tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49016415914897486972024-03-21T16:41:09.478-07:00MDPLS YA Author in ResidenceThis blog is part of the Miami-Dade Public Library System's Young Adult Writer-in-Residence Program. Made possible by grant funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, this program provides opportunities for teen writers to receive mentorship from a published young adult author.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-26037952026493031982012-11-19T08:54:00.000-08:002012-11-19T08:54:00.122-08:00Monday Musings: What's Next, Kekla?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mm-fFLKfCOOHOIMA1gCuBWvhWn3QMbXrAwH_gQexWVXLki7SOxfo1BU5kzJNb16C5Ug6P5lTD5yMKJqyJRHznZSxoFEomCCcgRp3R7SXr46iiFE51XJPxoe27L-LK7e9cLWsHCEziqY/s1600/City+at+sunset+with+Sky+by+smarnad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mm-fFLKfCOOHOIMA1gCuBWvhWn3QMbXrAwH_gQexWVXLki7SOxfo1BU5kzJNb16C5Ug6P5lTD5yMKJqyJRHznZSxoFEomCCcgRp3R7SXr46iiFE51XJPxoe27L-LK7e9cLWsHCEziqY/s320/City+at+sunset+with+Sky+by+smarnad.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalphotos.net/smarnad</span></td></tr>
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If you've been following the blog here, you know that I am only in Miami temporarily. Today is my last day as Writer-in-Residence! This afternoon I am headed back home, which means this is my final post on the MiamiYAWriter blog. <br />
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What's next for me? Well, I have lots of writing to do!<br />
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For the past year I've been hard at work on a non-fiction book-- I'm going to buckle down and get the manuscript finished so I can turn it in to my publisher at the beginning of the new year. After that, I'll be working on THREE new novels, one right after the other. I'm looking forward to spending the spring with my fingers flying over the keyboard! Writing is hard work, but for me it's also a lot of fun!<br />
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I've had a great time in Miami, and I'm so pleased to have been your Writer-in-Residence. Everyone who came to a writing workshop, or stopped by this blog, or waved hello to me in the halls of the library helped make my time here a little more special. Thanks to all of you for making it a wonderful experience!<br />
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Remember: If you like the tips and writing prompts and links I've been posting here, you may want to follow me at <a href="http://www.wordconference.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">my WORD Conference blog</a>. I'm not posting every single day over there right now, but I do post regularly and I post things that are similar to what you've seen here. I hope to see you there!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-51809292417429068742012-11-16T09:41:00.000-08:002012-11-16T09:41:00.488-08:00Friday Forum: Did you like this blog?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYkPFWyNOMypFyDwJW7yC9VmRIFxHY2yAR43wDYj6pMypq0QvoibVVJUs1Mk4TUzjUYfpelh-9GFGejNIPGV2bgGIE6of9mm1ke_aG6Ys2QhGalWRAFok1_4dwk9R6g_YA0R1McqhcAo/s1600/hand+pointing+outstanding+word+by+frame+angel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYkPFWyNOMypFyDwJW7yC9VmRIFxHY2yAR43wDYj6pMypq0QvoibVVJUs1Mk4TUzjUYfpelh-9GFGejNIPGV2bgGIE6of9mm1ke_aG6Ys2QhGalWRAFok1_4dwk9R6g_YA0R1McqhcAo/s200/hand+pointing+outstanding+word+by+frame+angel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
You know I love to hear your opinions on everything related to books and writing, but now I want your opinion of this blog. <br />
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Do you like it? Is there anything you don't like about it? How often have you stopped by? Did you have favorite posts? Favorite topics? Topics you wanted to see more or less of?<br />
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Remember: writers always need to be able to look at their work and think about how to revise and make it better. Blogging is part of my work as a writer. I want to know how I'm doing, and I won't be able to figure it all out unless you help me.<br />
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<strong>What do you think of this blog? Now's your chance to tell it like it is!</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-83100987865334460142012-11-15T09:38:00.000-08:002012-11-15T09:38:00.310-08:00WORD ConferenceMy time in miami is winding down, and so this blog will be ending very soon. I wanted to let you know where you can find me online, if you have enjoyed following my posts here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.keklamagoon.com/" target="_blank">My website</a> is the easiest place to find me.<br />
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You can also follow my posts on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/authorkeklamagoon" target="_blank">my Facebook fan page</a>.<br />
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I tweet (occasionally) as<a href="http://www.twitter.com/keklamagoon" target="_blank"> keklamagoon</a>.<br />
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And I've really enjoyed blogging tips for young writers this fall, so I will continue to do so <a href="http://www.wordconference.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">at my WORD Conference blog</a>. I started that blog because some author friends and I hope to one day host a teen writing conference, but in the meantime, you can keep getting tips and links from me there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-43762051976151052292012-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:002012-11-14T06:30:03.465-08:00Wednesday WordPlay: I Always Cry at Endings<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span>Do you know yet how your story ends? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9TRfba6xRm2S8dUUBMxkph8rZnzKdn_djAmXlofMk6W_LBvU5oYGIHf_m-_xUhdwox_Te94Ys1ymvWAQn6G1I0YX5igwdaEB7zv569X41WoCCkHkR1H4xnUhUyAdCiKl5whqla4ZdD4/s1600/cutty+sark+by+James+Barker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9TRfba6xRm2S8dUUBMxkph8rZnzKdn_djAmXlofMk6W_LBvU5oYGIHf_m-_xUhdwox_Te94Ys1ymvWAQn6G1I0YX5igwdaEB7zv569X41WoCCkHkR1H4xnUhUyAdCiKl5whqla4ZdD4/s320/cutty+sark+by+James+Barker.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalphotos.net/James Barker</span></td></tr>
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Some writers like to plan and outline and prepare every moment of their story before they actually start writing. Others like to fly by the seat of their pants, just sit down with a notebook and see what happens. There are very successful writers who do it both ways.<br />
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Most writing prompts give you something specific to start with. Today, let's mix it up. I'm going to give you three possible endings to a story that doesn't exist yet. Choose one, and work backwards. What happened right before? And right before that? And right before that? Write short scenes in reverse order.<br />
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Ending #1: As the ship crashed into the rocks, the girl leaped to safety, just in the nick of time.<br />
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Ending #2: He knelt on the sand, grateful to be alive.<br />
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Ending #3: They could no longer see land in the distance, not even the palest outline of the country they were leaving behind.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-32362261368553977972012-11-12T06:30:00.000-08:002012-11-12T06:30:02.855-08:00Monday Musings: What have you done in Miami besides write?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Peohw49aSWoNq-QZUClvoq-gPkNyIJVzlxh3Fs2bdz-zeHrNLUl-w0Yd2kmV_CBm8Dal5HSoZntCoEGGajwN6XLZbWcjemfeuD0WB_EdLzdvH0IbQpEoewhSkYTW656kZXUD1GKooT0/s1600/Miami+(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Peohw49aSWoNq-QZUClvoq-gPkNyIJVzlxh3Fs2bdz-zeHrNLUl-w0Yd2kmV_CBm8Dal5HSoZntCoEGGajwN6XLZbWcjemfeuD0WB_EdLzdvH0IbQpEoewhSkYTW656kZXUD1GKooT0/s320/Miami+(11).jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from Key Biscayne lighthouse</td></tr>
