Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 80

It Is OK to Say “NO.” “Maybe” and “Yes” Are Also Solid Options.

Recently I completed an editing job that I do a couple of times a year. I am responsible for collecting articles and doing the editing. Someone else, thankfully, does the layout. But invariably when I put out my call for articles, there are several people who simply never respond. I get it. This request could … Continue reading It Is OK to Say “NO.” “Maybe” and “Yes” Are Also Solid Options. →

3 Things an Agent Needs

Recently one of my writer friends got a message from an agent. This agent had seen her work on a Twitter pitch event and wanted to consider publishing it. My friend sent me the agents name and wanted to know what I thought. So I did a quick Google search. Sadly, I did not like … Continue reading 3 Things an Agent Needs →

Creating a Setting

Last week, Evelyn commented on “Do I Need to Do Research?” In part, she said “…If you set your story in a real place, you may need to look at a street map. The MG novel I’m writing is set in summer of 1968, so that required a lot of background research.” Creating a setting … Continue reading Creating a Setting →

Banned Books and Halloween

We went to a costume birthday party yesterday. My Halloween costume this year? I am among the most terrifying of modern monsters – a school librarian (optional banned books included). For those of you who can’t read the covers, I’ve got Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray … Continue reading Banned Books and Halloween →

Do I Need to Do Research?

Nine times out of ten, when I meet a new writer they tell me that they are writing some kind of fiction. “Oh, I write nonfiction.” “Not me. I don’t want to have to do the research.” Hmm. Really? Because I do research when I write fiction too. I may not do as much and … Continue reading Do I Need to Do Research? →

Literary Snobbery and Trying to Build a Reading List

The other night I almost lost it. Over a year ago, my book club read The Unwanted: Stories of Syrian Refugees by Don Brown. Only three of us had ever read a graphic novel so when time came to recommend new books, I put this one out there. If you don’t know The Unwanted, the … Continue reading Literary Snobbery and Trying to Build a Reading List →

Brainstorming: How to Go Beyond the Obvious

I recently spent some time poking around my library’s catalog, I wanted to see some of the more recent Halloween picture books. The fact of the matter is that most holidays, Halloween included, have been done and done again. If you are going to write and sell a manuscript, it is going to have to … Continue reading Brainstorming: How to Go Beyond the Obvious →

Why Write Scary

Yesterday, there was a high school shooting in our city. Depending on which news story you read, there were six or eight people taken to the hospital. Three people, including the shooter, died. Why on earth when the world is a scary place should we allow children to have scary books? There are as many … Continue reading Why Write Scary →

Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

Are you a writer who believes that you should write each and every day? Or do you write only when the mood/muse strikes you? I have to admit that I hate rigid rules like BIC – Butt in Chair. This is the idea that you put your butt in the chair and stay there even … Continue reading Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo →

How Writers Get Paid

If you want to make a living as a writer it is important to understand the various way that writers get paid which also means you need to understand different kinds of rights. Work-for-hire The writing that I do for Red Line is work-for-hire.  That means that they own the copyright and I am paid … Continue reading How Writers Get Paid →