Have You Found Your Voice Yet?

by | Mar 26, 2015 | The Writing Craft

In the same way that it’s hard to define what makes a great book, or what makes great writing, it is nearly impossible to get a definition of narrative voice in writing. Impossible missions, however, have never frightened Your Editor. Stand back. What you hear most...

Study This: I’ll Give You the Sun

by | Feb 12, 2015 | The Writing Craft

Here’s another in my Study This series about intentional reading—that is, novels you writers will read for pleasure (always pleasure!) but also to study. To deconstruct. To have a look at how the author made the magic. You know I love YA, so it should come as no...

Study This: The Children Act

by | Jan 22, 2015 | The Writing Craft

You’ve heard me say, over and over, that reading will make you a better writer. It will. And I’m just talking about reading for pleasure and absorbing things by osmosis that will show up unbidden in your writing later. Now let’s try something else. Let’s try...

These Dreams Go On When I Close My Eyes

by | Oct 2, 2014 | Your Editor Says …

A while back I had to talk an author out of using dreams as a method of solving his story-worthy problem—in this case, a murder. The protagonist saw it all, including whodunit—in a dream. But the trouble with this is it’s just too coincidental. I mean, I’ve never...