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Oh, my friends, I am having such a wonderful adventure! It's my first time in Miami, so I am seeing everything I can.<br />
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Most weekdays, I worked in my office at the library.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWJ1zj42imNQpGiw7GDyUeu-Cn5ysdYF2ssWTTcoPd7A2vbLU58oFBFUV9c7woAPmx-N-yZm5RxDJmX_x2bQ6We58lToCth7cBhDr_JEM1p_0YS-7yrj_Vy_av2YIkOXR1WTanajY4Eg/s1600/Mel+Wedding+and+Miami+254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUWJ1zj42imNQpGiw7GDyUeu-Cn5ysdYF2ssWTTcoPd7A2vbLU58oFBFUV9c7woAPmx-N-yZm5RxDJmX_x2bQ6We58lToCth7cBhDr_JEM1p_0YS-7yrj_Vy_av2YIkOXR1WTanajY4Eg/s200/Mel+Wedding+and+Miami+254.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the office</td></tr>
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I hung out at Books and Books in Coral Gables.<br />
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I climbed the lighthouse at Key Biscayne.<br />
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I went to Key West.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSP3pSR5j7MU-fzdGycJemPsfFCSqZKojeydD3nNh8Ri9ei5RdiU-XFulAQ7U6Wzw3XA4mczQ-s50pP4PF4_RkYvadTTod2blClCXNnKlXajIJlsc_yIo_3ueyj2pn1julQCMO4RdbqQ/s1600/More+Miami+156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSP3pSR5j7MU-fzdGycJemPsfFCSqZKojeydD3nNh8Ri9ei5RdiU-XFulAQ7U6Wzw3XA4mczQ-s50pP4PF4_RkYvadTTod2blClCXNnKlXajIJlsc_yIo_3ueyj2pn1julQCMO4RdbqQ/s200/More+Miami+156.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miami Beach</td></tr>
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I biked through the Everglades.<br />
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I ate delicious food!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHuQYqsXjgKkNT0Xm9sOV0QPIQuQZIR71eqhvNxSvVVEO-GqGGgm7Tx6eK2qdAzqqPT0pz9lRf2I7TR-m6S02zIHr6pxa75g8-jTIZUWKWnP8y0FsyFKwiOTz5xcRKmDJ3vx0S7ao0b0/s1600/More+Miami+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmHuQYqsXjgKkNT0Xm9sOV0QPIQuQZIR71eqhvNxSvVVEO-GqGGgm7Tx6eK2qdAzqqPT0pz9lRf2I7TR-m6S02zIHr6pxa75g8-jTIZUWKWnP8y0FsyFKwiOTz5xcRKmDJ3vx0S7ao0b0/s320/More+Miami+089.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tostones, pollo, empanada and spicy sauce</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-31ysHeXLVQyMUjFNYfm-DP9A456nSoM0F4TBCgSoqL7YtQciFzdDKsQUWt0hSJ8RXHVv3Yef9rBLZjkNC3moD2OLk1H9fIBB2udZfWNJX4nI4cutqjL9vKzSRqqCeMTAWag6Ij-Vlb4/s1600/More+Miami+146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-31ysHeXLVQyMUjFNYfm-DP9A456nSoM0F4TBCgSoqL7YtQciFzdDKsQUWt0hSJ8RXHVv3Yef9rBLZjkNC3moD2OLk1H9fIBB2udZfWNJX4nI4cutqjL9vKzSRqqCeMTAWag6Ij-Vlb4/s320/More+Miami+146.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Gelato wheel of fortune. Possibly the most enticing thing I have ever seen.</span></td></tr>
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I ate ice cream in Miami Beach (and pretty much everywhere else I went!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUyZUC48A5z7bvUnFTCTmqFMVpgUU5MZtB2BaKL1Rx-_zVs1J1r0RG2PGNv0t3QhOdj_aR0033Lw3pgGYWKhWIHHR-136VUTwrNVbrDBDypsPxPPEK-3lXxsv8D6E4TXmY6vxmtTdc-4/s1600/More+Miami+583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigUyZUC48A5z7bvUnFTCTmqFMVpgUU5MZtB2BaKL1Rx-_zVs1J1r0RG2PGNv0t3QhOdj_aR0033Lw3pgGYWKhWIHHR-136VUTwrNVbrDBDypsPxPPEK-3lXxsv8D6E4TXmY6vxmtTdc-4/s200/More+Miami+583.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">There's always time for a strawberry milkshake.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-29126312428379697192012-11-09T10:31:00.000-08:002012-11-09T10:31:00.115-08:00Friday Forum: What do you want to be?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx1xQ3LoPVp3J6EiFO4Fvlcai9XjUQ8v3y-BU1XtPap4EFOf4N1gjojr5ALbe-AtLcdMciR94zybl7lFuUmUBctMpBlF8L0yQpsuQdBBUaVsERs9i8jQko598qkIvfUICm04V8dHpxyA/s1600/Question+by+graur+codrin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAx1xQ3LoPVp3J6EiFO4Fvlcai9XjUQ8v3y-BU1XtPap4EFOf4N1gjojr5ALbe-AtLcdMciR94zybl7lFuUmUBctMpBlF8L0yQpsuQdBBUaVsERs9i8jQko598qkIvfUICm04V8dHpxyA/s320/Question+by+graur+codrin.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Freedigitalphotos.net/graur codrin</span></td></tr>
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A while back, I told you I didn't know I was going to be a writer when I was younger. When I look back I can see that I always enjoyed writing--I just enjoyed a lot of other things, too.<br />
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One of the greatest things about writing is that you don't have to be a full-time, professional author (like me) in order to write. You can have any job or profession that interests you, and still write a lot. In fact, nearly every writer and author you've ever heard of has probably had many other kinds of jobs along the way.<br />
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<strong>What about you? Is writing just a fun hobby, or is it part of your career goals? What do you want to be when you grow up? </strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-22255005492615076692012-11-08T14:23:00.000-08:002012-11-08T14:23:00.390-08:00Teen Ink<div>
Here's a site you'll definitely want to know about: <a href="http://www.teenink.com/" target="_blank">TEEN INK.</a><br />
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<em>Teen Ink</em> is "a national teen magazine, book series, and website devoted entirely to teenage writing, art, photos and forums. Students must be age 13-19 to participate, register and/or submit work....We have no staff writers or artists; we depend completely on submissions from teenagers nationwide for our content."<br />
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<em>Teen Ink</em> has published work from more than 55,000 teens since 1989. <strong>WOW!</strong></div>
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<em>Teen Ink</em> is sponsored by The Young Authors Foundation, which "is devoted to helping teens share their own voices, while developing reading, writing, creative and critical-thinking skills. All proceeds from the print magazine, website and <em>Teen Ink</em> books are used exclusively for charitable and educational purposes to further our goals."<br />
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What you'll find on site:<br />
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<li>Submission guidelines for sending in your work</li>
<li>Tons of links to other resources for young writers</li>
<li>Forums and conversations</li>
<li>Poems, fiction and art</li>
<li>Polls and quizzes</li>
<li>Lots of ways to get involved</li>
</ul>
Check it out!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-2061213765430752272012-11-07T08:34:00.000-08:002012-11-07T08:34:00.635-08:00Wednesday WordPlay: He Said, She Said<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67XVis9HtMMh-5eJjJPpD6nzK9HqvB-KevQruUmu4iTXEhdOFvy55HD2dkeEiXo_IS6aZygfBMWJVJsZpQSSyJDQmHvw60XqdwdkpD4eKaSe7gi9_6ZU9Cmzi7g4q3XAn6xNHjTBPlbM/s1600/Dialogue+Bubble+by+digitalart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67XVis9HtMMh-5eJjJPpD6nzK9HqvB-KevQruUmu4iTXEhdOFvy55HD2dkeEiXo_IS6aZygfBMWJVJsZpQSSyJDQmHvw60XqdwdkpD4eKaSe7gi9_6ZU9Cmzi7g4q3XAn6xNHjTBPlbM/s200/Dialogue+Bubble+by+digitalart.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: freedigitalphotos.net</span></td></tr>
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Try writing a scene that consists entirely of dialogue.<br />
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He said:<br />
She said:<br />
He said:<br />
She said:<br />
He said:<br />
She said:<br />
He said:<br />
She said:<br />
He said:<br />
