If you're looking for some tools to make you more productive, check out 10 Tools To Make Every Day More Productive by Adam Connell.

(I especially like the idea of making Monday mornings count.) Taking classes in scriptwriting was also helpful.Seven mini-resolutions that will make 2019 your most productive year ever by Laura Vanderkam. After working as a journalist, I learned to tone it down.most of the time. When I flip through my old stories from high school, I cringe! My sentences were cluttered with unnecessary stuff.modifiers and adjectives. Simple words are more powerful than anything in your SAT vocab. Let strong, specific verbs do the work for you. Use active over passive voice (Avoid: was, were, are, is, am).

Some technical advice: Learn the difference between showing and telling. Or check out Christopher Vogler's updated take in his book, The Writer's Journey.

But I'm a fan of Joseph Campbell's ideas about mythology, which helped George Lucas give shape to Star Wars. I'm not big on 'how to' books about writing. Writers can't work in a vacuum! It's helpful to find another pair of eyes to catch your mistakes.as long as you trust them.įirst.you should read. Find a critique group in your area through the SCBWI website or ask your local bookstore. Unfortunately, between teaching and writing my own stories, I don't have time. Will you critique my novel/short story/screenplay/book report for class? Check out the Writer's Market (in hard copy or online) to find out how/where to send your stuff. They help you find the right editor and publisher for your manuscript. It helps if you have a literary agent to fight the dragons for you. The path to getting published is like the Yellow Brick Road.a long, strange journey filled with monsters and magic. I believe that teenagers are the most interesting people on the planet. But I didn't know that I'd become a young adult author. Why do you enjoy writing about teenagers? I shoved it in my JanSport backpack and ended up reading.during every class.until I finished in a daze.dreaming of Mr. Somebody had tossed the book in the bushes at school, as if they couldn't take it anymore. I woke up on the floor (the first and only time I've fallen out of bed). When I finished, I turned off the light and hit the sheets. The first novel I read was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory during my summer vacation in Vermont at age eight. Looking back, they seem wise and philosophical. The Frog and Toad series by Arnold Lobel were the first books I remember reading, along with Leo Lionni's classic, Frederick (who gathered sun rays for cold winter days).

Snowbirds by Crissa-Jean Chappell