Kirby Larson sent along this announcement:The Whidbey Island Writers Conference is determined to rise, like a phoenix, once again. They are in the process of a huge fund-raising effort to raise the $90,000 needed to host a 2011 event. Contributions are welcome, to be sure, but writers can also help by attending the June 12... Continue Reading →
Oops! Are you writing a cliched fantasy?
Take the fifty-question quiz by David Parker. A few sample questions:Does nothing happen in the first fifty pages?Is your main character a young farmhand with mysterious parentage?Is your main character the heir to the throne but doesn't know it?Is your story about a young character who comes of age, gains great power, and defeats the... Continue Reading →
The day jobs of famous writers
Check out this amusing chart (and why is it that the one woman is paid a puny fraction of what the men made?):See the big version of the whole thing at Lapham's Quarterly.
Farewell, Sid Fleischman
The comic hero of children's literature has passed away; here's part of Lisa Yee's post about what he meant to her:Sid Fleischman 1920 - 2010The first time I met Sid Fleischman, I was an unpublished writer attending my first SCBWI Summer Conference. I had circled Sid's name on the brochure and attended his workshop, taking... Continue Reading →
Bruce Hale’s newsletter has a great piece on writing novels
The Chet Gecko author sends out a newsletter about storytelling, and I especially liked this week's featured essay by Kathi Appelt. It's about what it takes to write a novel.To sign up for Bruce's newsletter, visit his site.Meanwhile, here's that essay:RAISE THE STAKES, HONEY!I have been a writer my whole life long, beginning with writing... Continue Reading →
Why agents matter–yet another reason
Michael Stearns at Upstart Crow has posted on everyone's favorite topic: subsidiary rights! You might have worn your jaw out talking about these over breakfast with your family (kidding!), but here's another reminder why having an agent is a good idea in the increasingly complicated, fast-changing publishing business: It is springtime here in New York,... Continue Reading →
Artists: show your work
Here's a nice opportunity for the illustrators among us: Art On The Ridge is looking for 3 more motivated artists to fill spots in our collective. The Gallery is in the heart of Phinney/Greenwood with good store front and high traffic. All artists have access to space they can teach classes in, work in, meet... Continue Reading →
Take a class with Jaime Temairik
If you're an aspiring picture book author, you can sign up for a class with the one and only Jaime Temairik, who's been hired as an instructor by the University of Washington. It'll meet eight times this summer, in the evening so that people with day jobs can attend.Here's the description:Designed for aspiring and published... Continue Reading →
A nice ‘show, don’t tell’ tip
Kathy Temean's blog has 7 tips for writers trying to show, not tell.I particularly liked No. 6:6. Search for “was” in your document. While “was” isn’t always used in telling situations, it is 80% of the time.Check out the whole list.
Great news for Brenda Z. Guiberson
Many of us know Brenda from the classes she teaches at the University of Washington. She's a deserving recipient of the National Science Teachers Association award for books published in 2009. Here's the description of her book:Life in the Boreal Forest. Brenda Z. Guiberson. Illustrated by Gennady Spirin. Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an... Continue Reading →