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See if you can convey everything your reader needs to know with the dialogue alone.<br />
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Next, rewrite the scene, adding dialogue <a href="http://miamiyawriter.blogspot.com/2012/10/top-five-tips-for-writing-dialogue.html">beats</a>. You may find that your dialogue changes. Try conveying some of your characters' thoughts through their actions or their observations instead of their words. Do your characters need to say as much, now that the reader can see more of what's going on?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-72162976707984703802012-11-06T13:59:00.000-08:002012-11-06T13:59:00.271-08:00Top Five Tips for Revising Your Work<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uzRGEYwApCVtJ7PRDXN7Qph0AsXJu9C8ZPfD2LScO4ON-XF21D9ZrQzn4AZq4oDza6saAxHhF-HcYTdl27gwdFo8Qny7KbBSmRKhjjbj3SsHSWiBrmYyzurhHU8LmIEcnyGYkXmPww4/s1600/Man+Trying+to+Write+Something+by+imagerymajestic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5uzRGEYwApCVtJ7PRDXN7Qph0AsXJu9C8ZPfD2LScO4ON-XF21D9ZrQzn4AZq4oDza6saAxHhF-HcYTdl27gwdFo8Qny7KbBSmRKhjjbj3SsHSWiBrmYyzurhHU8LmIEcnyGYkXmPww4/s400/Man+Trying+to+Write+Something+by+imagerymajestic.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image:freedigitalimages.net/imagerymagestic</span></td></tr>
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When it comes time to revise your work, where do you begin? It's important to remember that almost nothing comes out perfectly the first time. It takes a lot of trial and error to find the words that work best to tell your story.<br />
<br />
Here are some places to start with your revision:<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>1. Vary your sentence structure.</strong> Text is more interesting and more dynamic when it is unpredictable. It becomes quite boring to read a series of sentences that are very similar. Consider:<br />
<br />
<em>I walked into the store. The clerk smiled at me. He reached for his notepad. I said hello to him. He said hello back.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
vs.<br />
<em></em><br />
<em>As I walked into the store, the clerk smiled at me. He reached for his notepad. When I said hello to him, he said hello back.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>2. Circle your verbs.</strong> Make sure you have chosen the best action words in every sentence. Did your character speak, or did he declare? Did she climb the stairs, or dash up them? Did he lean against the wall or did he slouch? Small changes make a big difference in the way your scene reads. Vivid verbs help create a more vivid mental picture for your reader. Consider:<br />
<br />
<em>picked up</em> vs. <em>grabbed</em> vs. <em>snatched</em> vs. <em>plucked</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>ate </em>vs. <em>munched </em>vs. <em>chewed </em>vs. <em>gnawed</em><br />
<br />
<em>smiled </em>vs.<em> grinned </em>vs.<em> smirked</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Watch your adjectives and adverbs.</strong> Do this, too, while you are focused on verbs. If your character "walked slowly," maybe he "plodded" instead. It is usually better to use a strong verb (dashed) than a weak verb plus an adverb (ran quickly). Consider:<br />
<br />
<em>whispered</em> vs. <em>said softly</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>sprinted </em>vs.<em> ran hurriedly</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>smacked </em>vs.<em> hit hard</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>4. Read out loud. </strong>Find a quiet room and read the piece aloud to yourself. If you're comfortable, read it out loud to someone. You will be surprised how different it seems from reading in your head. You will notice parts that are slow, or sentences that don't make sense. You can also catch moments when your word choices seem awkward, or untrue to your narrator's voice.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>5. Try everything. </strong>Trial and error in revision is a very important process. If a possible change occurs to you, try it. Don't delete your old version, in case you change your mind, but do give the new sentence, paragraph or scene a chance. Who knows--even if it seems strange at first, you may end up loving it! If you don't, you can always go back to how it was before, and you'll feel more confident than ever in your creative choices.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-42978909675883012072012-11-02T10:24:00.000-07:002012-11-02T10:24:00.233-07:00Friday Forum: Writing Routines<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG7IcHlAgmRSjV38iYUOvO3mjKZ_35DyUcE7i9-SK4mPkTyLiyO7gkMrtzygTsKen0jtb-V5_dY533Tgx9RlELJBMOLCIkd9YAiAe9iO-pEDXmfoTmGdYjE8fCj_06kkFHbYJMlMtTTY/s1600/Hand+Writing+Through+Computer+by+Jomphong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAG7IcHlAgmRSjV38iYUOvO3mjKZ_35DyUcE7i9-SK4mPkTyLiyO7gkMrtzygTsKen0jtb-V5_dY533Tgx9RlELJBMOLCIkd9YAiAe9iO-pEDXmfoTmGdYjE8fCj_06kkFHbYJMlMtTTY/s320/Hand+Writing+Through+Computer+by+Jomphong.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Freedigitalimages.net/Jomphong</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Writers are creatures of habit, and once we find the places and tools that inspire us most, we tend to stick to them.<br />
<br />
<strong>Do you have a spot you like to write?</strong> Are you a coffeeshop junkie? Do you hit the library? Is it the quiet of your own bedroom that inspires you?<br />
<br />
Some of us type like our fingers are on fire, while others of us love the feel of a trusty old pen or pencil in our hands. <strong>Do you use a computer or a notebook for your writing?*</strong> <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(*Okay, now it ooccurs to me that laptop computers are sometimes called notebooks...but hoepfully you know what I mean!)</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Tell us about your writing routines!</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-64635754769120569312012-11-01T06:00:00.000-07:002012-11-01T06:00:13.695-07:00NaNoWriMoIt's November 1, which means today's the start of <a href="http://www.nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">National Novel Writing Month</a>, affectionately referred to as<strong> NaNoWriMo</strong>!<br />
<br />
During the month of November every year, writers of all stripes from all over the world come together to do what we love: Write, write, write!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZUSGLbbfA23DG9fbb8uZ641HGMziN5NwUbBQCL83nzoLLNLd4a3795I747TdanAvhlaN5ktqD3zGfjjWGR01Pn4NUfDq2wvGBu-jS_DEEcYVzmHS_XzIeQeiZYSk18-bVFOzN2VXXIQ/s1600/Notebook+With+Autumn+Leaves+by+Nuttapong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZUSGLbbfA23DG9fbb8uZ641HGMziN5NwUbBQCL83nzoLLNLd4a3795I747TdanAvhlaN5ktqD3zGfjjWGR01Pn4NUfDq2wvGBu-jS_DEEcYVzmHS_XzIeQeiZYSk18-bVFOzN2VXXIQ/s320/Notebook+With+Autumn+Leaves+by+Nuttapong.jpg" width="224" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalphotos.com/Nuttapong</span></td></tr>
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NaNoWriMo participants set a goal of writing an entire 50,000-word novel (approximately 175 pages) from beginning to end in just one month's time. It's a huge challenge, but lots of people enjoy the community feeling of writing alongside friends.<br />
<br />
When you join NaNoWriMo, you get to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Choose a username for your account</li>
<li>Track your daily word count and upload your writing</li>
<li>Log in and chat with other writers for encouragment</li>
<li>Be part of an exciting movement of creative people who just want to write their hearts out</li>
</ul>
I've tried NaNoWriMo twice now, and I never made the 50,000 word goal. (I eventually finished my novels--just not in one month!) For me, it's still fun to try. Maybe for you, too.<br />
