At the 2010 LA SCBWI conference author M.T. Anderson dedicated a breakout session to the topic of experimental fiction and why it is important and relevant to children’s literature. As part of that talk he broke down the common techniques and terms used in experimental fiction, which are as follows: Experimental Fiction Techniques and Terms:…
Newberry Honor winning author Gennifer Choldenko spoke at the LA SCBWI 2010 annual conference. The following notes were taken during her keynote speech on how to write novels for today’s kids. Are Today’s Kids Different Than When We Were Kids? Do kids grow up faster now that when we were kids? True? Each child and…
Author Paul Fleishman spoke at the 2010 LA SCBWI conference about the daunting task of writing a novel. He advises that the best thing to do is to stay organized! The following notes are his tips on how to keep the task in check. Long Form Writing…The Novel! If you’ve only been writing short form then the…
What is a breakout novel? Read on as Agent Sarah Davies (of Greenhouse Literary) shares her opinion of what makes a breakout novel and the five secret ingredients that will make your novel a success. She shared the following information at the 2009 SCBWI LA Conference. So if you want to be the next “it-author”…
Was that an earthquake or did you just rock my world? Okay, we may not be trying to pick-up girls, but we are trying to pick-up readers. First lines and first impressions are important! And it’s amazing how much a first line can tell you about a book; including tone, character, and intrigue. What does…
Perhaps we should start at the beginning… As this is my first “notes’ post, I thought it only appropriate to begin with beginnings. What will grab a reader/editor/agent and make them crave more? The following notes are author Maralys Willis’ thoughts on the subject. The Ugly Truth About Beginnings Caution! Your beginning may become an ending! According…