Friday, April 30, 2010

From Jill Corcoran

Wonderful agent & friend Jill Corcoran (Herman Agency) gives us another nugget today:



Don't look towards the mediocre and say it worked for them; aspire to the stars and look towards the neighboring galaxy.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

from Jen Weiss Handler

Prolific inspiration giver and wonderful manuscript guru Jen writes:



Writing to get published will almost always set you up for failure, whereas writing because you're INSPIRED to write -- because you have a story to tell and need, or want, to tell it -- and spending more time thinking about the story and less about what happens when it's finished will make for a much stronger manuscript in the end.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

From Martha Mihalik

Greenwillow's super Assoc. Editor Editor Martha writes:



Every writer's voice is unique. You have something to say to the world, and a story that can't be told by anyone else -- never forget that.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

From Lin Oliver

SCBWI's wonderful Executive Director, funny writer, and fabulous friend to many, writes:



There are three unheralded joys of being a writer. 1. You get to work in your pajamas. 2. You get to amuse yourself and regard it as work. 3. You get the opportunity to hang out with other writers, undeniably the most interesting of peer groups.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

From Joan Bauer

The oh-so-talented Joan Bauer writes:





When the recycling truck rumbles down my street, I like to think of all the messes I've recycled in my writing -- the pains, the hurts, the misunderstandings, all washed out and reused in my stories. I hate hard times, but the soul satisfaction I get from recycling them makes the bad stuff bearable -- and getting paid for it is oh so sweet.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

From Michael Mallory

Just in time for tax day, mystery writer and general funny guy Mike writes:



Writing is like sex; you should first find out if you're good at it before charging for it.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

From Holly Cupala

Bursting-on-the-scenes this spring, debut author Holly Cupala writes:



My best bite of inspiration is to write as honestly as you can the first time - you can always refine it, but it's hard to recapture that raw truthfulness in revisions.



To get to that tender layer and defy my cranky internal critic, I harness a simple kitchen tool - the egg-timer, to be precise! In 15 minute increments, I write as much as I can to outrun the voice (and it's a handy tool on the all-too-short preschool writing days). After spending four years writing TELL ME A SECRET, I discovered I could write the second YA in just four months.



Is it too much to hope the next will take four weeks...?

Thursday, April 8, 2010

From Jill Corcoran

Jill, agent extraordinaire with the Herman Agency, writes:



Your book title is your whistle, your magnet, your bullhorn.

Monday, April 5, 2010

From Jen Weiss Handler

Jen, a fabulous manuscript doctor and former children's book editor, writes:



The best writers I know write a little bit every day -- in email, in a blog, in a manuscript that might never see the light of day. It's like exercise for their writing voice; the more they write, the more their voice gets defined.

Friday, April 2, 2010

From Jen Rees

Jen Rees, amazing Sr. Editor at Scholastic Press, writes:



Write the story that only you can write.