Blood on the Forehead: What I Know About Writing

by M.E. Kerr

Award-winning novelist M. E. Kerr shares for the first time the stories behind--and excerpt from--five of her novels and five short stories and offers young people dozens of sensible writing tips that can be used immediately by any aspiring writer of fiction. A professional writer who has earned her living solely as an author from the year after she graduated college to the present, Ms. Kerr--with her usual mix of sparkling with and common sense--talks about how she gets her ideas and, more important, how she uses them to create her stories. Whether you are writing your next school assignment or thinking about writing as career, Blood on the Forehead gives you a fascinatinginsight into the way one highly successful author approaches her own work.For decades, Marijane Meaker has delighted readers of all ages. Shes written under the names Vin Packer, M. J. Meaker, and Mary James. But as M. E. Kerr, writer of books for young adults, she has won perhaps her greatest audience.In Blood on the Forehead M. E. Kerr shares both the stories behind and excerpts from five of her novels and five short stories for young adults, as well as tips about what writers need to remember in order to write fiction successfully (e.g., Courtesy #10 to extend to your Cut! Cut! Cut! Your reader has a life.). With her usual mix of sparkling wit and common sense, Kerrs personal journey through the writing process is sure to buoy the spirits of any reader faced with the next writing assignment.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

262 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 1, 1998

About the author

M. E. Kerr was born Marijane Meaker in Auburn, New York. Her interest in writing began with her father, who loved to read, and her mother, who loved to tell stories of neighborhood gossip. Unable to find an agent to represent her work, Meaker became her own agent, and wrote articles and books under a series of pseudonyms: Vin Packer, Ann Aldrich, Laura Winston, M.E. Kerr, and Mary James. As M.E. Kerr, Meaker has produced over twenty novels for young adults and won multiple awards, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her lifetime contribution to young adult literature.

Reviews

[Doug Page]

Gene Fowler: Writing is easy. All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until the drops of blood form on your forehead.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first "writing book" I ever read, I believe, and I loved it. Meant for an adolescent audience, M.E. Kerr casually and succinctly took us through the simple ways in which she honed her craft and thought up her stories, which were included in the anthology. I liked her style, so it worked for me!

[D.L. Morrese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is mainly a sampling from a writer of teen fiction with explanatory introductions. These aren't the kind of stories I normally read (or write), but some of the suggestions apply to just about every style and genre.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of some snippets of her work added to by some practical insights into how writing can be made into what you do with your days when you want to write books.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too simplistic.