“When all is said and done the most important critic of an author is the author. Self-criticism is a constant and vital component of any writing.”
Thoughts on Book Reviews :: Avi
Plot broken down into manageable steps.
Planning to Plot :: Janet Fox
“In the real world – our world – kids are struggling, too. They’re looking for someone to listen…Books about sensitive topics don’t harm kids. They empower them.”
On Writing Books for Real Kids…And Telling the Truth by Kate Messner :: Nerdy Book Club
An interesting look on choosing what to include and what to omit when writing narrative non-fiction.
What Gets Left Out :: Bookology
“One of the most challenging aspects of receiving feedback on a manuscript is that editors often jump straight to offering you ideas and solutions that don’t resonate. You want to be receptive to feedback, you want to keep an open mind, but you if you listen to these ideas you can get confused in a hurry.”
When editing, start with the problems before jumping to solutions :: Nathan Bransford
“You can’t just order story breakthroughs. They happen when you look at something you’ve been working on for years and suddenly see a connection you never noticed before, or when you’re looking for something else altogether. Sometimes they happen by accident. Don’t they know you can’t get a story breakthrough just because you want one?”
Engineering Story Breakthroughs :: Susan Dennard
Caroline, I so appreciate this post. The links you provide here are fantastic. I’m on the hunt for craft commentary/advice on revision for poetry. If you have a blog entry, link or sage advice to share….please share. Keep up the good work.
So glad to hear it! I don’t know about sage advice, but in poetry revision I think it’s important to think of the purpose behind each word. Does it earn the right to stay?