I Love Outlines, But I Can’t Write Them For Peanuts
One of the things non-fiction is good for is cultivating voice. Because NF has no characters to hide behind, it forces us to write as ourselves in a way regular fiction (as opposed to fictive or inspired-by memoir) doesn’t. The voice I’ve spent so long honing in my NF work has helped me a lot over recent months–it’s easier for me to get into a character’s head without mapping or noting or any of the other techniques I used to use. But the other NF stalwart...
Read MoreSpeak Loudly: A Conversation with Laurie Halse Anderson on Topics Subject to Book Banning
A couple of weeks ago, I did a phone interview with YA rockstar Laurie Halse Anderson about Wesley Scroggins, the man who called her novel, Speak, pornography. Below is a little from the introduction. If you haven’t read Speak, watch this space–I’ll be posting an excerpt to the PopMatters Mixed Media blog soon. Books, like children, are never what we expect. When a book enters the world, the story becomes what we make it, one part author, one part reader. But sometimes a...
Read MoreReading Kidlit: In Defense of Animal Fiction, part I
Animal stories are everywhere. Many classic tales are animal stories, from Aesop’s Fables through Charlotte’s Web. Yet there’s an idea in kids’ publishing, out there on blogs, in classes and speeches, that animal fiction is no longer marketable, and has gone the way of the cute little bunnies in Watership Down. Despite the naysaying, though, animal stories continue to show up in bookstores–Erin Hunter’s Seekers and Warriors, Kathy Appelt’s The Underneath, and Brian Jacques’...
Read MoreWriting YA: Advice from literary agent Jennifer DeChiara on Twitter
Last week, agent Jennifer DeChiara opened the virtual floor to writers, taking questions on Twitter about everything from her flossing habits (once a year, like clockwork) to agent nudging. She represents a variety of genres, including kidlit and YA. Missed the conversation? Get the highlights below, and follow Jennifer on Twitter @4writers, and check out the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency online for resources and more. Thanks to the Twitterverse for such great questions! The Jennifer...
Read MoreWriting: If E-books Become the Norm, Will We Need E-Agents?
E-books have and e-rights have been hot topics this year, and with good reason. There’s been Google settlement news, iBooks and iPad news, distribution news, and now Borders is taking orders for a new e-reader. Although e-books are still far from the norm, they’re making a strong showing, and could soon be a proper marketing niche in their own right. Where Do E-books Come From? As it stands, anyone can publish an e-book. Write your text, save it as a PDF, upload it to a website, and...
Read MorePlaying With The iPad Comes Easily To A 10 Month Old
Over the weekend, I had a chance to play with an iPad in the Apple store. The selection of apps available was limited, though I did spend some time reading (tiring on the eyes) and typing (surprisingly easy, though I spent a lot of time watching my fingers). One kids’ book app had a demo: Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures (pictured left). From the iPad app store: “It’s time to explore and color in “Dora the Explorer Coloring Adventures!”. Kids can go on adventures in...
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