Out of the Chaos ~ Finding Your Way to the Heart of Your Story

By Elly Swartz

One great story with a dash of life lessons and a heaping portion of heart. That may be a winning recipe, but getting there can feel less like a straight path from the cookbook to the platter and more like kitchen chaos.

So how do you find your way from chaos to blue-ribbon?

Here are a few tips that have worked for me.

But first, a little backstory. My journey to publication took 15 years! And the first book I published, FINDING PERFECT, was the 5th book I wrote! The other 4 are now known in my house as practice.

So, after 15 years of rejection, and now 5 books in or soon-to-be in the world, I’m familiar with finding my way through the chaos.

WRITE WHAT MATTERS TO YOU

When it comes to middle grade readers, there is no more honest bunch. So, be sure to write from that place of true authenticity. Don’t preach. Don’t judge. Write what matters most to you. Because if you write a story that tugs at your heart, then you’re writing from that place of truth. And that’s where your readers live.

SPEND TIME WITH YOUR 12-YEAR-OLD SELF

Forget the shoulds and worries of your adult life and wrap yourself around your younger self. Be that kid again. Write as if you ARE your main character. I always know that I’m truly in it when my story weaves itself into every fiber of my being and every moment of my day. Like when I was writing DEAR STUDENT and the main character, Autumn, flooded my dreams. You see, I wasn’t dreaming about Autumn, I was dreaming as if I was Autumn. My world and hers had become completely enmeshed.

Sometimes going back to your 12-year-old self is hard.

But when you’re willing to truly go there, it can also be truly magical.

EMBRACE THE SWISS CHEESE

I have lovingly named my first drafts, Swiss Cheese—they have lots of holes and they stink! After 20 years of writing, I’ve finally accepted that all of my first drafts are a hot mess. And, that’s okay.

This recognition gives me permission to just write. Without expectation. Without consequence. It’s freeing. And with that freedom comes the brain space to create.

It also gives me a place to start. A place to work from.

And we can’t create the blue-ribbon dish, without the recipe. So give Swiss Cheese a try!

EMOJIS

Every great story needs a character that feels all the feels. All happy, you’ve written a giant Hallmark card. All sad, well, no one really wants that.

But how to do you get there?

Emojis. I use them. And I promise, I’m not kidding.

After I write my Swiss Cheese draft, I put an emoji at the top and bottom of each chapter. What’s the emotion coming into the scene and what’s the emotion coming out. This way, I can visually cue myself when I need to mix things up.

Emojis keep me in check and allow me to create a story with true emotional resonance.

JUST BE YOU

Don’t compare your writing to anyone else’s. There is nothing that kills creativity faster than competition. There is room for ALL the books on the shelves. So just be you. Authentically. Wonderfully you.

Write the story you want to read. And write it in a style and voice that is uniquely yours.

Because in that space of true authenticity, lies the story of your heart.

GET RID OF THE GOAT

As shared, kids are wonderfully honest. So be sure to get rid of the goat.

Ha! What’s the goat, you ask? It’s the part of your story you want to work so badly. The part you love. But the part that’s just too good to be true.

It’s the goat in Times Square, for instance.

The part of your story that doesn’t really make sense. Like, why is a goat wondering around Times Square? And keeping it in will only cast doubt on your credibility with your readers. They trust you to be honest. They trust you to be real. Don’t break their trust. It’s a privilege.

Just get rid of the goat!

FINAL THOUGHTS

One reader asked why I continued to write during my 15 years of rejection. I had to think about that. Then I told him that I love writing more than I hate rejection. I also shared that rejection didn’t define me. And it doesn’t define you. Don’t ever give rejection that power.

You are a writer because you write.

And I believe in you!

Happy writing, friends!

Elly Swartz is the author of four contemporary middle grade novels. Her debut novel, FINDING PERFECT (FSG 2016) is about 12-year-old Molly, OCD, and a slam poetry competition that will determine everything. In her second book, SMART COOKIE (Scholastic, 2018), you meet the spunky and big-hearted Frankie who is all about family with a dash of mischief and mystery! Then in October, 2019, we said hello to Maggie in GIVE AND TAKE (FSG). With the help of a foster baby named Izzie, Maggie learns that sometimes love means letting go. And in the spring of 2022, we’ll get to know Autumn in DEAR STUDENT (Delacorte/Penguin Random House). Autumn is a girl with social anxiety and a pet guinea pig named Cheetos, who becomes the secret voice of the advice column in her middle school newspaper.

