Querying 201: 9 Tips for Querying a Manuscript That’s NOT Your First

We wrote an article on querying your manuscript a couple years ago. That advice is still solid, but I wanted to write a follow on for people who have been around the query block before.

Why?

When writers first query, they tend to rush into it, sending out lots of queries without taking the time to incorporate feedback. I’ll admit I was guilty of this. Once you’ve put time into a few manuscripts and have a better sense of what type of agent you’d like to work with, it’s easier to slow down and be deliberate.

So whether your first (couple?) manuscripts didn’t get you an agent or you’ve parted with your agent and need to find a new one, these suggestions can help you dig deeper to find the best partner for you. Continue reading Querying 201: 9 Tips for Querying a Manuscript That’s NOT Your First

Recommended: SKY GAZING by Meg Thacher

Who doesn’t get entranced looking up at the stars? Whether you’re searching for constellations or imagining blasting off from Earth to found the first settlement on Mars, the night sky gets your imagination rolling. And you have much more knowledge to work with if you’ve read up on the objects you’re gazing at.

That’s where Sky Gazing comes in . . . Continue reading Recommended: SKY GAZING by Meg Thacher

10 best ya books for summer 2021

10 Great Young Adult Books for Summer 2021

It’s summer! And we’re actually allowed out of our houses and can get to the beach this year! We know you want a few good books to bring on vacation, so Halli, Richelle, and I came up with a list of our favorites.

Whether you love thrillers or fantasies, contemporaries or romances, you’ll find something(s) you love on this list.

Happy reading! Continue reading 10 Great Young Adult Books for Summer 2021

Celebrate Your Writing Milestones!

I recently wrapped up a writing project. Two middle-grade books written in under 4 months. It was a fun project, but the short timeline made it stressful. (For more about that, see my article on Work-for-Hire Writing.)

I turned the second book over to a critique partner to read for me and as I breathed a sigh of relief at having a couple days off, I began thinking about the project I’d pick up once this one was submitted . . . Continue reading Celebrate Your Writing Milestones!

Why I Revised My Manuscript from 3rd Person, Past to 1st Person, Present & How I Plan to Avoid Doing That Again

Have you ever wondered whether you’re writing in the right point of view (POV) for the story you’re trying to tell? The right tense?

Revising an entire manuscript from 3rd person to 1st is no small task. The task is made a whole lot bigger yet when you add a tense change on top of that. My revision of a 90,000+ word manuscript for both POV and tense took a couple months to complete.

To hear what I learned by doing this huge revision, read this post. Continue reading Why I Revised My Manuscript from 3rd Person, Past to 1st Person, Present & How I Plan to Avoid Doing That Again

Recommended: LIST OF TEN by Halli Gomez

We’re excited to host our own Halli Gomez for the launch of her YA debut!

This is a jam-packed post with a review of List of Ten, details on the book launch, and an interview with Halli about her inspiration for this #ownvoices story!

Click to read the full post! Continue reading Recommended: LIST OF TEN by Halli Gomez

Everything that Burns has a beautiful girl on the cover

Recommended: EVERYTHING THAT BURNS by Gita Trelease

We’re excited to welcome Gita Trelease back to the Winged Pen for the launch of her 2nd book!

This is a jam-packed post with:
a review of Everything That Burns, a link to register for Gita’s virtual launch hosted by Odyssey Bookshop on February 4th, and an interview with Gita about her inspiration for this dark fantasy and tips for aspiring writers. Continue reading Recommended: EVERYTHING THAT BURNS by Gita Trelease

The picture depicts someone writing in a notebook with a blue pen.

A Winged Pen New Year’s Resolution: Boosting Conversation with Readers Including Guest Posts

Happy New Year! At the Winged Pen, we have a couple New Year’s resolutions, and here’s the first we’re rolling out:

We’d like to make this site more of a conversation among our writing community.

On many posts, we ask for comments because. . . Continue reading A Winged Pen New Year’s Resolution: Boosting Conversation with Readers Including Guest Posts

Influence by Sara Shepard & Lilia Buckingham. The cover has a pixilated image of a teenage girl.

Recommended: INFLUENCE by Sara Shepard & Lilia Buckingham

Who wouldn’t want to be Scarlet Leigh? Just look at her Instagram. Scarlet isn’t just styled to perfection: she is perfection. Scarlet has a gorgeous, famous boyfriend named Jack and there’s a whole fanbase about their ship. To everyone watching online, their lives seem perfect . . . but are they really? The sun is hot in California . . . and someone’s going to get burned… Continue reading Recommended: INFLUENCE by Sara Shepard & Lilia Buckingham