Liesl Shurtliff's Blog, page 3

Thanks! And Last day to enter for an ARC!

Thank you so much for all the cover-love for RUMP! It has been so fun to share the cover with everyone, and I'm getting more and more excited to share the entire book. I've already had a few kids in my neighborhood read the ARC and I can't tell you how rewarding it is to finally have a few of my intended readership actually read my book, ask questions, and talk about their favorite parts. The trolls seem to be quite popular, as well as Rump's silly rhymes. Though I've always believed RUMP wou...

RUMP Cover Reveal and ARC giveaway!

Everyone says you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but ironically everyone does. And since my book has a cover like this...  
I'm absolutely okay with that. 

Cover Art by Zdenko Basic

Want to know my favorite part? That mischievous looking pixie on the left that looks like he's about to pounce on Rump's head, because he absolutely would.    Front Jacket View


Back Jacket View
 

You can't really read that small text but here's the jacket description:

In a magical...

Author Crush

Have you ever heard a writer or avid reader say they have an author crush? I have. And when someone tells me that, I invisibly roll my eyes. How can you have a crush on someone just by reading their book? Do you start fantasizing about the way they write? The sound of their fingers tapping on the keyboard? The way they smile when they get a new idea? Or maybe you fantasize about going to lunch with them and discussing all your favorite books, and they'll tell you how much they love your book?...

First Loves and First Books

I'm on the Lucky 13's blog today, so head on over to read all about my first love and my first book. Lots of fun!

Novels in Verse

Up until this year, the only novel in verse I have ever read is Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust, which I thought was rich and engaging, but for some reason I haven't picked up another verse novel since, until I heard about May B. by Caroline Starr Rose. May B. has been compared to the Little House on the Prairie books.


And then of course Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai won the Newbery Honor and National book award, and I drank that up as well.

 
Both of these stories are powerful...

The Best of the Best Writing Advice with Lin Oliver (Part III)

10. Come up with a character you love. -Paula Dansager-
Think what he or she wants most in the world and what is keeping her from getting it.


11. In writing, nothing is wasted by the paper. -Sid Fleischman-
Don't be afraid to throw out and rewrite.


12. Keep a journal. 

13. "Make it shorter." -Lin Oliver
You never read a book and think, "Oh, it was too short." Tell your story in as few words as possible. Develop an efficiency of language.


14. Know yourself. 
Know what you're good at. Eve...

The Best of the Best Writing Advice with Lin Oliver (Part II)

5. "The most important skill of storytelling is listening." -Richard Peck
Listen like a writer. Watch people. Eavesdrop. Read obituaries. Stories are everyone and everyone has stories.


6. Read your work aloud and listen to it like music. (several authors)
You will hear where your work is lacking or boring.


7. Be emotional but not sentimental. (several authors)
Do not reminisce. This is about childhood experience, not recollection. Just because it happened to you doesn't make it interesting. Don'...

I'm on Lucky 13's today!

I have a post up on the Lucky 13's blog today! How to make the most of a critique. Go check it out!

The Best of the Best Writing Advice with SCBWI's Lin Oliver

Last month I had the opportunity to attend an SCBWI-IL conference with none other than founders Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser. They were delightful, and it was so fun to listen to them reminisce about how SCBWI came to be and how it has developed and grown over the years.

Aside from that, I think my favorite part was listening to Lin Oliver give "The Best of the Best Writing Advice" which was a compilation of the best advice she's heard from the some of the best children's authors over the yea...

When I have something to say

Hi. it's been a while, I know. Maybe you didn't notice and maybe you did. (I hope you did, and if you did, I hope you missed me.) The reasons for my absence are the usual: I've been busy with life and writing. I just finished a big revision for my next book (the subject and title of which shall remain a mystery for now) and between those moments, I've been busy with my family.

Given how irregular and sporadic I can be with my blogging, it would seem that I don't really care for it much, but t...