<br />
Check it out!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-47525127173599992512012-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:002012-10-31T06:00:14.158-07:00Wednesday WordPlay: Scary Stories<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihmR5fweJQhA_nxvJW7b_KQC-_d1ulM5RD-CsEVSmR_p4DXtkNL-hDQoDBmHfVaqHHGBWs5UaC97VULZCsCBwgTuzfzs1QOjatCCeVwT-ACGkfYil79d-f693PRFcgAt3Nk7sXg7p_jI/s1600/Halloween+by+luigi+diamanti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjihmR5fweJQhA_nxvJW7b_KQC-_d1ulM5RD-CsEVSmR_p4DXtkNL-hDQoDBmHfVaqHHGBWs5UaC97VULZCsCBwgTuzfzs1QOjatCCeVwT-ACGkfYil79d-f693PRFcgAt3Nk7sXg7p_jI/s320/Halloween+by+luigi+diamanti.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cp%3EImage:%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.freedigitalphotos.net%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3EFreeDigitalPhotos.net%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Freedigitalphotos.net/luigi diamanti</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>Happy Halloween!</strong></span> <br />
<br />
Today's writing challenge is to get <strong>S<span style="font-size: xx-small;">P</span><span style="font-size: large;">O</span><span style="font-size: x-small;">O</span>K<span style="font-size: x-small;">Y</span></strong>! Write a short story that includes at least one of the following elements:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
a creepy old house with a very unusual tenant</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
OR</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a ghostly visitor from another era</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OR</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
an inanimate object that suddenly takes on a life of its own</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
OR</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a trick-or-treat outing gone very, very wrong</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">Bwa ha ha ha ha! </span></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
(Oh, that was my evil laugh. What? You couldn't tell?)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-58586162327220797962012-10-30T10:35:00.000-07:002012-10-30T10:35:00.416-07:00Top Five Tips for Writing Dialogue<em>"Dialogue is tricky business," the author said.</em><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67XVis9HtMMh-5eJjJPpD6nzK9HqvB-KevQruUmu4iTXEhdOFvy55HD2dkeEiXo_IS6aZygfBMWJVJsZpQSSyJDQmHvw60XqdwdkpD4eKaSe7gi9_6ZU9Cmzi7g4q3XAn6xNHjTBPlbM/s1600/Dialogue+Bubble+by+digitalart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67XVis9HtMMh-5eJjJPpD6nzK9HqvB-KevQruUmu4iTXEhdOFvy55HD2dkeEiXo_IS6aZygfBMWJVJsZpQSSyJDQmHvw60XqdwdkpD4eKaSe7gi9_6ZU9Cmzi7g4q3XAn6xNHjTBPlbM/s320/Dialogue+Bubble+by+digitalart.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalphotos.com/digitalart</span></td></tr>
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<em>"Why?" asked her blog reader. "What makes it so difficult?"</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>"So many things." The author scratched her head, wondering where to begin. "Here, let me give you some pointers on writing dialogue."</em><br />
<br />
<strong>1. Listen to real people talking.</strong> Dialogue on the page is a lot different from dialogue you hear in real life, but listening closely will still help you. Notice the cadence (rhythm) of different people's speech. Notice how some people repeat the same words and phrases a lot. What does their word choice tell you about them?<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Eliminate unneccessary pleasantries.</strong> When you run into your friends in real life, you probably say hi every time. You might not need to have your characters do the same. Your scenes will quickly become boring if every conversation begins the same way: <br />
<br />
<em> "Hi." </em><br />
<em> "Hi."</em><br />
<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>3. Don't overuse character names.</strong> <em>"Why not, Kekla? Isn't it a good way to remind the reader who is speaking and who is being spoken to, Kekla?" </em>Well, sure, it can be. But if your characters are constantly using each other's names in dialogue, it won't sound very real.<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>4. Use beats to break up long passages of dialogue. </strong>Beats include tags, like "he said" or "she asked," but they also include actions, thoughts and descriptions that writers insert to break up the dialogue. Tags and beats give the reader more information about the characters.<br />
<br />
<em>"Let's go."</em><br />
<em>"Okay. Where?"</em><br />
<em>"Same place as usual."</em><br />
<em>"Aweseome."</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>vs.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>"Let's go," Shawn said. He grabbed his backpack.</em><br />
<em>Eric picked up his satchel. He was ready for an adventure. "Okay. Where?"</em><br />
<em> "Same place as usual." Shawn slid his arm into one strap, and turned toward his friend.</em><br />
<em>Eric grinned. "Awesome."</em><br />
<br />
Often, if you are using beats well, you don't even need a tag. (Notice, I only use "said" once in the example above.) The reader can usually follow your characters' back-and-forth for a few lines.<br />
<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>5. Stick with straightforward tags.</strong> Beginning writers often try to make their characters seem more interesting by jazzing up the bland "he said" tag to something like "he grumbled," or "he muttered," or "he cried." If you do it occasionally, this is okay. But make sure you really, really need it, and don't overdo it! Also, be careful not to use words that don't really mean speech, like "he laughed." It's okay for a character to laugh, choke, or gasp while speaking, but you would punctuate it differently:<br />
<br />
<em>"I can't believe you did that," he laughed.</em> (NOT GOOD)<br />
vs. <br />
<em>"I can't believe you did that." He laughed.</em> (BETTER)<br />
vs.<br />
"I can't believe you did that," he said, laughing. (ALSO OKAY)<br />
<br />
OR<br />
<br />
<em>"What?" he gasped.</em> (NOT GOOD)<br />
vs.<br />
<em>He gasped. "What?"</em> (BETTER)<br />
<br />
(Think about it: you can't actually speak while gasping. Really you can only do them one right after the other.)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-38323317604165077592012-10-29T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-29T06:30:01.197-07:00Monday Musings: Who are your favorite authors?I'm always intimidated by this question, because it seems there are way too many great authors and books to possibly name. I love lots of books, and lots of authors, and now that I know a lot of authors, too, they have become my friends. I don't like to pick and choose. <br />
<br />
