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

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.

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

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/

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

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

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

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/

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/

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/

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

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/

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/

Query Tips

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

https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2017/02/16/query-tips/

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/

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/

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/

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/

Writing LGBTQ

Your LGBTQ characters should not be tokens or stereotypes.

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

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

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/

Bad Reviews

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

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

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/

Choosing an Agent

Here are a few tips to get you started on your agent search.

http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/successful-queries/brianna-shrum-querying-choosing-literary-agent

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/

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/

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

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/

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

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

Collaboration

How to successfully write with a co-author.

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