summer – Almost An Author

Camp Write-A-Lot

I never attended summer camp as a kid. Don’t feel sorry for me, as, back then, it was something I didn’t really want to do, for different reasons.

I have always been more of an inside person instead of an outside person, especially during the summer. It may be TMI, but I have been an extreme sweater (not of the cashmere variety). My mother says I used to sweat in my crib in the wintertime, and, even now, any amount of time outdoors in summer makes me look like I have taken a shower in my clothes. Spending copious amounts of time in the heat of summer doing sports and games has never been attractive to me.

You would never tell it by looking at me now, but I was a very picky eater as a child. Unless the camp kitchen offered peanut butter, french fries, or flavored rice at every meal, I would have starved (although I could have lived off fat stores for a day or two). Only the tater tots could have saved me, unless there was a food fight.

When my sons were growing up, I experienced summer camp by serving as a counselor when they went to church camp. It was both fun and maddening at the same time, as most things are when you are herding 10 to 12 boys to different activities on a big campground. Did I mention it happened in the HEAT OF SUMMER?

Several years ago, I discovered writers conferences, most of which happen in the summer months, and I realized these events give me the summer camp experience I missed at writers conferences, without all the sweat and bugs.

At writers conferences, you are in a confined space with a group of people for a set amount of time. Thankfully, nearly all the activities are inside with good air conditioning, so that’s a plus.

When you are with like-minded people, you tend to form bonds rather quickly. I have developed many close friendships in very little time at these events, and I know these pals and I have each other’s back no matter how many miles separate us. My sons formed such relationships during their camp experiences, so I have continued the family tradition.

Similar to summer camp, meals are cafeteria-style communal experiences at writers conferences. There’s something special about loading that tray with goodies and finding friends to talk and laugh with over lemonade and cookies. Tater tots are even occasionally served, but I have yet to see anyone throw them at a writers event.

Did you miss out on summer camp like me as a kid? Sign up for a writers conference! You will hear wonderful speakers, get valuable instruction, and make lifelong friends. Oh, and there are tater tots, too!

Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.

Summer Reading Research

School is out, and summer reading programs are gearing up in public libraries everywhere. Summer months are the perfect time for audience research.

An editor at SkyHorse publishing once told me she reads thousands of manuscripts about growing up in the seventies and eighties. She said they were fun to read, but they are not what she is looking for. What she wants are manuscripts that are relevant for kids growing up in this decade. Kids do not understand nostalgia. They are creatures of the here and now, and need stories about their world – not the one we writers wish they had.

If you are writing for kids, you need to read kids’ books. If you write kid characters, you need to understand how kids speak to each other, how they think and behave.

I can hear you asking now: How do I do this without being creepy?

As I mentioned earlier, it’s summer. Public libraries and brick-and-mortar bookstores have summer reading programs and plenty of supervised activities from June until school starts. This gives you a fantastic opportunity to:

1) Find age or grade-specific reading lists. Read everything on them. Pay attention to how the authors write for their reader. What is working and why does it work?

2) Introduce yourself to the kids’ librarian or manager at your local bookstore. Ask them what your target audience is reading. Find out what he or she thinks will be popular and why. Find out what the “regular” customers are reading. Are there any under-rated books flying under the radar that they recommend?

3) Listen. Aside from eavesdropping in the aisles, you can ask your librarian for permission to take a poll at any of their summer reading or writing classes. You can ask for permission to read sample chapters and get feedback from the kids. You can ask things like, ‘Does this sound like something one of your friends might say?’ or ‘how do you think this character would solve the problem?”

What did I miss? How do you research your middle grade readers?

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.