But, I get this question so very often, that I decided I need to have an answer. So here it is. I will tell you five books that I love, for five very different reasons:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNj3lLo8lIxqfCCiia0vKrDDgM9WNvN3OI3FqABHsLVLLoVTfUegoTiM1WZMUvpWpH3PGjkuclVTiO1GTKE80Pf0rfXT2KXJ4p-ww2s-O1P5nJtuA0dIzfBu3w9ecasU-Zkt6Og1Tck/s1600/Roll-of-Thunder-Hear-My-Cry-9780140384512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilgNj3lLo8lIxqfCCiia0vKrDDgM9WNvN3OI3FqABHsLVLLoVTfUegoTiM1WZMUvpWpH3PGjkuclVTiO1GTKE80Pf0rfXT2KXJ4p-ww2s-O1P5nJtuA0dIzfBu3w9ecasU-Zkt6Og1Tck/s320/Roll-of-Thunder-Hear-My-Cry-9780140384512.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<strong>1. The book I read in middle school that stands out most in my mind.</strong> <em>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</em>, by Mildred D. Taylor. It was the first book I read that had black characters in it, and dealt with black history. There are scenes from this book that still come to my mind so vividly it's like they're happening in front of me. This book sparked my interest in writing historical fiction, and looking back on that experience as an adult was part of what made me want to write <em>The Rock and the River</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pix7v3qEk-U-uX3m8_51a93gZvEon4eVZAqS8oED5QKL0jMMREfDaQt6E-yzvxTWw-jIHw5B3I0-fTonYna0jsC_p1gBTBI7RX1RZHVh23j-_EK2BnpXqrlsSJysJssr476OtXfGeyM/s1600/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Pix7v3qEk-U-uX3m8_51a93gZvEon4eVZAqS8oED5QKL0jMMREfDaQt6E-yzvxTWw-jIHw5B3I0-fTonYna0jsC_p1gBTBI7RX1RZHVh23j-_EK2BnpXqrlsSJysJssr476OtXfGeyM/s320/Harry_Potter_and_the_Prisoner_of_Azkaban.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<strong>2. The book I've re-read most often throughout my life.</strong> Okay this is cheating, because it's actually a combination of seven books: The Harry Potter series. Probably <em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</em> is the single volume I've read the most times, but I can't be sure. I discovered the series when the fourth book was still new, and I read the first three in rapid succession, ran out and bought the fourth and then re-read them all again just for fun. Then I re-read them when each movie was coming out, and then I re-read them when each new book was coming out. But at least once I cheated and didn't go all the way back to the beginning, I just started with <em>Prisoner of Azkaban</em> (my favorite) because I didn't have time to do the whole series read. But just typing this has made me want to start from the beginning all over again!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExwic8bcmrwnKvRx-kx_AYGBpyIdcbUphwLZNpACPT0M33rtQ1H83ArNAdnqIAQUz-mbqgQi3rZj0nv4wmdK6IPZYTuXmOnQkkwrO6oAt_hYfOFMFZSoz5KlKwCQGYjUkCK6OM7RGxrE/s1600/pleaseignoreveradietz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgExwic8bcmrwnKvRx-kx_AYGBpyIdcbUphwLZNpACPT0M33rtQ1H83ArNAdnqIAQUz-mbqgQi3rZj0nv4wmdK6IPZYTuXmOnQkkwrO6oAt_hYfOFMFZSoz5KlKwCQGYjUkCK6OM7RGxrE/s320/pleaseignoreveradietz.jpg" width="211" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>3. A book I recently discovered and positively devoured.</strong> <em>Please Ignore Vera Deitz</em> by A.S. King. My favorite thing about this book is that it includes a talking pagoda. Which is awesome. I'm looking forward to reading much more of her writing.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-15077955473508521182012-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:002012-10-26T06:00:02.365-07:00Friday Forum: Scary Stuff<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4FehcAyl1JhNoL-BEKI1DExdTjZZJ1eF0XyQ4ejyJnYWL3x267o_XUVkfhjEngZFWpRrJz_0vH3vwwqDd8d54vGldznf1t-Srmlg1ZymoLbpwNuc_a2SVmwxh3unurtmFBvhGURtD2U/s1600/Halloween2+by+luigi+diamanti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix4FehcAyl1JhNoL-BEKI1DExdTjZZJ1eF0XyQ4ejyJnYWL3x267o_XUVkfhjEngZFWpRrJz_0vH3vwwqDd8d54vGldznf1t-Srmlg1ZymoLbpwNuc_a2SVmwxh3unurtmFBvhGURtD2U/s320/Halloween2+by+luigi+diamanti.jpg" width="196" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Freedigitalphotos.net/luigi diamanti</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In honor of Halloween, store windows around town are decked out with ghouls and goblins, cobwebs and witches.<br />
<br />
In the bookstore, you may find a special table displaying horror titles, creepy mystery fiction and other scary stuff.<br />
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The question that's on my mind this week is simply: <strong>Do you like to be scared?</strong> <br />
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<strong>What's your pleasure when you want to be petrified? Scary books? Scary movies? Haunted houses?</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-28054561213742701162012-10-25T13:14:00.000-07:002012-10-25T13:14:00.340-07:00Teens Writing for TeensHere's a site to check out: <a href="http://www.teenswritingforteens.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Teens Writing for Teens</a>, a blog managed by two young writers, Rachel "Race" Mercado and Linda Ge.<br />
<br />
The bloggers introduce themselves <a href="http://teenswritingforteens.blogspot.com/p/the-twft-team.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>, and their site posts interviews, reviews, reflections and other content about what it's like to be teens who write.<br />
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Check it out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJ0zUF_O9d53FI3xTh2BdNe2UilQ5I-n86rb1sMeYLR5l7RAWLlTtuE10nilwQMC7Urfs64zBF6nkSW0jPotZj64eAtsU1sXeja1WFn-vzXUykwNA_llKoHHV0T8canEhpiGCSJEzWHw/s1600/Teens+writing+for+teens+header.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJ0zUF_O9d53FI3xTh2BdNe2UilQ5I-n86rb1sMeYLR5l7RAWLlTtuE10nilwQMC7Urfs64zBF6nkSW0jPotZj64eAtsU1sXeja1WFn-vzXUykwNA_llKoHHV0T8canEhpiGCSJEzWHw/s640/Teens+writing+for+teens+header.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-89675103272946882862012-10-24T11:28:00.000-07:002012-10-24T11:28:00.261-07:00Wednesday WordPlay: Start with SettingWhere your story happens matters just as much as who it happens to. Even if a scene seems like it's all about the characters, and it could happen almost anywhere--at school, in a bedroom, on the sidelines at a football game--but the interaction is going to be different if it takes place in these locations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGl5lRPymZJfS-Bu5gku8mXaVEPz87H3J6UJyBm18qebdLR43rd0c_f1znBM8UwOMlOoUEUisZcJ1SA60M2X8qFpb-eioPx9sp9BFzTUn9a-ZQuHd2FezJ7SqV8x6vSiTe14EeMId2bU/s1600/deep+forest+by+dan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGl5lRPymZJfS-Bu5gku8mXaVEPz87H3J6UJyBm18qebdLR43rd0c_f1znBM8UwOMlOoUEUisZcJ1SA60M2X8qFpb-eioPx9sp9BFzTUn9a-ZQuHd2FezJ7SqV8x6vSiTe14EeMId2bU/s400/deep+forest+by+dan.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
What sounds do your characters hear? Why are they in that place? Do they want to be there? If not, where would they rather be? What do they see when they look around? How does the air smell? What is the temperature?<br />
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Today's challenge is to use a specific environment to create scenes. Choose characters you know, or make up some new ones, and follow them to at least three different places.<br />
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Here are some locations to choose from. Write a scene set:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_F74JOOhG8RuQf-p0l5tt-oRnFWKlNSbK4pbs05HlSG6phyphenhyphenITu2M-3RKvBp8UOoRYUb_CPE3pHKIgYCzfn-_8ACSQaTo-s-lWgrHZSiK6n61u001h7jS_RW4kgc3T_6klvrgCMccxhE/s1600/Airbus+S380+by+federico+stevanin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc_F74JOOhG8RuQf-p0l5tt-oRnFWKlNSbK4pbs05HlSG6phyphenhyphenITu2M-3RKvBp8UOoRYUb_CPE3pHKIgYCzfn-_8ACSQaTo-s-lWgrHZSiK6n61u001h7jS_RW4kgc3T_6klvrgCMccxhE/s200/Airbus+S380+by+federico+stevanin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
in a child's bedroom<br />
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under the bleachers in the football stadium<br />
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on the shores of a small lake<br />
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deep in the woods<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji62PftWhO7FN2WwxaayYcswvwGRYvXxfj8jCvTtJ0yiK_dwTj-_vUeiG-A3J5O3tVHf3VYJtspZXp0UL7mqubPxVPYGth-hJDxzDKa7U-Kd8QuV6nQXnhW9FNe1qB-zLq7S7u63GzY54/s1600/Child+S+Room+by+sattva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji62PftWhO7FN2WwxaayYcswvwGRYvXxfj8jCvTtJ0yiK_dwTj-_vUeiG-A3J5O3tVHf3VYJtspZXp0UL7mqubPxVPYGth-hJDxzDKa7U-Kd8QuV6nQXnhW9FNe1qB-zLq7S7u63GzY54/s200/Child+S+Room+by+sattva.jpg" width="200" /></a> in a stranger's driveway<br />
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in an airplane<br />
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in a foxhole<br />
