Cheryl Klein, Arthur Levine, and many other people at Scholastic and the Make-A-Wish Foundation have been working hard to help someone's dream come true— and we can all help! Cheryl writes: "Over a year ago, we were contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation regarding a young Seattle-area writer named Stephanie Trimberger (who was 13 at the... Continue Reading →
Cheryl Klein answers questions
Cheryl, a senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, is all kinds of awesome.She answers nine publishing-related questions on her blog; my favorite was No. 7, which has a great link to a Time magazine story on "stickiness"--why some things stay in the pop-culture craw and others evaporate: 7. Melissa: What, in your opinion, are... Continue Reading →
What’s wrong with this query letter?
Sheryl Cline (1)Laura Geringer Books (2)557 BroadwayNew York, NY 10012 Dear Sheryl (3),Thanx (4) for talking with me on the phone. When Art (5) said at that conference (6) that he would love to publish my book (7), I was very pleased (8). He said "Wizard Magick High" (9) would be great for you and... Continue Reading →
Getting to the heart of your story
Cheryl Klein (insert sounds of worship here) has four tips that help writers find their stories' emotional hearts.1. Conflict, Mystery, Lack.2. What Does the Character Want? 3. Compulsion vs. Obstacles.4. Problem, Process, Solution. For explanations of each, visit her blog.
Publishers Weekly’s 30 best books of 2009
Several books by our upcoming retreat speaker Cheryl Klein (and the rest of the team at Arthur A. Levine Books, including MARCELO IN THE REAL WORLD, TALES FROM OUTER SUBURBIA, and LIPS TOUCH (THREE TIMES). See the whole list.
A bit on the science of character
David Brooks at the New York Times has a piece on the Where the Wild Things Are movie. Don't read it if you haven't seen the movie. He gives the whole thing away (fume, fume).In light of Cheryl Klein's brief discussion of literary depth, though, I wanted to combine these two ideas.Here's what Cheryl says:The... Continue Reading →
Cheryl Klein on characters
Cheryl's blog has a great list of things we need to think about when we're building characters. It comes from Joan Bauer, and includes: ESSENCE1. Facts-- Gender-- Age-- Ethnicity-- Sexuality-- Basic family situation+ Who's in the immediate family+ Their socioeconomic status?-- Where they live+ Rural, suburban, urban?+ Region and country2. Internal Qualities-- Personality traits-- Ethics/morals/values--... Continue Reading →
Yes, you can get a book deal from a blog
Cheryl Klein, the Scholastic editor who'll be with us at our November writing retreat, writes about how one prospective author's blog really helped sell the writer and her work. It's a good reminder about the power of new technology. If you do this stuff right, editors will get a sense of who you are, what... Continue Reading →
Gratuitous giggle
Cheryl Klein takes a spin on a Segway scooter. Is the ending comic, tragic...or both?
What is this good writing of which people speak?
Cheryl Klein. Could she be any more wonderful? Doubtful. She writes, she edits, she bakes cakes...And now, she offers the five hallmarks of great writing on her blog: prose, characterization, emotional depth, plot construction and thematic richness. Check out the post on Chavelaque for more on each, along with her selections of books that excel... Continue Reading →