Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 63

Writing Scary Stories for Young Readers

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Hide by Kiersten White. Although White has written numerous young adult novels, this is the first time I’ve read her work. Note: This particular book was written for adult audiences. I say this because it is horror and what works for an adult reader may be too … Continue reading Writing Scary Stories for Young Readers →

Themed Reading Lists

To attract traffic come up with freebies. We hear the advice but I had largely ignored it until earlier in the year. That was when I saw a reading chart for young readers that completely neglected nonfiction. No seriously. There were 10 or so types of fiction listed but only one category for nonfiction. As … Continue reading Themed Reading Lists →

Writing Warm-Up: Roses, Buds, and Thorns

Recently my friend Ann Kathryn Kelly blogged at the Muffin about focusing on the roses, buds, and thorns in her writing lift as a way to celebrate her wins. Roses are clear, obvious wins. What are the things you have to celebrate? Buds are the things that you are looking forward to in your near … Continue reading Writing Warm-Up: Roses, Buds, and Thorns →

Flamer: Basing a Story on Real Life

I just finished reading FLAMER by Mike Curato. For those of you who don’t know the book, Aiden is relieved to be at Scout camp for the summer. Things are tough at home with his parents fighting, and he’s just relieved to be in his own space. The relief is short lived though. Aiden is … Continue reading Flamer: Basing a Story on Real Life →

Character Growth and the Series

Throughout the month of June, I’ve been taking part in the Story Plan Intensive with Kevin T. Johns. One of the things that has been the most helpful is that he talks about story and things about story in a slightly different way then many of the people I’ve heard speak. Sometimes this is all … Continue reading Character Growth and the Series →

From Nurse to Writer: Guest Post by Regina Buttner

As a child, my heroes were authors. I always wished I’d been born a century earlier and lived the exciting frontier life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and as a horse-crazy adolescent, I longed to become a famous author like Marguerite Henry, creator of the Misty of Chincoteague series. I whiled away many a Saturday afternoon … Continue reading From Nurse to Writer: Guest Post by Regina Buttner →

The Right Cover for the Book

We may say “never judge a book by its cover,” but it is often the first thing we notice. Or at least that was my experience the other day when I picked a stack of books up at the library. Among the other books was I AM THE STORM by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple. … Continue reading The Right Cover for the Book →

Getting Over Our Selves: Guest Post by Ronald Chapman

Good morning, wonderful writers! Today we are joined by author Ronald Chapman. He is writing about a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Very few of us become successful without help from others and yet it can be easy to forget. Some advantages are socio-economic. Others are simply a matter of luck. … Continue reading Getting Over Our Selves: Guest Post by Ronald Chapman →

Juneteenth

Today is Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865. This was the day that Major General Gordon Granger announced that slaves in Texas were free. Juneteenth originated in Galveston. This federal holiday helps us remember that equality is a long time goal and something that we are still striving for. Two books off my shelves that you … Continue reading Juneteenth →

How to Make Your Readers Care

“I like to start with action so how do I make readers empathize with my character?” This is something that writers often ask. And it can be tricky. We want to start with drama and action and danger! But when we do that and the reader doesn’t yet know our character, they don’t care as … Continue reading How to Make Your Readers Care →