a student and child favorite. I now present to you, the “Spooky Story” Writing Project to help bring the joys of writing to your child.

The online writing school course is $19.99.

LINK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE & REGISTER!

**Happy Halloween!

-Mrs. Turner

Jul21

Interview with Elizabeth M. Reinhart

Posted on July 21, 2020 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Elizabeth M. Reinhart is the author of the picture book, “The Fox Who Chased the Sky.”

Growing up in the West Virginia hills inspired the stories of my next summer reading find. Elizabeth M. Reinhart uses memories of her youth and the beauty of her home to create a fantastical world for her character, the Little Fox. In her book, “The Fox Who Chased the Sky”, the author brings nature and a playful fox into the safe haven of home. I had a chance to talk to Elizabeth about her childhood memories, advice for aspiring writers, and what she has next in store for us.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: It’s funny, because no amount of words can truly capture the feelings that these memories have for me. Times were not always easy for us back then, financially or emotionally. Reading before bed became a little cocoon of time when we could all be transported into other worlds with a sense of security. My brothers and I heaped onto our parents’ bed while our mom patiently read each book that we picked out and I cherish that time so much. Once I began to read on my own, I read voraciously. I consumed as many words as I could, and still do today! I credit our mom for passing on that love of reading and writing.
2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: It’s difficult to choose, but I think Kenneth Grahame. Wind in the Willows fascinated me as a child. I understood that his writing was for children (it had all the hallmarks of whimsical characters and adventure), but in my heart I also felt that he treated us as “grown ups”. Sure, I LOVED Little Golden Books and Dr. Seuss, but there was just something about reading Grahame’s words and knowing that he respected the reader enough not to simplify it. Books like Wind in the Willows taught me to be curious about language, which in turn led to a love affair with words.

3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: The first book in my series was written at 4:30 in the morning on my front porch after having a very sudden surge of creativity as I awoke. For me, it strikes unexpectedly, so I am always prepared to write notes wherever I am. As a children’s book author, I find that the challenge is to pack a lot of punch in a short amount of text. To successfully accomplish this, I rely heavily on imagery – which means that I daydream … a lot! I try to be open to creative influence whatever I am doing.

4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: For now, I am very focused on the “Little Fox” series that I have been developing over the past 3 years. My illustrator, Aleksandra Bobrek, and I have about 4 books planned so far in this series and we are also focusing on a line of merchandise. We would love to really make this world come alive for readers who fall in love with him.

5) What other books do you have planned in the “Little Fox” series?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I’m really excited about our plans for the Little Fox series. “The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is book 1 in the series and focuses on themes of self-discovery and establishing friendships. Book 2, “The Fox Who Caught a Star” carries on with the characters introduced in book 1 and takes a deeper dive into the concept of what it means to be a friend to another. Book 2 will be available by the end of the summer! I’ve also written a free book which is posted on my website titled, “The Fox and the Last Leaf.” It has not been through the editing and illustration process, but I thought it would be fun to begin to share stories in early stages. I’m all for creating more story time for folks!

6) What adventures playing in the West Virginia hills as a kid have led to scenes in your books?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: So many! My brothers and I rarely played indoors, so our memories are deeply entrenched in nature. We would climb trees, play pretend and run around our several acres of land, play on the swing set while watching the farmland behind us being baled for hay. For me, an interesting point about the illustrations is that Aleksandra (the illustrator) is from Poland. Much of what you see is HER perspective living in Europe as a child – and to me, it is a lovely marriage of memories and culture that makes the final look very special to me. When we collaborate, we try to include special details to both of us. For instance, there are little secret nods to my family in each of the books that Aleksandra has captured – one of which is the violets. They have a very special meaning for me.

7) What advice would you give to “aspiring” writers?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I think it depends on what the writer wishes to accomplish. To me, writing in and of itself, is freedom. Even if I were not pursuing a business in this field, I would write for the love of it. If that is you, write, write, write to your heart’s content and bare your soul. If you are pursuing a livelihood as a writer, do everything I mentioned before – that never changes! I do encourage everyone to research the business end if you are taking it a step further. There are so many nuances to the business and several pitfalls you want to avoid. I am by no means an expert, but I have learned so much starting up my business. I am always happy to pass what I’ve learned on, so if you need a little advice, please feel free to reach out to me.

