You’ve likely heard of this book, as it was everywhere this summer. It also won a highly coveted prize. Is it worth the hype?
So after letting it languish on my shelf for years, I finally tackled this…
In writing class the other night we got into an interesting discussion. According to my teacher (an agented, traditionally-published writer), the biggest reason readers put down a book is…
Four of the greatest words in the English language: this too shall pass.
I’ve already done a list of the opening lines from all my favorite books, but now I’m going to do a list of some of my favorite opening lines. (There’s a difference, though some overlap.) I’m also going to avoid the classics, since those lists are already all over the internet already. Opening lines are so […]
There are a lot of things that go into writing a novel. Today I’m going to focus on an important one–point of view. One of the first decisions you need to make when starting a novel is: who is telling this story?
It’s nothing, sir, so long as there’s health and a clear conscience. This quote, from Anna Karenina, is the attitude we should all have about our “problems”.
Time for a look at another brilliant example of writer voice! This week I’m picking an unusual one…
So I’m taking a writing class this summer at this fine institution. (It’s awesome. I highly recommend it.) The structure of the class is that each week, some students hand in writing submissions, and the next week you’re “workshopped”, meaning everyone tells you what they thought. When it was my turn, the teacher of the […]
I’ve written about voice in YA contemporary (twice), I’ve written about voice in YA historical, and today I’m going to talk about the voice of a writer who’s not YA at all. Because while it’s absolutely crucial as a writer to read within our genres, there is a tremendous amount to be learned from other genres, […]
