Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

January Four on 400 Contest

Q: What is Four on 400?  A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply click the link the at the bottom of this post and submit … Continue reading January Four on 400 Contest

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

Four on 400 Feedback

Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s Four on 400 contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest.Below, we’ve posted the first 400 words from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least four of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section below. YA Contemporary: GOING … Continue reading Four on 400 Feedback

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

December Four on 400 Contest

Q: What is Four on 400?  A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply click the link the at the bottom of this post and submit … Continue reading December Four on 400 Contest

November Four on 400 Feedback

Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s Four on 400 contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest.Below, we’ve posted the first 400 words from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least four of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section below.   MG Contemporary: … Continue reading November Four on 400 Feedback

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

November Four on 400 Contest

Q: What is Four on 400?  A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply click the link the at the bottom of this post and submit … Continue reading November Four on 400 Contest

Windows & Mirrors: GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan. In the kingdom of Ikhara, social standing is determined in large part by which caste people are born into. At the top are animal-like demons and at … Continue reading Windows & Mirrors: GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

October Four on 400 Feedback

Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s Four on 400 contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest.Below, we’ve posted the first 400 words from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least four of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section below.   Upper Middle … Continue reading October Four on 400 Feedback

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

October Four on 400 Contest

Q: What is Four on 400?  A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply click the link the at the bottom of this post and submit … Continue reading October Four on 400 Contest

The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Back in 2015, Pitch Wars founder Brenda Drake put out a call for middle grade mentors to take on a second mentee. Without any idea who the writer was or what the story was about, Joy McCullough, Rebecca Wells, and I volunteered to co-mentor this mysterious project. That writer turned out to be Amanda Rawson Hill, who was working on a gorgeous story called The … Continue reading The Three Rules of Everyday Magic

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

September Four on 400 Feedback

Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s Four on 400 contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest.Below, we’ve posted the first 400 words from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least four of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section below.   YA Contemporary: … Continue reading September Four on 400 Feedback

Four on 400 in bold red on a background of text

September Four on 400 Contest

Q: What is Four on 400?  A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply click the link the at the bottom of this post and submit … Continue reading September Four on 400 Contest

August Four on 400 Feedback

Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s Four on 400 contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest.Below, we’ve posted the first 400 words from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least four of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section below.     Middle … Continue reading August Four on 400 Feedback