Hello from Crystal Bowman! I have been writing for children for over 20 years. Before writing my first book, I spent 5 years as a preschool teacher and 12 years as a full-time mom. From my twenties to my forties, young children were part of my daily life. I am now in another decade with grandchildren, so I still have little ones in my world. When I teach at writers’ conferences, or when someone wants advice on writing for children, I always remind them that they have to know kids in order to write for them. They need to understand…
Tag: writing craft
This is our archive pageDeath by Publishing Contract!
Hi, Dave Fessenden here, to talk about writing issues, and today I’d like to discuss the issue of legalese, specifically in publishing contracts. I recently had to explain to a friend that the phrase “place of physical execution” means the physical location where the contract gets signed, and does not place the author’s life in danger! (Well, she knew that it couldn’t mean that, but it never hurts to ask!)
“Just the Facts, Ma’am”
Hi, Dave Fessenden here, to tell you what I’ve learned about writing from Detective Joe Friday, on the old TV show Dragnet. Sergeant Friday was a no-nonsense kind of guy. He didn’t let crime victims go on and on about their feelings; his motto was “Just the facts, Ma’am.” And that’s the attitude you need to take when you want to put more description in your writing.
What Kind of Children’s Book — Part 2
In my last post titled What Kind of Children’s Book? I explained that it’s important for writers of children’s literature to know what subgenre they want to write for. When presenting a proposal to an agent or editor, writers need to know where their book will fit in the market. I discussed three of the primary subgenres: boardbook, preschool picture book, and the standard 32-page picture book.
Sometimes It’s How You Frame It
Greetings and Happy New Year! Maureen Pratt here with my monthly CAN blog on the craft of writing. Today, I'm going to offer one technique to help you find the right angle and tone for your story. Sometimes, fine-tuning these so that your intent is clear and your storytelling is compelling isn't a matter of vocabulary or sentence structure, or even pacing or flow. Sometimes, it's how you frame your story that gives it its best final form. Recently, I took two lovely watercolors to a frame shop. I'd purchased them awhile ago, and never liked the plain frames they'd…
Themes: Give Your Fiction Purpose
Good morning and a joyful November to you from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailgaymermartin.com Time has flown and here I am again to share with you some thoughts on making our novels even more meaningful so readers remember than weeks and months to follow. Readers remember some novels long after they’ve read them, and one of reasons is the theme or the message that the story delivers to the reader. When working on your novel, ask yourself these questions: What will happen, and why does it matter? What will the characters learn and how will they grow? How will this…
Tips from the Pros: Lynda T. Young
Greetings from sunny–and short–springtime in central Florida! Marti Pieper here, lifting my head from my current manuscript long enough to share an insightful interview with author Lynda T. Young. Lynda not only has an interesting journey to publication but some unusual elements to her marketing strategy as well. Welcome, Lynda! Let's forge ahead with the interview. How did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? I co-founded a ministry, Kindred Spirits International, in 1999 and we sent out a newsletter. My articles mainly dealt with children’s hospitals and…
Tips from the Pros: Maureen Pratt
New Year's greetings from central Florida! Now that you've finished off all the extra fudge and gingerbread cookies, I hope you'll take time from the treadmill long enough to read today's marketing insights from award-winning playwright, journalist, and author Maureen Pratt. Maureen has lots of wisdom to share, so let's get started. Maureen, how did you get into writing? How many books have you published, and what are a few of your latest titles? I was always writing–scripts, songs, stories, even a comic strip–when I was young. My first paid writing job was as a stringer for a local newspaper….
Tips from the Pros: Sharon K. Souza
Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California. Today I have the joy of interviewing novelist Sharon K. Souza. I met Sharon at Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference in 2009, the year she and Kathleen Popa won the Mount Hermon Writer of the Year Award. Sharon’s writing receives much praise, and her group blog Novel Matters promotes taking our fiction to loftier heights. Definitely a blog to follow. Sharon, how did you get into writing? I’ve always had an artistic bent. When I was younger, it was expressed through drawing and painting. I can’t remember back far enough to remember when I…
Excellence in Writing
Hello from sunny Florida! Ava Pennington, CAN Secretary here, desperately hoping the calendar is wrong and summer is not almost over! 🙂 In my previous career as a human resources executive, one of my areas of responsibility was the management of our quality control programs. Phrases such as “Quality First,” “Do it right the first time,” and “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking” (Henry Ford), pervaded our corporate culture. But corporate America did not invent the concept of working with excellence. God has always required excellence from His people. First Corinthians 10:31 tells us, “Whatever you…
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