Published Articles on Writing
50 Ways to Think Like a Child
When I was little, I couldn’t wait to leave childhood behind and venture into the adult world. Now that I’m all grown up and writing books for children, I sometimes wish I could go back in time to recapture some of those important memories and feelings associated with childhood.
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Books Help Young Readers Cope
Throughout their life children will come face-to-face with challenges they have to overcome, adapt or ignore. They need to find other ways to learn how to cope with and move beyond the same challenges. Many of them turn to books.
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Characters We Love to Hate
We all know who people seem to delight in stirring up a giant pot of trouble and dumping it out on some unsuspecting soul. The strength of your story depends not just on the strength of your main character, but in creating an effective and equally strong antagonist to challenge and contradict your main character’s goals throughout the story.
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Creative Nonfiction
If you want to teach young readers about the Irish potato famine, the rain forest, or even math, tell them a story. Tell an interesting tale about interesting people doing interesting things and readers come back for more, sometimes not even realizing they are reading about something that really happened. This is creative nonfiction.
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It’s a Natural World
The natural world invites many writers to explore and then share their findings with readers of all ages.
“Help kids connect with nature,” says Andy Boyles, Science Editor at Highlights for Children magazine. “We ought to lead them to love the natural world and appreciate even animals that aren’t especially charismatic before we try to enlist those kids to help save the environment.”
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First Lines in Fiction
With the lure of the Internet, fast-action video games, and reality-based television, it’s often tough to get kids to sit down and read a book. As writers, it’s our job to craft an opening to our book or story that will grab the reader’s attention and not let go. And your very first reader is the editor you hope will buy your work.
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Foot in the Door
Many writers throw themselves at the door of the big glossy high-paying magazines hoping for a prestigious short story sale that will launch their career. Faced with rejections, writers often give up before their careers ever get a chance to get off the ground. One thing you can do is to start off with some of the lesser-known or lower paying magazines and then build upon your successes
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World in Verse
Ancient storytellers understood the power of telling a story in verse. Writers today have embraced this method of storytelling so much that the verse novel is now a category of its own. But what exactly is a verse novel and how does it differ from a traditional novel?
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Nourishing Young Minds & Spirits
In today’s uncertain world, many look to spirituality for answers to questions and guidance to improve life and well-being. As authors we have the opportunity to help children not only find the answers but learn how to ask the right questions. Books that make the body-mind-spirit connection help young people create a new sense of calm or creativity or a new reality in their lives.
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Publishing in a Recession
It’s no secret that times are tough all over. The publishing industry is no exception. When one or two publishing houses lay off a few people it is cause for concern but as more and more publishers “restructure” from sales right up through editorial you can almost feel the panic roll through the writing world. How bad is it, really? The answer is – it depends.
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Reluctant Readers
Books have always been my best friends. As a child when I wanted to learn something new, I picked up a book. When I wanted to escape my boring life, I would read my way through a new adventure. But for a child learning English as a second language or a struggling reader not reading at grade level, books are often a bewildering obstacle rather than a friend to be enjoyed. Writers willing to learn the particular needs of this market can help turn reluctant readers into willing readers.
Read the full article.Telling and Selling Seasonal Stories
Writing seasonal stories offers something for writers in all genres and for readers of all ages. Most editors agree that Christmas is one of the most popular holidays to write about with Easter, Valentine’s Day, and Halloween coming close behind. That doesn’t mean writers should ignore these more familiar holidays but it does mean that the competition may be a hit intense.
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Tis the Season
No matter where you were born or where you grew up, chances are your family celebrated some kind of holiday in a way that was unique to your culture, the specific holiday, or perhaps to just your family. Holiday traditions are handed down from generation to generation helping to create memories that last for years.
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Writing About Families
The many layered dynamics of a family offer a rich background for writers to draw from when telling a story. With the power of story, writers can help young readers deal with a variety of family issues in such a way that it empowers the reader to be able to cope with their own similar situation or have empathy for those living vastly different lives.
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The past is alive with thousands of stories waiting to be told. True stories about historic events and historical fiction are popular with readers of all ages. But it’s not enough to just report a true event or plop a modern day character in the old west. Writing about historic events brings a many challenges for authors.
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Writing About Teen Love
People have been falling in and out of love since the beginning of time and telling stories about it just as long. Think Romeo and Juliet. For young people, love often first comes at a time when they are already awhirl with conflicting emotions. Books that contain a romantic element can help them make sense out of their own love life or lack of one.
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