Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 66

What to Post on Social Media?

Today I attended a webinar about social media. There were definitely two camps. There were people who post regularly and those who do not. The thing that surprised me most was that even some people who post regularly are often stymied about what to post. Instead of creating any kind of original content, they repost … Continue reading What to Post on Social Media? →

Sprints: A Kick in the Pants for Either Writing or Revising

Recently some of my writing friends were talking about sprints. If you aren’t familiar with the term is a sprint is a timed period of writing that gets you to put down words. It can be five minutes. It can be 40. You decided. But the goal is to sit and work for the entirety … Continue reading Sprints: A Kick in the Pants for Either Writing or Revising →

Review of Write Out Loud by Naomi D. Nakashima

Books on plotting. Books on mystery writing or character development. So many of the writing books in print are super specific. In a sense, Write Our Loud is much the same but its specificity isn’t in teaching a specific part of the craft of writing. Instead, Nakashima’s goal is to get the writer going with … Continue reading Review of Write Out Loud by Naomi D. Nakashima →

Writing a Picture Book about a Tough Topic

It isn’t that picture books about tough topics are few and far between. Bug in a Vacuum by Melanie Watts is about the five stages of grief. Mouseboat by Larissa Thuele is about the death of a parent. Night on the Sand by Monica Mayper is about being a refugee. The trick to writing about … Continue reading Writing a Picture Book about a Tough Topic →

Small Problems Build like a Dripping Faucet

When I write fiction, I’m always conscious that I need to elevate the stakes throughout the story. By the middle of the book, I always feel like I’m pushing it. “This is a story about a 12-year-old! What more can I do!” Then I read a post by Janice Hardy about small problems. The sense … Continue reading Small Problems Build like a Dripping Faucet →

Cozy Fantasy?

I know what a cozy mystery is but I have to admit that I had never heard the term cozy fantasy until I spotted this article on Tor.com. Author R. Nassor places the roots in 1960s sit coms that combined family life and magic. Not sure what I mean? Think The Addams Family, The Munsters, … Continue reading Cozy Fantasy? →

Find Your People

Yesterday I read an article by author Sean Williams called “10 1/2 Commandments of Writing.” You can (and should) check it out here. The one that really caught my attention was commandment 10.5. In short, find Your People. Every now and again the importance of this is driven home to me. Next week, I’m taking … Continue reading Find Your People →

Writing STEM for Young Readers

For some reason, we adults frequently assume that young readers cannot handle complex scientific topics. Isn’t picture book STEM all about shape hunts and sprouting seeds? Not that there is anything wrong with those topics but there’s also a need for things that are deeper. For an example of what I mean, check out Melissa … Continue reading Writing STEM for Young Readers →

Surprise! Story Ideas Come When You’re Out in the World

I love museum exhibits. I always come away with at least one story idea. Yesterday we finally made it to the armor exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum. Among the pieces that really grabbed my attention were were the engineer’s helmet and a set of jousting armor. What caught my attention with this engineer’s … Continue reading Surprise! Story Ideas Come When You’re Out in the World →

Poem or Picture Book?

Since this week was Children’s Book Week, I thought I’d end the week by writing about another amazing children’s book — REMEMBER by Joy Harjo. This picture book began life as a poem by poet laureate Joy Harjo. Not every poem can become a picture book. How do you define what a poem is? I … Continue reading Poem or Picture Book? →