Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 79

When a Piece Won’t Come Together

It took me several tries to write my posts for yesterday. Each day, I post on my author Facebook page, Twitter, and here on my blog. But try as I might, I simply could not get my tweet or my Facebook post to come together. I was trying to create a humorous post based on … Continue reading When a Piece Won’t Come Together →

Creating Strong Female Characters in Historic Fiction

If you love excellent historic fiction, pick up THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS by June Hur. Hur is known for writing top notch historic mysteries set in Korea. This one begins in 1426. It is the story of Hwani and her sister, Maewol. Nothing has been the same for their family since the day of … Continue reading Creating Strong Female Characters in Historic Fiction →

Why You Need a Google Alert

Do you have a Google Alert set up to scan the wilds of the Internet for your work?  If not, you should. I use this basic Google function to search for my name.  Because I sign blog posts as SueBE and use Sue Bradford Edwards as my byline on print and non-blog electronic materials, I … Continue reading Why You Need a Google Alert →

Celebrating My Library and Lessons for this Writer

There are so many things to love about my library – the St. Louis County Library, Florissant Valley Branch. There are so many great books (print, e, and audio) and puzzles and games and musical instruments and the list goes on and on. This library system has definitely stayed on top of things. They know … Continue reading Celebrating My Library and Lessons for this Writer →

Interview with Author/Illustrator Phyllis Harris

Today we have a special treat. My friend Phyllis Harris is here to tell us about her Christmas picture books, The Gift Shop Bear. Read on to find out about the inspiration behind this book and special words of encouragement for those who may feel like they have waited too long to start writing and … Continue reading Interview with Author/Illustrator Phyllis Harris →

Show Don’t Tell

You want to encourage young readers not to give up. Write this book the wrong way and you’ll create something preachy that just doesn’t work. Back to the drawing board! In fact, it might take you numerous tries to get it right. If you want to see one or two ways to get this message … Continue reading Show Don’t Tell →

The House on Linden Way

If you want to know how to create a book that unsettles and unnerves the reader, pick up The House on Linden Way by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo. I’ll admit – when I volunteered for this blog tour, I was uncertain about the wisdom of my choice. I am not a huge horror fan and while … Continue reading The House on Linden Way →

Help It Isn’t Selling!

You’ve written a top notch manuscript. You’ve shopped it around, and you get so many positive comments. But ultimately the answer is no. No one is buying what you’re selling or at least they aren’t buying this manuscript. Why not? Don’t you wish that agents, editors, and publishers would give you more than a “no … Continue reading Help It Isn’t Selling! →

Rewriting: Cutting Excess Words

Yesterday a friend sent out a copy of her manuscript.  She’s added everything she needs to add and cut everything she can cut.  But it is still too long and she needs to cut about 1/4 of the overall length. Here are the steps that I take when confronted with this task. Paragraph Level First … Continue reading Rewriting: Cutting Excess Words →

Early Reader vs Picture Book

One of my writing friends has been working on an early reader so we were talking about the Mr. Putter and Tabby books. As a result, I ended up checking out several from my local library. It was great to revisit these old friends. I found myself laughing aloud at SPIN THE YARN. As much … Continue reading Early Reader vs Picture Book →