Seattle Education Access is looking for donations of current YA titles and/or books likely to be required college reading for their library. The organization fights poverty and homelessness by helping marginalized youth make strong transitions to local community colleges. You can learn more at www.seattleeducationaccess.org. SEA’s College Success Program provides students with scholarships and free... Continue Reading →
Great technology for word use
Greenwillow editor Martha Mihalick, who may well be a GENIUS, recommended the use of Wordle.net to check the language of your work in progress.Wordle builds collages out of the words in a document, so you can see which ones you use most of all.I tried it on a novel and found a flabby word I... Continue Reading →
Congratulations, Angelina C. Hansen
Some great news from up north: Angelina C. Hansen, who regularly attends our Bellingham Schmoozes, has won the SCBWI Work-In-Progress Grant for a Contemporary Novel. Her work-in-progress novel is titled WHY I TOLD.Here's her blog--read the post on her jump-up-and-down good news.And here's a link to the announcement on the SCBWI International website.Way to go,... Continue Reading →
Thought-provoking stuff at The Swivet
Colleen Lindsay (quoted earlier here this week on novel length), posted a great quote from a screenwriter/director on her blog:It rarely takes more than a page to recognize that you're in the presence of someone who can write, but it only takes a sentence to know you're dealing with someone who can't.(By the way, here's... Continue Reading →
Chuck at the Guide to Literary Agents blog reports a new agent on the loose at Barry Goldblatt Literary (do bookmark Chuck's blog if you're looking for an agent--so useful).Beth Fleisher is a former editor, working for The Berkeley Publishing Group. Her passions are science fiction, fantasy and graphic novels, though she handles all kinds... Continue Reading →
Quote of the day: Dorothea Brande
If you can come to such friendly terms with yourself that you are able and willing to say precisely what you think of any given situation or character, if you can tell a story as it can appear only to you of all the people on earth, you will inevitably have a piece of work... Continue Reading →
Port Townsend artist studio tour coming
Elizabeth Blake has passed on word that the Port Townsend Artist Studio Tour has at least two SCBWI members' studios included this year, Elizabeth's and Richard Jesse Watson's.Why not enjoy a peaceful weekend in Port Townsend and visit as many studios as you like. There are 47 on the tour this year.The tour runs the... Continue Reading →
Seattle Bookfest still seeking authors
It's Oct. 24 and 25; to participate, get all your details here.
When writer’s block hits
Need a story starter? Our charming hospitality host Annie Gage is having fun these days with FML.The ML stands for My Life. You can probably figure out what the F stands for.It's a website that captures anonymous stories of lives gone horribly and sometimes comically wrong (and yes, they have a book deal).Check it out.
Thoughts on writing graphic novels
Working on a graphic novel? Check out what Mark Fearing has to say:A graphic novel is a daunting task. Writing a story and investing another year (at least) drawing 150 maybe 200 pages is best described as ‘a long slog’. Don’t get me wrong. I love doing it. I can’t imagine a better challenge or... Continue Reading →