meme credit: Tim Fargo @alphabetsuccess I recently found Tim Fargo on Twitter and appreciate that almost all the quotes he shares resonate with me. This one by Abe spoke to an issue that is rumbling around in the picture book creating community right now: how to move your manuscript from “it’s good” to “I’m taking… Read more »
Editors do not want same old, same old. Believe me; I’ve heard that message loudly and clearly at every conference and retreat. To catch an editor (or agent) eye, we must stretch into new territory which means trying different approaches, twists, mash-ups, and/or upends. It’s the only way to produce work that has that “fresh”… Read more »
It is my observation that we get stuck in revision when we limit our thinking to good or bad. Those adjectives are judgmental, flat, and as oppositional as a tired two year old. Why not try shades of BETTER? Start where you are and strive to make the work BETTER using whatever criteria needs applying… Read more »
A writer friend, Shutta Crum, shared a great post today that I will pass along for two reasons:1. to see if you fall into the trap of “ya, butting” when provided with a critique of your work (note: you should not!), and 2. to see a perfect example of “voice.” I don’t know the author Keith Cronin but I… Read more »
I can’t say I’m one of those writers who loves revising. (Those writers do exist; I’ve actually seen them in real life.) But if I force myself to remember that revising is just RE-VISIONing, it helps. Then I relax into the process and can almost, a l m o s t look forward to what may happen… Read more »
I’m revising my middle grade historical fiction manuscript, CHASING HOME, and am at the point of fussing over word choice. This is a perfect time to enlist the support of the word frequency and phrase frequency checker (http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp) at the website www.writewords.com. It’s so easy to use. Paste in a document or parts of a document, click… Read more »
Sharing insights on writing children’s books and the publishing industry, and offering trinkets for creators and educators because you rock.
