A nice 'show, don't tell' tip

Kathy Temean's blog has 7 tips for writers trying to show, not tell.

I particularly liked No. 6:

6. Search for “was” in your document. While “was” isn’t always used in telling situations, it is 80% of the time.

Check out the whole list.

Jane Yolen at SCBWI

Kathy Temean published a great list of tips from Jane Yolen:

Here’s the start:

1. No exclamation points.
2. Easy on the adverbs.
3. Don’t let your characters float by giving them endless dialogue.
4. Have fun.
5. BIC – Butt in chair. HOP – Heart on Page.
6. P not F – Passion not fashion. Write what you like.
7. Remember your story does not have to have a happy ending – just a meaningful ending.
8. Fall through your story. Bury yourself in your work.
9. You don’t have to be the best, just be the best you can be,
10. Find the right word.
11. First lines should portend what is going to happen.
12. Exercise your creative muscle everyday. If you write one page everyday, you will have written 365 pages, more than you need for a novel or 73 picture books.

Check out the rest.

What do kids like to read?

Kathy Temean has some good info on her blog about what kids like to read:

In one of the reported studies, the authors observe, “. . . when reading options are limited, students are left with three choices: reading something outside of their interests, obtaining their preferred materials themselves, or not reading at all. Students who cannot afford to buy their preferred materials are more dependent on school sources and, thus, their choices are even more limited.”

Several studies in the article present their findings when groups of boys and girls were asked what they like to read. Generally, both genders in grades three to five like scary, funny, and action-packed stories.

In general, avid readers of both sexes share many of the same reading interests although there are some differences. Girls more frequently choose fiction and boys more frequently choose nonfiction. Girls more frequently prefer to read catalogues, song lyrics, poetry, and cookbooks. Boys more frequently read informational materials about videogames, sports, cars, and trucks. Boys also like fantasy, crime/detective stories, and war/spy stories, comics, graphic novels, and joke books.

Read more.

8 tips for dealing with rejection

As we enter the post-holiday submission season, Kathy Temean has some timely advice on her blog:

1. Use the Susan O’Keeffe method. In case you don’t know Susan, she is a very successful author. One day she shared what she tells herself. “I may not be the best writer in the world, but I know I am going to be the most persistent writer in the world.” These are words that have really paid off for her. I think they could pay off for you, too.
   
   
2. You make it happen. Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. Make a plan to work on the weaknesses or decide how to work around them. Then use the Susan O’Keeffe method and keep submitting.
   
   
3. Make sure what you are submitting is your best work. Don’t be so eager to submit that you just print it out and submit. That will only set you up for rejection and too much rejection sets you up for giving up. Get feedback from other writers and let your masterpiece sit for a while before sending it out.

Read the rest.