Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 40

The Unreliable Narrator vs the Trickster

I just finished reading Yellowface last week. As much as I eventually loved the book, it took me two tries to get into it. I find it very difficult to love unreliable narrators. And that’s kind of strange, because I love tricksters! An unreliable narrator is a narrator who cannot be trusted. Somehow, someway, their … Continue reading The Unreliable Narrator vs the Trickster →

What to Do with a Rejected Manuscript

You struggled to get the first draft of your manuscript down. The flashing cursor was so intimidating. But you did it! Then you rewrote it. That first rewrite was huge! Next came multiple rewrites, each targeting a specific feature — characterization, setting, pace. Finally it was ready to go out into the world. You got … Continue reading What to Do with a Rejected Manuscript →

Publishing As a Team Sport

This week I am working on three different revisions based on comments from various editors. One revision was on a chapter and an outline. The next was on a 3500 word biography of five chapters. The last is on 15,000 words for tween and teens. “How do you keep it all strait?” asked a friend. … Continue reading Publishing As a Team Sport →

When and Where Do You Love to Read?

Honestly, there isn’t a time of day that I won’t read. But there are times and places that are more common than others. I start most mornings with a glass of water and some time with my latest audio book. Then at lunchtime I listen to a bit more. How much more? It depends. If … Continue reading When and Where Do You Love to Read? →

Why You Should Read Piles of Picture Books

The common wisdom is that you should read 50 picture books before you write your first manuscript. Why? A picture book isn’t just a short story. In addition to being written for a very young reader, it utilizes the actual physical form of the book. Page turns matter. Sometimes the gutter matters. The trim size … Continue reading Why You Should Read Piles of Picture Books →

How to Write a Group of Characters

I am currently reading The Misfits: A Royal Conundrum by Lisa Yee and Dan Santat. One thing that I wanted to see as I read this book was how they handle 5 principle characters. I wondered about this because I was working on a book with 6 young characters. I felt like my story kept … Continue reading How to Write a Group of Characters →

My Research Process

Not long ago, someone asked me how I research a nonfiction topic. Each project differs slight but there are basic steps. Library Search The first thing that I do is run a search in the catalogue of my local library. I’m not talking articles. I just type my topic into the search bar and see … Continue reading My Research Process →

When and Where Should You Write?

Recently I heard a group of writers debating when is the best time to write? Where is the best place to write? The reality is that there is no firm answer for this question. You are going to have to find what works for you. But here are some suggestions. Different Times of Day Try … Continue reading When and Where Should You Write? →

Giving a Popular Book a Second Try

The description for Yellowface comments on the “totally immersive first person voice.” Um, no. It was actually the voice that drove me away from the book the first time I tried to read it. June is way too annoying to be totally immersive. “Oh, poor me! Minority writers get all the contracts! Boo-hoo.” Yuck! But … Continue reading Giving a Popular Book a Second Try →

Query Pivot

What do you do when you have been querying and receive nothing but form rejections or silence? The answer — it depends. There are many potential problems. Here are five things to consider. Your Manuscript So many writers, especially new writers, rush through a manuscript and query it. At the very least, you need to … Continue reading Query Pivot →