Last month, I went over book categories for younger kids. This time we’re focusing on older readers. Middle Grade Books (Ages 9-12) Now we’re stepping up in terms of story, language and length, with books ranging from 20,000- to 50,000 words. While they may feature a few illustrations, especially with chapter headings, the readers’ imaginations… Continue Reading
As more of my writing clients are finishing their books, I’m finding some shared formatting mistakes in their manuscripts. While I don’t recommend worrying about formatting while writing your initial sloppy copy, establishing a few basic formatting parameters before you’re too far along will help. Let’s start with the overall look of your page, one… Continue Reading
“Is my writing any good?” most of my new writing coach clients want to know. I usually dodge the question because that’s just not the issue. If their writing needs help, we’ll make it stronger. No big deal. The real challenge for each writer, whether they’re writing fiction or nonfiction, is to find their writer’s… Continue Reading
Do you cater to your audience when writing? Do you even know who that audience is? Knowing whom we’re writing for helps on the creative front. I’m a firmbeliever that you have to satisfy your creative vision, but if you want people to read your book, you also need to keep your audience in mind.… Continue Reading
Conflict, the topic of Part 1 of this two-part series, is just one element in your tackle box when it comes to how to grab your readers’ attention. In another Writer’s Digest article, “10 Ways to Hook Your Reader (and Reel Them in for Good),” author Ann Garvin lists ten elements that will solidly grab… Continue Reading
Have you figured out how to hook readers in your book’s first paragraph and keep them on the line until the ending? If not, that novel or piece of narrative nonfiction you’ve worked so hard on probably won’t come close to living up to those dreams of success you harbor for it. Fortunately, the key… Continue Reading
Life and work can definitely get in the way of carving out writing time. Having decided to revise and self-publish Busting the Brass Ceiling: How a Heroic Female Cop Changed the Face of Policing, I put my children’s book writing on hold. That’s nothing new. I got the idea for my children’s book series, which I… Continue Reading
By Monday mid-afternoon, I had hit my goal of writing and scheduling my weekly blog posts through August. And it was only the end of April. If I keep this up, I’ll have the rest of the year’s posts completed by the end of May, I thought. Four weeks later, I had written and scheduled… Continue Reading
Five of my writing coach clients are starting new books this spring. That means that I’ll get to engage in my absolute favorite writing coach activity—brainstorming. The brainstorming, however, will look different with each project, because the projects and indeed the writers are, well, different. My two memoir authors will require the least brainstorming because… Continue Reading
My pup Misha reminds me of a lot of the guys I dated and thankfully never married—a sweet heart with a bad-boy edge that keeps you guessing. While his snuggle factor convinced me to bring him home even though I hadn’t been looking for a puppy, he’s become stingier with his affection, although he does… Continue Reading
Literary Agent:
Ted Weinstein
Ted Weinstein Literary Management
Mechanics’ Library Building
57 Post Street, Suite 512
San Francisco, CA 94104
tw@twliterary.com
www.twliterary.com