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It’s not about the couch
Last year, I attended a local writers group. The speaker, published author Kimberly Frost, spoke on “Description and Dialogue”. Kimberly is a funny, witty writer who speaks faster than humanly...
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Riffing on Fairy Tales: 25 Great Retellings
Where do you get your ideas? Every author gets asked that question after every book. Sometimes there is no easy answer. A character or a scene will suddenly appear and then a story weaves its way...
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Monday Advice from Agents and Editors: Dress Your Manuscript in Layers
Molly Jaffa No, not with jackets and sweaters. With crucial elements of STORY. Last month, Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management chatted with the Young Adult online chapter of Romance Writers of...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: A different way to approach setting a...
This month’s tip comes from Julia Wells, editor of The Things We Did for Love by Natasha Farrant. The Remedy for Too Much Description Julia’s advice reflects the position of most industry...
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Backstory: Putting your world in context
Context: the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. Context can give us clues to the meaning of an unfamiliar word, the emotion behind a friend’s reaction, the...
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Guest Post: 5 Ways to Enhance Your Setting
An English Instructor for Harrisburg Area Community College’s Virtual Learning program, Tamara Girardi holds a PhD in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Letters in Creative...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Develop Your Voice
What Every Agent Wants “…stories, written with an unforgettable voice.” (Amanda Leuck, Spencerhill Associates) “…stories with a strong voice.” (Danielle Burby, HSG) “…an engaging voice.” (Patricia...
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Writing Swordfights
Today I saw a terrific post on writing swordfights over at Book Wars (“unadulterated fangirling of children’s books, authors, and bookstores”). It made me recall the two semesters I took fencing in...
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How to Build a Coming of Age Arc
Some of the most famous books ever written have been about finding oneself while on the journey to adulthood. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Giver by Lois Lowry A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by...
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Monday Advice from Agents and Editors – The High-Stakes Story
Nicole Tourtelot has been a literary agent at Kuhn Projects since 2012. Before that, she worked in the literary department at ICM Partners (literary and talent agency), in the fiction department of...
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Monday Advice from Agents and Editors: Show me the reason why
Have you ever watched a really awful horror movie and wanted to scream at the protagonist–the one who chooses to go down alone into a dark cellar full of moaning and whimpering instead of calling...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Know Mako Mori and Bechdel?
Do you know Mako Mori and Bechdel? No, they’re not hot new publishing houses, or editors, or authors. They are standards/tests meant to rate the gender inclusiveness of a book or film–and some agents...
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Teen Tuesday: What Teens Hate to See in YA Books
Recently, The Writer’s Dig (a blog hosted by Writer’s Digest) published a guest post by teenage writer Jamie S. Margolin. Margolin has written articles for Teen Ink. One of her articles earned her an...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Motivate Your Characters’ Decisions
Today’s (one day late) advice comes from agent Peter Knapp of New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. Peter will be part of the faculty at the Pacific Coast Children’s Writers Novel Workshop and Retreat,...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Use Details in Settings Purposefully
“Your choice of setting and the way you manipulate it can have a powerful impact on the way the scene reads.” –Theresa Stevens Theresa Stevens has been a literary attorney agent and the chief executive...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: Hooking a YA Agent
Many romance writers, even some with long backlists, are looking at fresh opportunities in the Young Adult market–more creative freedom (less restriction in story lines), the ability to reach a new...
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Words on Wednesday: The Emotion Thesaurus
Every good writer tries to “show not tell” character emotions. But even experienced authors may be limited in their familiarity with certain feelings. Extreme emotions such as anguish, desperation,...
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Monday Advice from Editors and Agents: A Pleasure Principle
Mashable is a global, multi-platform online media and entertainment “magazine” with tech, digital culture and entertainment content. If you have unlimited time to browse its ginormous daily content,...
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Backstory: Putting your world in context
Context = Clue Context gives us clues to the meaning of an unfamiliar word, the emotion behind a friend’s reaction, the point of a political slogan. The word “flag” can call several images to mind. But...
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