Writing KidLit

KidLit Kibbles

How J.K. Rowling Plotted Harry Potter with a Hand-Drawn Spreadsheet

At the height of the Harry Potter novels’ popularity, I asked a number of people why those books in particular... Read more »

Comment | July 8, 2014, 11:22 am

Style & Structure [Factors of a Great Novel #4]

Comment | July 8, 2014, 9:19 am

Unusual Writing Tips: Characterization!

Comment | July 8, 2014, 9:07 am

The Top 5 Mistakes Amateur Writers Make

Comment | July 7, 2014, 10:14 am

Unusual Writing Tips

Comment | July 6, 2014, 11:38 pm

KidLit Kibbles

BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE

In 1958, George Plimpton interviewed Ernest Hemingway and asked about his rewriting process. This is part of that interaction: INTERVIEWER: How... Read more »

Comment | July 6, 2014, 3:25 pm

KidLit Kibbles

The Final Word

There’s a lot of attention paid to first lines. As readers, we undoubtedly appreciate them. As writers, we strive for... Read more »

Comment | July 6, 2014, 3:17 pm

KidLit Kibbles

Voice and Word Choice in Picture Books

No, I didn’t mean for the title of this blog to rhyme. Sadly, I don’t write in rhyme. So if... Read more »

Comment | July 3, 2014, 4:51 pm

KidLit Kibbles

Making vs. Marketing

Earlier this week, I received this e-mail from a good friend of mine, Maggie Suisman, asking how to balance marketing work... Read more »

Comment | July 1, 2014, 7:12 am

KidLit Kibbles

5 Ways to Hook your Reader with Your Very First Line

Richard Peck said: “You’re only as good as your opening line.” How do we keep our readers intrigued and wanting... Read more »

Comment | July 1, 2014, 7:05 am

KidLit Kibbles

Write Outside Your Comfort Zone

At my first national writing conference, a well-established author critiqued my work-in-progress. He recommended that I set aside my contemporary... Read more »

Comment | June 30, 2014, 3:45 pm

What is a Picture Book?

Comment | June 30, 2014, 1:05 pm

KidLit Kibbles

CAUSE AND EFFECT

WHAT IS CAUSE AND EFFECT? Cause and effect is the thread that holds a story together. If that thread is... Read more »

Comment | June 26, 2014, 3:13 pm

KidLit Kibbles

RAMONA AT FORTY

I always knew Beverly Cleary was a great writer. I read every single one of her books growing up —... Read more »

Comment | June 23, 2014, 9:00 am

KidLit Kibbles

What Happens When Two Eccentric Cat-Lovers Unite: T.S. Eliot and Edward Gorey’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’

T.S. Eliot, whose affection for cats was well-known, wrote the poems that would comprise ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats'... Read more »

Comment | June 21, 2014, 6:02 pm

Theo Baker & Lin Oliver Why is Re-Writing Important

Comment | June 20, 2014, 4:38 pm

KidLit Kibbles

If Strangers Talked to Everybody like They Talk to Writers

Last week, writer and tweeter extraordinaire Elizabeth McCracken tweeted this… “21 years into a publishing career & I still have no idea... Read more »

Comment | June 19, 2014, 5:05 pm

KidLit Kibbles

How Reality Became the Hot New Thing in YA

In 2010, St. Martin’s editor Sara Goodman grieved when she was outbid for an adult manuscript she adored. A year... Read more »

Comment | June 15, 2014, 10:00 am

KidLit Kibbles

Backstory Basics

Backstory can be essential to understanding a character and his/her journey. It can deepen conflict, reveal motivation and elicit sympathy... Read more »

Comment | June 14, 2014, 10:07 pm

Writer’s Block Sucks, Writing Prompts to Boost Creativity by Katie, WriteByNight

Comment | June 14, 2014, 2:37 pm