Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 126

Nonfiction Story Arc

If you are an SCBWI member, I hope you took the time to watch Melissa Manlove’s Digital Workshop. Manlove is an editor at Chronicle Books and among the things she discussed was the emotional arc, not for the story characters but for the reader. Take a topic that readers find creepy or even frightening. Then … Continue reading Nonfiction Story Arc →

3 Keys to Writing Suspense

My current project is a middle grade science fiction novel. My opening scene is eerie and suspenceful so I’ve been reading about how to create and maintain suspence. Here are three of the things I find most useful. Violence does not instantly lead to empathy. One alternate history writer I knew reminded us that first … Continue reading 3 Keys to Writing Suspense →

Less Than Brilliant Characters: What Works and What Doesn’t

Back in March, I wrote a post about how to avoid dumbing down your characters. Basically you don’t want your characters to be brainless just to further the plot. Recently Dale commented on this post and asked me a question. “Can you explain why some popular TV shows dumb down their characters usually after the … Continue reading Less Than Brilliant Characters: What Works and What Doesn’t →

3 Tips for Completing that First Draft

Tippity tippity tap. That’s the sound of fingertips on computer keys. Clearly I don’t have a silent membrane keyboard. But I kind of like hearing the tap of keys. It let’s me know I’m laying out words and making progress toward the end. Recently I had a writing friend ask me how I manage to … Continue reading 3 Tips for Completing that First Draft →

My 4 Go-To Writing Books

From time to time my favorite writing books change as I discover something new or move into a new phase in my writing life. Because of this, I thought it would be a good time to write about my current go-to writing books. They are Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody, The … Continue reading My 4 Go-To Writing Books →

3 Places to Look for Bias When Researching Any Topic

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you probably do some research so you need to be on the lookout for bias. Bias is when you give extra weight to an idea, a fact, or a theory. Because this is hard to discuss in the abstract, let’s discuss it in terms of something specific — the … Continue reading 3 Places to Look for Bias When Researching Any Topic →

3 Book Nooks for Any Sized Home

I’ve always been a bit jealous when people talk about having a book nook. Of course, I always thought of a book nook as someplace comfy you cuddle up to read. Around here, if it is too comfy it has a cat in it. And if it doesn’t now, it will as soon as you … Continue reading 3 Book Nooks for Any Sized Home →

3 Causes for Writer’s Block

The last two days, writing has felt like a slog through treacle. What? I’ve been listening to a book set in London, by a British author. Why do you ask? Fine. The last two days, writing has felt like a slog through molasses. Better? I’ve made some progress on my outline. I’m up to beat … Continue reading 3 Causes for Writer’s Block →

What I Did when My Outline Wasn’t Working

Step One in creating the outline for my middle grade novel was to write up the story spine, 9 critical points in my story ala Kenn Adams. Step 2 was to expand this into a Beat Sheet ala Save the Cat Writes a Novel. A Beat Sheet is an outline that helps you position fifteen … Continue reading What I Did when My Outline Wasn’t Working →

3 Tips on Writing Humorous Nonfiction

Raise your hand if you remember the nonfiction students read in the 1980s. The material in the textbooks and readers I remember often made the encyclopedia look like a humorous romp through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Because I grew up with this type of writing, I love creating fun, engaging nonfiction for young readers. There … Continue reading 3 Tips on Writing Humorous Nonfiction →