8) Do you have any upcoming virtual appearances planned?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: Not quite yet, but I am working on it! I had some local plans set up, but as the situation shifts, I will focus more on virtual appearances. Check in with me on my website http://www.emreinhart.com for updates.

9) Are you planning to write any other types of children’s books after the “Little Fox” series?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I’m always daydreaming up ideas for stories, and yes, I do have other ideas in mind! If I can gain a strong following, I would like to create two separate series. “Stories from the Dale” (which is where Little Fox lives), and “Stories from Home”, which will focus on lighthearted stories about life in West Virginia. All are children’s books which, I hope, young ones and adults will love!

10) What is writing to you in one sentence?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: Writing, for me, is allowing my true self to come forward, unapologetically.

“The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is a story about self-discovery and friendship through the lens of the character, Little Fox. Inspired by the beautiful West Virginia hills, Little Fox sets out to discover the world around him and learns of kindness and patience when he finds himself in a lonely and confused point in life. This book is not only for young readers, but also for everyone with the “child inside” that still needs an occasional reflection on life lessons.

“The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is available at the author’s website here. For more information on Elizabeth M. Reinhart, please visit her website at: https://www.emreinhart.com/.

Jul16

Interested in Self-Publishing? I Just Wrote the Book On It.

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Tiffany Turner is the self-published author of a children’s fantasy book series and several paranormal romance titles.

It is now available. All of my self-publishing knowledge over the last thirteen years. I’ve been at this self-publishing thing for awhile now. And I’ve learned a lot. It’s been called a gold rush by some, from about 2009 to 2011, and beyond. I would say that was mostly due to KDP, Kindle Digital Publishing, Amazon’s digital platform. It is now a whole new frontier that I can help you navigate.

From watching and talking to other self published authors on Kindleboards (later Kboards.com) like Hugh Howey, to getting the idea and encouragement to start writing romance after my children’s books, I’ve had quite a journey. I wrote “Get Ready to Push the Button: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing” to make it easy for anyone to get started. All you need is that finished manuscript, and you can be on your way.

All of my hard earned experience has been written down into my beginner’s guide to self-publishing. So, if you’ve been thinking about it, or even wrote a manuscript during lockdown and don’t know what to do now, I’ve got an answer for you. Self-publish!

I’ve been talking to people about how to self-publish on panels at various local conferences including Fanime, San Francisco Comic Con and the Silicon Valley Comic Con over the last few years. Now, you can get all my expertise in one helpful guide, with links for support in an online FB private group. Plus, I’ve worked with a lot of emerging authors through my Fiverr.com gigs. I’ve gotten experience in so many areas from diving into the self-publishing world, and I keep growing with it. Find out how you can make your writing dreams come true, and become a working writer.

Have a manuscript and don’t know what to do?

Have you considered self-publishing?

Join Tiffany Turner as she explains how to get your manuscript ready to finally push that self-publishing button. This beginner’s guide to self-publishing has been put together with Mrs. Turner’s thirteen years of self-publishing experience in romance and children’s book self-publishing. With easy step by step explanations of how to prepare your manuscript, she’ll walk you through in her humorous banter how to:

-Discovering if this self-publishing path is for you.
-Terms & tips you’ll need to navigate the self-publishing world.
-Preparing your manuscript with an easy to follow list of steps.
-How to find the people to help you self-publish such as beta readers, editors, cover designers, formatters and self-publishing platforms.
-What to set up before you self-publish.
-Launching your book.
-Maintaining your self-publishing empire after your first book.

Discover how to get yourself started onto the self-publishing path.

“Get Ready to Push the Button: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing” is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Apple/iBooks, and Rakuten/Kobo.

Jun16

Interview with Tenile Carlos Bey

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Tenille Carlos Bey wrote the girl’s journal “Mommy & Doodlebop: A Journal for Girls We Love” with her daughter, Aalani.

During the summer, it’s good to keep your child engaged with activities. With all the need to social distance, it’s even more important to look for activities that children can engage in and be safe while doing. What about journaling? This is a historical time, when first person resources will be documenting how children and people lived through the pandemic. Your child can be part of the moment, writing out thoughts, feelings and what life was like during these strange times. I have the perfect journal for you child to begin their writing journal. It is written by a daughter and mother team, Tenille Carlos Bey and Aalani Carlos Bey. It’s called “Mommy & Doodlebop: A Journal for Girls We Love”.

