Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 86
July 5, 2022
Why We Need Diverse Books
I just finished listening to the audio book of Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. At one point, I had a serious “what the heck” moment. There is more than one point-of-view character, including two Mayan gods. One of them is traveling in Xibalba on the back of a giant creature. It sounded … Continue reading Why We Need Diverse Books →
July 4, 2022
When Should I Query?
Yesterday I read an interesting post by literary agent Janet Reid. I read so many blog posts on this. Don’t query between mid-November and January. Why? Christmas. Don’t query too close to ALA. Don’t query when the moon is full. Whatever. There’s an awful lot of advice on how not to time your query. Reid’s … Continue reading When Should I Query? →
July 3, 2022
4th of July: Living the Life of a Freelancer
Well, it’s that time again. Time for my annual 4th of July post. Today I’m spending time with my family and taking time off to recharge my batteries. I hope you’ll be doing the same. Whether you are working or chilling out, it pays to be flexible. Generally, we go see fireworks. The site is … Continue reading 4th of July: Living the Life of a Freelancer →
June 30, 2022
When You Critique, Read like a Writer
Recently I got a critique back from one of my writing buddies. She apologized for how long it had taken her to get back to me but the reality is this – preparing a really good critique takes time. This is because to critique you have to read like a writer. How does a writer … Continue reading When You Critique, Read like a Writer →
June 29, 2022
World Building: Build It Like an Onion
Earlier this week I was listening to an interview that Gabriela Pereira did with author Dana Alison Levy. Pereira mentioned that world building needed to center on the character. As she talked, she discussed that if you worked out from your character, you will layer your world building like an onion, adding scenes and details. … Continue reading World Building: Build It Like an Onion →
June 28, 2022
You Have to Be Visible
Yesterday I read a post on Janet Reid’s blog where she talked about whether or not you need to be on social media. A reader commented that they did not want to Tweet or blog because they want to keep their thoughts to themselves. They are a very private person. If you want to publish … Continue reading You Have to Be Visible →
June 27, 2022
Narrowing Your Cast of Characters
Last week I attended a webinar on writing fiction. One of the things that she mentioned is that having massive casts of characters is old fashioned and not something you see in modern books for young readers. Wait! Wait! I can hear your objections already. What about Harry Potter and the Hunger Games? There are … Continue reading Narrowing Your Cast of Characters →
June 26, 2022
Where to Go with a Rebellious Character
From picture books to novels, we know one thing. Our characters need to grow and change. So what do you do when you start a story with a rebellious character? This question came up during a webinar I attended last week. The writer had created a middle grade character for a historical novel. The girl … Continue reading Where to Go with a Rebellious Character →
June 23, 2022
Fact and Fiction in Picture Book Form
If picture books are your form, take a moment to read Luli and the Language of Tea by Andrea Wang. There are other children in the play room but Luli always plays alone. Each child sits in isolation because none of them speak the same language. Their parents are in an ESL class and the … Continue reading Fact and Fiction in Picture Book Form →
June 22, 2022
Research Is More Than Gathering Sources
Earlier this week, I blogged about researching both fiction and nonfiction and just how much research is necessary. When you are doing your research, you need to remember that not all sources are created equally. Last Sunday, I started doing research on Kenya. This isn’t for a writing project although if I keep reading ideas … Continue reading Research Is More Than Gathering Sources →
