Well I just had the best night. I got to sit in the audience of the second grade play, watching my little boys all gussied up and being brave. Two narrators and one orchestra member in the Three Piggy Opera. I swear, THIS is why I became a mommy. My sons were so proud, strutting around in their ties “just [...]
I’m happy to announce my new book Writing the New Adult Novel: How to Write and Sell ‘New Adult’ Fiction, to be published by Writer’s Digest Books 2014. It’ll be a hands-on guide featuring essential information, steps, and techniques to guide writers in creating engaging stories featuring eighteen- to twenty-six-year-old protagonists against the backdrop of the emerging adult experience. I [...]
I had a great conversation today with Kevan Lyon, an agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency today. Marsal Lyon reps my books for adults. After a lovely half hour of book talk, our call ended and I went to pick up my sons from school. While we walked to the car I told my three second-graders that I’d just had [...]
I sure get to hang with the most interesting folks. Today, comic book and graphic novel expert Danny Fingeroth visited DearEditor.com as my Guest Editor. Danny was a longtime writer and editor for Marvel Comics, best known for his work on Spider-Man. His books include Superman on the Couch, Disguised as Clark Kent, The Rough Guide to Graphic Novels, and [...]
Sit on an exercise ball as you type in order to work your core muscles? Surely they’re not serious. If they are, safety gear is a must. Trust me.
Four writer friends and I gathered today at yummy (and healthy!) Seasons 52 in La Jolla, but our attention wasn’t on the awesome blackened mahi tacos the waiter set in front of us—it was on the gaggle of books these writers have just launched into the world. Amazing nonfiction writer Kathleen Krull has two new ones out: What Was the [...]
I’m honored to announce that I’ll be giving the “Market Report: An Up-to-the-Minute State of the Industry” keynote at the SCBWI 42nd Summer Conference in Los Angeles Aug 2 – 5. In fact, it’ll be a busy conference for me, as I’m also teaching the intensive “How to Build Your Own Teenager: Techniques for Writing Believable MG/YA Characters,” along with [...]
In all the busy-busy of the last few weeks, I’m only just now able to collect my thoughts on DearEditor.com’s 2013 Revision Week. My primary thought: Wow, that was a blast! I love getting a peek into the minds and processes of creative people, so being able to interview six authors about their revision process was a true treat. There [...]
I LOVE Revision Week. Today Edgar-nominated author Bruce Hale talks about the trickiness of knowing when you’re done revising: “When I can’t find anything else to tinker with, and I have that general feeling that if I mess with it much more, the entire souffle will collapse in a soggy heap — that’s when I know it’s the final draft.” [...]
I’m fascinated by how the creative process plays out, with a person following an idea through to final product—whether that product be a book or a sculpture or a piece of technology or whatever. It seems like magic to take a grain of an idea and render into some cohesive, tangible form . . . and yet people do it. [...]
I’m getting excited! It’s almost time for DearEditor.com’s second annual Revision Week. March 24-30 I’ll be hosting six authors—who have published a combined 275 best-selling and award-winning books—for a week of revision tips, insights, and stories from the trenches at DearEditor.com. Who’s stopping by? Bestselling and award-winning authors Laura Griffin (romance novels), Matthew J. Kirby (YA novels), Bruce Hale (chapter book [...]
I’m not sure what put a bigger smile on my face when I answered the door today: 1) the two packages that greeted me on the porch, stacked neatly by my sweet doorbell-ditching postal worker 2) the fact that the first package I opened was full of gourmet brownies sent by a lovely writer; not only did I get to [...]
My three eight-year-old sons signed up for sign language classes. They love the idea of sharing a secret language that Mom and Dad don’t know. The little plotters. I should totally learn sign language in secret.
I’m proud to pull back the curtain today to reveal my website and blog’s new look. If you’ve visited my site before, you may have to click on the refresher icon at the top of your browser so that page will reload to reveal the new look. What you’ll find is a pretty new design, with a new functionality that [...]
One of the things I enjoy about my writers advice website DearEditor.com is bringing in brilliant publishing colleagues to answer reader questions as “Guest Editor.” Today’s guest editor is Sara Sciuto, an agent with Full Circle Literary. Sara represents children’s fiction (picture books, middle grade, and YA) and select adult nonfiction. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, [...]