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on a cliffside<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj56N9AOs7Gk_65OrIg8NARq5HZkiJMJAf9i5NwZqSFB-y0HMN6cCXCWG-Qk2RZcGBeM31MIciBr5pfq5QSeAXF30bYNgn1zQfcC8lBPAiXWTlQMe5tX_Pw8Dux13Rpi7ks3AH6bKK8w/s1600/Door+in+the+Lake+by+Evgeni+Dinev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFj56N9AOs7Gk_65OrIg8NARq5HZkiJMJAf9i5NwZqSFB-y0HMN6cCXCWG-Qk2RZcGBeM31MIciBr5pfq5QSeAXF30bYNgn1zQfcC8lBPAiXWTlQMe5tX_Pw8Dux13Rpi7ks3AH6bKK8w/s400/Door+in+the+Lake+by+Evgeni+Dinev.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-83825236085993296062012-10-23T07:00:00.000-07:002012-10-23T07:00:06.326-07:00Top-Five W's (plus an H)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhMHDagOVGte2AhXFkPLkQIBPEt8jnk-nBTSB8RUbpB_WK6IapgV2v1gMEC4x_eQtQ5A2ErRsfYtHzsGtBV5j068FnwTSF4FKXTRMAwOwpvcRvRZz08Wz7I2ymuftOS1G0IcZXviKLS0/s1600/All+Question+Words+by+renjith+krishnan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhMHDagOVGte2AhXFkPLkQIBPEt8jnk-nBTSB8RUbpB_WK6IapgV2v1gMEC4x_eQtQ5A2ErRsfYtHzsGtBV5j068FnwTSF4FKXTRMAwOwpvcRvRZz08Wz7I2ymuftOS1G0IcZXviKLS0/s320/All+Question+Words+by+renjith+krishnan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">freedigitalphotos.net/renjith krishnan</span></td></tr>
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Surely you've heard of the five W's: who, what, when, where, and why. Reporters make sure to include answers to all of these questions in a news article, so that readers will understand every aspect of what happened. Writers, too, need to be sure they have a handle on the basics in each story.<br />
<br />
Ask yourself:<br />
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<strong>1. WHO?</strong> Who is the story happening to? What is your main character's name? If you are writing in first person, have you found a way to let the reader know who "I" really is? What do you know about this person? What does she like? What is he good at? Who are is friends? What does she want more than anything?<br />
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<strong>2. WHAT?</strong> What is going happen to this person? Will it change her life? Will it put his life at risk? What will he or she do next? The nuts and bolts of any story start to develop when you ask yourself what else could go wrong? What would your character do about it?<br />
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<strong>3. WHEN?</strong> Does your story take place in the past, present, or future? What specific year? Who is the president? What are the styles? Be sure to consider small questions, too, like what day of the week it is. What time of day? It will matter for what your characters are doing, what the light is like, if they're out past curfew, or up earlier than usual. Time details matter a great deal when you are describing the world your characters inhabit.<br />
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<strong>4. WHERE?</strong> Does your story take place in a small town? A large city? Outerspace? On an oceanliner? In each scene, are the characters indoors or outdoors? In a place that's familiar or unusual? Try to see the world through your characters' eyes--what do they see and smell and touch?<br />
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<strong>5. WHY.</strong> This is especially important. What is motivating your characters? What makes your hero want to save the world, or rescue the princess, or run into the burning house to retrieve an object? What are his or her defining traits, that make him or her act they way s/he does? What is holding her back? What makes him rush forward, even when he's afraid?<br />
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Oh, and about that H. <strong>HOW</strong> do you use these W's in your writing, you ask? Well, that part's up to you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-83173705846459606962012-10-22T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-22T06:30:03.023-07:00Monday Musings: Do you know other authors?One of the most fun things about being a YA author is getting to meet lots of other authors whose books I've read and enjoyed.<br />
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My writer friends are spread all over the country, and all over the world, but I am lucky enough to cross paths with them at conferences, book fairs, writing retreats and all manner of fun book-related events.<br />
<br />
The community of people who write for children and young adults is really amazing! Through the wonder of the internet, we can stay connected through blogs and social networks even when we can't see each other in person.<br />
<br />
These are just a few of my writer friends, from various genres. If you haven't read their books, you should definitely check them out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoDIZ4x7totXYHxhPQcC_ijWoCaVFQ5AKMVTwz0BaCzQaeQ7cqcV6nehCywf0ra93-ptdgXfibgJU03tnPnRG21nqsnpRN06wDJjaQ8LS6XajBjZCkVjHVePgj8MSovBJ0Bg0a9VgdZY/s1600/daniel+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoDIZ4x7totXYHxhPQcC_ijWoCaVFQ5AKMVTwz0BaCzQaeQ7cqcV6nehCywf0ra93-ptdgXfibgJU03tnPnRG21nqsnpRN06wDJjaQ8LS6XajBjZCkVjHVePgj8MSovBJ0Bg0a9VgdZY/s200/daniel+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.lauriecalkhoven.com/" target="_blank">Laurie Calkhoven</a>: Laurie writes the adventure-packed historical fiction series Boys at Wartime, featuring <em>Daniel at the Siege of Boston</em>, <em>Will at the Battle of Gettysburg</em>, and <em>Michael at the Invasion of France</em>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyMv2JnX4CzoiO2uRTfNpVOjvkv4i8fRuq1OKaDXOhFC8tYKEaGozviFhm3-woHS080lb48F95mkWirFYG9WnaC4O2bldcNrS-ajhEazyG28FjsKxyIW218MZhgU8NhNQQqHM2wyp9BQ/s1600/keeshashouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyMv2JnX4CzoiO2uRTfNpVOjvkv4i8fRuq1OKaDXOhFC8tYKEaGozviFhm3-woHS080lb48F95mkWirFYG9WnaC4O2bldcNrS-ajhEazyG28FjsKxyIW218MZhgU8NhNQQqHM2wyp9BQ/s200/keeshashouse.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.helenfrost.net/" target="_blank">Helen Frost</a>: Helen is a poet, picture book author and novelist, author of <em>Keesha's House</em>, <em>Hidden</em>, <em>The Braid</em>, <em>Step Gently Out</em>, and more.<br />
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<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasMkWvYsTXyJGJ20ElgIuPGETLDc9uqZQrBiAF-qph_8D-1OQy85eU9NYRrY9_7tyaFveWQwDdjYYA8IWdTo1pfWmehln4um7IaZEpBnrcqPM6YBXdyQ6IIZy4FPbHr01EkI4lssazo4/s1600/turtht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasMkWvYsTXyJGJ20ElgIuPGETLDc9uqZQrBiAF-qph_8D-1OQy85eU9NYRrY9_7tyaFveWQwDdjYYA8IWdTo1pfWmehln4um7IaZEpBnrcqPM6YBXdyQ6IIZy4FPbHr01EkI4lssazo4/s200/turtht.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.bethanyhegedus.com/" target="_blank">Bethany Hegedus</a>: Bethany writes middle grade novels, like <em>Truth with a Capital T</em> and <em>Between Us Baxters</em>. Her first picture book is due out soon, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy68kJZvzeQ_loBQStben9_p-6ChVia-IElqFD7Dw4HWhhEPIptLFvtpDHR6rrKudhcXeeeMahL1Sj33ZA8miAAKAiNxTNaB72qRCioUZStjxf_I7_PL5BAU18w3c9JzaFuGkEYM-LlRQ/s1600/huntress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy68kJZvzeQ_loBQStben9_p-6ChVia-IElqFD7Dw4HWhhEPIptLFvtpDHR6rrKudhcXeeeMahL1Sj33ZA8miAAKAiNxTNaB72qRCioUZStjxf_I7_PL5BAU18w3c9JzaFuGkEYM-LlRQ/s200/huntress.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.malindalo.com/" target="_blank">Malinda Lo</a>--Malinda writes exciting fantasy adventures, like <em>Ash</em> (a Cinderella retelling, with a twist!) and it's seequel, <em>Huntress</em>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU3WmLKqdIxXTjVRY62RV4S-MV4UfAfNZnzZba64mrvplpAYdXxUiAZ2R4dnDFeTsG7FYXlHV-1epw6_6q2D9FvCrpk46bJwyA6dT7m8RM0EHDX1M7IS3YXbcwQKohoEINKeluWuo4io/s1600/shadowsociety.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPU3WmLKqdIxXTjVRY62RV4S-MV4UfAfNZnzZba64mrvplpAYdXxUiAZ2R4dnDFeTsG7FYXlHV-1epw6_6q2D9FvCrpk46bJwyA6dT7m8RM0EHDX1M7IS3YXbcwQKohoEINKeluWuo4io/s200/shadowsociety.