As a parent of a tween and a young teen, it’s hard not to notice how Facebook use has crept younger and younger and younger. And as a children’s book author and a professor of children’s writing (Hollins University http://www.hollins.edu/grad/childlit/childlit.htm) who writes novels specifically for tweens, it’s my job to vollow this trend. In fact, […]
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Questions to Ask an Independent Publisher
I haven’t worked with an independent publisher in fifteen years (not that I’m opposed). But I have lots of writing friends, as well as students, who are considering working with independent publishers asking me about contracts. Now I don’t have the best natural brain for business so this is not my area of strength. However, […]
What Should Writers Worry About?
An author friend recently asked me how much I worry about promoting my already published books. He asked me this because he admitted that he was stressed out about the fact that he wasn’t promoting enough. And then he was equally stressed because he felt like he wasn’t doing enough writing. I know what that […]
Is Your WIP Developmentally Appropriate?
Recently, I’ve been reading some manuscripts and have written out this advice–“Make sure that themes and storyline are developmentally appropriate and that you’ve chosen the best form to express your story.” Most of us know what this means. Please don’t try to create a picture book about a 12 year-old girl preparing for her bat […]
Getting it Right in the Beginning vs. Writing through to the End
Hi Everyone, I love finding out what books you’re reading and what you currently recommend. I was influenced by reading Laini Taylor’s recent blog post about not writing through the end and getting the first one third right, and in the comment section, I came across her book recommendation list. Her posting about the values […]
Should You Write Through to the End?
There is this collective wisdom among many novelists that one should write through to the end. In my mind this means–get to the finish line and then worry about figuring out what you have created. Only after typing the last sentence should you angst about discovering your theme, and maybe what your true beginning should […]