If you read last week’s blog post, you’ll know we looked at some common writing gremlins, such as overwriting, multiple gestures, extra staging, etc (check out the full post here). When the post went live, a few readers commented on underwriting being one of their gremlins. As a chronic overwriter, underwriting hadn’t occurred to me, …
While you might not be a writer of action-based books, chances are if there’s any type of conflict in your novel, you may have to write an action scene. I did, after starting my YA series, Blackbirch. For a book about teens with magickal abilities, there ended up being a few scenes that required me …
There are so many things to include when penning a book. Not only do you need to create relatable characters, a plot that works, and a world that is believable, but you need to fill that world with details. One thing that can be easy to overlook when it comes to details is room settings. …
When you become a writer, one of the "rules" you're advised to learn is to avoid info-dumping. If you haven't heard of it before, it's when the writer bombards the reader with everything they think they should know—all at once. While you might think there's no way you do that, info-dumping is an easy trap …
Getting into the writing game doesn't just mean composing entire books, dreaded synopses, and query letters, you also need an author bio. Yep! As much as you might want the focus to only be on the art you've created, agents, publishers, and readers are going to want to know about the person behind the pen, …
By the time you've published a book, the process was so exhausting, thrilling, and exciting, you'll be forgiven for forgetting one thing that happens when you put your work out into the world; you get book reviews! Now, if you promised yourself you'd read any review with an open mind, ready to take on constructive …
Continue reading The Do’s And Don’ts Of Handling Book Reviews
When you find a good beta reader, it's like striking gold. Suddenly you have riches of feedback to help shape your story into the MS you set out to write when you typed the first sentence. It's natural to want to return the favor and help another writer. Beta reading for others will also help you …
Continue reading The Do’s And Don’ts Of Being A Good Beta Reader
If you're wondering what makes the manuscript selected by a publisher so special, you're not the only one. I recently attended the KidLitVic conference where that question was put forward to publishers Susannah Chambers (Allen & Unwin), Clair Hume (Affirm Press), and Zoe Walton (Penguin Random House Australia). And a room packed full of writers …
Continue reading 6 Reasons Why A Publisher Says Yes And 6 Reasons They Say No
As mentioned in last week's blog (Preparing For A Writers Conference: What To Take), I attended a writers conference for the first time! The #KidLitVic2019 event covered writing and publishing for middle grade to YA (my genre), the chance to pitch to agents, and to have publishers assess a part of your completed MS. I …
K.M. Allan 