Friday, December 31, 2021

Manuscript Length

 What are the standard word counts for the different categories of children's books?

https://www.goodstorycompany.com/blog/manuscript-length

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Rule of Three

 Most stories follow the "rule of three."

https://annerallen.com/2021/12/to-tell-a-story-the-rule-of-three/

Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Developmental Editors

 Should you hire a developmental editor and, if so, when should you do so?

https://www.janefriedman.com/when-and-whether-to-hire-a-developmental-editor/

Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Pacing

 Here are seven tips to help you control the pacing of your story.

https://writersedit.com/fiction-writing/7-quick-tips-for-mastering-pacing-in-your-story/

Monday, December 27, 2021

Real People's Names

 When can you legally use a real person's name and actions in your story?

https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2021/11/tricks-and-traps-of-using-real-people-in-your-writing-part-1-the-right-of-publicity/

Sunday, December 26, 2021

Picture Book Dummies

 Even if your only artistic talent is drawing stick figures, if you're writing a picture book, you should always make a dummy.

https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/12445/guest-post-lisa-cinelli-crafting-a-picture-book-dummy/

Saturday, December 25, 2021

Story Premise

 Did someone steal the idea for your story or is it more likely that someone independently came up with a similar idea?

https://www.goodstorycompany.com/blog/someone-is-publishing-my-idea

Friday, December 24, 2021

Backstory

 How do you handle the backstory in your story without using the dreaded info-dumping?

https://www.savannahgilbo.com/blog/backstory

Thursday, December 23, 2021

Picture Book Page Turns

 Page turns set the pace and tension of picture books.

https://writersrumpus.com/2018/03/09/purposeful-page-turns-in-picture-books/

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

On Submission

 What can you expect when your agent is submitting your manuscript to editors?

http://www.literaryrambles.com/2021/12/what-to-expect-when-your-agent-is.html

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Real People in Your Story

 What are the legal issues around including a real person in your story?

https://helensedwick.com/how-to-use-real-people-in-your-writing/

Monday, December 20, 2021

Nonfiction Book Proposals

 Nonfiction books for older readers start with a proposal, and here's how to write one (including a template).

https://www.janefriedman.com/start-here-how-to-write-a-book-proposal/

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Sense of Smell

 We all know how important it is to include all five+ senses in our writing, but how do you include a sense of smell?

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2021/11/how-to-write-the-sense-of-smell/

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Being a Podcast Guest

 Here are some tips to help make your experience as a podcast guest the best it can be.

https://monkeycmedia.com/being-a-podcast-guest-10-tips/

Friday, December 17, 2021

Big Picture Revising

 Now that you've written that first rough draft during NaNoWriMo, it's time to tackle your first revisioin.

https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/74180255653/a-7-step-guide-to-big-picture-revision-with-bonus

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Repetitive Scenes

 Don't bore your readers by having scenes that repeat the same information.

https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/6-questions-to-help-you-avoid-repetitive-scenes/

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Time Skips

 How do you show the passage of time in your story?

https://diymfa.com/writing/ace-a-time-skip

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Successful Picture Books

What are the qualities that lead to a successful picture book?

https://tracymarchini.com/publishing-advice-for-picture-book-authors 

Monday, December 13, 2021

The Fictional Dream

 Here are some tips to immerse your reader in your story.  

https://writershelpingwriters.net/2021/11/3-simple-tricks-to-immerse-your-reader-in-your-story/

Sunday, December 12, 2021

Dialogue Tips

 These dialogue tips will leave your readers wanting more.

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2021/03/5-dialogue-quick-tips-for-page-turning-fiction/

Saturday, December 11, 2021

Back Matter

 Here are some things you might include in the back matter (after the text) of your book.

https://lernerbooks.blog/2021/02/a-closer-look-whats-the-deal-with-back-matter.html

Friday, December 10, 2021

Picture Book Revision

 After you revise your overall picture book, it's time to dig down and look at the little stuff.

https://www.wordsandpics.org/2018/10/picture-book-focus-top-tips-for.html

Thursday, December 9, 2021

Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Asking for Blurbs

 Here are some hints to how to ask for (and graciously accept the refusal of) blurbs for your book.

https://katemckean.substack.com/p/how-to-ask-for-what-you-need

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Trademarks

How do you use trademarked words in your story, including some you may not realize are trademarked.

https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/surprise-these-names-are-trademarks

Monday, December 6, 2021

Middle Grade Premise

Here are some points to consider when coming up with a premise for your middle grade novel.

https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-fiction/7-tips-for-developing-a-compelling-middle-grade-fiction-premise 

Sunday, December 5, 2021

Plot Problems

 Maybe your plot problem is actually a character arc problem.

https://www.janefriedman.com/maybe-its-not-your-plot/

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Deep POV

 How deep of a point of view should you use?

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2021/10/point-of-view-how-deep-should-you-go/

Friday, December 3, 2021

Successful Picture Books

 What are the elements that contribute to creating a successful picture book?

https://tracymarchini.com/publishing-advice-for-picture-book-authors/#successful-picture-book-qualities

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Setting

 What are the elements of a great setting in a novel?

https://nathanbransford.com/blog/2021/10/what-makes-great-setting

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Character Arc

 Your character needs to experience both failure and conflict to have a character arc.

https://writersinthestormblog.com/2021/10/the-role-of-failure-and-conflict-in-character-arc/