Scribblers On The Edge

26 Feb 2010, Comments (2)

The Great Wait: What To Do After Submitting To Agents And Editors

Author: Lisa J. Michaels

2
Comments

I don’t stress out too much over cover or query letters, as I have surrounded myself with knowledgeable and helpful professional writers. I’m so lucky! They are always willing to review and make suggestions that will improve my chances. In turn, I pass on what I have learned to other writers who are unsure about the submission process. (more…)

Popularity: 57% [?]

Categories:
WRITING CRAFT, Waiting
Tags:
editing, post-submission, PUBLISHING, Waiting, Writing

24 Feb 2010, Comments (3)

The Promise of the First Pages

Author: Ann Marie Gamble

3
Comments

My Monday morning writing club has an ongoing argument about the importance of a quick start to a novel: diving right in versus a slower reveal. The rulemeisters say it’s all got to be there on the first page: meet the hero, introduce the conflict, set the tone and genre. The first page makes a promise to the reader that must be fulfilled. “But I’m not writing a thriller,” one of the clubbers says, or “Surely that’s for genre fiction, not literary.”

I, for a change, agree with the finger waggers on this one. I finally took my own advice and pulled some books I’ve read—so I know the story—and reread the first few pages. I am blown away with what I see this time around. Here’s my short stack: (more…)

Popularity: 63% [?]

Categories:
SPOTLIGHT ON...
Tags:
first pages

22 Feb 2010, Comments (6)

‘The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide’ … And Me

Author: Claudine Rogers

6
Comments

Claudine Rogers

I realized I needed a critique group soon after my first attempt at writing a novel. I process things best by bouncing ideas off of others and I needed the help of wiser, less emotionally attached writers to perfect my far-from-perfect WIP. But I was also getting pretty lonesome all by myself at the keyboard. I needed that social interaction. Thus, my first foray into critique groups.

Thanks to my first group, I knew immediately when something wasn’t working, but they were unable to help me figure out why. So I quit that group and joined another. The second group of perfectly nice people still didn’t fill the bill. I was afraid I’d never find a group that fit, or worse, that I wasn’t cut out for group critiques. (more…)

Popularity: 100% [?]

Categories:
Book Review
Tags:
Becky Levine, Claudine Rogers, critique groups, how-to, non-fiction

16 Feb 2010, Comments (2)

Interview with YA author, Gillian Philip

Author: Nicky Schmidt

2
Comments

Sometimes in life you just get lucky. I feel that way about having made friends on Facebook with Scottish author Gillian Philip. When I friended her (or she friended me – I forget which way round it was), I didn’t know anything about her, let alone what she’d written. But as is the way of these things, you get to know someone a little and you decide to read their books. Reading Gillian’s books has been a total treat for me. The strength of her voice and the honesty with which she deals with some tough subject matter makes me rate her up right up there with my favourite teen and Young Adult authors – who include Kevin Brooks and Meg Rosoff. (more…)

Popularity: 94% [?]

Categories:
Author

9 Feb 2010, Comments (2)

YA Author Dawne Knobbe Speaks on Building Character at Flintridge Bookstore

Author: Cheryl

2
Comments

In celebration of her debut YA novel RUNAWAY STORM’s January 2010 publication author Dawne Knobbe gave a ‘Fun Workshop’ at Flintridge Bookstore and Coffee House in La Canada, CA on January 24th and it was fun! Dawne was wonderful. She shared her journey in getting her first novel written and published, followed by a workshop in developing character and story through conflict. (more…)