We all know the feeling of finding our tribe. Whether we were kids discovering new friends on the playground, teens navigating a new school or club, or adults finding colleagues whose passion matches ours–it’s one of the best feelings out there. It’s the feeling I get whenever I’m at the Surrey International Writers’ Conference. Held … More SIWC – Simply Inspiring Writers’ Conference
If you’re an over-writer like me, you probably agonize over word counts. If you’re an under-writer, you probably also agonize over word counts. Basically, if you’re a writer, you agonize over word counts. In middle grade lit, search up word counts and you usually get advice like the following, from Penguin Random House UK: Middle … More Middle Grade Fantasy Word Counts – Part 1
Great writing has two main components: Novels for kids often focus on the first component. Without a great story, kids get bored and put a book down. But beautifully crafted language also has it’s place in kid-lit. Well-crafted passages can deepen the emotional impact of a key moment, enhance the action, and bring description to … More Making Music With Words
We’ve all heard of writers grappling with the blank white page. But sometimes, writers leave readers grappling with a frustrating condition called “White Room Syndrome.” “White Room Syndrome” is where a reader doesn’t feel anchored in the setting of a particular scene. There aren’t enough concrete physical details to ground the action and dialogue. The … More Setting the Scene
Today, we continue to unravel that most dreaded of all fantasy writing phenomena… EXPOSITION! Writers know that getting exposition onto the page can be a messy process–but maybe not as messy as cleaning up magical residue! Just ask Cara Moone, protagonist of Lee Edward Födi’s hilarious and heartfelt middle grade fantasy, SPELL SWEEPER. Födi takes … More Exposition 101 – SPELL SWEEPER
Ten years ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing a great Canadian children’s author who described his books as full of “running and jumping and peril!” It was an apt description, and in my opinion, there’s no author who writes better adventure stories for kids than Kenneth Oppel. From SILVERWING to AIRBORN to THE OVERTHROW … More The Best Action Writer in All of Kid-Lit…
THE GIVER is one of the most successful children’s novels of all time. Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, Lois Lowry’s tale still captivates readers decades later and remains a mainstay on school reading lists across North America. And, there’s a secret hidden at the heart of this novel that helps explain why it’s so … More The Secret Genius of THE GIVER
In the most recent issue of The YAK magazine, I interviewed Middle Grade and Young Adult authors from the BC Lower Mainland about the importance of messy rough drafts! With wisdom from Nafiza Azad, Rachel Hartman, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, and Stacey Matson, we delve into the importance of revision and trusting the re-writing process. Check … More The YAK Speaks: Messy Rough Drafts
The Second Act is the middle section of a novel and usually the biggest chunk of a book. It spans from when a character is first thrust into a new situation until the immediate build toward the climax. In terms of the hero’s journey plot line discussed in previous posts, the Second Act ranges from … More Lessons from a First Novel: Supercharging the 2nd Act
Last winter, I finished a polished draft of my first novel manuscript. Of course, “finished” and “polished” are words that automatically come with a caveat for writers. Novels are like those curving lines on graphs that stretch to infinity, always approaching (but never quite reaching) the x and y axis. Even defining “first” novel can … More Lessons from a First Novel: Patterns and Parameters
Storythreads 