Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 59

Giving Each Character a Roll

I love reading up on how to create strong characters. That’s probably because, especially in my first drafts, I end up creating place holders. What’s a place holder? A character that is almost never present. They ask one important question. They give the main character someone to talk to. But they don’t DO anything much. … Continue reading Giving Each Character a Roll →

The PC Is Not a Typewriter

Did you know we no longer need to put to spaces after a period? That two hyphens (–) are not the correct way to type an M dash? That asterisks should not be used to create a bulleted list? All of these things were acceptable in the not-so-distant past. In fact, they are what I … Continue reading The PC Is Not a Typewriter →

Why I Love My Critique Group

I make no secret about it. I love using mentor texts. It helps me see the potential shape of the story. But what works for one book may not work for another. Wednesday I got feedback from my group on a major revision of a new picture book project. I would love to tell you … Continue reading Why I Love My Critique Group →

4 Mystery Must Haves

If a scene isn’t essential, get rid of it. If a character doesn’t move the plot forward, they need to go. Dialogue? It has to advance the plot, reveal the character or . . . can you guess? You need to cut it. This is the kind of advice that we often receive for very … Continue reading 4 Mystery Must Haves →

Guard Your Writing Time or Quit Fussing. Really.

Recently an acquaintance was bemoaning the fact that she can’t get any writing done. “I haven’t written in a year. I’ve tried asking my husband and the kids to do various things so I can work but they don’t do them right.” Excuse me? They don’t do them right. Is it surgery? Are they building … Continue reading Guard Your Writing Time or Quit Fussing. Really. →

Story Beats: What They Are and Where They Go

Over the weekend I attended a fun Save the Cat webinar. One speaker was a screen writer. Another wrote for TV, and the third was Jessica Brody whose Save the Cat Writes a Young Adult Novel will be coming out soon. It was interesting listening to them talk about how the beats play out in … Continue reading Story Beats: What They Are and Where They Go →

Taking Classes on Plotting, Rhyming and More

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love taking classes and attending webinars. Here are some of my most recent finds. As you can see, I like to take a variety of classes at any given time. Some I take to push my craft — that would be either of the … Continue reading Taking Classes on Plotting, Rhyming and More →

Increasing Stakes

Late last month I blogged about taking Story Plan Intensive with writing coach Kevin T. Johns. Specifically, I wrote about his thoughts on character growth in a series. You can see my post here. Something else that Johns discussed has really stuck with me. He explained that increasing story stakes doesn’t just mean making it … Continue reading Increasing Stakes →

Think Outside the Box to Find a Hole in the Market

Whether you want to write a life-cycle picture book or one about holidays, you need to find a story that hasn’t been written. When I talk to my students about this, I recommend that they find a hole in the market. I’m not telling them to find a literal hole but a gap in what … Continue reading Think Outside the Box to Find a Hole in the Market →

From Book to Screen

My husband and I just finished watching American Born Chinese. If you haven’t seen this, it is a Disney Plus offering based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about the live action depiction of the Monkey King but they did a great job. It’s been a … Continue reading From Book to Screen →