Happy Friday!
Are you officially registered for RhyPiBoMo?
Registration ends tonight at Midnight CST!
If not, click here and register so you will be eligible for daily prizes and can join one of our rhyming critique groups. These will be organized next week. Registration ends at Midnight tonight CST.
If you’re not sure whether you registered or not, click here for the Master Registration List. These are the folks who are officially registered for RhyPiBoMo 2016.
Today’s guest blogger is someone I met personally at the RPB Revolution Conference last December and now we are friends. I was thrilled to connect in person because I love her website! I suggest that my students study her site! Now I’m suggesting that you study her website too. The topic of rhyme pales in comparison to the topic of meter and word stress when it comes to writing rhyming picture books. If you don’t understand what a stressed syllable is, then you MUST learn more about it.
Rhymeweaver.com is the best place to begin!
I’m pleased to introduce
Author Lane Fredrickson
Author Lane Fredrickson
and her amazing website RhymeWeaver!
RhymeWeaver.com: For Writing
Better Rhyme and Meter
Some people can touch their tongue to their nose.
Some people can’t. And these are mutually exclusive categories (meaning you must be EITHER a nose-tongue-toucher or a NON-nose-tongue-toucher, you cannot be both). So, where am I going with this? Rhyme.
We’re talking about rhyme.
Stay with me.
The presence of this ability is called Gorlin’s sign and no matter how hard you try, if you don’t have it, you simply cannot touch your tongue to your nose (short of self-mutilation, that is).
And here’s my point: some people think the ability to rhyme is like the Gorlin Sign- you either have it, or you don’t.
But here’s the good news: This is a myth. Just like yodeling or ice-skating, making great rhymes is an art, and it CAN be learned. Even naturally good rhymers can become better rhymers.
But there’s some bad news.
Because it’s hard. It takes a lot of effort to really understand rhyme and meter and consistently write it well. This genre is not for the slacker. For me, the hardest thing about understanding rhyme and meter was that I always had to work backwards. I had to look at a finished poem that was revered for its excellence and superior craftsmanship and figure out why it was amazing. Then I had to look at a few hundred more of these masterworks and see what was common among them, etc., etc. I can assure you that this method, while ultimately effective, is really, really boring and tedious and aggravating and potentially suicide-inducing.
I don’t recommend it.
That is where RhymeWeaver.com comes in. The beauty of RhymeWeaver.com (a.k.a. WritingRhymeAndMeter.com) is that you don’t have to start from the final result and work backwards. Every teacher knows that people learn best when they study concepts from the bottom up. No one learns long division before addition. It’s a math law.
There should be a RhyPiBoMo law that says: Thou shalt master stressed syllables before thou shalt tackle hypercatalyctic anapestic tetrameter.
RhymeWeaver.com starts from the most basic concepts and progresses to the really complex using graphics and examples to illustrate points. And it’s broken down into small segments so you can do a few a day. You can skip sections you already understand and you can go back to sections you found difficult. You can learn to be a master rhymer (even if you can’t touch your tongue to your nose), but mastery takes time. RhymeWeaver.com will save you time. A lot of it.
Bio:
Lane Fredrickson was born in Montana, an awfully cold place. Now she lives in Florida, a very warm place. While it may seem like this was a plan, it was really more of an adventure. Becoming a children’s book author was not a plan, either. And it is always an adventure. Lane’s first degree was in experimental psychology, but she got a second degree in English out of sheer boredom, when her two kids went to school. Again, not a plan. After dabbling at writing picture books for many years, she became fascinated with medieval and renaissance literature in college. The intricacies of rhyme and meter became rules and deviations instead of pure unadulterated mysteries. This unraveling of the rhyme and meter conundrum lead to the publications of Watch Your Tongue, Cecily Beasley in 2012, and Monster Trouble! in 2015.
Lane’s website, Rhymeweaver.com was born more as a challenge in writing a website than creating a resource for writers, but it was definitely a plan. There was so much planning in writing Rhymeweaver.com that Lane almost lost her “fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants-kinda-gal” nature. This is probably a good thing, however, as Lane Fredrickson is, after all, a grownup.
Watch Your Tongue Cecily Beasley
Monster Trouble
Website
Thank You Lane!
PLEASE like our guest bloggers on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, go to their websites and express your appreciation for their time and wisdom! Many have generously donated multiple prizes and this event would not be successful without their support, so please support them! Oh…and buy their books too!!
