Linda Gerber's Blog, page 5

UNBREAK MY HEART Cover Reveal

Oh, nooos! This was set to automatically post yesterday while I was holiday festifying, and it didn't! Sorry to anyone who came looking! But here it is...

Melissa Walker's latest, UNBREAK MY HEART, which is set to release May 22, 2012. Enjoy!


Told in alternating chapters, UNBREAK MY HEART chronicles the year that broke Clem's heart... and the summer that healed it.

For Writers - Beating Writers' Block with Laurie Stolarz

Much to celebrate this week. My kids are home from college (hugs to Clark and Jenna!) It's my sister's birthday. (Happy birthday, Donna!) My daughter's best friend got married (joy and happiness, Rylee and Daniel!), my dear friend JA McAndrews's new book was born (congratulations, Jen!), I get to be part of a cover reveal tomorrow (not mine... see deets at the end of this post), and my GCC sistah Laurie Stolarz's book DEADLY LITTLE VOICES has hit the shelves! (Hooray, Laurie!)

Laurie was kind...

For Writers - Distractions

Today's tip is mainly for myself, but you are all welcome to listen in if it applies to you as well.

It's about distraction. Not just any distraction - I do like me a little Nathan Fillion or Robert Downey Junior from time to time - but those distractions that keep me from putting words on the page. They are distractions of choice. I choose to let them take over my writing time and then wonder how it could be that I have only a page or two to show for several hours at the computer.

For instance...

For Writers - Conflict!

The tip this week is an answer to a workshop attendee's question:

Q - My critique group said I don't have enough conflict in my story. How do you know when your story has "enough conflict"?

A - Conflict is what drives your plot. "Enough conflict" is whatever's needed to move your story along (and to keep your readers engaged.)

Here are some things to consider:

What does your hero need to achieve/obtain?
What's keeping her from getting/doing it?
What is at stake?

If you like a clear visual of how ...

For Writers - Sense of Place with Tricia Springstub

Happy Tuesday! Hope you had a fabulous holiday, those of you who are in the US. And for those of you racing through NaNoWriMo, only two days left to go! *whip! crack!* Get a move on! Meanwhile, we have two weeks' worth of links to catch up on, so let's get with it.

This week's tip comes to you courtesy of children's author, Tricia Springstubb. Tricia's books, MO WREN, LOST AND FOUND and IT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET have garnered starred reviews from The Horn Book and Kirkus and have been Best Boo...

For Writers - It's Hump Day. Be Happy!

My critique partners will attest that I hit the mid-month slump a few days early this month. For those of you doing NaNoWriMo, you know what I mean. It's akin to a literary mid-life crisis. Mine went something like this - How will I ever make it by the end of the month? My word count is so far behind! Is this idea even viable? Am I wasting my time? Should I be writing something else? Where is the chocolate???

Thankfully, my fabulous crit partners had all the necessary words of wisdom and encou...

For Writers - Beating the Block with Lauren Baratz-Logstead

Where did October go? My apologies for another prolonged absence - it was a crazy month. I taught a month-long online workshop with my friend Jen, McAndrews, presented the same with her at the Emerald City Writers' Conference, and also presented a workshop for Thurber House. (Shout out to workshop attendees!) Oh, and I also visited my kids at college, hung out with my friends at a writers' retreat, and finished one project, while starting another. My head is still spinning! BUT...

Today'...

For Writers - Queries with Dee Garretson

Getting ready to send out th at query? This tip is for you. It comes to us from Dee Garretson, author of MG adventures, including her latest, WOLF STORM.

Dee grew up playing in Iowa, playing in the woods, helping her dad with his inventions, and writing stories. She earned a degree in international relations, then realized sitting at a desk was not her thing. She went back to school to get a degree in landscape horticulture and taught that for a few years. Finally, she decided writing was where...

For Writers - Banned Books Week and Judy Blume

I n honor of Banned Books Week, I'm digging back into my SCBWI Conference notes with some nuggets of wisdom from Judy Blume - one of the most challenged authors, and a gamechanger in the children's book world. She was a surprise guest at the conference and a delightful one at that.
There were plenty of takeaways from her visit, but something that resounded with me was the message for writers to stick with it and never give up.

Judy Blume said:

We all started writing not knowing what we were doing...

For Writers - Follow Your Passion... and the Market

Happy Tuesday!

Given the turn of events since I returned from the Most Excellent SCBWI Conference in LA last month, I'm behind in sharing some of the nuggets of wisdom I picked up from the indescribable line-up of children's book industry luminaries who were there. Here's a wise bit of counsel from Jon Sceiszka:

Combine your passion with the market.

As writers, we are told time and time again not to chase the market, but this was a good reminder that we should at least be aware of it. For exampl...