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.marierutkoski.com/" target="_blank">Marie Rutkoski</a>: Marie writes exciting fantasy, too. Her newest book is called <em>The Shadow Society</em>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrWiSrDOz84BuxQ3HbHdbXdTm6cVOpDg78rItAqHX_9a6g8sdvHjzMFGX6r775p_G1Zaeo3o8Ao8F5pG7A8vvENTOaEhqzX1FX0zTFd6FvQ7QxjoOUB28QkQCnnZx-ze6KAfZwuOrdG4/s1600/endangeredcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrWiSrDOz84BuxQ3HbHdbXdTm6cVOpDg78rItAqHX_9a6g8sdvHjzMFGX6r775p_G1Zaeo3o8Ao8F5pG7A8vvENTOaEhqzX1FX0zTFd6FvQ7QxjoOUB28QkQCnnZx-ze6KAfZwuOrdG4/s200/endangeredcover.jpg" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.eliotschrefer.com/" target="_blank">Eliot Schrefer</a>-- Eliot writes lots of things, but especially YA fiction. I got to read Eliot's new book <em>Endangered, </em>about a girl trying to save bonobos (endangered apes) in the Congo<em>,</em> before it was a book! It'll be out in stores very soon.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-64974458871520067022012-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-19T06:30:02.419-07:00Friday Forum: Books vs. Movies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9AcI7AZ3b_xNTbZzgqN6hRUAepG9WpmKULAJvyA2z4TRZxR36uHMEtJYSUYVrmQj2Y3UkR-Y6Uma9lG5bIgGHw_pBI8wkcbuJu9dKz5JeCrKysgBYS1-Ue7SV72DcZnOrObuWziENIY/s1600/Movie+Folder+by+digitalart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9AcI7AZ3b_xNTbZzgqN6hRUAepG9WpmKULAJvyA2z4TRZxR36uHMEtJYSUYVrmQj2Y3UkR-Y6Uma9lG5bIgGHw_pBI8wkcbuJu9dKz5JeCrKysgBYS1-Ue7SV72DcZnOrObuWziENIY/s320/Movie+Folder+by+digitalart.jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cp%3EImage:%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.freedigitalphotos.net%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3EFreeDigitalPhotos.net%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Freedigitalphotos.net/digitalart</span></a></td></tr>
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Lately it seems that every successful book (or series) is being turned into a film (or series of films). Books and movies are such different forms of media, and they lend themselves to very different<br />
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<strong>What do you think about this trend? How do you feel about books being turned into movies? Has it happened to any of your favorites?</strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-46391034318456501862012-10-18T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-18T06:30:00.251-07:00GoodreadsIf you're a book lover, you definitely want to check out <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>! <br />
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Goodreads is a social networking site for readers to share their favorite titles, follow their favorite authors, and post their thoughts about the books they've read recently. It's a virtual version of the real life conversation that happens all the time, just like this:<br />
<br />
Your friend says, "I just read this awesome book. You have to read it." <br />
You answer: "What was it? I'd love to check it out!"<br />
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Goodreads says: "Our mission is to help people find and share books they love. Along the way, we plan to improve the process of reading and learning throughout the world." <br />
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Goodreads has more than 10,000,000 members who have added more than 380,000,000 books to their shelves. <strong>WOW!</strong><br />
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Things you'll find on the shelves:<br />
<ul>
<li>Space to rate and review your favorite books</li>
<li>Reviews by your friends</li>
<li>Blog posts by authors you like</li>
<li>Fun literary quotes, quizzes and trivia</li>
<li>Book clubs and discussion groups</li>
</ul>
Check it out!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrK_QAVXnACT_54wmF850u7Hxlh8X1K1FPDtT-xOFVlNT8bTJ1T_eW6c5x5vWlz_KtmyY6mwGnupIBZCuTOkcdgI3aKsdeR9DkBSHAs6fyG83Q8JGcdK3JIGunggySXNSf-c7vYB1wWA/s1600/masthead_background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixrK_QAVXnACT_54wmF850u7Hxlh8X1K1FPDtT-xOFVlNT8bTJ1T_eW6c5x5vWlz_KtmyY6mwGnupIBZCuTOkcdgI3aKsdeR9DkBSHAs6fyG83Q8JGcdK3JIGunggySXNSf-c7vYB1wWA/s640/masthead_background.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-50899708364881336242012-10-17T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-17T06:30:01.797-07:00Wednesday WordPlay: "I'm so very, very sorry..."Today's challenge: <br />
<br />
Write a scene between two characters where one apologizes to the other. <br />
<ul>
<li>Does the apology come at the beginning, or the end of the scene? </li>
<li>Is the apology accepted? </li>
<li>Does only one character need to apologize, or do both?</li>
<li>How do the characters feel? </li>
</ul>
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You decide!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEPNHnIudSN5AtfLHEg2UHqPxrzk2v5J7w45hHcdwlYtJCIbw3wcqUeKJdzPDdOjiSSlzZagXSwrPC86nXHHXuWuyIHrIE4avbZajmzvKFaCAol__vUr4edsIH3BKwCV8kZNCJlaZ-vs/s1600/Sorry+by+bigjom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicEPNHnIudSN5AtfLHEg2UHqPxrzk2v5J7w45hHcdwlYtJCIbw3wcqUeKJdzPDdOjiSSlzZagXSwrPC86nXHHXuWuyIHrIE4avbZajmzvKFaCAol__vUr4edsIH3BKwCV8kZNCJlaZ-vs/s400/Sorry+by+bigjom.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalphotos.net/bigjom</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-13160026232714478322012-10-16T07:00:00.000-07:002012-10-16T07:00:10.869-07:00Top Five Points in Any Story Plot<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJng0KVimnROLnQbJfNpQY8182oqzil_eGD81eZMk3OEnpsMqjf6N9iCWYdZWLTGTT4fLtbIxCYaLQ3PbNsFvU6fc8WuSE8toaRVto0k4g-SIQSPEMCWzLPJS7MB3ifWqd2xITpRImWZI/s1600/Man+reaches+target+by+renjith+krishnan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJng0KVimnROLnQbJfNpQY8182oqzil_eGD81eZMk3OEnpsMqjf6N9iCWYdZWLTGTT4fLtbIxCYaLQ3PbNsFvU6fc8WuSE8toaRVto0k4g-SIQSPEMCWzLPJS7MB3ifWqd2xITpRImWZI/s320/Man+reaches+target+by+renjith+krishnan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image: freedigitalimages.net/renjith krishnan</span></td></tr>
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Even though every good story seems quite different from every other good story, there are many things that good stories have in common. You just have to look a little deeper.<br />
<br />
Even the most intricate plot has a few basic elements to it:<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Status Quo.</strong> How things are, or how things were before the story started. At the beginning of a story, the reader learns at least little bit about what is normal for your character. (For example, at the beginning of <em>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</em>, we learn that Harry lives under the stairs, in the Dursleys' house, and that he isn't very happy with his life there.)<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Inciting Incident.</strong> Very early in the story, something will happen that changes your character. Perhaps something beyond his control will happen to him, throwing him out of balance and forcing him to react. Or perhaps he'll make a decision to change his status quo by doing something he's never tried before. (The inciting incident for Harry occurs when Hagrid knocks on the door and announces "You're a wizard, Harry." Harry's life is changed forever by that knowledge.)<br />
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<strong>3. Actions and Obstacles.</strong> The rest of your story will unfold as your character reacts to the inciting incident. He will suddenly have a big problem to solve and he will set out to solve it. (Harry has several goals-to survive the year at Hogwarts, to protect the Sorcerer's Stone, and ultimately to defeat Voldemort.) <br />
