Making Stories Special #Fiction Writing #Storytelling

Want to make your stories special and more salable? Add "takeaway."

 The key to unlocking successful stories and books is skillful storytelling. Adding "takeaway"makes them memorable. Ask yourself, "What other than a good read can readers take away from my story or book? Why will they remember it and want to reread it? And recommend it to their friends?"

"Takeaway" can be inspiration, information,encouragement, historical facts, a message woven into a story (never tacked on), etc. Anything that sets the story apart from others like it. Editors want to know why your manuscript deserves to be chosen over other similar submissions.

Example. Dorothy Gilman's wonderful Mrs. Pollifax series has two great takeaways in addition to can't-stop-reading mysteries. 1. Encouragement to pursue long-held dreams no matter what your age. 2. A wealth of information on countries throughout the world as readers visit and learn about cultures and customs along with Mrs. Pollifax.  

   

  Colleen Reece Chapbooks with takeaway

Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc. has purchased seven  of my children's/family-oriented story series. Chapbooks #1 and #2, were published in 2017. 
Chapbook #3, God's Answer Book just came out.

Five-year-old Aaron, his seven-year-old sister Lacey, and their friends Ali and Umeko, 6 and 7, are happy and thankful for all the good things in their lives. But when sad things happen to them and their neighbors, the children find help in their Bible "answer book."

Suggested age range for readers: 4-8, families.

"Takeaway" is: The Scriptures offer help for those times when life is gloomy and there is "too much rain in the rainbow."

Included are illustrations like these (chapters 1,2,12).

List of Colleen Reece Chapbooks
   (true growing-up experiences)

1. The Appleby Family Adventures
God cares for family at home and on the road.

2. Christmas Caroling Classics
 Where they came from.


STILL TO COME  > > > >

4. Good Neighbors

 Hunter, Alice, and their parents are moving. Will they have good neighbors in Cedar Village? Yes. Until the children get to know their new neighbors’ names, they make up nicknames (but only use them at home) such as

• Mrs. Woman-in-a-Shoe
• Mr. Doggie-Go-Home
• Mrs. Talks-to-Herself
• Grandma-Flower-Grower

5. Mudpuppies to Mountains (Becky was my mom)

God protects five-year-old Becky and her family when

• she crosses a busy train track 
• a gypsy tries to steal her sister
• the family  moves from Michigan to Washington State in the early 1900s
• family is quarantined for chickenpox
• at last they moves to a logging town that has seven saloons, one grocery store, and a one-room schoolhouse. Grandpa builds the first church.

 6. Vagabond Summer (I am Carol)

 A great driving vacation from Washington State to New Mexico

• terrible fog and a missing outhouse
• Wyoming parade
• a birthday surprise

The vagabond summer is unforgettable, most of all for the many times that God worked in miraculous ways to rescue the travelers.

7. Wishbooks and Promises
 

Every year, Carol Johnson (me) and my brothers looked forward to getting Christmas catalogs through the mail. The best "wishbook" offers promises to those who love the Lord. This knowledge helped us through many happy as well as hard times. For instance

• being chased by a bull
• making an unusual friend
• failing to get the coveted part in the Christmas play
• Uncle Ed’s prayer
• finding a "magic" lamp
• wishing for a bicycle 

 Take time to add takeaway.

 Colleen's books at