Guest post by Debra Eckerling Whenever someone asks me how to get unstuck – and believe me, I get this question a lot – my immediate response is journaling. Whenever someone asks me how to improve their writing, I tell them to start journaling. Whenever someone asks me how to develop a new idea, I…
Author: Karen Cioffi
Karen Cioffi is an award-winning author and children's ghostwriter. She loves to help those who want to be the author of a children's book fulfill their dream. Contact Karen today to get your story started!
5 Basic Functions of Dialogue
In an article over at Writer’s Digest, the author explained that ‘real’ dialogue doesn’t spell everything out. So, what does this mean? Well, people communicate with more than just words and often there’s a lot left unsaid in a conversation. Narration or the protagonist’s thoughts can fill in the blanks. Here’s an example from “Crispin…
Happiness – Studies Say You Can Attain It
The image above may not be everyone’s picture of happiness, but it is mine. I read an X (Twitter) post that was titled Things You Can Control. Reading through the list of 11 items I noted that a couple weren’t completely within our control. But the one that struck me was HAPPINESS. I thought it’d…
Take That Shot
I’m sure most everyone has heard this quote by former professional ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky: “100% of the shots you don’t take don’t go in.” Whether it’s the end of the year, the middle, or the end, this is such an appropriate quote. It’s wise to periodically take a step back and evaluate what…
Overcome Your Writing Distractions
Guest post by Melinda Brasher I recently went to a class conducted by writers Amy K. Nichols and Joe Nassise. They talked about writing in the age of distraction (squirrel writing, they called it). It was very helpful, so I’m going to pass on some of the ideas I found most useful. -Know your triggers….
Writing – Words to Live By
In a world littered with half-truths and lies, these are words to live by in your words and in your writing: Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. At the first gate, ask yourself, “Is it true?’ At the second gate, ask, “Is it necessary?” At the third gate, ask, “Is it…
10 Tips to Writing a Query Letter
I have a client who is heading down the traditional publishing road. Since one of the most important elements of this process is the query letter, I have some tips on what to do and what to include. 1. Before you even think of writing your query letter, make sure you have a good story….
Traditional Publishing – 4 Advantages to Consider
While almost everyone is hitting the self-publishing road, including most of my clients, there are some authors who yearn to be published through a publishing house. Before I go on though, let me clarify what traditional publishing is, as I just had a query from a new author who wasn’t sure about it. Basically, traditional…
How to Write Better Endings to Your Stories
Contributed by team member, Suzanne Lieurance Many writers have trouble coming up with the perfect ending for a story. And the perfect ending is really important because it is often the ending of a story that people remember most. That’s because a good ending ties everything together and leaves the reader feeling satisfied. To write…
Are All Children’s Stories Meant to Become Books?
As a children’s author, ghostwriter, and coach, over the many years and many stories, I’ve only seen one story that couldn’t be tweaked, nudged, shaken, or even deconstructed and reconstructed into a publishable story. The concept and author of that one book were, well, not quite all there. Dealing with so many clients, I’m surprised…