Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Middle Schoolers

If you write middle grade, you'd better understand the daily life of children that age.

http://project-middle-grade-mayhem.blogspot.com/2017/03/for-middle-grade-writers-5-gems-from.html

Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Editorial Letters

When you receive suggestions from an editor or agent, your first impulse is to do whatever they say, but don't; stop and listen to your heart.


Monday, May 29, 2017

Query Do's and Don'ts

Make your query stand out, but make sure it's in a good way by following these hints.

http://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/157585145966/top-10-dos-and-donts-of-writing-a-query

Sunday, May 28, 2017

Should You Leave Your Agent

Think about these issues to decide if leaving your literary agent is the right choice for you and your writing.

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2017/02/14/is-it-time-dear-writer-to-ditch-your-literary-agent/

Saturday, May 27, 2017

Building an Outline

Even if your not comfortable with outlining, if you follow these five steps you'll end up with an outline for your story.

http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2017/03/5-steps-to-building-outline-for-writing.html#.WRDSMtLytlY

Friday, May 26, 2017

Story Checklist

There are so many things that go into making a good story, and this checklist will make sure you don't miss any along the way.

http://www.secretsofstory.com/2011/08/ultimate-story-checklist.html

Thursday, May 25, 2017

How Much Is Luck?

Do you need to be lucky to be published and how can you make your own luck?

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2010/07/golden-oldie-luck-be-lady.html

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Getting an Agent

When it's time to get serious about finding an agent, these tips will help.

https://monicaclarkrobinson.com/2015/07/13/how-to-get-real-and-get-an-agent/

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Nonfiction Picture Books

Use this form to guide your study of nonfiction picture books in order to improve your writing.

https://nancyisanders.wordpress.com/2016/01/25/nf-pb-journey-picture-book-rubric/

Monday, May 22, 2017

Writing and Money

Laura Purdie Salas shares how much money she makes as a children's book author.

https://mentorsforrent.wordpress.com/2017/03/20/how-much-money-does-a-writer-make-2016/

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Picture Book Opening Lines

By studying opening lines of published books, you can learn what works and what doesn't.

http://www.reforemo.com/2017/03/reforemo-day-20-vivian-kirkfield-shares.html



Saturday, May 20, 2017

Core Problem

If your manuscript is missing a core problem, it's fatally flawed.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/03/10-questions-to-ask-before-you-accept-a-traditional-publishing-deal/

Friday, May 19, 2017

Publishing Deals

It's great that you were offered a publishing contract, but make sure there are no hidden gotchas.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/03/10-questions-to-ask-before-you-accept-a-traditional-publishing-deal/

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Query Tips

Fill in this formula with the specifics of your book to create your query.  

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Good Synopsis, Good Story

Writing the dreaded synopsis can actually help you write a better story.

http://bookendsliterary.com/2017/02/07/using-your-synopsis-to-improve-your-book/

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Skype Visits

Although this article is aimed at educators, it's helpful for authors to learn about doing Skype visits.

http://thebookingbiz.com/2017/03/benefits-skype-author-visits/

Monday, May 15, 2017

Foreign Rights

Whether your book can be sold abroad depends upon how foreign rights are handled in your contract.
http://bookendsliterary.com/2017/03/16/selling-foreign-rights-abroad/

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Raise the Stakes

What will happen if your character doesn't reach his/her goal?

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/03/what-does-it-mean-to-raise-the-stakes/

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Writing LGBTQ

Your LGBTQ characters should not be tokens or stereotypes.

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/03/token-or-broken-writing-lgbt.html

Friday, May 12, 2017

Writing Rules

Five simple writing rules that everyone should know.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/5-writing-rules-everyone-know

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Prologues

What works and what doesn't when writing a prologue?

http://authorkristenlamb.com/2017/02/the-seven-deadly-sins-of-prologues-what-doesnt-work-and-what-does/

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Bad Reviews

Everyone gets some bad reviews, so don't let it get you down.

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/02/bad-review-blues/

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Overwriting

Your story will drag under the weight of too many unnecessary words.

http://jamigold.com/2017/02/5-steps-to-avoid-overwriting-guest-christina-delay/

Monday, May 8, 2017

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Preparing for a Conference

Get the most out of your writing conference by preparing in advance.

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2017/02/05/how-to-prepare-for-a-conference/

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Parallel Story Structure

Having two story lines running side by side can add depth to your picture book.

https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/2013/04/26/picture-books-with-p-u-n-c-h-parallel-story-structure/

Friday, May 5, 2017

Online Research Sources

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you often need to check your facts.

http://www.teachingauthors.com/2017/03/online-resources-for-writers.html

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Social Media in Novels

Social media is a fact of life for today's teens, so it might also appear in your novel.

http://booksbywomen.org/like-it-share-it-hashtag-it-how-to-incorporate-social-media-into-your-novels-by-kathleen-barber/

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Evaluating Criticism

How do you determine if a critique of your writing is valid?

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/tell-criticism-valid-valid-criticism

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Writing About Siblings

Here are some ways to portray realistic sibling relationships in your stories.

http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/2017/02/4-tips-for-writing-realistic-sibling.html

Monday, May 1, 2017

Collaboration

How to successfully write with a co-author.

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/not-kill-writers-guide-collaboration