Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 222

Characters: Creating People that Live and Breathe and Can Walk Off the Page

Recently I read a really interesting post at Heather Alexander’s blog, Interrobangs.  Titled “Antagonists Need Love Too,” Alexander wrote about being as nurturing and in-depth in the creation of your antagonist as you are with your protagonist.  The reason for this is that she sees to many ho-hum flat antagonists in middle grade fiction.  They […]

Agents and/or Editors

When you are shopping your work around to agents, do you cease and desist sending it to editors? Yesterday, I read a post on Janet Reid’s blog about Twitter pitch events.  In her post, Reid discusses the fact that she was out with a group of agents.  One of them mentioned contacting an author whose […]

The Scientific Method: Don’t Use It and Date Your Book

I have to admit that I have kind of a dicy relationship with the scientific method.  Observe. Develop a hypothesis.  Test said hypothesis.  Develop new hypothesis.  I know it and I’ve used it but sometimes it feels . . . limiting.  This was an especially serious problem when my son was doing science fair projects. […]

F’ing Gs: Being a Writer Mom

My son is graduating from high school this month.  I know that this doesn’t mean my job as a Mom is over, but I’ve been reflecting on the trials of being a writer mom. I was a writer before I was a mom.  Maybe that’s why it never crossed my mind that I couldn’t do […]

Inspiration: Some Writer

When we take our work to critique group, we always hope that they are going to LOVE it.  After all, these are our stories.  Okay, I meant to call them story-babies, but I just can’t do it.  Far too precious for me to do it and survive.  Anyway, these are our stories and we adore […]

Book Trailer

Recently I came across the book trailer for Tara Lazar’s Way Past Bedtime.   Lazar shared a funny story about her trailer.  She was fussing and fuming that she hadn’t gotten it together in time to have a trailer before her book launched.  She fussed and fumed enough that she got the attention of her teen […]

Fiction vs Nonfiction: The Hybrid

For the most part, it is fairly easy to categorize children’s books as fiction or nonfiction.  Made up story as in Kelly Barnhill’s The Girl Who Drank the Moon or Linda Sue Park’s Cavern of Secrets?  Fiction, of course.  Just as certainly, books ranging from Stand Up and Sing! Pete Seeger, Folk Music, and the Path to Justice by Susanna […]

Resurrecting an Old Manuscript

Are you one of those writers, like me, who loves working on a new manuscript?  After all, new manuscripts hold the allure of unexplored territory.  The story, as it emerges, is shiny and new and not goofed up.  Ahhhhhh. That said, there’s a lot to be said for resurrecting old manuscripts.  Not that I think […]

Leaving Room for Your Reader

Recently I read a post on Litreactor about leaving room in your story for the reader. One of the examples that the author used was a super short piece attributed to Hemingway.  “FOR SALE: Baby shoes, never worn.” That’s all there is to it and immediately, as the reader, your mind starts reeling out possibilities. […]

Are you in a rut? How to jump-start your picture book writing

You know how it goes.  You finish a big job, turning in a book manuscript or doing an editorial rewrite.  Or maybe you’ve just participated in some major life event like a move or graduation.  Whatever the reason, you just can’t seem to get going on another writing project.  It isn’t a lack of ideas. […]