Reading With My Mom by Emily Babbitt
I’ve been working from home for 21 weeks. This prolonged period of isolation has given me time to reflect on happier times in life: adventures and excitement in college, friendships forged in high school, and time spent reading with my mom as a child. Those were the good days — Mom reading to me and […]
3 Tips from “Self-Editing for Fiction Writers” by Karley Conklin
“The secret to editing your work is simple: you need to become its reader instead of its writer.”–Zadie Smith Write2Ignite’s 2020 Master class with Joyce Moyer Hostetter is only a month away. The Write2Ignite team has suggested checking out several chapters of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King as a way […]
9 Tips for Writing Unforgettable Characters by Deborah DeCiantis
According to Elaine Marie Alphin (Creating Characters Kids Will Love p. 2) “Kids read because a magical closeness springs up between them and the characters in books and stories—the same magical closeness I felt as a child. They read because a writer has brought a character to life on the page for them.” Every great […]
Our Publishing Dreams
We’ve all had longings or yearnings during our lives, especially when we were young. Having the whole world before us, we could dream about what our lives would look like as writers/authors. “If only I could publish a book” “I wish I could find the perfect literary agent” “If I could only have more sales” […]
How Dialogue Strengthens Your Manuscript
Writing dialogue is one of my favorite parts of the writing process. If done well, using dialogue can strengthen your manuscript and turn an average story into an engaging ride people will be talking about long after they read it. Here are 3 examples of how your story benefits from good dialogue. Dialogue puts […]
3 Editing Tips from a Woodcarver by Karley Conklin
“When you write a book, you spend day after day scanning and identifying the trees. When you’re done, you have to step back and look at the forest.” -Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft You’ve probably never thought to ask for editing tips from a woodcarver. I normally wouldn’t, either. Yet this […]
The Challenge of Interpreting Culture by Emily Babbitt
Some stories — even if written during a different time — are applicable to every generation of teens because they help with interpreting culture. First published in 1967, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton, has inspired readers for more than 50 years. Hinton, just fifteen years old when she began writing the book, was inspired by […]
AIM: A Book Review by Kathryn Dover and a Giveaway!
I have been interested in reading the Bakers Mountain series by Joyce Moyer Hostetter since I first heard about it at Write2Ignite 2018. When I was offered this opportunity to review all four books in the series, I gladly accepted. I am beginning my reviews with Aim, the first book, and will progress through the […]
12 Questions – Are You Ready for an Agent?
This information is for writers of fiction seeking an agent. If you hope to have your book published by a traditional publishing house (Christian or general market) you will very possibly need an agent. Have you been thinking about searching for one? The task is daunting. Before you begin you need to figure out whether […]
Writing Workshops and Why You Should be in One!
Presenting to a writing workshop or class always made me feel like I was about to ride a rollercoaster. Though I like rollercoasters, my heart and stomach do a sickening tango due to exhilaration and fear. Writing workshops are well worth the nausea, however, and you should be in one to take full advantage. Just […]