I come across a lot of authors and wannabe authors, and have seen a number of absolute must-nots in kids’ writing. The first and most unusual is the picture book cliff hanger.
Tag: writing mistakes
Common Children’s Author Mistakes, Big and Small
What are some of the most common children’s author mistakes when writing? The very first mistake is a weak plot.
3 Fiction Writing Mistakes to Avoid
There are a number of writing mistakes that writers need to avoid; one of them is the overuse of participle phrases. Find out two more of the biggies.
Are All Children’s Stories Meant to Become Books?
Writing well over 300 stories, between ghostwriting and rewriting, 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 I only had one so…
Creating Story Characters? Avoid These Common Mistakes
Guest Post by Linda Wilson Many characters inhabited the early drafts of my WIP: a MG mystery. Like many of my characters’ counterparts—kids—I assigned each character a “friend,” following the example I’d seen so often of kids going around in “packs.” What fun I had! The snappy dialogue! The endless opportunities to showcase what was…
Fiction Writing – 5 Top No-Nos
Fiction writers who are good at what they do, enjoy what they do. They like creating something from nothing . . . well from an idea. They enjoy the craft and the process. But, with that said, there are 5 top mistakes these writers make. 1. You make the beginning of your story all roses….
Writing – Let Tom Swift Guide You
Guest Post by Carolyn Howard-Johnson Ever heard of Tom Swifties? Maybe you’re too young to be familiar with the classic Tom Swift adventures for boys. Or maybe you’re a girl who never read a Tom Swift book nor cares to. Tom Swifties are one-line jokes lampooning the style of Victor Appleton, the author of the…
8 Top Fiction Writing Mistakes to Avoid
There’s a great article in The Writer, April 2012 issue (1). If you’re able to get your hands on a copy or find it online, it’s worth the read. Delving into this article, I did some additional research and came up with eight elements that are probably the most common fiction writing mistakes. 1. You…