Don’t Mistake Procrastination for Suspense
Make your novel engaging from page one. Start in the right place. If the first chapter can be cut without making the story unclear, cut it.
Reinventing Fairytales and Childe Roland
I had the chance to finish The Personnel of Fairyland and the story of Childe Roland and also found answers to my three questions from last week about furze, howdies, and Tom Tit Tot. Who is Tom Tit Tot? Tom … Continued
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
“I told my students all the time: writing fiction is an exercise in giving a shit—an exercise in finding out what you really care about.”
What’s the Purpose of a Book Review?
The book review star rating system is meaningless. The sole purpose of a book review is to inform the potential buyer about the contents of books. A good review allows that buyer to know if the book being reviewed is … Continued
The Perfectly Constructed YA Novel
Meg Medina’s Burn, Baby, Burn is an example of A perfectly constructed YA novel. It’s great storytelling. This didn’t surprise me as I’d loved Medina’s Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass. I’d recommend Burn to any teen looking for … Continued
Hunkering Down: Beyond the Usual Writing Routine
I’m guessing everyone is hunkering down to avoid getting or giving the new coronavirus to others. I’m wondering what people are doing to move beyond the usual writing routine. Whenever I read what writers say about their creative routine, it … Continued
Change Genres, Buy Indie, Read Local.
I have three things on my mind concerning reading and writing, and they all begin with trying something new: change genres, buy indie, and read local. Change Genres In the past few months, I’ve written a few pieces of flash … Continued
One Important Secret in ‘Far from the Tree’
Since I am on a YA fiction jag, I want to have a quick look at why National Book Award winning Far from the Tree by Robin Benway is so good. Happily, one important secret that makes this novel work … Continued
Three Elements of Great Writing: Bridge of Clay
This is round two of looking at Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak. In the last post, I looked at why it isn’t really a YA novel although it was marketed as one in the US. This time, I want … Continued
Parameters of the YA Novel: Is Bridge of Clay Still YA?
Bridge of Clay and YA Novels What are the parameters of the YA novel? Is Markus Zusak’s Bridge of Clay still YA? I asked myself this as I read this gorgeous novel. If you’re writing a novel that focuses on … Continued