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But it's not so easy to accomplish these tasks. There are many obstacles that get in the way. (Harry must make some friends to help him, sneak around the castle and avoid getting caught by the teachers, learn magic, defeat a troll, figure out where the Stone is hidden, and much more!)<br />
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As your character overcomes these smaller challenges, it prepares him for the bigger challenge that is coming.<br />
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<strong>4. Climax. </strong>After all these trials, your character must face the moment of greatest tension, when he has to overcome the biggest obstacle he's ever faced. (For Harry, it is the final showdown over the Sorcerer's Stone, when Voldemort reveals himself.)<br />
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<strong>5. Resolution.</strong> After your character overcomes the problem at the book's climax, you are nearing the end of your story. The resolution occurs as the character celebrates his victory, mourns what he has lost (if anything) and begins to move forward with his life. (Harry gets on the Hogwarts Express, headed home, happy to have survived the year, and glad to be a part of the wizarding world.)<br />
<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-67712441627386415752012-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:002012-10-15T07:00:10.058-07:00Monday Musings: How do you choose your book covers?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio21yR0jr8LpVqnGS7RcjnlU07doEX3LyA0LzoKT0570qSiNyL6IfXJwfY21KE_RnYOXjVn3PH2zo2AQgQ161vQBeiutKlwdzE2D0ScChDMU5ZC6lHXT9xs4bnragOwAc6p8P_48magXo/s1600/ROCK-w-CSK-hi-res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio21yR0jr8LpVqnGS7RcjnlU07doEX3LyA0LzoKT0570qSiNyL6IfXJwfY21KE_RnYOXjVn3PH2zo2AQgQ161vQBeiutKlwdzE2D0ScChDMU5ZC6lHXT9xs4bnragOwAc6p8P_48magXo/s200/ROCK-w-CSK-hi-res.jpg" width="132" /></a>It's a very popular misconception that authors get to design our own book covers. Every publishing company has a design department full of artists whose job is to design the covers for other people's books.<br />
<br />
How do I feel about this process, you might ask?<br />
<br />
On the one hand, it's a little bit hard to give up control of something as important as the book cover. Even though people always say, "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover," it's impossible not to form an opinion about a book based on what you see when you look at it. Waiting to see the first book jacket samples is one of the most nerve-wracking parts of the publishing process for an author.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4pHlGGm-gdQ79WAYUKPjoNI3J-G2TpCC8VyuSh4pexzrNE3tgs4m7-DWzveQr9GhrpUCggaXl5xgUNzpRhaCOtv6IHmenz-iz00WTZ-1qXcfrlWJIZV0rrL6VdS-bjYGx1wRTmQhheI/s1600/9781442422308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4pHlGGm-gdQ79WAYUKPjoNI3J-G2TpCC8VyuSh4pexzrNE3tgs4m7-DWzveQr9GhrpUCggaXl5xgUNzpRhaCOtv6IHmenz-iz00WTZ-1qXcfrlWJIZV0rrL6VdS-bjYGx1wRTmQhheI/s200/9781442422308.jpg" width="131" /></a>On the other hand, I think it's wonderful that my book covers are designed by expert artists. They know how to use graphic design programs that use cool fonts, add photo effects and all sorts of digital magic. Their skills make them much better equipped to design a book jacket than I would be. I'm only an expert with words, not with pictures!<br />
<br />
Most of my book cover images so far have been "stock photographs." This means the book designer purchased from companies that collect photographs from many different sources, and collect them in a huge library of photos. (<a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/" target="_blank">Getty Images</a> is an example of a stock photography company.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAlvGJarmAyzoHYuk-QKg0LI4i49aRIK4-YPLa-1fog6ZG0JgV5Xbng7j_IKBDpCu2iPQLaXWTrNBME-yfrq1tsDsIRXNBXS6xPaPjT4A4Zp3eQ-wfeyKzK6v89doinouBqdvdgErjXI/s1600/CamoGirl_jkt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcAlvGJarmAyzoHYuk-QKg0LI4i49aRIK4-YPLa-1fog6ZG0JgV5Xbng7j_IKBDpCu2iPQLaXWTrNBME-yfrq1tsDsIRXNBXS6xPaPjT4A4Zp3eQ-wfeyKzK6v89doinouBqdvdgErjXI/s1600/CamoGirl_jkt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Camo Girl</em> (hardcover)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi2YLr09mNCTD8VN1YFZk2NJjBr0II006b7vc-e1KN-d9NvykeqTdJnH1Ta74-x3XdMTp8TO9gqspg7wpA5SNr2b8SM-PcjfaNGPfzfQ7DjFUXoi87fvtOdkIkfM-piW0SxOnk0vPIpY/s1600/camo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwi2YLr09mNCTD8VN1YFZk2NJjBr0II006b7vc-e1KN-d9NvykeqTdJnH1Ta74-x3XdMTp8TO9gqspg7wpA5SNr2b8SM-PcjfaNGPfzfQ7DjFUXoi87fvtOdkIkfM-piW0SxOnk0vPIpY/s200/camo.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Camo Girl</em> (paperback)</td></tr>
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Karin, my book designer for <em>The Rock and the River</em> and <em>Fire in the Streets</em>, chose close-up faces to feature the main characters. She also designed the hardcover jacket of <em>Camo Girl, </em>which is also a photograph of a girl's face, with digital photo treatments to make her face look a bit different. <br />
<br />
When <em>Camo Girl</em> came out in paperback, the designers decided to try a different look for the book, and an illustrator named Yuta Onoda drew a cover that features all three main characters.<br />
<br />
For my YA novel, <em>37 Things I Love</em>, the book designer is named April. She could not find a stock photograph that matched the way she wanted the book cover to look. So she hired a photographer and models to create the picture she wanted. It was very exciting for me to learn that they did a special photo shoot for my book cover. Photo shoots are great because the cover photo is perfectly tailored to the book, but they don't happen very often because it can get expensive!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduuUsWCc3qqBrVzgYYdBEB8zhG4bZi1YwRBr3e719rB_-lLIhwVMRFdTU8rFm4Ir7dd2Dn3JvLUTNNVUXEgg082AZ-U2ABh3RmKEUS3igdfszu9GO6Y2PA5S7Mdnm1h3OM8reHqmsnr4/s1600/37-Things-I-Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduuUsWCc3qqBrVzgYYdBEB8zhG4bZi1YwRBr3e719rB_-lLIhwVMRFdTU8rFm4Ir7dd2Dn3JvLUTNNVUXEgg082AZ-U2ABh3RmKEUS3igdfszu9GO6Y2PA5S7Mdnm1h3OM8reHqmsnr4/s200/37-Things-I-Love.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4901641591489748697.post-60991519196660502712012-10-12T13:10:00.000-07:002012-10-12T13:10:00.662-07:00Friday Forum: Lock and Key<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r5XNtSHKmcHocFC52ES538GH8PnYNs8xLEosWc6y8iQG9EM_U7UOzqgZ7EcSlZtDsUV4ogaGe-TjK0r3-XBlB-JboYMA2Hzh8tnOKF6v4WRlN70gRjvZOgOk7iWredHPrn7cliunoTs/s1600/Book+of+Secret+by+ntwowe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3r5XNtSHKmcHocFC52ES538GH8PnYNs8xLEosWc6y8iQG9EM_U7UOzqgZ7EcSlZtDsUV4ogaGe-TjK0r3-XBlB-JboYMA2Hzh8tnOKF6v4WRlN70gRjvZOgOk7iWredHPrn7cliunoTs/s320/Book+of+Secret+by+ntwowe.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Cp%3EImage:%20%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.freedigitalphotos.net%22%20target=%22_blank%22%3EFreeDigitalPhotos.net%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Freedigitalphotos.net/ntwowe</span></a></td></tr>
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Writing can be a very personal and private thing. How do you go about sharing your writing, if you do at all?<br />
<br />
Maybe you have never, ever shown anyone anything you have written. Maybe you have a trusted friend or family member or two who you feel comfortable sharing it with. Maybe you love to read aloud, and show people what you are working on. Maybe you never show your first draft, but after you revise and polish a piece, you enjoy sharing it.<br />
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There's no right or wrong level of privacy for a writer. It just depends on what makes you comfortable. <br />
<br />
<strong>How about you? Do you keep your writing a careful secret? Do you like to share? </strong>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02813984661124368252noreply@blogger.com0