Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 136

3 Problems with Antagonists

Last week I stumbled across K.M. Weiland’s 7 Considerations for Your Antagonist’s Motivations.  I’ve been looking askance at the protagonist in the mystery I am currently reading and now I understand why in three simple points. He’s just plain crazy. First of all, this is problematic because mental illness carries such a huge stigma. It […]

3 Things I Learned about Similar Ideas

Recently, I went online at my local library to request Don’t Leave, a picture book by Amy K. Rosenthal.  Not only did my library have that book, they also had another picture book by the same name, this one by Tom Booth. Curious just how similar the two books would be, I checked them both out. Nor surprisingly, […]

Poetry and a Book Give Away

What’s better than tigers? How about a picture book about a tiger? When David Harrison commented on his blog that he still owed his son a poem about tigers, fellow author Jane Yolen responded.  Soon the two were spinning an idea for a poetic picture book about a tiger. The good news is that their […]

Does This Belong in My Story? The Ultimate Test

Recently I read a post on Fiction University, “Learning from the Mistakes of even the (gasp!) Greats.”  In her post, Bonnie Randall discusses wading through a book by an author that she normally loves.  Unfortunately this time around the main character is endlessly, and needlessly, sarcastic.  He has a bad relationship with his son, but […]

4 Ways to Celebrate National Literacy Month

Did you know that September is National Literacy Month?  I assume that if you are reading my blog, you are a book lover but some of the statistics might surprise you.  In 2018, 32 million adults in the US could not read.  In a middle class neighborhood, there are 13 books/child.  In low income neighborhoods […]

Labor Day: Expanding Your Horizons

We didn’t get to spend the entire weekend out of town but we did make a run down to the lake.  I have to say that it was amazing to get out of the city and spend a day without a mask.  I had it in my pocket but we only saw people in the […]

Three Things to Remember about Diaologue in Nonfiction

One of the things that new nonfiction writers find confusing is how they can possibly include dialogue in their work.  It is easy enough if they are writing up an interview, but what about historic pieces that include dialogue?  Here are three things to remember. Dialogue Provides a Connection Whether you are writing a piece […]

Thinking Outside the Box During the Pandemic

I’m going to try this post one more time before I shelve the topic and let myself process it some more.  I’ve been noodling over how now, during the pandemic, is a great time to flex a little and think outside the box.  But this idea didn’t coalesce until I watched the Kid Lit Distancing […]

3 Things to Remember When Writing Flash Fiction

Last week, I accidentally wrote a piece of flash fiction.  I meant to write.  That part wasn’t accidental but I was suprised when I came up with the idea.  Most often when I have an idea for fiction it is for a picture book so this surprised me.  Thanks to WOW! Women on Writing, I’ve […]

5 Things to Tips for a Top Notch How-to

September is National Sewing month.  In the spirit, the St. Louis Public library put together this “One Stitch at a Time Topic Guide.”  I’ve been noodling over sewing. My mother was a brilliant seamstress.  My skill level?  I’ve never driven a needle through my finger.  Or my thumb. I’m fascinated by the thought of sewing […]