Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Humorous Picture Books

Kids love to read funny stories, and here are some ways to introduce humor into your manuscript. 

https://lje1.wordpress.com/2015/08/27/writing-humorous-picture-books/

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Historical Fiction

Here are some unconventional resources to add interest to your historical fiction. 

http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/writing-fiction-online-editor/unconventional-resources-historical-fiction-research

Monday, January 29, 2018

Author Bios

You'll need an author bio from when you first submit to after your book is published. 

http://annerallen.com/2017/11/write-author-bio-any-occasion/

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Showing Emotion

When you let your characters show emotions, your readers will relate more to them. 

https://anchoredgypsy.com/2016/11/15/how-to-show-emotion-on-the-page-the-cheat-sheets/

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Writing Picture Books

Writing a picture book is not as easy as it looks. 

http://blog.janicehardy.com/2017/09/8-things-to-know-if-you-want-to-write.html

Friday, January 26, 2018

Referrals

A look at referrals from both the agent and the client point of view. 

https://subitclub.com/2017/11/07/wrestling-with-referrals/

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Turn the Page

How do you get your picture book readers (and listeners) to want to turn that page? 

https://groggorg.blogspot.com/2016/04/turn-that-picture-book-page-by-patricia.html

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Synopses

Don't overthink it when you write your synopsis. 

https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2017/10/how-to-write-a-synopsis-for-a-novel

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Suspense

Hook your readers by building suspense. 

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2017/10/guest-post-gillian-french-on-hooking.html

Monday, January 22, 2018

Rhyming

Do's and don'ts to make your rhyming book better. 

https://huwjonesbooks.com/2017/10/05/if-you-dont-rhyme-well-then-your-books-wont-sell/

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Workshops

Five quick tips for engaging your audience. 

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/10/5-tips-for-presenting-an-engaging-workshop/

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Debut Marketing Tips

If your first book is about to come out (or already has), these tips can help you up your marketing game. 

http://open-book.ca/Columnists/6-Marketing-Tips-for-Debut-Authors

Friday, January 19, 2018

Easy Edits

Sometimes it takes a few simple changes to bring your manuscript to life. 

https://litreactor.com/columns/10-easy-edits-to-improve-your-manuscript-right-now

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Sentences

Every sentence in your manuscript is important, and here are some tips on how to improve them.

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/10/getting-jiggy-with-the-nitty-gritty-or-improving-your-sentences/

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Pen Names

In this digital age, should you still use a pen name? 

http://annerallen.com/2017/10/author-pen-names-digital-age/

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Tightening Your Manuscript

It's not always easy to cut words, but here are some hints that might help. 

http://goteenwriters.blogspot.com/2017/09/how-i-cut-33k-words-twenty-percent-from.html

Monday, January 15, 2018

Drafts

Your novel needs to go through all these drafts, including draft zero. 

https://writingcooperative.com/the-drafts-your-novel-needs-and-why-you-probably-wont-use-a-single-word-of-your-first-draft-c9c84fe0e841

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Text Structure

Melissa Stewart shows how it often takes a lot of trial and error (and letting a manuscript rest) to find the correct structure for your text. 

https://groggorg.blogspot.com/2017/09/searching-for-text-structure-with.html

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Fast Draft Writing

Now that Nanowrimo is in the past, here's a way to keep up the momentum. 

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/09/fast-draft-writing-for-nanowrimo-and-every-other-month/

Friday, January 12, 2018

Writing Partnership

The primary rule of writing with a partner is to be flexible. 

http://writersinthestormblog.com/2017/09/the-ws-of-successful-writing-partnerships/

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Nonfiction

There's more to writing than "just the facts, ma'am." 

http://www.imustread.com/2017/08/non-fiction-writing-tips.html

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Marketing in Person

Marketing online is all well and good, but it's nice to get out there and meet your readers in real life. 

https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/08/31/book-marketing-in-person/

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Query No-nos

Ripple Grove Press tells what not to say in your query.

https://writersrumpus.com/2017/11/14/10-things-not-to-say-in-your-query-advice-from-a-childrens-publisher/

Monday, January 8, 2018

Permissions

This is a straightforward explanation of when you do and don't need to get permission to use another person's material in your work. 

https://www.janefriedman.com/sample-permission-letter/

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Character Voice

Here are some ways to give your characters distinct voices. 

http://writershelpingwriters.net/2017/11/diversifying-your-characters-voices/

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Overused Words

Check your manuscript to make sure you haven't used these common words too many times. 

https://larawillard.com/2015/11/17/words-to-delete/

Friday, January 5, 2018

Picture Book Endings

How to ensure your picture book is one children will ask to hear again as soon as it finishes.

http://www.wordsandpics.org/2016/04/ask-picture-book-editor.html

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Freelance Editors

Here are some things to consider before hiring an independent editor. 

https://writersrumpus.com/2017/11/03/editors-for-hire/

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Keep Track of the Details

Here are some suggestions to help you keep track of the many details in your novel. 

http://writerunboxed.com/2017/10/13/how-to-keep-track-of-all-your-novels-details/

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Kidlit Publishers Who Accept Unagented Submissions

These children's publishers are a few of the ones who accept submissions directly from the writer. 

http://publishedtodeath.blogspot.pe/2014/05/17-us-childrens-book-publishers.html

Monday, January 1, 2018

Close Third Person

Close third person point of view allows your reader deep into the head of your character. 

https://thewritepractice.com/closer-characters/