Figuring out which point of view to use for your story? Sterling Editing has a nice piece on strengths and weaknesses of a first-person POV. Many first-time writers choose first person to tell their story because it looks easy and natural. However, it’s not always the best choice.A first person narrative can only tell the... Continue Reading →
The editorial equivalent of a propeller beanie
The blog Editorrent has a post today about moves that mark you as an amateur. Here's an excerpt:Bling punctuation (see other posts on this) is a good example of this, and one we've blogged about in the past. Look on the sidebar for a link to posts about ellipses if you need a refresher. The... Continue Reading →
Book recommendation: WRITING PICTURE BOOKS
Lois V. Harris, author of MARY CASSATT: IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER and the forthcoming CHARLIE RUSSELL: TALE-TELLING COWBOY ARTIST, has a book recommendation for us: At the SCBWI Conference in L.A., I bought Ann Whitford Paul’s new book, WRITING PICTURE BOOKS, published by Writer’s Digest Books in 2009. The book is a hands-on guide from story creation... Continue Reading →
What’s it mean to have a great hook?
The Guide to Literary Agents asked Jay Asher for his picks of great hooks in the fall catalog. Here are some of his choices:Andromeda Klein by Frank Portman. A high school underdog’s tarot card readings become strangely accurate.As You Wish by Jackson Pearce. A teen falls in love with the genie sent to grant her... Continue Reading →
Cutting 10 to 20 percent
Darcy Pattison offers four ways to slim down your novel: study the beats, cut scenes, combine scenes and use brisk prose. For the whole scoop, visit her blog.
What writing a first draft is *really* like
Heather Vogel Frederick has a swell post featuring writers talking about the first draft. Here are three entries. For the rest, visit her blog.“Writing a first draft is like starting off on a long journey in your car, and even though you don’t know your destination, your annoying GPS says, ‘recalculating’ at every turn you... Continue Reading →
Freelancing: turning ideas into productivity
If you're a freelancer, you know that the lack of structure can be one of the hardest parts of the job. Ritu over at Freelancefolder.com has some concrete suggestions for turning an idea into an actual product: Generate ideasEliminate ideasSet goalsMake a to-do listManage your timeDevelop a "productivity strategy"Take appropriate actionsTo find out more about... Continue Reading →
Farewell to Karla Kuskin
Karla Kuskin, author of 50 children's books (and illustrator of many), died over the weekend in Seattle. The New York Times has a fine obituary for Kuskin, who at one point spoke to the SCBWI WWA chapter.A poem she wrote has wonderful advice for writers; it will resonate in my head for a long time:Write... Continue Reading →
Book recommendation
I've been reading I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears, a collection of idioms and their origins by Jag Bhalla (published by National Geographic). It struck me that this is a useful little thing for writers.Bhalla's premise is that "languages make visible what's important to their users."The same goes for our characters. What expressions reveal... Continue Reading →