I distinctly remember the moment when I decided to give up. I had just typed the last words of a book labelled “that_sci_fi_thing.doc” on my computer. This was not the first book I’d ever written—in fact, it was the eleventh. I’d written my first novel a decade ago. I’d thought...
Constantin Stanislovski once said, “Love the art in yourself, and not yourself in the art.” He was talking about theater, of course, but the same can be said of any art form. When applied to novelists, I think the difference comes down to writing vs. publishing, because writing and publishing...
One of my favorite sentiments in the world is that it’s never too late. It’s never too late to try learning a new language, or putting more effort into a relationship, or yes, to start writing. But I think it’s just as important to remember — at least, when it...
You’ve found it—the One True Story you want to work on. You’re excited! This is going to be awesome! You start writing and you fall in love with the characters, and the world, and the story— Oh no. This isn’t going to be a standalone like you originally thought. The...
This post will go live 5 minutes before the session begins. To ask a question, leave a comment below! The panel will start 5 minutes late to accommodate some technical difficulties! Andrea J Loney’s picture book Bunnybear, (Albert Whitman & Company, January 2017) is about a bear who believes in...
Hello WriteOnCon 2018! I’m so happy to be a guest blogger today! As some of you might know, at the first 2010 WriteOnCon, I was unagented and participated in the forums, looking for that perfect match. I signed with my first agent in February 2011, and participated in subsequent forums...
Got a question or an observation? Leave a comment!
Hooray! You’ve sold a book. Maybe it’s your first. Maybe it’s your 17th (if you’re Jane Yolen, it’s your 365th). Congratulations! Now it’s time to start planning events at bookstores. So how do you go about doing that? Step 1: Find a Bookstore This may seem obvious. But before...
Who she is: Literary Agent at Liza Dawson Associates What she likes: She's looking for Middle Grade and Young Adult projects, particularly romance, historical fiction, mysteries and thrillers, science fiction and fantasy, and contemporary books with diverse characters. This post will go live 45 minutes before the session begins; however, we...
“So, what do you write?” For writers at kidlit workshops, conferences and other events, this is the number one ice-breaker (not that writers need ice-breakers, of course, we’re all charmingly extroverted). In general, for both fiction and non-fiction, I’ve only ever heard three common responses: “I write picture books,” “I...