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 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 MoreOnline Presence Linkage for Writers
This Saturday past, I facilitated the Online Presence Special Interest Group at the New England Regional SCBWI (#nescbwi10) conference in Fitchburg, MA. The group was filled with marvelous people with great questions, and we talked about everything from Twitter lists through the difference between LiveJournal and WordPress. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be writing up articles based on the things discussed, but in the meantime, here’s a collection of links for folks still sorting out how to...
Read MoreAttending the NESCBWI conference? A few handy tips.
If you’re a YA or kidlit writer in New England, chances are you’ve heard of the regional NESCBWI conference. I’m going for the first time this year (excited!) and am in list overdrive, writing out things I need to collect for the conference (chocolate), work out before the conference (the calories from the chocolate), and generally do before the conference (buy more chocolate). Of course, since this is only my second conference, I’ve also been spending a fair amount of time on the...
Read MoreThe Case For Writing Poorly, Or Using Straightforward Prose
Writing is a numbers game–the more books you sell, the more money you make. If you write fast, it’s even better. Getting a book out every year for ten years (Jasper Fforde’s goal), if you sell enough, could be quite lucrative (and your hourly rate might actually approach positive numbers). Yet writing, good writing, takes time to craft. Story, characters, and prose itself do not happen overnight, particularly if you’re fond of tight dialogue and polished writing. But here’s the...
Read MoreReading: What Makes a Book Satisfying?
Last week, I posted about what makes a book unsatisfying (it’s all about a poor resolution–sorry, Eve). But pinning down what makes a book satisfying isn’t as simple as writing out a list of opposites. Sure, a book with a great wrap up might be a good read, but there’s more to a satisfying book than that. Reading–moreover, enjoying–a book is a very subjective thing. So far this month, I’ve read just one completely satisfying book – Megan Whalen Turner’s The...
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