Showing Christmas Using the Five Senses
Show; don’t tell. We hear it all the time. Don’t tell the reader, show the reader. Draw readers into your story. Make it easy for them to feel as if they’re in the middle of whatever you’re writing. Prompted by a recent series of blog posts on the Hartline Literary Agency website, I’ve been thinking […]
Author Interviews III: Sandy Carlson’s First Self-Publishing Experience
Author Sandy Carlson was born in Michigan, lived in six other states, and now resides in Michigan again. A former elementary teacher, Carlson is a blogger and a long-time member of SCBWI. She’s published in magazines, e-zines, newspapers, and anthologies, in addition to being the author of historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction books. Today, she writes, […]
Author Interviews: Gail Cartee Shares Self-Publishing Experiences
More writers are choosing self-publishing to deliver their books, whether print or digital, to readers. Write2Ignite is reaching out to several authors to ask about their decisions, experiences, and tips for those considering self-publishing for their projects. Today’s author, W2I Team Member Gail Cartee, shares insights and experiences about self-publishing her book Tsali: Legendary Hero […]
First Steps: John Bunyan’s Model in Pilgrim’s Progress
by Deborah DeCiantis “In media res”—starting “in the middle of things”—is the classic plot opening used in literature from ancient times to today. Bunyan uses both this method plus the biblical model, “in the beginning,” to introduce his protagonist, Christian. Structured as a frame story, the narrative begins with an unnamed narrator walking “through the […]
Is Your Personality Showing?
It’s been said writers include a bit of themselves in everything they write. If that’s true, how much of your personality appears on the pages of what you write? Teaching on temperament or personality differences has been around for more than 2,000 years. Hippocrates categorized the 4 temperaments as choleric, melancholy, sanguine, and phlegmatic. In […]
Dual-Curriculum in Learning to Write for Children
I am the mother of four grown sons. But they weren’t always grown. There were quite a few hectic years that could best be described as managed chaos. I would get a little one off my hip and onto his feet just in time to have another firmly attach himself. And honestly, who knew there were […]
What Spills Out of You?
When you jostle a full glass of orange juice, what spills out? And what spills out of a full glass of milk? Silly questions? Maybe. Of course, orange juice will spill out of the first glass and milk will spill out of the second one. But perhaps not so silly when we apply this to […]
Dusty Old Writing
I remember words of advice from seasoned professionals in the writing industry. Don’t be in a hurry to hit ‘send’ as soon as you finish your manuscript. Put it away for some time. Then, revisit it and send the revised, polished work on to your agent or publisher. I was like many authors I know. […]
Putting the Right Face on Facebook
These days, Facebook is the social media platform everyone loves to hate. It seems as if this Internet giant changes its rules as often as we change our clothes. But Facebook is still a social media powerhouse for a reason: millions of people use it to establish community and connections. By following these six tips, […]
The Weight of Words
Do you know the answer to this old riddle? Q: Which weighs more: a pound of bricks or a pound of feathers? A: Neither. They both weigh the same. Silly, I know. But I’ve been thinking a lot about weight lately. And no, this has nothing to do with the pants I no longer fit […]