A big huge thanks to Laurie for sending this link to a great blog post on Joanne Rocklin's "Anti-block" blog. It's titled 180 WAYS TO CONQUER WRITER'S BLOCK: for writers of all ages and genres. There are daily tips for writers and is a great resource to get those creative juices flowing!Here's a little bit... Continue Reading →
Fellow Member Lending a Hand
Fellow SCBWI member Dorine White is lending a helping hand to spread the word about Kevin Emerson's self published OLIVER NOCTURNE #6, THE TRIAD OF FINITY book release. It's Kevin Emerson week on her blog! There's a signed book giveaway, information about Kevin's book launch, writing help, and more! Check it out and help support... Continue Reading →
Show, Don’t Tell!
When I first started getting feedback on my WIP (work in progress) I kept hearing "Show, don't tell" and honestly it was driving me nuts! It's a phrase that's thrown around in writing circles without too much explanation for beginning writers. Through time and practice I slowly started understanding what that means and my stories... Continue Reading →
Finding the MUSE with Professor Watermelon
Professor Watermelon (Chadwick Gillenwater) has officially launched his blog. The blog is geared toward teachers and young writers, but all writers are sure to enjoy his weekly IMAGINATION CHRONICLES. These are sure to help you and the young authors in your life find JOY in writing. So grab a cup of hot cocoa, and come... Continue Reading →
Writing Tools for Your Head: Nina Laden’s 4 R’s
Author/Illustrator Nina Laden (and fellow SCBWI WWA member) had a recent post on her blog called Writing Tools for Your Head: My 4 R's.Here's a little tidbit from the post-We writers are all guilty of this at some point or another: we write something and we are so excited that we send it off to... Continue Reading →
Great Blog Post on Writing Prompts
It's so wonderful to be part of SCBWI! We have so many great members nationally & of course in our own fabulous region! Fellow SCBWI WWA member Helen Landalf just wrote a great blog post on "The Joy of...Writing Prompts". It's a fantastic post to check out (and she mentions one of my favorite writing... Continue Reading →
Authors & Ebooks: 11 Points to Ponder
Thanks to Laurie for sending this post from I.N.K. (Interesting Nonfiction for Kids) called Authors & ebooks: 11 points to ponder (written by Loreen Leedy). Here's a preview of the article:#11 Business as usual?If ebooks are priced lower, they may undermine the sales of traditional books, a huge problem for most publishers (and naturally authors.)... Continue Reading →
Writing Vs. Storytelling
Thanks to Liz Mills for sending this post written by Nathan Bransford (author and ex-literary agent) on Writing vs. Storytelling. Here's a little preview of the post:And let's also get one thing clear up front: there absolutely has to be a certain level of writing for a book to work, and I personally think the... Continue Reading →
Difference Between Illustrating Picture Books and Chapter Books
Here's a wonderful post written by Illustrator Patrice Barton on the difference between illustrating picture books, and chapter books. Patrice wrote her blog on Cynthia Leitich Smith's wonderful and incredibly useful blog CYNSATIONS (a good one to regularly read). Here's an preview of the article:Just like illustrations in chapter books, picture book illustrations need to... Continue Reading →
Worth Repeating: Critique Guidelines & Tips
Are you part of a critique group? If not, you can be! SCBWI has a wonderful Critique Coordinator, Kerri Kokias, who can help you join or start a group (Kerri and I were in a critique group that I started in West Seattle). I can't emphasize what being part of a critique group has done... Continue Reading →