Author Archives: Vicky L. Lorencen

Dec18

May Wish in December

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Styling and Photo by Vicky Lorencen

Here we are friends, within winking distance of a new year. Maybe this was “your year.” The Universe washed you in warm waves of lavender infused dreams come true. Or maybe the year felt like a family of quarreling beavers with chronic eczema and a love of lutefisk with limburger took up residence under your bed. Perhaps–and I do hope–it was at least a patch of somewhere in between.

Whatever this year felt like to you, I want you to know I’m proud of you, my little sugar snap peas. You made it through and you’re here, reading a blog written by a goofy lady who just called you a legume as a term of endearment. You’re not on fire and you probably get to sleep indoors tonight. So, see? Things can’t be “that bad,” right?

Intermission: Year End Decompression Break

If you want, go ahead and pretend you’re still reading, but in actuality, you can imagine you’re snuggling a giggling Baby New Year on a porch swing. It’s 72 degrees (my personal favorite) and blissful, sun-soaked, honey scented peace surrounds the two of you. Ahhh.

Now, that you’re all squishy and at ease, I want you to do one last thing for me, if you don’t mind. Please read the list of wishes I’ve collected just for you. I can’t guarantee they’ll all come true–some of them are up to you–I hope they help you to finish this year with your chin up and heart happy.

Arrangement and photo by Vicky Lorencen

My wishes for you . . .

May you have a brave heart to exile manuscript excess, to say yes to [insert scary thing here] and even be excited about trying a new genre.

May you master the fine art of saying no in order to give yourself time to write—and not feel guilty about it.

May you inherit a tastefully decorated self-cleaning house with a self-cooking stove. (Give science enough time!)

May you have presence of mind like a butterfly net to consistently capture those seemingly silly, random thoughts and slippery ideas as soon as they light on your imagination.

May you be a sponge to absorb untried techniques, compliments and constructive feedback.

May you be a boomerang, able to return repeatedly for yet another try.

May you acknowledge even eensy progress and be undaunted by momentary gaps in your momentum.

May you remember e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e has dark times, disappointments, dry spells, downturns, doldrums and damp socks, even authors who seem to enjoy perpetual success. When you compare your insecure insides with someone’s shiny outsides, you’ll always come up short. So, don’t compare. Give grace (including to yourself, my little snickerdoodle.)

Styling and photograph by Vicky Lorencen


For last year’s words belong to last year’s language 
And next year’s words await another voice. ~ T.S. Eliot

Dec8

Frog on a Dime Has a Winner!

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Congratulations to Linda Geiger! You are the winner of the Frog on Dime 6th Birthday prize package.

You will receive:

 Your very own, one-of-a-kind doodle, made by yours truly, with your initials incorporated into the design.

A brand new notebook to capture your shiny ideas in the new year.

 An assortment of creativity-inducing treats.

A 10-page critique of the manuscript of your choice.

My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who entered. I am deeply grateful for all of your kind, encouraging words. You gave me such a boost to hop into Frog on a Dime’s 7th year! You’re the best, my little cranberry tarts!

Linda, please provide me with your mailing address via the Frog on a Dime Contact Page. Then, be ready to receive your prize parcel! Congratulations!


If you chase anything in life chase the things that get you excited about living. Chase the things that give you hope, happiness and a glimpse of a better life. Chase the things that make you want to be a better person. Chase the things that inspire you to think, create and live joyfully. Chase the things that reinforce in your soul that you can make a difference. Chase the things that make you want to transform your heart from selfish to selfless. When you chase that kind of storm you are chasing rainbows. ~ Shannon L. Alder

Dec3

Frog on a Dime Turns 6!

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I held my breath and with a shaky finger clicked “Publish” for my first post in December 2012. My intent was to fill a niche nothing else could–much like that little frog on a dime. I wanted to offer my own brand of encouragement, and maybe help you laugh and learn a bit along the way. Not exactly lofty goals, but to me, worth pursuing. I am delighted to have reached the six-year mark and will do my best to continue to add warmth and light to your day, my little blueberry scones.

