Setting the Record Straight
My first books were novels. They spanned the genres from Women’s fiction to Young Adult to Middle Grades. This foray into the children’s picture book world was a very new and, at first, unintimidating, prospect. I mean, seriously, how hard can it be to write a children’s picture book? As long as I had an […]
Co-Authors: Blending Creative Brains
For most authors, writing is a solitary pursuit. There’s no one with whom you have to consult on names, plot ideas, character actions or motivations. There’s also no one to argue with your decision if you suddenly want to veer from the original story line. All of that changes when you decide to collaborate on a writing […]
The Calm Before the…Release
Why Go to a Writers Conference?
This is on my mind right now because I’m on my way to a writers conference in Boston, and I can’t wait for the weekend! There’s something invigorating and motivating about attending a well-run writing conference. Because I live on the east coast, I tend to gravitate toward conferences in the northeast. My three favorite […]
It’s a Title! What’s the big deal?
Like many authors, especially we indie authors, deciding on the title of a book can be pretty difficult and time-consuming. That may seem ridiculous, but if you think about it, the title of your book is the first step to catching a potential reader’s attention. The next is the back cover blurb, but that’s a […]
What’s in a critique partner?
No! I’m not talking about what my critique partners just had for dinner. I’m not talking about their anatomy, either. Most writers have at least one, if not more than one, critique partner. I’m the type that prefers multiple critique partners. I think multiple critique partners are going to keep you honest – and keep […]
The Art of Writing Realistic Young Adult Fiction in a Dystopian-driven World
Because one of my Google alerts is “realistic young adult fiction”, I’m notified when something goes out on the web that deals with that topic. Today, a well-written opinion piece came across from The Valley Vanguard online that was written by Brianna Rivet, a young woman whom I am guessing is a junior at Saginaw […]
Where Ideas for Characters Really Come From
Are you sure you want to be a character in my book? After Finding Atticus was published, one of my male students (I’ll call him “Zeke” to protect his identity) announced, with his chest puffed out, at the beginning of class one day, “Mrs. Adams, since you have a girl on the cover of your […]
Book Marketing Conundrum
For my first blog, I’m going to get right to the point. Like so many authors, I love writing books – I’m just not good at the marketing part. There! I laid my weakness out there before you. Chew me up…spit me out…but remember, you can read my books and chew at the same time. […]