Written as a support for inclusivity for girls with African ancestry, this journal is for girls to write out their thoughts and feelings for good or bad days. It will be a companion to sort their feelings during the pandemic. I also had a chance to interview Tenille Carlos Bey in regards to her childhood reading memories, future writing subjects, and what writing means to her.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Tenille Carlos Bey: My favorite memory was sitting on my stairs engulfed in a good book.

2) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Tenille Carlos Bey: I would love to write about children & their experience from their eyes as often times they are voiceless.

3) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Tenile Carlos Bey: Writing to me is therapeutic.

“Mommy & Doodlebop: A Journal for Girls We Love” is an interactive journal for all the little Brown girls loved. It’s developed to help a girl express herself daily engaging creativity and expression of ideas in words on a daily basis. Keeping a daily journal will increase writing ability and help your child work through daily problems and feelings. This will make a great gift or at home activity during the pandemic.

“Mommy & Doodlebop: A Journal for Girls We Love” is available at Amazon.com.

Mar17

Day 2: Online Novel Study and Other Activities

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Welcome everyone. Today is day two of activities and information for my online novel study for my book, The Lost Secret of Fairies. I’ve written several writing activities and lessons that are available through the website, Teachers Pay Teachers. I’ve put every lesson in the story on sale for 20% off (the most discount I’m allowed to give). There are writing story units, book report activities, and free writing download activities. The sale runs today, March 16th through March 19th. Check it all out here:

Making Writing Fun-Mrs. Turner’s Writing Lessons and Packets Online Store

Plus, I wanted to post the links for the full Spooky Story online unit that I wrote a few years ago to go along with Halloween. It is still fun to do all year long, and can take up to a week to complete. There are downloadable graphic organizers in the free blog edition, with more detailed instructions and worksheets in the store edition. I hope it helps in creating learning experiences for your little one(s) at home.

Keep the kids learning at home with this Spooky Story Unit.

Day 1: Spooky Story Unit

Day 2: Spooky Story Unit

Day 3: Spooky Story Unit

Day 4: Spooky Story Unit

Day 5: Spooky Story Unit

Tomorrow, I’ll have some comprehension questions for those of you that have started reading The Lost Secret of Fairies. Until then, happy reading and writing.

-Tiffany Turner

Oct26

Write Your Own Spooky Story For Halloween

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Write your own Spooky Story this weekend, Oct. 26-31.

Each year, I would teach a unit on how to write you’re own spooky story to my class. Since my semi-retirement, I’ve posted the whole process over a 6 day period. Now, you can follow the same plan and create you’re own spooky story.

Here are the links to each step in the process. You can write your story over the next 6 days ending on Halloween, or take each step faster.

Day 1: Write Your Own Spooky Story, Create Your Main Character

Day 2: Creating a Spooky Setting Or Plot

Day 3: Starting the Rough Draft

Day 4: Continuing Rough Draft with Dialogue

Day 5: Revising and Proofreading Your Story

Day 6: Writing the Final Draft

If you’re a teacher and would like this entire unit to teach your class, here is the link for the Spooky Story Unit on TeachersPayTeachers.

Plus, if you’d like a more intense and easy online workshop for your child or students, I have put together the above Spooky Story Workshop into a tutorial workshop format in my new Online Writing School. Kids can work at their own pace on their own. It’s all set up and ready for them to begin. No prep for you!

HERE IS THE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE ONLINE SPOOKY STORY WORKSHOP!

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner

Also, I have a Halloween Picture Book, Pumper the Pumpkin, that is available on Amazon that was my own spooky story when I was a kid. It is only $0.99! Check it out start out your Halloween weekend. Great for young kids that are going to be carving pumpkins this weekend. 😉

This was my own spooky story that I wrote at the age of 10 in 5th grade, back in the day. I have since updated it and drew my own illustrations, but the core and idea was written when I was ten. I enjoyed creating my own Pumper the Pumpkin carvings and designs for several years after I wrote the story. In fact, I still do. 😉

Have fun and stay safe this Halloween! -Mrs. Turner

May17

UPDATE: The Lost Secret of Time: Final Book in Crystal Keeper Series Due out Spring 2018

Posted on May 17, 2017 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Working cover for the last Crystal Keeper Chronicles book, The Lost Secret of Time.