To thank you for your kindness, comments and the encouragement you have given me over and over again, I want to give you an opportunity to win a thank you prize!

Enter for your chance to win this entire parcel o’ prizes:

*** Your very own, one-of-a-kind doodle, made by yours truly, with your initials incorporated into the design.

*** A brand new notebook to capture ideas in the new year or fill with your own doodles and drawings. 

*** An assortment of creativity-inducing treats.

*** A 10-page critique of the manuscript of your choice.

Six quick-as-a-wink ways to enter!

  • Become a new follower of Frog on a Dime. (Sign up via the home page.)
  • Invite a friend to visit Frog on a Dime.
  • Comment under this post on Facebook.*
  • Like and retweet this post on Twitter.
  • Share a comment, suggestion or question on this post below.*

*Your brilliant suggestions for future post topics, your writing-related questions or nominations for guest bloggers are especially welcome.

ENTER BY MIDNIGHT (EST/US) ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7. 

The Lucky Winner’s name will be selected on Saturday, December 8.


Whichever season you’re in, rejoice and celebrate your life as you might not experience it twice. ~ Joan Ambu

Nov21

Happy Thankslisting!

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Photo by Vicky Lorencen
  1. I am thankful for Urban Dictionary.  You have saved me from a galaxy of embarrassment.
  2. I am thankful for librarians. So long as there are people who devote themselves to the tender loving care of books and protecting our access to information, I feel like we’ve got a reasonable chance at a smart and civil society.
  3. I am thankful for friends who lie. There is absolutely no way that I can be as amusing and fabulous as you say I am. But I love you for saying it just the same.
  4. I am thankful for the opportunity to revise. If only life always gave us that option.
  5. I am thankful for the times I’m too naive to know I’m in over my head. It gives me the will to try things–like writing a novel–that would otherwise scare the Nutella out of me, if I knew better.
  6. I am thankful for characters who will put up with me long enough to tell their stories. I am a literary glacier. 
  7. I am thankful for chances to present at schools and spend time with curious, inner-critic-less kids who love to read their stories to anyone with ears.
  8. I am thankful for technology. I cannot imagine going back to a typewriter or pad and pen or quill and ink. It’s lovely to have those options, and I have friends who do, but how could I ever give up my darlings Find & Replace or the beloved Undo button. [Chills!]
  9. I am thankful for hot tea. Steamy black tea with cream soothes my angsties and makes me sit to write at least long enough to enjoy the whole cup.
  10. MOST MOST MOST of all, I am thankful for YOU. It’s a strain to imagine now, but there was a time when I didn’t know another soul who wanted to be a writer, much less, one who loves to write for children and is as sweet-sassy-magical as you, my little pumpkin tart!

Rest and be thankful. ~ William Wordsworth

Nov13

How to Recognize Value

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frog on a dime color RED 1a

Illustration by Matt Faulkner

I am participating in a writing contest—You Are Enough—hosted by Positive Writer. The aim of the contest is to draft a blog post that will provide encouragement to fellow writers. Well, if you’ve ever visited Frog on a Dime, you know that’s what my hokey-pokey blog is all about. Regardless if I win, I hope this post energizes your creative spirit. (And that you find cookies in your cupboard.)

My husband likes to watch Prospectors on the Weather Channel. Prospectors  follows real, modern-day diggers of gold and gem stones. I like The Voice, a reality show/singing competition. Recently, I recognized the two shows intersect.

Prospectors endure extreme cold, looming storm fronts and other dangerous conditions to find the prize—a smoky topaz, a ruby, an aquamarine or even gold. Judges on The Voice listen to some lackluster auditions while searching for someone with golden pipes. So, the singers and the smoky topaz are treasures. That’s the obvious comparison, but there’s something more.

Were the stones beautiful while still encased in layers of limestone? I would say, yes. It wasn’t the touch of a prospector’s pick or palm that made them precious. And what about the hopefuls who appear on The Voice? It’s certainly not the judge’s ears or their feedback that make those singers amazing. The vocalists were outstanding before they ever walked on stage.

