The April #Fouron400 Kidlit Writing Contest Window is now 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 The April #Fouron400 Kidlit Writing Contest Window is now Open!
Book Marketing Part 1: Fans are Your Best Bet
Whether you are a traditionally published, or an Indie author, or a hybrid author, you will be in charge of marketing your novels. Many authors do not realize that they must treat their writing as a business. As an entrepreneur, your job is to make sure you have a constant source of income. Just to be clear, by a traditionally published author, I mean someone … Continue reading Book Marketing Part 1: Fans are Your Best Bet
Book Recommendation: THE DISAPPEARANCES by Emily Bain Murphy
I received an Advanced Reader Copy of The Disappearances in exchange for an honest review. What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared? When Aila’s mother dies and her father is drafted to fight in World War II, she and her younger brother are sent to live with her mother’s best friend from childhood. Aila has met Mrs. Clifton and her son only twice and arrives at her mother’s rural home … Continue reading Book Recommendation: THE DISAPPEARANCES by Emily Bain Murphy
Forget Me Not: Book Review
Forget Me Not is the debut middle grade novel by author Ellie Terry. Of course this novel has a special place in Ellie’s heart, but it also has one in mine. This is the kind of book I longed for growing up. The main character has Tourette syndrome, a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocalizations. Astronomy-loving Calliope June has Tourette syndrome, so she sometimes makes faces … Continue reading Forget Me Not: Book Review
Behind the Scenes: My Experience as a Cybils Judge
This winter, I was able to serve as a judge for the Cybils, an award for children’s and young adult authors and illustrators. Established by bloggers, the Cybils recognize work that combines literary merit with popular appeal. I’d been following the Cybils for a few years, and knew that it was a well-respected award. I’m a book blogger, too, at Kid Book List, and when … Continue reading Behind the Scenes: My Experience as a Cybils Judge
Spark a Story with the Setting Exercises in The Rural Setting Thesaurus
Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi do it again! Introducing The Rural Setting Thesaurus! Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Urban Setting Thesaurus in exchange for an honest review. I also bought a copy of The Rural Setting Thesaurus because it has GOOD STUFF for #kidlit. You know, SHINY settings, like Backyard, Basement, Birthday Party, Child’s Bedroom, Halloween Party, Outhouse, and *cough* Secret Passageway, … Continue reading Spark a Story with the Setting Exercises in The Rural Setting Thesaurus
Using Setting to Create a Three-Dimensional World for Your Story: THE URBAN SETTING THESAURUS
We received a free copy of Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi’s The Urban Settings Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces in exchange for an honest review. Since we’re fans of their Emotion Thesaurus as well as their thesauri of positive and negative character trains, we were excited to dive in. (See our review of the other books here.) The Urban Setting Thesaurus is a wonderful resource for a … Continue reading Using Setting to Create a Three-Dimensional World for Your Story: THE URBAN SETTING THESAURUS
Writing Cross-Culturally
This month, The Winged Pen’s own Michelle Leonard and Julie Artz were lucky enough to attend Madcap Retreats‘ Writing Cross-Culturally Workshop in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Not only was it a blast to finally meet up face-to-face, but the long weekend was packed with great information and resources. We’d like to share a peek at what we learned with our readers. Highlights We were surrounded by many … Continue reading Writing Cross-Culturally
How To Give Good Critique
We’ve talked before about the need for critique partners to help you create your best work. (Jessica Vitalis had some great suggestions about how to find the right critique partners.) But finding critique partners is only half the battle. If you want to have an ongoing, productive critique relationship – and write your best novel! – you also need to know how to be a good … Continue reading How To Give Good Critique
Creating Your Social Media Platform
Welcome to the third post in the Basic Marketing for Authors series. Diving into social media, or even dipping your toes in, can be terrifying! Especially if you’re like me and grew up when face and book were two separate words. We know social media is a great resource for connecting with writers, industry professionals, and learning tips about our craft, but it’s also a great … Continue reading Creating Your Social Media Platform
Book Birthday! THE SHADOWS WE KNOW BY HEART by Jennifer Park
Congratulations to our very own Winged pen Member, Jennifer Park. Her debut YA novel, THE SHADOWS WE KNOW BY HEART (Simon Pulse), releases today! Jennifer joins us today to tell us about her book and announce the lucky winner of her swag giveaway. Jennifer, welcome and congratulations! Tell us about your book. In this haunting and luminescent debut novel, a girl’s complicated family life starts … Continue reading Book Birthday! THE SHADOWS WE KNOW BY HEART by Jennifer Park
Four on 400: March 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. HEART … Continue reading Four on 400: March Feedback