Insider Ink Splat:
MAY 2024
What’s Up At SYI this Month?
INK SPLAT
JONATHAN MERRITT
Hello Inklings!
This month’s Ink Splat Author Interview features award-winning author and journalist, Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan has a wealth of knowledge of the publishing world through his own writing, his ghostwriting, and also his work as an agent and editor. Jonathan shared with us about his newest writing adventure, which posed surprising challenges and opportunities by stretching his word-wrangling and storytelling skills in a new direction. The resulting picture book, My Guncle and Me, is delightful and not-to-be-missed. Learn more about Jonathan at jonathanmerritt.com.
Here’s a peek:
“Writing a children’s picture book felt like trying an avant garde workout class that required me to stretch and flex entire muscle groups that I’ve never utilized before. So much of it felt strange and new.”
~ Jonathan Merritt
WRITING CHALLENGE
Experiment with a Word Bank
First of all, what is a word bank?
In Jonathan’s interview, he encourages us to begin our own word bank, a collection of off-beat words, mesmerizing turns of phrase, and unique metaphors that we come across in articles or books. You can keep your collection anywhere you like, as long as it is close at hand when you sit down to write.
So, how might you use your word bank?
A word bank can start a piece of writing with a mind-bending combination of words. Scan your collection and choose three words or phrases that seem completely unrelated. Then, use your innovative imagination to connect them into a surprising story idea.
A word bank can also solve a problem. Sometimes you feel stuck and simply have no idea how to make your writing sparkle and sing. Consult your word bank for a metaphor or a phrase that you can use as a lightning rod to electrify your otherwise lackluster sentences.
Ready to start?
Jonathan also reminds us to watch out for puny verbs and to replace them with strong ones. Here’s a kick-start for your word bank, filled with powerful verbs.
- rumble
- leapfrog
- shiver
- bounce
- careen
- sizzle
- bubble
- waltz
- blunder
- snicker
Your challenge, should you choose to accept it is:
Choose three mismatched verbs. Use them to spark a story idea, and see if you can craft your story’s beginning, middle, and end all within 500 words or less. Are you up for the challenge?
Submit your response HERE and you might be published on our website!
INKLINGS CONNECT
Summer Camps
Join us for a writing camp this summer. We can't wait to see what you create!
Keep your creativity flowing with our upcoming community events:
Advice from an Inkling:
Q: When a writer finishes a draft, what then? How might they approach the next steps of revising and finishing their work?
A: “Always, always keep on writing. A story is never a static piece––it’s an ever-changing mosaic of all the different pieces of you. Don’t be afraid to delete words you no longer believe serve your purpose. Don’t be afraid to write more, even if your writing never makes it into the draft. Those words are not wasted time, they’re something you put your heart into. Trust yourself.”
-Ariel Zhang,
Inklings Book 2023
We want to read your work!
Don’t forget to submit your writing challenge, and you might be published on our blog!
P.S. We’re here for you! You can always email with ideas or questions: info@younginklings.org.
