Sarah Allen's Blog, page 4

How To Write A Query Letter

 I hope you've all had a great week! I spent most of mine working on some freelance writing work as well as the zero draft of my next middle grade novel--it's a monster book, and has been great fun to write! What are you all working on?

How To Write A Query Letter

Toast: A Poem

The 'I Don't Want To Write' Song:

@sarahallenbooks The surprise end of this song sponsored by my mom's pantry. Thank you for coming to my "I Don't Want To Write" concert. And thank you @literallyjohngreen and @hankgreen1 for the Tshirt. #writertok #writersoftiktok #authorsoftiktok #sillysong #songs #songwriter ♬ original sound - Sarah Allen | Author

Book Recommendation: One of my very favorites of recent years is Scary Stories for Young Foxes, by Christian McKay Heideker. I was so thrilled when it won the Newbery! Check it out! 

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Teach Yourself Illustration and Cartooning

Teach Yourself Illustration and Cartooning

Hi friends! Are you at all interested in illustration or comics drawing? Personally, I'm a writer first and foremost, but I have always been interested in illustrated chapter books, picture books, and graphic novels. As writers, having those skills simply opens up additional opportunities, right? So the last few months I've really been diving in to it. I've never taken an art class and don't feel like I'm ever going to be a great artist, but here's the key to all this, that I learned from the amazing graphic novelist and illustrator, Jarod Rosello: your art doesn't have to be great, it just has to communicate. I feel like that idea freed me from the constraints of feeling like I actually had to be good at this, ha! And since then, I've been going through a lot of tutorials on the site 21-Draw, and they have been incredibly helpful. So if you're interested in being able to open more writing opportunities for yourself with some art communication skills, I recommend it to you!

Writing Villains: This is what always happens when I write villains--
My Kitty is Named After My Favorite Star Trek Character:

Book Recommendation: Speaking of Jarod Rosello, may I recommend to you his fantastic middle grade graphic novel series? It's adorable and so much fun!
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Writing Lesson from the Super Bowl

Writing Lesson from the Super Bowl

 

What a game! That's about as tight as it gets. Ups and downs, twists and turns, cheers and heartbreak for both sides. So what can we writers take from that game?

It's not over till it's over.

I think in a lot our writing lives, we might feel like Chief's fans at halftime. Down ten points, and our QB has a bum ankle. Maybe this is us when we think we're finally getting that agent offer, but it's a no go. Maybe this is after we've published a few books and things start to fizzle. Maybe this is our editor leaving the business. So what do we do? Come out after half-time with throwing arms cocked and ready and a determination nothing can stop. Keep on keeping in. It's not over until you say it's over.

When Social Media feels like a Heartless Void

   

When Your Muse Leaves You To Work By Yourself

@sarahallenbooks What, does the muse just expect us to KEEP GOING??? Like this is our JOB or something??? #writertok #writersoftiktok #authortok #booktok #authorsoftiktok ♬ original sound - FJerry

Book Recommendation: This absolute stunner by Cindy Baldwin comes out next week, so preorder yourself a copy now!

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Turner Syndrome Awareness Month

 Hey friends! February is Turner Syndrome awareness month. It's a great time to pick up a copy of WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF if you haven't already!

@sarahallenbooks February is Turner Syndrome Awareness Month! I never saw myself in books as a kid. When this mom sent me this video I basically dissolved. This THIS is exactly why we write. #turnersyndrome #disabilitytiktok #disabilityawareness #disabilityrepresentation ♬ original sound - Sarah Allen | Author

Self Care: What are your preferred self care activites?

 

Teaching myself to draw comics:


Book Recommendation: The Nest by Kenneth Oppel is one of my favorite middle grade horror novels. It's got all the best stuff, and plenty of heart!

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Dealing with 1 Star Reviews

 How to Handle 1 Star Reviews:

@sarahallenbooks This is now the official anthem of 1⭐ reviews. #writertok #writersoftiktok #author #authortok #authorsoftiktok #authorsofbooktok #booktok ♬ I Dont Care - garlandgays

Sleep Styles of a Cat Lady:

 

He's a Ten, But...MASH edition:
Book Recommendation:
Huge congrats to all the American Library Association award winners this morning! I'm off to get my hands on a copy of the newest Newbery winner, FREEWATER!

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Are You Good Enough to Be A Writer?

 Weekly Roundup 1/23/23

The Writing Process in 15 seconds:

January Ghosts:

Are You Good Enough to Be A Writer?

