My grandfather on my mom's side of the family died when I was in elementary school, and shortly after that his brother, my great uncle Arthur, made a reappearance in our lives. My mom took her father's death hard, which she showed in the usual manner: by accounting for all...
In the summer of 2011, I made a very important decision: I chose not to play fantasy football for the first time in well over a decade… and I started working on my first picture book manuscript. I spent the next two years furiously writing and learning as much as...
From labyrinthine museums to desolate outback mining towns. From crumbling rainforest houses to the stinking streets of Victorian London. Setting takes centre stage in all my stories. I spend a lot of time thinking setting, worrying setting, growing setting. I spend a lot of time loving setting to life. Why...
Growing up in Singapore was a lonely journey for me, compounded by the fact that I am an only child. My 'sibling' was my Japanese Spitz. My solace was reading and writing stories on note paper. My imagination was my most cherished companion. I read just about everything. Encyclopedias, picture...
Here’s a guide to what you’ll need to know from the moment you get the “when do you have time to chat” email from an agent to after the offer of representation. I hope all unagented WriteOnCon writers will need this soon! WHAT I RESEARCHED BEFORE THE CALL: Agency...
Today I’d like to write about building relationships in YA and middle-grade novels. Creating relationships is critically important in your writing and are the building blocks of the books you write. I spent the first three years of my career working at Aladdin at Simon & Schuster where I became...
It is good to work. Work with love and think of liking it when you do it. It is easy and interesting. It is a privilege. There is nothing hard about it but your anxious vanity and fear of failure. And when you work on your writing remember these things....
When I was little my dad always used to say to me: “Writers write. Always.” It was a quote that he took from the Danny Devito movie, Throw Momma from the Train, and while I’m not sure that Danny Devito was one of my dad’s idols, he was certainly a...
Hey guys, Cassandra here! I’m so glad WriteOnCon is back and bigger and better than ever! For this panel you’ll get the perspective and advice from not just one, but a whole gaggle of freelance editors! We’ll answer the obvious questions, the not so obvious, and the interesting! Let’s jump...
The Day On March 30th, 2016, around nine in the morning on a normal day off, I stepped into the shower. It was a normal shower. Lather, rinse, repeat as needed, etc. Only as I reached out a hand to turn off the water I was suddenly smacked in the...
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