Here’s what I want you to know, my fragile little tea cups—you and your writing have intrinsic value before you receive a single word of praise. Think of all of the painters and poets who never received acclaim during their lifetimes. How sad to think they thought of themselves as “almosts” and even failures. You don’t need to have your name on a dust jacket to be a writer of worth. Interested editors or agents are simply recognizing what’s already there—like a prospector uncovering a lump of turquoise or a judge discovering a brilliant performer. Okay, okay, you make a good point. Like the unearthed gemstones or a singer’s vocal range, your work (and gosh, yes, mine) could benefit from a good polishing to bring out its true luster. But just because something can be improved doesn’t mean it wasn’t extraordinary to begin with.

Yes, I can hear the b-b-b-BUT coming. But I waaaaant an agent to love my work. I waaaant an editor to offer me a contract. I waaaaant readers to send me fan mail. Of course you do (and so do I). That kind of validation is wonderful, but remember–your work isn’t valued because it’s recognized. It’s recognized because it’s valuable–regardless. And first and foremost, you have to recognize that for yourself, my little lemon square.

After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world. ~ Philip Pullman

 

Oct24

10 Truly Haunting Thoughts, Part 3

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DSC02267

Photo by Vicky Lorencen

Every creative person is plagued by angsty imaginings from time to time. In the spirit of Halloween, allow me to ramp up the frequency with these truly haunting thoughts.

  1. Kanye is named Poet Laureate for 2019.
  2. Use of the Oxford Comma becomes law.
  3. Your characters continue to talk to you, but they sound like Anthony Scaramucci.
  4. Recommended word count for a picture book manuscript drops to 24 words. Short words.
  5. Writing causes eyeball arthritis (and crows feet (around your nose).)
  6. Editors insist on the return to printed and mailed manuscripts. Slush Mountain!
  7. You fall in love with your first draft and refuse to revise it.

    DSC07161

    By Vicky Lorencen

  8. You lose your taste for chocolate, Red Vines and grown-up beverages.
  9. Before you nod off, you tell Alexa your unparalleled idea of a lifetime for safekeeping. She thought you were talking to someone else.
  10. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention develop a vaccine to prevent writer’s block. The shots are administered by Nurse Ratched‘s less sweet cousin with a raging case of poison ivy, Nurse Annie Wilkes (from Stephen King’s Misery, remember?)

You say you’re not scared enough yet? Read more haunting thoughts. If you dare!

Read 10 Truly Haunting Thoughts

Read 10 Truly Haunting Thoughts, Part II

Bwahahaha!

Eddie discovered one of his childhood’s great truths. Grownups are the real monsters, he thought. ~ Stephen King, It

Oct17

12 1/2 More Things I Know About Humor

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Do you see what she’s doing?

I know. I’m mortified.

Opening with a disclaimer again? Can she not jump in like a real writer?

I know. Grow some confidence already.

There’s no stopping her, is there. And those glasses. What?

I know. I can’t watch. Let’s go find a bigger mirror.

______________________

Disclaimer:  Writing rules, like the English language, are tufted with exceptions. Humor writing is particularly subjective. If one of the following tips does not speak to you, just remember tips can’t talk, my little apple strudel.

Funny Glasses 2018

Some days you gotta bring your own sunshine.

My 12 and a half subjective take ’em or leave ’em suggestions for writing with humor:

1. Study sit coms and stand up comics.

Notice how situation comedies  approach even heavy topics – infidelity, gambling addiction, shoplifting, sexual harassment, gender bias, challenges of aging and elder care, infertility, death, marital disputes, divorce/separation, socioeconomic disparity, juvenile delinquency, mood disorders. All of those were woven into episodes for The King of Queens!

Listen to stand up comedians. Catch the rhythm of jokes and notice the use of the rule of threes to get a laugh. 1 & 2 set the expectation and 3 flips it. Listen for it!

2. Give a character a funny name—but not all. Example – my current middle grade novel has a teacher named Mrs. Belcher.

3. Pace yourself. If your novel is a gut buster in the first chapter, you’ve set an expectation. If chapter two goes super serious, it feels like a bait and switch to your reader. Make sure you can keep the promise you made with chapter one. If you can’t or don’t want to keep the comic pace, take the opportunity to create an emotional equilibrium when you revise. Go from FUNNY to funny.

