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MYC The Dread Pirate Synopsis: Into the Shallows

Welcome to this week’s Master Your Craft post! Each Wednesday we’ll discuss writing a new book from the BIG IDEA to QUERYING. Last year, we walked you through every step from getting the big idea through polishing your finished novel. Last time, we posted some tips for drafting a query. This week, we’re tackling the dreaded synopsis. Numerous resources exist for how to write a synopsis. Any writer … Continue reading MYC The Dread Pirate Synopsis: Into the Shallows

Rebecca PetruckMarch 21, 2018May 2, 20191 Comment

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC: Query Tips, Tricks and Tidbits

Welcome to this week’s Master Your Craft post! Each Wednesday we’ll discuss writing a new book from the BIG IDEA to QUERYING. Last year, we walked you through every step from getting the big idea through polishing your finished novel. Last week, we tried to answer the question Are you ready to query? So if you answered “YES!” this week, we aim to help you get your query drafted. Queries … Continue reading MYC: Query Tips, Tricks and Tidbits

Richelle MorganMarch 7, 2018May 2, 2019Leave a comment

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC – Six Steps to a Query-Ready Manuscript

Welcome to this week’s Master Your Craft post! Each Wednesday we’ll discuss writing a new book from the BIG IDEA to QUERYING. Last year, we walked you through every step from getting the big idea through polishing your finished novel. This week, we tackle one of the most frequently asked questions in the history of the known world in your critique group and beyond: Is your manuscript query-ready? … Continue reading MYC – Six Steps to a Query-Ready Manuscript

Julie ArtzFebruary 28, 2018May 2, 20192 Comments

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

It’s BACK! Master Your Craft Returns

So you’ve finished your book, polished and pruned and read it through a few million times. What do you do now? The Winged Pen’s Master Your Craft (#WPMYC) Series is back to guide you through all the hard work that comes after you finally complete your novel. Next week, we’ll be tackling the very first question you should ask yourself when you’ve revised as much … Continue reading It’s BACK! Master Your Craft Returns

Richelle MorganFebruary 21, 2018October 5, 20182 Comments

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft, Writer's Life

How to Survive Your Toughest Draft

For the last couple of years, every time one of my writer pals would ask me what I was working on, the answer was the same breezy, “Oh, I’m still plugging away on that rockstar mom book I told you about ages ago.” I’m pretty sure that more than a few of them wondered if I shouldn’t just give it up and move on to … Continue reading How to Survive Your Toughest Draft

Richelle MorganJanuary 15, 2018May 2, 201910 Comments

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC: Wrap-up

This week’s MYC post is going to be a bit different because instead of focusing on an aspect of writing a novel, this week, we’re focusing on YOU! So, THANK YOU for following along on our series, which addressed everything from finding a big idea for your story, to honing in on voice, to charging through that first draft, to tightening your manuscript and getting … Continue reading MYC: Wrap-up

Richelle MorganNovember 8, 2017October 5, 20184 Comments

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC: Do You Need Feedback? Yes!

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 talked about Writing with Your 5 Senses This week, we’re discussing feedback. Writing is a lonely business. We joke about our “co-workers” being animals and cups of coffee, and for the majority of the work, such as drafting and querying, that … Continue reading MYC: Do You Need Feedback? Yes!

Halli GomezNovember 1, 2017May 2, 2019Leave a comment

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

Tasting Your Words: Writing with Your 5 Senses

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 talked about Ten Steps to Tightening. This week, we’ll discuss Tasting Your Words: Writing with Your 5 Senses. We are physical beings who experience life on this planet through our five senses. It’s true that our minds love to time-travel, … Continue reading Tasting Your Words: Writing with Your 5 Senses

Karin LefrancOctober 25, 2017May 2, 20193 Comments

Master Your Craft

MYC: Tightening

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 talked about Sentence, Paragraph, Chapter, and Story Length. This week, we’ll discuss Ten Steps to Tightening. One of the important steps in the revision process is tightening. This is a multi-level, multi-step process, but oh so important to make your … Continue reading MYC: Tightening

Michelle LeonardOctober 18, 2017May 2, 20191 Comment

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC: Make Your Story Fit Your Reader

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 talked about Creating Interesting Dialogue and Description. This week, we’ll discuss making sure the content and sentence, paragraph, chapter, and word count work for your reader. As you are revising, one important step in the process is to make sure … Continue reading MYC: Make Your Story Fit Your Reader

Michelle LeonardOctober 11, 2017May 2, 20191 Comment

Creativity and Craft, Master Your Craft

MYC: Playing with Language

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 revision with a look at first and last pages. This week, we’re diving into making your language shine. After the long slog of drafting and re-drafting and revising and editing, it can be hard to remember what … Continue reading MYC: Playing with Language

Richelle MorganOctober 4, 2017May 2, 20192 Comments

Master Your Craft

MYC: The Importance of First and Last Pages

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 revision with Writing “Other” with Sensitivity. This week, we’re diving into the importance of first and last pages. My introduction to writing first pages came early in my career at an SCBWI conference. I listened as a … Continue reading MYC: The Importance of First and Last Pages

Halli GomezSeptember 27, 2017May 2, 20193 Comments