Tag: writing process
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Raising the Stakes
You win a pizza! Unfortunately after you pick it up, you trip and the pizza splats onto the sidewalk. Life is full of ups and downs and so are stories. Ups and downs are what makes a story interesting. You read to find out what is going to happen next. In my February workshop with…
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New Book and Resources
Teachers and librarians, see my special packet showing the step-by-step writing and publishing process. In this free download, students will be able to see real examples of brainstorming, drafts, research, revising, and more. Teaching guide with Common Core standards is also available. Our Teacher is a Vampire And Other (Not) True Stories is the collaborative writing journal…
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How to write when your character is a little crazy
I am hard at work on the next novel, and I’m using a different process. Usually I find the voice of the novel first (Is it the voice of the main character? Is it the voice of a narrator?) and then I write my rough draft in the voice. So, I started this project by…
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If you’re stumped, just hold on…
From Jonah Lehrer’s book, Imagine: How Creativity Works “…the act of being stumped is an essential part of the creative process. Before we can find the answer–before we probably even know the question–we must be immersed in disappointment, convinced that a solution is beyond our reach…It’s often only at this point, after we’ve stopped searching…
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How do you write what becomes a “favorite scene”?
Got a letter yesterday from a boy in a residential juvenile detention facility, another word for jail. He wrote to say how much he enjoyed Invisible Lines, a book that deals with some of the tough issues that I’m sure this boy has had to face. The most touching part of the letter for me…
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Pencil Tips Writing Workshop Blog
I’m delighted to join children’s book writers and illustrators Jacqueline Jules, Alison Hart, Mary Quattlebaum, Laura Krauss Melmed,and Joan Waites as a co-blogger at the Pencil Tips Writing Workshop.My first entry, about the value of sharing mistakes, was just posted. Each blogger takes a turn posting a tip. Please consider subscribing and/or pass along the…
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Beware “But I love this…”
Wrote a new song. Loved it. Well, most of it. I was having a little trouble with the bridge, which didn’t seem to lead anywhere. So, I played the song for my music partner Bill Williams, expecting him to suggest a little touch that would do the trick for the trouble spot. He floored me…
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Inspiring Lines from Roddy Doyle
Reading The Deportees and Other Stories by Roddy Doyle for my book group. Love the writing. The opening story is about a father–Larry– who is meeting his daughter’s boyfriend. While the boyfriend is cool and poised, the father feels himself unraveling. It’s told in 3rd person and here are my favorite lines: “He [Larry, the…
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Why Write?
“For me, anyway, [writing] is what infuses the world with meaning,” says Jennifer Egan in the Washington Post’s BookWorld (9-18-11). Not true for me. As I see it, the world is infused with meaning, whether or not I happen to notice. Writing, for me, is proof that I am noticing; it is also a way…
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Try Writing Blind
Thomas Kaufman, author of the new detective novel, Steal the Show, gave this tip at a recent booksigning: Turn off your monitor when you’re writing your novel. When you’re not looking at your words as they appear on your screen, you’ll be more likely to get into the flow and stay in character. Have you…