Gail Carson Levine's Blog, page 33
November 28, 2012
Poetic feet
I’m jumping ahead to poetry because I’ve reached that point in the new writing book, which (have I told you this?) I’m calling Writer to Writer, and hoping my publisher will go along.
On October 17, 2012, writeforfun wrote, I would love a post on poetry! What makes good poetry, how to find the best rhyming words, how to keep good meter...plenty more that I can't think of right now. Actually, that's my biggest problem - meter (am I spelling that right?). I tend to "Fudge," as I call it, the met...
November 21, 2012
The blog on blogging
On September 3, 2012, Leslie Marie wrote, ...how about a post about WRITING blogs? Just a thought. I'd like to start one but have absolutely no idea what to write. I think my biggest block is just fear of some sort holding me back!
I follow only one blog, written by a former student about her unfolding experience in the Peace Corps in Moldova. Before, I’m not sure I’d ever heard of Moldova, which used to be part of the Soviet Union and is the poorest country in Europe. Now, I know how wa...
November 14, 2012
Mountainous hyperbole
An interesting report on the radio this week got me thinking. I may not have it exactly right, but this is what I understood: Researchers compared attitudes toward learning in the U.S. with attitudes in Japan. In the U.S., according to this study, children are praised for catching on quickly, and such kids are called smart. In Japan, children are praised for working hard, and I heard no mention of intelligence. Researchers visited a classroom in both places and gave the children a math proble...
November 7, 2012
In the rearview mirror
On August 4, 2012, MNM wrote, I've been working on a story that is written in first person and I'm having issues with putting in the background or writing flashbacks. I can bring them into the story easily enough, but I am having trouble getting back on track without a choppy transition. Any tips?
Here’s a confession: I’ve started to put together a second writing book, this one based on the blog, and I’m about to write a chapter on flashbacks and back story, so this question is exactly on time...
October 31, 2012
Off with his head... nicely
First off, thanks to all of you who turned out in Pittsburgh! I was delighted to see you!
Now for the post. On July 19, 2012, capng wrote, ...my WIP is told from the view of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. She's pretty evil at the beginning of the book (and conceited, too!), but gets better as the book continues. How do I make readers dislike her but still worry for her? Or is that even possible?
Sure, it’s possible. End of post.
Just kidding. I’m giddy from muddling through Hurric...
October 24, 2012
Destination unknown
On July 12, 2012, Lizzy wrote, ...I had started a short novel a bunch of months back off of an idea that I couldn't keep in my head any longer. For the first couple days I wrote like a mad women, trying to get down all the ideas flowing through my head. Many pages later I slowed down and finally I stopped. I had come to a 'dead end.' I wasn't out of ideas but the current idea I led off from made me realize something when I came to the 'dead end,' I had no idea where the story was leading off...
October 17, 2012
Writers' range
So I was at a writers’ conference this past weekend and I mentioned the blog to Brianne Johnson, an agent at the respected Writers House, and told her the question that comes in fairly regularly here, about how teens can get published. She said she’d be happy to look at manuscripts from teens, and I leaped six inches into the air.
If you decide to submit to Brianne, send her a cover letter describing the book and send the first 25 pages in a Microsoft Word document, as an attachment. Brianne...
October 10, 2012
To the finish
On the evening of Thursday, October 25th, I’m going to give a talk at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Here’s the link, where they ask you to reserve your seats: http://www.carnegielibrary.org/teens/events/programs/behindthebook/. I would be delighted to meet any of you in person.
Just want to say I’ve been listening to the lectures by Brandon Sanderson and finding them helpful and informative and delightfully geeky. He has my number when he talks about discoverers.
On May 30, 2012, Lark wro...
October 3, 2012
Story history
Before I start - Caitlyn posted this link early this morning, which you may miss: www.writeaboutdragons.com, which may be of interest to many of you, so I don't want you to miss it.
On May 26, 2012, Inkling wrote, ...I've almost kinda decided to start on my book, but I'm having issues. It's set in a post-apocalyptic version of the southern U.S., but I'm having trouble working on the time period. I want enough time to pass (after the disaster) for everyone to forget what happened, but I st...
September 26, 2012
Fast out of the gate
On May 20, 2012, Jillian wrote, I always like stories that aren't slow and get going quickly. But now I look back at my story and am thinking, It's going too quickly. I have had my friends read it and they understand the beginning completely. I even have backstory in there but it's just very quick. Is there such a thing as too quick a beginning?
I wasn’t sure I understood, so I asked for clarification, and Jillian answered with this: Continuing my last comment, I guess it moves quickly in that...