4. Be genuine. Just because humor adds levity to a story, it doesn’t mean you can’t include heavy issues or situations that would be meaningful to your readers.  (See Point 1.)

5. Be natural. Allow humor to bubble up and feel organic to the personalities of your characters and the world you’ve created for them. For me, that means writing to amuse myself in those early drafts. I do not worry if a kid will get it or will laugh. I can keep the gems and edit out the excess later.

6. Harvest funny details from your family like unique expressions, odd names for things, unusual habits or hobbies. These goodies give your story a taste all its own.

7. Consider the pun.  I love ’em, but keep in mind, they don’t always translate to an international market.

8. Play with words and make up new names for products or games.  Related to this, make Urban Dictionary your new best friend. Trust me on this one.

9. Switch up the situation. Put your character in an unfamiliar situation. A “first” experience is prime territory for this.

10. Funny characters still need to be people of substance. If you have a 3-D straight man, you can’t have a flat funny man. Related thoughts  . . .

  • Interview characters – this is really, really, really important. Really.
  • Your secondary characters can be a gold mine, so be sure to interview them too.
  • Personality quirks are fun, but they must contribute to the story in some way.

11. Don’t overlook the “serious” character as a source of humor. Being earnest, having zero sense of humor and taking things literally, can be amusing in its own way.

12. Recycle your embarrassing moments, especially if it will aid your emotional health.

And a half – Laughter is carbonated holiness. ~ Ann Lamott

BTW, this post has a companion. If you enjoy humor writing, I have a funny feeling you may want to read that one too.

_____________________________

Is she done? She took like forever.

I know. But she is kind of funny.

Smelling.

I know. It’s like Windex mixed with burnt toast and apprehension.

But we still love her.

I know.

 

Oct8

The 12 1/2 Things I Know About Humor

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Blond Wig EMLA retreat

Sometimes I can be a little silly. 

Do I know everything there is to know about humor writing? The answer is YES. Yes, I do.

Let me qualify that–I know everything “I” know about funny writing. There. That’s more accurate. And to be even more precise, I know just over a dozen things you might like to learn about writing with humor for children. These are mostly observations. I’m drafting another glistening post with actual tips on humor writing. (I do enjoy pressuring myself.)

So, here you go, my little Pixie Stix:

  1. Humor is a heart-grabber. Humor can give you a portal to your reader’s heart. When your reader throws back her head and laughs, that’s the author’s opportunity to reach in and snatch that reader’s heart.
  2. Respect your natural inclinations. If humor happens to be your super power, let it infuse your work in an organic way. Other than professional comedians, nobody leaves the house with a list of gags. You’re not writing “material,” you’re making a story. To be really funny, you need to keep it real.
  3. Humor can reveal your character’s character. Your character’s sense of what’s funny  informs the reader about a character’s character/personality/point of view.
  4.  Humor serves to make serious scenes serious-er. Drama is more dramatic and stress is more intense when it is contrasted with timely little moments of levity.
  5. Please yourself and your reader first. If your story makes adults laugh too, that’s a bonus. Resist the temptation to include a funny aside or quip solely for the grown-up reader’s benefit. Show some R-E-S-P-E-C-T for the young reader. Yes, Aretha said so.
  6. Humor lets your reader come up for air and can be used to dissipate tension. That means, the timing of your lighter moments is critical. Otherwise, you can let all the air out of the balloon (that is to say, the rising tension will dissipate).
  7. Don’t be afraid to use poop. The strategic use of taboo words like poop, booger, fart, snot, barf, belch or any of the other bodily-function-centric funny words is a sure-fire way to tickle your reader.
  8. Don’t over-do the doo doo. Remember the Poop Principle – even poop can lose its pizzazzle and be drained of its power with overuse. Just a sprinkling of poo will do.
  9. Sometimes, as in real life, your funniest character can be the one experiencing the most pain. So, your character’s sense of humor  provides an opportunity to reveal and contrast your character’s internal conflict with her people-facing side.
  10. Sarcasm is the wasabi of humor – use sparingly. Sarcastic quips get old and typically distances people. So, if you create a character who wants to push people away, sarcasm is the way to go. But be sure to dig deep to understand your character’s snark attacks. Why does he use sarcasm? What is his back story?  Why does he push people away & distance himself? For protection? To feel superior?
  11. Humor needs to fortify the overall plot (and not just hang out in the wings until it’s time to walk on stage). Otherwise, it’s just a series of Dad jokes—unless you want the Dad to tell jokes in the story “just because.”
  12. Humorous books meet a basic need. Kids need opportunities to laugh, to giggle, to be delighted and to escape. Your humor can forge an intimate bond with your reader because your stories will be source of happiness. Isn’t that marvelous?

