10 Great Books for the Young Readers on Your List
Here are ten books for Middle Grade readers (9 to 12) I enjoyed reading this year. Maybe you’ll find something for the special readers on your holiday gift list. Nancy Cavanaugh’s THIS JOURNAL BELONGS TO RATCHET is the story of a lonely girl with a gift for auto mechanics, her tree-hugging granola-head father, and how she finds real friends. Gennifer Choldenko’s AL CAPONE DOES MY … Continue reading 10 Great Books for the Young Readers on Your List
8 on Eight: December Feedback
Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s 8 on Eight contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest*. Below, we’ve posted the first 8 lines from this month’s winner, along with feedback from at least eight of our members. We also encourage our readers to share their (constructive) suggestions and encouragement in the comments section … Continue reading 8 on Eight: December Feedback
PitchWars: A Behind-the-Scenes Peek with Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo and Kit Rosewater
We are joined today by middle grade authors Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo and Kit Rosewater. They were both 2016 PitchWars mentees and each received about a zillion requests during the agent round (27 each, to be exact––which is pretty darn close to a zillion in the writing world). Jeanne and Kit, welcome to The Winged Pen and congratulations on your PitchWars successes! Our readers are eager … Continue reading PitchWars: A Behind-the-Scenes Peek with Jeanne Zulick Ferruolo and Kit Rosewater
The Call with Julie Artz
Hi, Julie. I’m so excited that you’ve signed with Jennie Dunham of Dunham Lit and are on your way to publishing success! I think The Call is one of the most desired/feared/nerve-wracking/exciting/elusive steps a writer works toward. You’ve nailed your query and finally garnered some interest, but now what? She sent me an email. I had received a similar email from her in the spring … Continue reading The Call with Julie Artz
Our Holiday Wish List – Craft Books!
Many of us will spend at least two weeks in December hiding from our children with our nose in a book. At The Winged Pen, our wish lists are full of books that inspire our creativity or deepen our craft. So here’s a peek at the writing books we loved and the books we hope to receive this holiday season. If you have a writer … Continue reading Our Holiday Wish List – Craft Books!
8 on Eight Contest Window is Now Open!
Fellow writers! The 8 on Eight contest window is OPEN! Q: I must have missed the announcement. What is 8 on Eight? A monthly contest that provides one lucky kidlit writer with feedback on their opening eight lines! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a PB, CB, MG, or YA writer feedback on their work from at least 8 of The Winged … Continue reading 8 on Eight Contest Window is Now Open!
Breaking Through Writer’s Block
Last month, one of my editing clients emailed me a panicked plea for help with writer’s block. And although we’ve talked about this a bit on the blog already (How Do You Tune Out Online “Noise”?, Ideas to Hack Down Writers’ Blocks, 4 Ways Winged Pen Writers Get Words, Perfectionism and Pomodori), it can’t hurt to share the tips I gave my client for breaking through writer’s … Continue reading Breaking Through Writer’s Block
Fangirl Report: The HEARTLESS Ball – Marissa Meyer’s Launch of the Prequel to ALICE IN WONDERLAND
*Spoiler alert for Cress. Skip asterisked sentence if you have not finished and plan to read!* I walked into The Heartless Ball with my daughter and her best friend, ready to celebrate the launch of Marissa Meyer’s latest book, Heartless. All around us were characters straight out of Marissa’s books and other fairy tales. Cress floated by in a dress with the yellow and orange wings … Continue reading Fangirl Report: The HEARTLESS Ball – Marissa Meyer’s Launch of the Prequel to ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Creativity is Messy. Get Over It!
Maybe the hardest part of creativity is to face the critical eyes of others. We have been raised to see organization everywhere, respect schedules, be on time, be logic, put things where they belong, put things in boxes. Although there is a lot of value in being organized, there is also a lot of value in creativity, in being messy. No one more than writers … Continue reading Creativity is Messy. Get Over It!
#Scrivathon16 – Writing for Syria Relief
There’s a lot of heavy stuff going on in the world. It’s part of why I spend such a huge amount of time fleeing into the fantasy realm with a book, a movie, or with my own writing. But last month I heard about an opportunity to help a good cause WHILE fleeing into that fantasy world: #Scrivathon16 on Saturday, November 12, 2016. … Continue reading #Scrivathon16 – Writing for Syria Relief
When An Agent Calls
The call. You know exactly which one I’m talking about. It’s the call every unagented writer dreams of. An agent you queried punches in your digits, gushes over your manuscript, and says how much they would love to represent you. I had that day dream frequently. And I hoped, prayed that it would actually happen some day. Most days my phone was silent. The email, … Continue reading When An Agent Calls
8 on Eight Feedback for November Winner: Jill Andrew’s INDIGO WAVES
Thank you to all the brave souls who entered this month’s 8 on Eight contest! Sharing your writing takes courage, and we appreciate your enthusiasm for our contest. If your name wasn’t drawn from the Triwizard cup this time around, keep an eye out for when our next contest window opens at 8 PM on November 30th. Below, we’ve posted the first 8 lines from … Continue reading 8 on Eight Feedback for November Winner: Jill Andrew’s INDIGO WAVES