@sarahallenbooks How do you know if you're good enough to be a writer? #writertok #writersoftiktok #authorsoftiktok #authortok ♬ original sound - Sarah Allen | Author

Book Recommendation:

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When An Author Doesn't Match Their Book

 Weekly Roundup: 1/16/23

The Author vs. The Book:

I made a little comic about when an authors look, personality, and vibe doesn't at all seem to match their book. This is in contrast to some authors *ahem* Stephen King *ahem* who really, really DO seem like the kind of person who writes the books they do. This may or may not have been inspired by the middle grade horror I have coming out in August. You can find the original comic here. 

Why I Write Kids Books:

 Click here for original video
The Saiga Song:


Book Recommendation:
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! The book recommendation for this week is Dear Martin by Nic Stone. Definitely an important and worthwhile read, if you haven't already checked it out. 
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Sign up for my monthly newsletter, and preorder The Nightmare House today! 

Writing Middle Grade

 

***"As a child, I disliked books in which children learned to be 'better' children." - Beverly Cleary

***Currently Reading: THE ASH HOUSE, by Angharad Walker.
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Order my middle grade books, WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF and BREATHING UNDERWATER today! And follow along on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter!

Attenborougholics Anonymous

Hi, I’m Sarah, and I’m an Attenborougholic.

I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been that long since I watched my last David Attenborough documentary. In fact I watched one last night. The primates episode of Life, you know the one where the orangutan mother teaches her baby how to build nests and it’s raining and the baby holds a giant leaf above its head like an umbrella and it’s so tender it makes you want to cry? Oh, I’m supposed to avoid triggers. Sorry. Anyway.

It wasn’t even my idea to come here tonight. My friends basically staged an intervention. They said I “don’t hang out with real people anymore” and they’re “tired of my fake British accent.” I keep telling them my The Life Collection box set isn’t on a shrine, it’s just on a special table next to some candles and a picture of a gorilla that also happens to have Sir David in it, ok?

I honestly don’t see a problem. It’s not like David Attenborough documentaries are disrupting my life. Well, ok, so maybe I’ve forgotten what day it is a couple or several times, but isn’t that everybody during a pandemic? And maybe my student ratings are on the decline, but come on, am I really supposed to care about grading freshman composition papers when a newly hatched marine iguana is making a death-defying escape from a waiting hoard of coiling, writhing, racer snakes?

All I’m saying is that there’s an Attenborough for every occasion. Scared about a job interview? Put on The Hunt. Summer heat wave? Cool off with Frozen Planet. Trying to restore your circadian rhythms? Fall asleep to the dulcet sounds of Sir David narrating Blue Planet.

Look, it’s just a tough world we live in, you all know that. It’s a trash-fire. But when I’m on the couch with my cat Atty and Planet Earth is playing, that part where moonlit bats skim for fish in slow motion like a ballet, I forget about the trash-fire parts for a while.

I admit, when it was announced that all the BBC Earth series would be leaving Netflix… those were dark days. Some real lows. I don’t think I lasted even a full day before blowing half my paycheck to buy the lot on Amazon Prime. But now they’re mine for good, downloaded on my phone, my iPad, and my laptop. What, like I’m gonna pause three cheetah brothers working in perfect synchronicity to hunt down an ostrich, just because I have to pee?

I’ve never told anyone this (and I can’t believe I’m announcing it to you all now) but I’ve even found myself playing Miracle on 34th Street in the middle of June just because Richard (rest in peace, #ibelieveinsanta) sounds a lot like his brother.

Maybe I have a slight problem. Heaven knows, Sir David’s been a blessing and a curse during this pandemic. I must’ve watched Africa fifty times since we all went into quarantine, the perfect escape, but my anxiety over David’s health and well-being has skyrocketed. Since he got the vaccine I’ve finally started sleeping again.

But what you’re asking me to do is take an impossible plunge, a leap off the edge of a four-hundred foot cliff like the barnacle goslings at the beginning of Life Story. It’s like, without those birds, who am I, you know? Just a girl who’s never been to Greenland? My friends say I could go to Greenland if I “did my job” and “participated in the world instead of just watching David Attenborough narrate it,” but how am I supposed to know where to look without him telling me?

What if—God forbid—we lose him before they make Planet Earth III?

I’ve gone on too long, now, but that reminds me. Those of you from the Steve Irwin GriefShare group—I recognize a few faces—I’ll see you tomorrow.

Thank you for listening.    

 

Writing Thoughts From The Grass

 

Recommended Read: You'll Find Me by Amanda Rawson Hill.

Submission Opportunity: Poetry for Uncanny Magazine, due Jan. 18.

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Sarah Allen is the author of WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF and the upcoming BREATHING UNDERWATER. Find her online @sarahallenbooks and https://www.sarahallenbooks.com/.