I wanted to give everyone an update on the progress of the last book in the Crystal Keeper series, The Lost Secret of Time. I’m proud to announce that there has been a schedule set up for it’s completion. It is outlined, and has 9 chapters of the 14 written thus far. It’s scheduled with my editor for the end of October, and I’ve been working hard with the help of Camp NaNo to get it completed.

I have to thank all of my fans for your patience. I know this one is taking longer, but sometimes life throws things at you that can’t be planned for, like a heart attack, going septic in the hospital and having acute pneumonia. I’m just happy to still be alive and be around for a second chance to finally complete the series.

I also have to mention I did try to end the series with the third book, but the characters WOULDN’T let me. They insisted that the story carry on. So, that is why the third book ends the way it does in a cliffhanger. There was just more story to tell.

Plus, once I wrap up this series, I’m planning a prequel in which Brewford, the cat sorcerer, will be the main character. There are a lot of things hinted about his past in the series, and I want to write a prequel that explains it all. So, the ending of the Crystal Keeper Chronicles won’t be the end of Wanda’s fairy world. It will continue in other forms.

It has been an amazing ten year journey so far. I’m sure many of you fans have grown up waiting for the books to be written. If anything, you’ve learned that writing is a process and takes time, an average of two years per book at least. The biggest thing that a reader needs to possess is patience for your favorite books. I know your pain. I’ve gone through the same thing with my favorite authors, Anne McCaffrey, Anne Rice and Mercedes Lackey. I think the secret is having LOTS of favorite authors so you can switch between them between new book releases. It’s how I cope. 😉

Until then, take care, and I hope you enjoy your other favorite authors until the new and last book in the series is released next Spring. Stay tuned for fun summer reading activities and giveaways. Have a fabulous summer.

-Tiffany (Mrs. Turner)

Oct29

Pumper the Pumpkin Picture Book Free Oct. 28-31/Write Your Own Spooky Story

Posted on October 29, 2016 by Tiffany Turner

Standard

Every year, I like to give away a little treat of my own. I’ve written a picture book from a story I originally wrote when I was 10. I originally wrote it back in Mrs. William’s class when I was in the Fifth Grade. 35 years later, here is the story of that long ago character I created, Pumper the Pumpkin.

Pumper the Pumpkin: A Halloween Tale by Tiffany Turner *Available for Free on Amazon 10/28-31

On Halloween Eve, Pumper is trying to be a jack-o-lantern. Only he needs to find the right family to adopt him. Will he in time? Join Pumper in this amazing Halloween quest of being a part of something bigger.

This Halloween short story is intended for ages 3-10. Get into the Halloween spirit with this family friendly tale.

For years, I’ve carved Pumper the Pumpkin has my pumpkin in hale to this character I created so long ago. Sometimes, things you make up as a kid, like having unicorn friends come hang out with you in your bedroom, can make their way into a children’s story to entertain children that were once your age.

Remembering those fun, creative activities always has been a plus for me. I use them all the time in my stories. And yes, I still have the Pumper original story. I promised myself that when I got bigger and my language arts skills improved, I would rewrite Pumper the Pumpkin. The original story had bully kids come in and throw all of Pumper’s family to the ground, breaking them into pieces. It’s how I said he was alone originally. But I cut that out in the rewrites, and made it that he just hadn’t been picked yet. I added the character Miraballe. Voila! A new, improved Pumper story was born.

So, if you’d like to write your own Spooky story over the next few days before Halloween, check out the steps on How To Write Your Own Spooky Story below. These can be done in a few days if you double up a few of the lessons. Try two lessons a day, and you can make your story in time for Halloween. Waaaahhahhahahahha!

Day 1 For Writing A Spooky Story: Main Character Creation

Day 2: Creating a Spooky Setting/Plot

Day 3: Starting the Rough Draft

Day 4: Continuing Rough Draft with Dialogue

Day 5: Revision and Proofreading your story

Day 6: Writing the Final Draft

For those of you that would like the full lesson plan, it is available on Teachers Pay Teachers at this link: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Spooky-Story-and-Summary-Report-October-Writing-Unit-2763010