This comes from Jacqueline Woodson and Penguin: (E-mail subscribers, you'll need to click through to see the video.)
Wisdom from Gail Carson Levine
My happiest writing moments are when I’m writing something funny. I’m happy reading, too, when what I’m reading is funny, although maybe not happiest. I adore a good book in all its aspects.Writing funny means keeping an eye out for opportunities. We writers make our characters miserable, and one of misery’s faces is humor. After... Continue Reading →
How to write badly, well
Here's an entry from a blog blog that makes fun of common errors and bad approaches in writing:Write thinly-veiled, self-aggrandising autobiographical fiction Joe Stockley paced the floor of his office and cursed under his breath. Dammit, he thought, why am I such a brilliant writer that no-one ever understands the depth and complexity of my... Continue Reading →
Showing, telling, and the “author’s filter”
This comes from Anita Nolan's blog, and is a really succinct way of describing a subtle problem that can sneak into your manuscript:Eliminate the filter of the author. This can indicate telling. Some common filters are felt, heard, saw, looked, appeared, knew, realized.For example: Jack felt sad when he heard the screech of tires and... Continue Reading →
On the book you wrote vs. the one you thought you were writing
Justine Larbalestier, author of LIAR and other YA novels, talks about her process in this interesting post: The Book You Thought You Were Going to WriteWhen I first got the idea for Liar I thought it would be a comedy. I thought it would be a goofy, screwball comedy with a protag who was lying... Continue Reading →
Tips for writing first drafts
Natalie Whipple has a great blog post on the art of the first draft: Oh, the first draft. Some people like them—some people hate them with the fire of a thousand vengeful ex-girlfriends. But no matter how you feel about that first draft, you have to write it! There is no getting around it, promise.My... Continue Reading →
A couple of takes on plot
Martha Alderson, a.k.a. the Plot Whisperer, sent out a newsletter with this useful list of important scenes:1) Set-up: The set-up you create in the Beginning makes the journey the protagonist undertakes in the Middle feel inevitable.2) Inciting Incident: A moment, conflict, dilemma, loss, fear, etc. that forces the protagonist to take immediate action.3) End of... Continue Reading →
Pixar’s secret to story
This is long, but completely worth reading. A couple of excerpts:The process of writing a story is messy. It's something you have to play with and explore. The first draft is a kickoff and, more often than not, always bad. You have to feel safe and be willing to make mistakes -- then take the... Continue Reading →
Gail Carson Levine on POV
She has an excellent post on the topic, going into some detail about her struggles with finding the right POV in Fairest.I have a chapter about point of view (POV) in Writing Magic. I define it there, but, briefly, the two main POVs are first person and third. In first person, the narrator is a... Continue Reading →
I.N.K. – Interesting nonfiction for kids
Here's a blog for the nonfiction writers among us. Called I.N.K., it offers with research techniques, fact-polishing suggestions, and writing tips that will help you connect your stories with kids. It also has suggestions for photo and illustration integration, along with market research that will help you focus your efforts in new territory. Go to... Continue Reading →