Category Archives: writing craft
Announcing the 2021 Eastern PA SCBWI Let’s Connect Mentorship Program
We need one another We need support We need connection We need community We are honored to announce the Eastern PA SCBWI LET’S CONNECT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM. This multi-month, one-on-one mentorship program begins formally this April 2021 and ends in September 2021 … Continue reading
Fermentation Time, by Anthony D. Fredericks
Navigating Nonfiction A monthly column by Anthony D. Fredericks Let’s assume you’re making preparations for a weekend party. Lots of your friends are coming over and you want to be sure you have some great food and their favorite beverages. So, you drive … Continue reading
The Right Verb, by Anthony D. Fredericks
Navigating Nonfiction A monthly column by Anthony D. Fredericks Question: What does a thesaurus eat for breakfast? Answer: A synonym roll. Let’s take a look at the following passage: Cheetahs can run very fast. They can run much faster than … Continue reading
Let’s Talk Podcasts! by Laura Parnum
Writers can find great information on writing craft and the business of publishing children’s books by attending conferences, reading reference books, and searching the Internet. But there is another great resource out there that many writers can take advantage of: … Continue reading
Avoiding Cliché Characters In YA Fiction, by Lori Ann Palma
When writers develop characters, we most often begin with an idea—a sort of shapeless blob that becomes more distinct as we write a first draft or do a pre-writing character study. Over time, they grow physical characteristics and a personality, … Continue reading
Chapter Prewriting Guide: Essential Character Inventory, by Kristen C. Strocchia
As Darcy Pattison likes to say, no character comes into a chapter or scene neutral. So, as the author, there are a few things that I need to be aware of before sitting to write the next chapter or scene … Continue reading
Character Primer: Which Hatched First—The Character or The Plot? by Kristen C. Strocchia
Character development is a classic question of which hatched first—the character or the plot? Or—if you’re like me—then the title almost always springs to mind first, spurring the development of both. Sometimes my title ideas inspire a setting and a … Continue reading
Confessions of a Pantser Turned Plantser: Nothing is Wasted, by Lindsay Bandy
This post by Lindsay originally appeared on the blog in September 2015. Sitting in my college creative writing class, I absorbed the words of my pony-tailed professor: “Nobody knows exactly where they’re going when they sit down to write a … Continue reading
Five Tips for Writing Realistic Dialogue in Young Adult Fiction, by Lori Ann Palma
In the coming weeks, Lindsay and Lori Ann will be sharing their favorite posts from the past. This post originally appeared in March 2015. Most writers will tell you that good fiction is all about the show, not about the … Continue reading