And a half – Oh, I crack me up! There’s nothing like making yourself laugh, except for making your reader laugh.

Life is worth living as long as there’s a laugh in it. ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

 

 

Aug12

Go Ahead. Make a Scene.

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Let me go out on a squirrel-infected limb here, and take a guess about you. Here goes– unless you’re a “Real Housewife of (Wherever),” it’s unlikely you would intentionally make a scene in public.

Am I right?

I knew it!

Receiving positive attention from friends or colleagues is swell, but drawing every eye in the room because you did something outrageous or embarrassing, well, that’s un-swell.

For writers of novels, however, making a scene can be a sign of progress. My wise chocolate mint grasshoppers, you know I’m referring to a scene in a story.

I plotted by current WIP by making a simple bullet point list. Thanks to that list, the writing moved along swimmingly [cue ominous music] until I got snagged on a BIG perplexing plot point. I felt daunted and discouraged.

wavesThen, I found a detour! I studied my bullet list. I picked a few points later in the novel that I felt ready to imagine. I wrote those scenes. Wow! That felt good. As I progressed from one scene to another, in any order, I experienced the delight of forward motion. I sailed from Daunted > Encouraged > Empowered. Those good vibes are infusing me with the courage I need to draft the tricky scenes I skipped.

A time to knit these disparate scenes together will come, and (gulp) I’m excited to see how well that process will work. If it doesn’t, I will scream @#$%&!! in the middle of a crowded restaurant, then sweep my arm across a table to upend coffee cups, slide china to the floor to shatter and send the salt shaker flying. Next, I’d quack and skip out the door with a bread basket on my head. Now, THAT would be a scene.

If you are slogging your way through a first draft and feel stuck,  why not free yourself to write a scene for any point in your novel–Act I, II or III. It may be just what you need.

As a bonus, here’s a practical, energizing article from Writer’s Digest with ten tips for launching strong scenes. And, as a bonus-bonus (that’s a thing), here are more options for regaining your momentum.

My best wishes to you as you craft your scenes. Pass your tips along too!

“[on scene execution] Interesting isn’t the point…storytelling momentum and relevance is.” ― Larry Brooks, Story Engineering: Character Development, Story Concept, Scene Construction

Jul14

We Have a Winner at the Frog on a Dime Summer Open House

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TheSecretHeirCongratulations to Pat Trattles–you are the winner of an autographed copy of a brand new, scintillating summertime read–THE SECRET HEIR—by Janice Broyles. 
Janice Broyles
Many thanks to everyone who stopped by the Summer Open House. It was lovely to hear from all of you!
_______

THE SECRET HEIR retells the story of David and the princess Michal. One lives in a palace; the other sleeps under the stars. Though they come from vastly different worlds, Michal and David are drawn together. When King Saul uncovers David’s secret and vows to kill him, Michal is torn between her love for her father and feelings for David. Two kings, two men she deeply loves but for different reasons — one heart-broken in two.

THE SECRET HEIR is filled with drama, romance and intrigue for older teens, young adults and beyond.

Published by Heritage Beacon Press, THE SECRET HEIR was released on July 11. You can order it from your local independent bookstore, as well as online book distributors, including Amazon.

Frog 2

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.  ~ Henry James