MYC: How and When to Write Emotion
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 the importance of Pacing and Tension. This week, we’re looking at emotion. I don’t know about you, but this topic brings out a lot of emotion because it is so closely tied to the phrase writers love to hate: show … Continue reading MYC: How and When to Write Emotion
Four on 400 August 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. No More … Continue reading Four on 400 August Feedback
MYC: Pacing and Tension: The Heartbeat of Your Story
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 the importance of letting your manuscript sit. This week, we’re talking about pacing and tension. Pacing and tension are the drivers that have us flipping through the pages from the first chapter through to the last one. … Continue reading MYC: Pacing and Tension: The Heartbeat of Your Story
Book Recommendation: NYXIA by Scott Reintgen
Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller that has the nonstop action of The Maze Runner and the high-stakes space setting of Illuminae. This is the first in a new three-book series that will take a group of broken teens to the far reaches of the universe and force them to decide what they’re willing to risk for a lifetime of fortune. Emmett … Continue reading Book Recommendation: NYXIA by Scott Reintgen
Pixar, CREATIVITY, INC., and Learning How to Fail
Failure is not a word I would associate with Pixar. Over the last couple of decades, the animation pioneer has created some of my family’s favorite movies, including Up, Finding Nemo and Toy Story. Not a bad track record! But when I read CREATIVITY, INC. by Ed Catmull, one of the founders of Pixar (with Amy Wallace), failure was one of the recurring themes. Catmull says early on … Continue reading Pixar, CREATIVITY, INC., and Learning How to Fail
August #Fouron400 Contest Window is Open!
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 on their work from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply comment at the bottom of this post! At 4pm (EST) … Continue reading August #Fouron400 Contest Window is Open!
MYC: Letting it Sit
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 looked at two Pennies’ thoughts on revising while drafting. This week, we’re talking about the very first step in revising your novel: letting it sit. Congratulations! You’ve written the first draft of your novel! Yay you! Now what? You … Continue reading MYC: Letting it Sit
BRAVE NEW GIRLS #STEM Anthology: Inspiration for Future Female Engineers/Scientists
Releasing Today, August 1st, 2017!!! Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme is a collection of 22 stories about brainy young heroines who use their smarts to save the day. Edited by author Mary Fan, the anthology’s goal is to inspire girls (ages 12+) to study science and engineering. Even better, proceeds from the anthology fund scholarships for women through the Society … Continue reading BRAVE NEW GIRLS #STEM Anthology: Inspiration for Future Female Engineers/Scientists
NEW AGENT ALERT! Meet Hilary Harwell of KT Literary
I am thrilled beyond belief to introduce you to Hilary Harwell. Full disclosure, she’s one of my dearest friends, a long-time critique partner and a member of The Winged Pen critique fellowship. NOW SHE’S AN AGENT TOO–for the renowned KT Literary agency. I’m also excited to share that Hilary will be a participating agent in Pitch Wars this year. She’s opening up to queries at … Continue reading NEW AGENT ALERT! Meet Hilary Harwell of KT Literary
MYC: Two Opinions on Revising While Drafting
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 looked at the saggy middle. Today we’re tackling a somewhat controversial subject: revising while drafting. Two of our Pennies sat down and discussed their different approaches to revising your manuscript while you’re still drafting it. Richelle: When I say … Continue reading MYC: Two Opinions on Revising While Drafting
Meet the Winged Pen Pitch Wars Mentors!
It’s Pitch Wars time and this year 4 members of The Winged Pen are sharpening their pencils and cracking their knuckles, getting ready to help a lucky mentee revise their ENTIRE MANUSCRIPT so that it shines in the agent round! We know what awesome advice these ladies have provided on our own manuscripts and we want to make sure anyone considering submitting to Pitch Wars … Continue reading Meet the Winged Pen Pitch Wars Mentors!
NYTimes Author Alan Gratz talks about REFUGEE and BAN THIS BOOK
Three gutsy protagonist, three continents, three different time periods. How’s that work? Well, you won’t have to wait much longer to discover how middle-grade author Alan Gratz weaves these interconnecting stories together in a way that Kirkus Reviews has called a “feat nothing short of brilliant.” REFUGEE hit bookstore shelves in July 2017 and made it to the NYTimes best-sellers list for middle grade fiction twice … Continue reading NYTimes Author Alan Gratz talks about REFUGEE and BAN THIS BOOK
