If I had a nickel for every time I’ve rewritten the first line in the book I’m currently querying, I could afford to take you out for a fancy dinner and maybe a movie. I’ll admit I’m a bit obsessive in my determination to write the perfect opening. I’ve lost plenty of sleep over it, and unfortunately it’s only the tip of the iceberg in … Continue reading Writing Killer Kid Lit First Lines
What makes a writer a writer? I’ve heard, and I’m sure you have too, the mantra that if you write, you’re a writer. That’s true, so far as it goes. The work doesn’t do itself. You can have Pulitzer-prize-winning, banned bestsellers coming out your ears, but if they stay there (between your ears) then they’re not going to do anyone much good. The story must meet the … Continue reading The Road to Writer
…someone says the word DUTY and you giggle like a third grader …you shamelessly wear dragon jewels! …you know more about the books your kids read than they do …you have more in common with kids than their parents …you get a paper cut and bleed coffee/tea …you day dream A LOT …you have creative ways of procrastinating like sock skating …your co-worker is a … Continue reading You know you’re a children’s writer when…
When I get blocked on a project, I sometimes use writing prompts to spur my creativity. It helps me come back to the daunting task of drafting with a sense of energy and purpose. Free writing like this often starts with something that happened in real life. For example, this week I wrote a flash fiction piece about anxiety after spending a nerve-testing hour in the … Continue reading Writing Prompts to Spur Creativity
I started knitting when I was in my mid-20’s. My mother is an expert seamstress and had tried to teach me to sew, but it just never took. I couldn’t muster the patience or the exactitude necessary for sewing. (Really, I hated all the ironing. I still don’t iron, unless you count tossing things in the dryer for a few minutes.) By a strange coincidence, … Continue reading What Knitting Taught Me About Writing
The first page of your novel needs to deliver a promise. It must start with an emotion, with a connection with the protagonist, not with the weather, not with a dream, not with a philosophical bit. You must make your reader care. So your job is to make sure the reader can identify and sympathize with the protagonist. The first page does not start with … Continue reading Your First Page Delivers a Promise
There are so many amazing books on how to write that I find it difficult to know which one to read when I’m feeling the itch to brush up on craft (which I do about once a quarter). So I thought I’d share some brief reviews of craft books to help you decide which one might work best for you. I’ll start with The Plot Whisperer by … Continue reading Book Recommendation – The Plot Whisperer
This idea will not be your only one. In fact, your ideas will get better and better. I was in the middle of a crowded room and the words chose me like the wand chooses the wizard. Let me explain. I had an idea for a middle grade novel. It came to me as I was falling asleep one night, and was so amazing, I … Continue reading What Quote Inspires You?
