Writing for YA
Passive NOT passive
Note from Donna Jo: The topic of critique pet peeves came up during a conversation in my weekly writing…
April 28, 2023-
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Mastering Middle GradeElements That Work
When it comes to writing middle grade fiction, authors might wonder what works best for this 8-12 years old…
April 21, 2023 -
Magazine, Freelance, and CopywritingDo You Need a Strong Web Following To Get a Publishing Deal?
Making it as an author has changed dramatically in the digital age. Today, building your personal brand online is…
April 14, 2023 -
Kids LitExploding Inboxes
My e-mail is suddenly full of opportunities! Live face-to-face conferences are happening all over the country, sponsored by different…
April 8, 2023 -
ScreenwritingTell A Story
Recently, I reconnected with an old Christian writer friend on Facebook. We hadn’t seen each other in about a…
April 4, 2023 -
Writing for YA
Interview with Author Marie Sontag: Tips for Author Visits
For young adult authors one of the ways to connect with readers is through school visits. I asked Author…
March 27, 2023 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development as a Writing Tool
As an aspiring middle grade author, you’ve probably heard this before – if you want to write compelling, relevant…
March 16, 2023 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
3 Steps Freelance Writers Should Take To Protect Themselves and Their Assets
The gig economy has been steadily growing in the U.S. for the past five years. Over 73 million Americans…
March 14, 2023 -
Fantasy-Sci-FiPizzanomics and the Economy of Words
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde writes that people know the price of everything and the value…
March 10, 2023 -
Kids Lit
Three Little Pigs by AI
Two Epic Proportion Floods are predicted in the publishing industry. Artificial Intelligence has discovered writing and illustrating. At the…
March 8, 2023 -
Screenwriting
Where It Begins
Over Valentine’s weekend, I decided to re-watch one of my all-time favorite movies. I decided to do a commentary…
March 4, 2023 -
Writing for YA
How To Reclaim Writing Motivation
Slogging away for weeks, months, or years on a project can be discouraging. Writing requires self-discipline, but is that…
February 27, 2023 -
Romancing Your StoryWhat’s Your Type?
So many personality types and traits and tools to figure them out. The Enneagram Myer Briggs The OCEAN Model…
February 25, 2023 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Motivation
What motivates the main character in your middle grade manuscript? If you struggle to pinpoint what drives them, you…
February 16, 2023 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
How is Artificial Intelligence Changing the Copywriting World?
Copywriting has changed a lot in the past decade. Instead of writing for print media, most copywriters now work…
February 14, 2023 -
Kids Lit
Somebody Wrote My Story!
That is my fear each time I search for comparative titles (comp titles) for a book proposal or query…
February 8, 2023 -
Screenwriting
Conflict in StoryTelling
By now most of you know I am a big Marvel junkie and escape into the marvel cinematic universe…
February 4, 2023 -
Writing for YA
When Writing Goals and Reality Collide
Beginning a new year tends to motivate people to get organized, start new projects, or finish ones they’ve ignored…
January 27, 2023 -
History in the MakingThe Desire for Street Cars-Then and Now
In the early 1900s trolleys, otherwise known as “streetcars,” began popping up all over the United States. (For this…
January 20, 2023 -
Fantasy-Sci-Fi
Strike the Earth
Any gamers in the house? I’m a huge fan of games: the creativity, the challenges, and the competition, of…
January 17, 2023 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Five Writing Goals to Start the Year
Hey, all! Now that the winter holidays are past, it’s high time to focus on goals for the upcoming…
January 16, 2023 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Editing Process
No matter how long you’ve been writing, you know that your “finished” copy is really nowhere near complete. Once…
January 14, 2023 -
Kids Lit
Let Me Introduce…First Lines in Children’s Biographies
Not as well known as “Call me Ishmael,” but equally important are these first lines from adult biographies: “On…
January 8, 2023 -
Screenwriting
Screenwriting Basics
Recently, I had a local writer friend reach out to me about how she could adapt her book into…
January 4, 2023 -
Writing for YA
Details, Details: How to Write a Rich Setting for Your Story
It’s incredibly exciting to have a new story idea. The characters develop in our mind and seem to be…
December 27, 2022