The Saturday Slash

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I’ve been blogging since 2011 and have critiqued over 200 queries here on the blog using my Hatchet of Death. This is how I edit myself, it is how I edit others. If you think you want to play with me and my hatchet, shoot me an email.

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My thoughts are in blue, words to delete are in red, suggested rephrasing is in orange.

I am sending you The Warriors of Bjornfell, a multi-POV High Fantasy YA novel with crossover potential. It is a standalone with series potential complete at 101,160 words. It will appeal to fans of Kendare Blake and Jenn Lyons. In general, I tell people to put this information at the bottom of the query. I look at it like this - every author querying has a title, a genre, a word count, and comp titles. Go in with a punch - use your hook. This info can go at the bottom. Also - you can just say it's 100k and round down. However, I would advise you to get that word down to 85-90k. Breaking out at 100k is difficult, and this genre is currently packed tight as it is.

Nathaja & Brynjar are two of three predestined warriors who are the first beings gifted by the gods in almost two centuries. This is a bit convoluted - I'm immediately wondering who the third is, and what it means to be gifted. Are they really good piano players, or what? Find something more distinctive to say, or else this starts off like every other Chosen One (or two) narrative They both must learn to control their powers in order to rescue their mothers from the clutches of Nathaja's brother Geir who has joined forces with Ragnifred, the immortal sorceress Queen. But... why? Right now this is just like - hey, we've got an emergency because there's a bad person! Which is pretty generic

Gwithari is an only child and heir to the High Elven Throne. Why did we just jump over to this person? Are N and B not the MC's? The natural course of action is for Gwithari to take the throne when the King dies, however, the only thing preventing that is the secret Gwithari guards from the world. Gwithari’s true self is female though she was born male, a fact that doesn’t coincide with her parent’s strict heteronormative views. She is given an ultimatum by her parents, either conform and obey or face death. Hey, here's your hook - I found it down here. Lead with this. This is what makes your story stand out from the pack.

Atrahasis has always dreamed of discovering what became of his grandfather’s brother, the man that traveled to a far northern kingdom and fell in love with a beautiful woman. Atrahasis soon discovers that fulfilling this dream comes at a price.I have no idea what this has to do with any of the characters you've mentioned above. Right now this query has a name soup problem, and I'm not seeing threads to tie these people, or these plots, together.

Ragnifred resented the gods for damning her to a life as a giftless mortal. After stealing not only the gifts but the very life force of others Who? she vowed to one day kill the gods and remake the world as she sees fit. Now the only thing standing between her and her goals are these prophesied warriors, for they will be the key to her success. How can they both be what's standing in her way, and they key to her success?

I am a trans woman from Florida and when I am not writing I am a freelance graphic designer, artist, and caregiver to my disabled mother. Definitely mention you're trans, however, unless disability is a theme in the book, I don't know that the nod here is important.

Right now this query has too many names and not even plot. I don't have a real idea of how these stories are going to come together to create a plot. Do all of these characters have POV's? If so, multiple POV needs to be stated. If not, figure out who is the most importnat, and focus the query on their stories.

Enter to Win A Signed copy of The Last Laugh!

In the dark and stunning sequel to The Initial Insult, award-winning author Mindy McGinnis concludes this suspenseful YA duology as long-held family secrets finally come to light . . . changing Amontillado forevermore. Perfect for fans of Truly Devious and Sadie!

Tress Montor murdered Felicity Turnado—but she might not have to live with the guilt for long. With an infected arm held together by duct tape, the panther who clawed her open on the loose, and the whole town on the hunt for the lost homecoming queen, the odds are stacked against Tress. As her mind slides deeper into delirium, Tress is haunted by the growing sound of Felicity’s heartbeat pulsing from the “best friend” charm around her fevered neck.

Ribbit Usher has been a punchline his whole life—from his nickname to his latest turn as the unwitting star of a humiliating viral video. In the past he’s willingly played the fool, but now it’s time to fulfill his destiny. That means saving the girl, so that Felicity can take her place at his side and Ribbit can exact revenge on all who have done him wrong—which includes his cousin, Tress. Ribbit is held by a pact he made with his mother long ago, a pact that must be delivered upon in four days.

With time ticking down and an enemy she considers a friend lurking in the shadows, Tress’s grip on reality is failing. Can she keep both mind and body together long enough to finally find out what happened to her parents?