#2 Piece of Advice for Writers

Aspiring authors:  go to writing conferences.
At conferences you mingle with other writers, agents, editors, book packagers, illustrators.  You can learn how to manage your writing life, how to balance writing with other aspects of your life.  You can learn what specific editors are looking for right now.  
You get out of your head, out of your [...]

Teen Mystery

An agent recommended Philip Pullman’s Sally Lockhart trilogy as an example of a fun YA mystery series to be emulated.  So I read the first one, The Ruby in the Smoke.  And was impressed.  Pullman is more recently known for the His Dark Materials trilogy, including The Golden Compass.
The Sally Lockhart trilogy is a whole [...]

#1 Piece of Advice for Writers

Okay, all you new and aspiring writers out there:  If you really want to write for public consumption, you need to be part of a critique group.  At least one.
My critiquing friends keep me motivated, help me write to a deadline, and point out those errors that I’m too close to the manuscript to see [...]

Teen Fantasy

In my latest research of agents, I have read a number of fantasy novels for teen girls.  This is not a genre I would choose to read.  I’m more of a mystery and suspense gal.  But, I really enjoyed these:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Evermore by Alyson Noel
And [...]