Resources for Writing for Children
It is just a few more days until 2016. The New Year always brings a list of resolutions and goals. If you are reading this, writing for children or teens is likely on your list. How do children’s writers know that they are successfully penning words that will resonate with young readers? Certainly they must […]
Friends and Experts
They say the life of a writer is lonely. That’s true in some ways, but the advent of the Internet has connected us in ways we could never have imagined. It has also made research easier than ever. However, easier is not always better. We’ve all heard warnings about verifying the accuracy of our sources. […]
The Marketing Seesaw
When was the last time you played on a seesaw? Maybe you called it a teeter-totter. The fun lasted only as long as the person on the other end weighed about the same as you. Enough of an imbalance and you either spent most of the time camped on the ground or hanging in the […]
Listening to Young Readers
As a teacher, I spend much of my day listening to young readers. They read from textbooks and leisure reading choices. They read their own written works to me. I love to hear them read. As an author, I listen to young readers in a different way. I listen to what they’re saying about books. […]
We’ve Always Done It This Way
The publishing industry is moving faster than Doc Brown’s DeLorean, but not always in a good way. Stagnant sales, corporate restructurings, e-publishing, people reading less…the news can be discouraging. So what’s an author to do? One thing we should not do is approach our writing careers with an “I’ve always done it this way” attitude. […]
Handling Rejection
Have you ever seen an unattractive baby? Even if you think the baby is ugly, his parents would never agree. That baby is part of them. He carries their DNA. More than that, he carries their hopes and dreams for the future. It’s often been said that for a writer, rejection is the equivalent of […]
What is Your Challenge?
I admit it…I’m color-challenged. As in, every house we’ve lived in for the past 30+ years has had nothing but white walls. And white ceilings. And white wood trim. Oh, except for one house that already had wallpaper in the dining room. We left that up because it was easier than removing the wallpaper and…you […]
Different Routes, Same Destination
I’ve been thinking about routes. One of the most helpful tools I have is a GPS. Helpful, because if there’s a way to get lost, I’ll find it. So I’m dependent on that quiet but firm voice that says, “In fifty yards, turn right.” When I program my GPS for a long trip, it often […]
7 Twitter Rules of the Road
You’ve had your drivers’ license for longer than you’d care to admit. By now, you’ve learned a thing or two about the rules of the road. Did you know that Twitter rules of the road are similar? 1. Don’t drive without a license. No matter how much you may hate your drivers’ license photo, you […]
Affirmation by the Numbers
I was never much of a numbers person. Words are more my thing. Lots and lots of words, if you ask my husband! Numbers . . . not so much. It’s one of the reasons I love to write. To be able to communicate using myriad combinations of a mere twenty-six letters is nothing short of […]