Welcome to this week’s Master Your Craft post! Each Wednesday we’ll discuss prewriting and drafting a new book from the BIG IDEA to QUERYING. Last week, we continued our series on character development with a warning to not let our friends write bad books!! This week we’ll tackle the ever-elusive craft of VOICE! Some of you may ask: Why is voice part of character development? Well, friend, I’m soooo … Continue reading MYC: Finding Your Voice
It’s still January and everyone’s talking about goals. Making goals, keeping goals, how to write your goals and Blah, Blah, Blah! Actually, I’m a very goal oriented person. I love goals. I make goals to shatter them, not just reach them. BUT 2016 was a bit of a different story. Shortly after finalizing the edits for my first book, I hit a huge snag. A … Continue reading How to Break Your Resolutions & Live to Tell About It
Hi, Julie. I’m so excited that you’ve signed with Jennie Dunham of Dunham Lit and are on your way to publishing success! I think The Call is one of the most desired/feared/nerve-wracking/exciting/elusive steps a writer works toward. You’ve nailed your query and finally garnered some interest, but now what? She sent me an email. I had received a similar email from her in the spring … Continue reading The Call with Julie Artz
via GIPHY When I had my first child, sure my life changed. My sleep was dictated by her cries. I had to take her with me on all my errands and be sure there’d be a place I could nurse. Worse case, I had to time my arrival so I could feed her in the car. No more running in shops or popping out for … Continue reading Claim it!
Alright, Karin, the grocery stores are filled with Halloween treats and decorations and it’s also your book’s birthday! Happy Birthday, I WANT TO EAT YOUR BOOKS! Look at that cover! He’s the only zombie I’ve seen that I want to hug. If you too are drooling over this book, check it out here and here or here. But, these spotlight interviews are to get to … Continue reading Spotlight Interview with Karin Lefranc
Fellow writers! The 8 on Eight contest window is OPEN! Q: I must have missed the announcement. What is 8 on Eight? A monthly contest that provides one lucky kidlit writer with feedback on their opening eight lines! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a PB, CB, MG, or YA writer feedback on their work from at least 8 of The Winged Pen’s … Continue reading 8 on Eight September Contest Window is now open!
Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s 8 on Eight contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest. If your name wasn’t drawn from the Triwizard cup this time around, keep an eye out for when our next contest window opens at 8 PM on August 31st. Below, we’ve posted the first 8 lines from … Continue reading 8 on Eight: August Contest Feedback
Those of you who have been following the blog have probably clicked on our bio page to see who we are. But, come on, we all know we’re more than a posed photo and a blurb. We’ve all got families and lives, too. I’d like to get to know each of our blog contributors better and decided to start with Gabrielle because we’ve recently swapped … Continue reading FOWP Spotlight Interview! Featuring Gabrielle
Today I’ve teamed up with my eldest daughter, Sylvia , because it’s her 11th birthday. And anyone who knows me knows if it’s your birthday (or any holiday) you’re getting a book from me. In her earlier days, Sylvia was an easy girl to buy books for. She loved whatever I picked out. Now…. Well, it’s much more difficult. I seriously think it’s easier to … Continue reading Book Buying Advice from the Kiddos
Hi, Wendy. I’m really excited to talk to you not only because you recently revealed the cover of your debut upcoming book, It’s a mystery, Pig-Face, but also because you’ve got a unique story about how you got there! Let’s start with the first question I’ve been dying to ask, how did you make the jump from CEO to author? I kind of imagine you … Continue reading Interview with MG author Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Hey, Shelley! It’s so great to feature you as our first interview on the blog. Thanks so much for inviting me here! For those of you who are not familiar with Shelley and her amazing contemporary Middle Grade books, here’s some links to her blog and books. Now, on with the interview! In the past, when I’ve interviewed you, we focused on your journey of self-publishing and … Continue reading Interview with MG author Shelley Sly