To be eligible for today’s prize drawing by Random.org you must comment at the bottom of the page where it says “Leave A Reply” AND add your FIRST and LAST name in the comment. If I don’t have your name or how to contact you via email, you can’t win.
You must be a member of the RhyPiBoMo Facebook Group and if you haven’t officially registered, you are not eligible to win.
Please follow the pledge rules daily to get the most out of this challenge!
The drawings will be done daily and announced on Saturday of each week.
Angie Karcher 
Thank you, Lane! There’s always more to learn, and you’ve provided a great resource! Julie Schuh
Thanks Julie,
Good luck with your rhyming.
Lane
Shelley Kinder
I discovered RhymeWeaver awhile back, but I definitely need to revisit! I just made it a favorite on my computer. Loved your post! Well, everything except the tongue in the nose. That image might haunt me all day…LOL.
Hi Shelley,
LOL! Yeah, I guess the nose guy is a little disturbing, but he’s probably hilarious, you know, like if you met him at a party. Thanks for tweeting me. I actually forgot my twitter login info. I made it so long ago I can’t even answer my security questions. Clearly, a genius, I am.
Best,
Lane
Sara Gentry
I love the RhymeWeaver site! I just visited it for the first time after reading yesterday’s post.
Thanks for stopping by, Sara! Hope it’s helpful.
Best,
Lane
Jill Proctor – I love your site! Thanks for offering such great rhyming teachings.
Your welcome! Thanks for checking out the site. It loves company 🙂
Best,
Lane
Debbie McCue
I spent a lot of worthwhile time studying RhymeWeaver after reading yesterday’s post. I gained brainloads of info about meter. Your website is wonderful. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Debbie,
BRAINLOADS!! Totally my new favorite new word.
Thanks for stopping by RW.
Best,
Lane
I’m not sure if I commented here or on Facebook. That’s what old age does for you! Anyway I have used Lane’s fine site Rhyme Weaver and i loved it. Lane, your illustrations are a real help for a beginner. The whole site is a resource for me.
Thank you.
HI Jane,
I gotcha sister. I’ve been suffering from old age my whole life. So glad the site was helpful.
Best,
Lane
Melissa Stoller –
Hi Lane – thanks so much for this great post!! I look forward to learning from your website and reading your books!
Melanie Ellsworth – Lane’s site, RhymeWeaver, was what got me started writing rhyming picture book manuscripts a few years ago. It’s wonderful! (As are her books.)
HI Melanie,
Thanks for endorsing RhymeWeaver and for supporting my books. I really appreciate it.
Best,
Lane
Donna Rossman – I love RhymeWeaver! Thanks so much for the inspirational post and website!!! 🙂
Hi Donna,
I LOVE that you love Rhymeweaver. I really wondered if anyone would ever read it when I built the site so thanks for your support.
Best,
Lane
Anita Jones
This was such a funny and informative post! I intend to re-read it several times….I just have to get your books! Thanks for making me smile and although I can’t touch my nose with my tongue…at least I know there’s still hope for me!!! Thanks Lane
HI Anita,
There is definitely hope for you (if you want to be an amazing rhymer that is, if you want to touch your tongue to your nose, I’m afraid you must give up this dream). Stay with RhyPiBoMo.
Best,
Lane
Cathy Lentes
Cool resource! Thanks!
Great website! 😀
Thanks Lori,
Great Scrabble word your last name would be if only you were a noun AND a person.
Best,
Lane
Sarah Harroff – I can’t wait to explore your web resource, Lane. Thank you!
HI Sarah,
RhymeWeaver cannot wait for your visit. It loves the company of wild things.
Best,
Lane
Judy Cooper – I don’t know what was more entertaining, your bio or your blog post. (By the way, my husband can do that tongue thing) Thank you for the direction to your website. I WILL be a regular user, I’m sure. It sounds like an answer to a prayer for me.
Hi Judy,
Glad to be helpful. Stick with RhyPiBoMo and you will answer your own prayers.
Best,
Lane
Hello Lane…your website is unbelievable! When I started writing picture books back in 2012, they were almost all in rhyme…now, not so much. But maybe RhyPiBoMo will be a catalyst to getting me to return to rhyme. 😉 Vivian Kirkfield
Hi Vivian,
That is the whole motivation behind RhyPiBoMo, to get you to the place that your rhyme is as good as your story ideas. Keep working, this is the genre for the hard worker, willing to learn.
