Welcome to 8 on Eight!
Fellow writers! Worried your opening lines are going to make your reader feel like this? Or worse yet, like this? When it comes to hooking an agent or editor, the stakes are even higher. At a recent SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) conference Stacey Barney (Senior Editor at Penguin/Putnam) said she knows on the first page if she’s going to sign a … Continue reading Welcome to 8 on Eight!
Nightmares by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
A Book Review From a Writer’s Perspective. Confession – I bought this book because of Jason Segel. He played Marshal Eriksen on my favorite television show, How I Met Your Mother. (If you haven’t seen the show, check it out. It’s legend – wait for it – dary!) But this book has much more than his name on the cover. http://amazon.com Charlie Laird has several problems. His dad … Continue reading Nightmares by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Interview with MG author Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Hi, Wendy. I’m really excited to talk to you not only because you recently revealed the cover of your debut upcoming book, It’s a mystery, Pig-Face, but also because you’ve got a unique story about how you got there! Let’s start with the first question I’ve been dying to ask, how did you make the jump from CEO to author? I kind of imagine you … Continue reading Interview with MG author Wendy McLeod MacKnight
Writing Killer Kid Lit First Lines
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
The Road to Writer
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
You know you’re a children’s writer when…
…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…
We’re celebrating the release day for THE WOODEN PRINCE with a GIVEAWAY!
Releasing Today! March 15th! OUT OF ABATON, Book 1: THE WOODEN PRINCE by John Claude Bemis We at The Winged Pen have read several of John Claude Bemis’ books, so we are very excited about THE WOODEN PRINCE. Let’s get started with the blurb! The automa Pinocchio has always been duty-bound to serve in the floating palace of Venice’s emperor. So when Pinocchio finds himself locked in … Continue reading We’re celebrating the release day for THE WOODEN PRINCE with a GIVEAWAY!
Writing Prompts to Spur Creativity
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
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to The Winged Pen!
Writing friends, children’s and YA book lovers: Next week we have much to share including a GIVEAWAY! Go ahead and subscribe now so you don’t miss out! It’s easy! Scroll down to Subscribe! https://thewingedpen.com/about-the-winged-pen/ Happy weekend! Continue reading Don’t miss out! Subscribe to The Winged Pen!
What Knitting Taught Me About Writing
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
MORE BANG FOR YOUR BOOK, a series on book marketing, interviews Karin Lefranc
Karin’s debut picture book, I Want To Eat Your Books, launched September, 2015. She talks with us today about all she learned from that book launch. FoWP: Karin, readers have fallen in love with your zombie and the boy who tries to keep him from devouring every book in the school. A big part of getting this book into readers’ hands was you. You were … Continue reading MORE BANG FOR YOUR BOOK, a series on book marketing, interviews Karin Lefranc
Your First Page Delivers a Promise
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
