Ideas to Hack Down Writers’ Blocks
Overwriting your writer’s blocks is much like making cord bracelets. What is blocking you is maybe the temporary inability to generate new ideas, or to come up with the proper design, or the fact that you struggle with too many ideas. So, twist and turn your neurons into unusual, unexpected shapes in order to produce and curl those ideas. Voice your goals for the day. … Continue reading Ideas to Hack Down Writers’ Blocks
Creating a Daily Writing Routine
I am not a morning person. At least, I didn’t use to be. But I need a daily writing routine and morning is the best time for me to do it. A lot of writers participate in #5amwritersclub on Twitter. I’m taking baby steps toward that, but to be honest, I think I need to start my own #6amwritersclub because, well, mornings. Bleh. I started … Continue reading Creating a Daily Writing Routine
Nom. Nom. Nom. YUMMY WRITER SNACKS! What’s fueling your ideas!?
Over the years, my fellow writers at The Winged Pen have become so much more to me than CPs. Behind the scenes, we chat about all kinds of crazy stuff. One day, the topic was snacks! Why snacks, you ask? Okay, maybe you didn’t ask, but bear with me anyway. While writing, our brains are like a muscle doing thousands of crunches per hour––squeezing out killer plots, … Continue reading Nom. Nom. Nom. YUMMY WRITER SNACKS! What’s fueling your ideas!?
The 8 on Eight Contest Window is 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, MG, or YA writer feedback on their work from at least 8 of The Winged Pen’s contributors. … Continue reading The 8 on Eight Contest Window is Open!
What Your Family Really Thinks of You
If you’re a writer, you probably think of yourself as a coffee or tea addicted, insecure person who has lengthy conversations with people in your head, and whose best friend is a dog, cat, or goldfish. In other words, NORMAL. (For more writer characteristics here ) Since that is not the definition of normal for most, I bet you hid this part of yourself, like … Continue reading What Your Family Really Thinks of You
The Real Write What You Know: AKA Your Life in Hip-waders
The universe is fond of a good story, same as you and me. This, I tell myself, is why, when one thing goes wrong, there tends to be a glorious cascade of things falling apart to ride along on that one thing’s coat tails. As writers, we can have the last laugh. We can use it. As a comment on craft, I’m pretty sure this is … Continue reading The Real Write What You Know: AKA Your Life in Hip-waders
Insider Tips To Get the Most Out of Your Next Conference
You’ve signed up for the conference. You’ve chosen your workshops. You may even have signed up for a critique. Now what? You tweak and revise your MS yet again. What else? I asked the Pennies to share their insider tips on how to get the most out of your conference. So without further ado, here are their wise, funny, practical and inspirational tips! Julie Artz: … Continue reading Insider Tips To Get the Most Out of Your Next Conference
Pantsers vs. Plotters: A Hybrid Approach
When I took a behind-the-scenes poll at The Winged Pen, I wasn’t surprised to find that my writing pals divided themselves almost evenly between plotters (those who plot out their stories before they begin writing) and pantsers (those who write by the seat of their pants with little or no advanced preparation). What I wasn’t prepared for was how many longed to write with the … Continue reading Pantsers vs. Plotters: A Hybrid Approach
8 on Eight PAGES!!!
We’re SO excited to announce that we have partnered with the Writing for Charity Refugee Benefit Auction to bring you a very special 8 on Eight! This time instead of having eight of us at THE WINGED PEN critique your opening eight lines, we’re offering eight sets of eyes on EIGHT PAGES! That’s SIXTEEN eyeballs! This is a win-win for whomever bids the most. Not only will … Continue reading 8 on Eight PAGES!!!
Author Chat with Carrie Firestone, author of The LOOSE ENDS LIST
I loved the ARC of Carrie Firestone’s debut YA novel, The Loose Ends List! The book will be released on June 7th by Little, Brown. Carrie is insanely busy – both with getting ready for the launch and with edits for her second novel, but she graciously let us steal a few minutes of her time to tell us about preparing for her debut novel’s pub date. … Continue reading Author Chat with Carrie Firestone, author of The LOOSE ENDS LIST
Writing Historical Fiction, or, Notes from a Time Traveler
Writing Historical Fiction, or, Notes from a Time Traveler For years I was haunted by a dream of a young woman walking through long grass. I couldn’t see her face, but I could hear her breathing hard, because she wore a corset and the hem of her brocade dress was damp and heavy. She carried a letter in her hand as she made her way … Continue reading Writing Historical Fiction, or, Notes from a Time Traveler
Book Review – GENIUS: THE GAME by Leopoldo Gout
Starring… Rex – a 16 year old Mexican-American coder Cai – a 16 year old Chinese blogger/activist Tunde – a 14 year old Nigerian engineer who up-cycles garbage into technology for his Nigerian village These teens are online friends who get the opportunity to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time when they’re invited to a competition hosted by the world’s top tech … Continue reading Book Review – GENIUS: THE GAME by Leopoldo Gout