You can do it.
Lane
Yup…if you ask anyone in this kidlit community to describe me in one word, it would probably be hard-worker…see how I cheated and put a hyphen there. 😉 Truly, though, I do believe that if we are determined and tenacious and don’t EVER give up, we will definitely succeed. I do have a nonfiction pb coming out in Spring 2017…not rhyming though…I still have to jump that hurdle. 😉
Jean James
I’ve been to Lane’s website many times and have it bookmarked; such a treasure trove of excellent information!
I love being called a treasure trove!! Thank you. (I know that I have a small identity crisis in that I have confused my whole self with the website but I’d like to be a treasure trove for a little while.)
Best, Lane
Cecily Beasley is one of my favorite rhyming books. And your site is fabulous. Thanks for all of your advice.
Hi Laura,
I’m so glad the website is helpful and Thank YOU for complimenting Cecily.
Best,
Lane
Enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing your site. Great resource!
Thank you for Rhymeweaver! What a great resource!
Lynn Alpert
I love Rhymeweaver – thanks for the great resource.
DebbieLubbert Thanks for this helpful information!
Mary Warth
What a great resource. Thanks Lane!
Mary Warth
What a terrific resource. Thanks Lane!
Lori Laniewski-
Thank you, Lane! Can’t wait to check out your website!
Joana Pastro
Hi, Lane! Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. I’ll be adding Rhymeweaver to my favorites! Great post!
Patricia Toht
Rhyme Weaver is a wonderful and generous resource for rhymers. Thank you, Lane, for pulling all of the information together and presenting it in a fun and memorable way.
I love the visuals and clear explanations on your site!
NATALIE LYNN TANNER: Hi lane! I can touch my tongue to my nose (WOOO WHOO!!!), but I am not the best rhymer, so I am EXCITED about Rhymeweaver.com; I’m sure it will help me hone this great skill! THANK YOU for taking the time to develop it! I, too, became fascinated with medieval and renaissance literature in college, and took as many classes focusing on these genres as possible. Hopefully your website will help me master my own rhyming! THANK YOU!!!
David McMullin. Thanks, Lane. I have used your site in the past, and it is wonderful.
I love Rhymeweaver. And now I’m going to challenge myself to improve my rhyming AND my tongue skills. Thank you for your excellent website and excellent post.
Umm, Paula,
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but unless you can already do it, you will never touch your tongue to your nose. Sorry. But this is not so bad as there is no real useful function for this. Rhyming, however, you can be amazing, so go ahead and be amazing.
Best, Lane
Thank you Lane so much for always teaching me something in a fun and unique way. I’ve read Rhymeweaver over the past years and love it. It helped clear up some of the rhyming confusion.
Chris Clayson
You are so welcome, Chris.
Thank you for your endorsement.
Good luck,
Lane
Terrific post with great humor ! I enjoyed meeting you at RPB conference. Your site is great. Now I must study, practice and perfect. Aimee Haburjak
HI Aimee!!!
How are you? I can’t waif for the next RPB. Angie says she wants to go somewhere warm, but it was so nice for me to go to NYC. Hope you are well. Must go see your world on fb. Hard to keep up.
Best,
Lane
Betting everyone who read your post tried to touch their nose with their tongue (or am I the only one!?) Thanks for the encouragement. -Wendy Greenley
Jena Benton
Thank you Lane for sharing such a wonderful resource with your fellow writers! I look forward to studying your website!
Maritza M. Mejia
Thanks so much for the inspirational and instructional website.
What a terrifically helpful resource. Good job!
Michele Katz Grieder
Going to check out Rhymeweaver.com right now! Sounds like an amazing tool!
(And thanks for the smile! The photos accompanying your post were a riot!!!! 😀 )
Ann Magee
Great post–I’m still struggling with meter and stressed/unstressed syllables. Good thing I consider myself a life-long learner.
Holy hilarious hook. I will remember this lesson for quite a while! Thanks for the fun and the info!
Ingrid Boydston SO! I remember reading your blog and many of the comments, but I don’t remember commenting myself (perhaps I did but I can’t find it!) so I am commenting to say this. Yours was one of the first truly useful blogs I discovered when started investigating writing in rhyme. You have a gift for making complex concepts easy to understand. Thank you for that Lane!