Last week, the Internet Archive (the organization responsible for the Wayback Machine) announced that it was removing all waiting lists for its Open Library, effectively making 1.4 million copyrighted works available for free without the permission of writers or publishers. News outlets like NPR, The New Yorker, and Vice have reported on this “National Emergency… Read more »
Writers know that reading is essential to growing their craft, but did you know there’s a difference between reading for fun and reading analysis? When I became a Certified Story Grid Editor in 2019 (Story Grid is an editing methodology that provides practical tools and tips to help writers in the writing process), this understanding… Read more »
Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser at heart, you probably recognize that an unwieldy, unclear, or unstable structure can be a death sentence for your novel. Even if you’re writing a book defined by its quirky characters or experimental style, most readers simply won’t have the patience to get through it unless the structure… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Brandy Colbert, the critically acclaimed author of several YA and Middle Grade novels. Her books include Pointe, Stonewall Award winner Little & Lion, Finding Yvonne, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph, and her 2020 releases, The Only Black Girls in Town, and The Voting Booth…. Read more »
‘Tis the season to celebrate books! Because reading and literacy are so important there are a number of book-oriented events on the annual calendar. Some are regional, some global. And they all emphasize the importance of reading for kids. As writers (and illustrators!) for children we should be deeply invested in spreading literacy and a… Read more »
J.K. Rowling…Stephen King…Danielle Steel…What author hasn’t dreamed of reaching this level of mega-fame with their own work? What author hasn’t sighed as we remind ourselves how unattainable it is? Because, of course, these names are the exception, not the rule, and rely on the conversion of many factors, including a little luck. But I have… Read more »
Writing a novel is a lengthy process, so it’s understandable that our inspiration can start to drift along the way. Inspiration often goes hand in hand with motivation – when we’re feeling excited and enthusiastic about our WIP the words flow more easily and the writing sessions fly by. Likewise, when we find ourselves feeling… Read more »
Hey there word nerds! Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing E.J. Wenstrom E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. Her award-winning fantasy series Chronicles of the Third Realm War (City Owl Press) features a peculiar mashup… Read more »
What our characters eat depends on when and where they lived, their position in society, and, to some extent, what they were doing. So getting the food details right is one way we can fully immerse readers in our story. In the space of this article, I can’t begin to cover global evolution of foodstuffs… Read more »
Way back in 2009, five major events deeply altered me. In April, my beloved grandmother died. Six weeks later, I married my now-husband. Over the following summer, my husband lost a grandmother on one side and a grandfather on the other. And the following fall, my husband and I bought our first home. While two… Read more »
