Guest Post by Linda Wilson Is a villain and an antagonist one and the same? Sometimes, and sometimes not. First stop, the dictionary definitions: Mwa Ha Ha A villain is: 1. a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; 2. A character in a play, novel, or the…
Category: writing for children
Writing a Publishable Children’s Story: 12 Power-Tips
I’m a children’s author and ghostwriter, and I’m always honing my craft. I read lots of books and articles on writing and writing for children, as well as books in the genres I write. I also attend workshops and webinars by expert children’s writers and editors. If you want to write for children, you must…
Save Writing Time – Try an Outline-Sketch
Guest post by Linda Wilson I wrote my next book, Book two in a mystery series for 8-12 year-olds, while making dinner last night. To be more precise, every time my hands were free I jotted down plans for the book in a sketchy outline. Don’t let this boast fool you, though. The one-page outline-sketch…
Writing for Children – Learn the Ropes
I write for young children, and I’ve also written a lot of content on marketing and health topics. Writing in multiple genres, I can tell you that writing for children can be much more challenging. When writing for children, there are guidelines to follow to help your story avoid the editor’s trash pile. Okay, I…
Writing Fantasy for Children
Before I get into this article, for those who don’t know the difference between science fiction and fantasy, here it is: Science fiction is based on scientific possibilities, even if loosely based on those possibilities or far-fetched. Fantasy stories are based on magic or supernatural occurrences. I’d say more than half of my clients want…
A Writer’s Number One Job
Writers have to do a lot to create a good story, but the number one thing is to create a connection. You must make the reader care. Although it’s the most important element of your job, lots of writers just don’t get it right. According to Mary Kole of KidLit, “Whether they name emotions outright,…
Picture Books – What Grabs an Editor
I attended a ‘live’ two hour writing workshop through SCBWI: Hook, Line and Sinker: What Catches the Editor’s Eye with Scholastic editor Natalia Remis. It was an amazing workshop and not only was the information excellent, the editor gave the first page of the attendees’ manuscripts a critique! I try to keep up with the…
Walking Through Walls Book Trailer
Walking Through Walls was honored with the Children’s Literary Classics Silver Award. Set in 16th century China, this middle-grade fantasy adventure is about 12-year-old Wang. Not liking to work, it really bugs him that he has to help his father tend the wheat fields. Thinking he can bypass work and struggle (and become rich and…
Making a Fiction Story Work – 5 Key Elements
Think about the last time you read a story that stayed with you. A story that made you feel. A story that took you on an adventure or had you sitting on the edge of your seat. A story that made you cry or laugh . . . or think. These types of stories have…
Is Your Protagonist Multi-Dimensional?
Does your protagonist have one, two, or three dimensions? Between your characters and the plot, you develop a story. If the mix is right, and the characters are believable, you can create a story worthy of publication. While there are many articles about creating believable characters, it’s an important topic and reminders are always in…