Day Five - Drafting
Chapters 30 of How to Write a Children's Book: a 7-day Workshop in a Book
PHONE-A-FRIEND
At this point, your story should feel pretty solid, which means you need to stress-test it seriously.
In the final step of the Drafting process, we are going to perform the phone-a-friend draft. For this part, you will have someone read your story to you.
The Drafting stage comes to you in three parts. All parts are essential. I encourage you not to skip these steps, no matter how uncomfortable. The steps are the slow read, record and listen, and phone-a-friend.
I GET pushback from writers on this step, because no one wants anyone to know that they are writing a book.
Opening yourself up to your friends and family about what you’ve been working on shows them that you’ve been trying something new which leaves you vulnerable to criticism. This is just something you will need to embrace as
part of the writing path.
Make it clear to the person reading it that you just need to hear someone else read your work to make sure it reads well. This negates a lot of the unwanted advice.
The purpose of having another person read your work is to ensure that it is easy to read for those who are unfamiliar with it.
As your helper is reading, make notes on where they laugh, pause, and stumble. Make adjustments accordingly.
DAY FIVE SESSION THREE
Ready your completed book map
Send a copy to your phone-a-friend
Take notes while they read the work to you
Tip: Your phone-a-friend might offer you some advice. You do not have to take all of it. Listen if they are being kind and listen with kind ears yourself.
ADVICE - REMEMBER this while you are listening to their suggestions, because they will have suggestions - If they’ve never written a children’s book, they don’t know exactly what they’re talking about. Take the suggestions you agree with and forget the rest.
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt from “How To Write A Children’s Book: A 7-Day Workshop In A Book”.
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