There are gems of information hidden in quality published stories, picture books or articles. These gems can become your own personalized guidelines for submissions. How do you mine them? Pick up your pick and ax (pencil and paper) and follow these simple steps. Soon you’ll have a treasure you can refer to for future writing successes.

I take detailed notes on pieces I have studied. These are short observations written on ordinary notebook paper. Sometimes I mark or use highlight on the actual piece, if I own it. These are the general categories I use: Word Counts, Beginnings, Middles, Endings and Extras.

The first thing I do when I’m analyzing a piece of work is to get a complete word count. It can be time consuming but it’s the only way to understand the framework used by the author. For picture books, I also count the words and number of sentences on each page. This shows the pacing of the piece. Note how many illustrations or double spreads are used.

Now for the Beginnings. See how the author hooked the reader with a clever title or beginning sentence. Did he or she use an unusual setting? A leading question? A shocking event or fact? A bit of history? Is the story written in first or third person narrative? Many publishers prefer a story written in a certain point of view. Count how many sentences it took to identify the problem in a story or the first interesting fact in an article.

Middles: How did the author keep your interest? Are there exciting or problematic episodes? Does the author use the “rule of three” (challenges for the main character)? Watch the pacing—are the sentences and words clipped and short (for excitement) or are the sentences and words long and drawn out (calming)? How does that influence the mood of the piece? Is there any back-story? How was that woven into the story? Portraying of the five senses? How does the author transition from different actions and scenes? How much or how little do we know about the main and/or secondary characters? How many characters are there?

Endings: How did the conclusion fit the piece? Is it written in the same style or voice as the rest of the piece? Is there a tag ending like a moral in fairy tales? What is the plot twist or unexpected ending? How long is the ending after the climax? How did the article wrap up in the closing paragraph? Did it leave you sad, happy or feeling smart? Note the words used to bring out that mood.

The Extras are anything that struck me as interesting. These could be ways an author described or worded something: flannel gray skies, the bony fingers [of a leafless tree], or bits of irony, hyperbole or humorous plays on words. Use this section any way you like.

Quality published stories, picture books and articles all have something in common—they are excellent examples of success. All we have to do is uncover their proven methods and apply them. By compiling several of these studies and targeting a certain publishing house or magazine, you’ll have an advantage over others in making that all important sale. Start mining your writing gems today and you’ll have a plan for your own future successes.