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by Darcy Pattison Starting tomorrow: Villains (3-day series) The Bad Guys Wear Black Famous Villains Creating Villains Today, I wanted to give you links to a series on National Public Radio about “Vocal Impressions.” Listeners are asked to listen to a variety of voices and then describe that voice. In light of our discussion of [...]
by Darcy Pattison This week, I’m revising Paper Lightning: Sparking Student Brainstorming for Effective Prewriting, a teacher resource book that will come out next year. The editor keeps asking me to clarify places and I shoot her back a casual email. She likes “the you” that comes through in the emails and has asked me [...]
by Darcy Pattison Funds for Writers website lists grants for writers. What do you think of book covers with only an image and no words? I’ve been in a strange place for the last six months, essentially revising my life and writing life. Lots of family situations converged and I knew that I’d better find [...]
Summary of changes: Build on strengths of voice, rhythm, dialogue With the first Dutton editor, Myracle cut two chapters, added two chapters, strengthened sibling relationships, fleshed out a couple characters, and adjusted the main characters attitudes. When Julie Strauss-Gabel took over the project, they worked to define the emotional argument, strengthen the emotional arc, demonstrate [...]
by Darcy Pattison Since I’m talking about the Writer’s Voice on Friday, this might be of interest. The Arkansas SCBWI (Society of Children’s Bookwriters and Illustrators) will host a retreat on September 28-30, 2007 on Voice: The Writer as Ventriloquist. There are only two or three openings left. Hope you can join us!
by Darcy Pattison On Friday’s, I’ll be posting on the topic of “The Writer’s Voice.” We all know how important it is; but discussions of voice are too often, well, vague. I’ll be exploring how we can consciously create a voice that brings a particular story to life. Today–just listen to some unique voices. Listen [...]
Most authors have a revision stories. For each book published, the process varies and we can learn from each. Collected here are ocassional guest postings where an author tells a revision story about a specific project or book. Dori Butler talking about Trading Places with Tank Talbot. Janni Lee Simner talking about Secrets of the [...]
by Darcy Pattison Ellen Klagas acceptance speech for the Scott O’Dell award for the best historical fiction for her book, The Green Glass Sea. At the YA Author’s Caf?, join an Open Discussion on Sexual Content in YAs. While Dori Butler is worrying about story endings here and here and here , Stacy Whitman is [...]
5 Days on Psychology of Revising For six years, I’ve taught the Novel Revision Retreat across the country and I’ve thought a lot about the psychological issues that writers face as they face the work of revising a novel. It’s interesting that most psychological discussions of writing involve writer’s block. Not much discussion of everyday [...]
5 Days on Psychology of Revising Hope Fear and Humility, part 1 Fear and Humility, part 2 Gifted and Talented Perseverance Gifted and Talented If you have finished a draft of a novel (however messy!), you are Gifted and Talented. The fact that you are Gifted and Talented has an important implication for revising your [...]
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