What Jules Feiffer taught me about writing for kids
boingboing.net – Saturday December 12, 2015
25 years into creating my comic strip “Tom the Dancing Bug,” I’ve just embarked on another venture: writing books for kids. My series of books, The EMU Club Adventures, began in April with Alien Invasion in My Backyard, and the second installment, Ghostly Thief of Time, was released last month.
Now, “Tom the Dancing Bug” is certainly not for kids, but writing for kids was something I’ve always wanted to do. I love kids’ literature and culture, and I love kids; if I’m at a gathering of friends and family, you’ll probably find me laughing it up with the kids.
But as I started this new task, I was kind of worried about whether I could write for an audience that wasn’t me. My comic strip is pretty much what I would want to read – would consciously writing for another audience render the work stilted, off-target, or even pandering?
Self-Publishing Stars of 2015
publishersweekly.com – Saturday December 12, 2015
In BookLife and Publishers Weekly’s second annual starred reviews roundup, we celebrate the best of the best: the self-published books that received starred reviews in 2015. And we check in with some of the authors of these titles, asking them for writing advice and self-publishing tips for aspiring writers.
What’s the secret of good writing?
theguardian.com – Friday December 11, 2015
I first encountered Robert Boice’s name about three years ago, somewhere online; after that, it started popping up every other month. Boice, I learned, was a US psychologist who’d cracked the secret of how to write painlessly and productively. Years ago, he’d recorded this wisdom in a book, now out of print, which a handful of fans discussed in reverent tones, but with a title that seemed like a deliberate bid for obscurity: How Writers Journey To Comfort And Fluency. Also, it was absurdly expensive: used copies sold for £130. Still, I’m a sucker for writing advice, especially when so closely guarded. So this month, I succumbed: I found a copy at the saner (if still eye-watering) price of £68, and a plain green print-on-demand hardback arrived in the post. So if you hunger to write more, but instead find yourself procrastinating, or stifled by panic, or writer’s block, I can reveal that the solution to your troubles is…
Frankfurt Book Fair Considers an Early Start for Agents
publishersweekly.com – Thursday December 10, 2015
Frankfurt Book Fair officials this week confirmed that talks are underway to possibly open rights dealing at the fair a day earlier in 2016.
Although no final decision has been reached, Frankfurt LitAg director Riky Stock told PW that more than 50 agencies have now added their names to a preliminary list of agencies interested in scheduling meetings in the Frankfurt Book Fair Literary Agents & Scouts Centre (LitAg) on the Tuesday before the fair’s official Wednesday opening. Stock said the list will help determine if there is enough interest to make a Tuesday LitAg opening feasible for next year. The 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair is scheduled for October 19-23.
A Simple 4-Step Process for Writing Your First Book in 100 Days
entrepreneur.com – Thursday December 10, 2015
It's on a lot of people's bucket lists, along with "go to space” or “walk through Central Park naked.” Okay, maybe that’s just my bucket list.
But my guess is, somewhere on your list too is the desire to write a book. I also know that the very thought of writing a book generally feels like a monumental task, probably something akin to launching a rocket into orbit.
New Publisher Listing
firstwriter.com – Thursday December 10, 2015
Publishes: Fiction;
Areas include: Crime; Fantasy; Horror; Mystery; Romance; Thrillers; Women's Interests;
Markets: Adult; Children's; Youth;
Preferred styles: Contemporary; Dark
Publishes hard-hitting dark sci-fi, speculative fiction, and paranormal works aimed at adults, young adults, and new adults. Send query with first three chapters using online submission form.
Portico prize winner Benjamin Myers: 'Why bother chasing the big publishers?'
theguardian.com – Wednesday December 9, 2015
After being turned down by ‘every major publisher in London’ for his Portico winning novel Beastings, the author says landing the £10,000 prize ‘felt like a vindication’.
New Magazine Listing
firstwriter.com – Wednesday December 9, 2015
Publishes: Fiction; Poetry;
Areas include: Short Stories;
Markets: Adult;
Preferred styles: Literary
Publishes poetry and fiction. Submit one story up to 5,000 words or up to five poems by post only with SASE. No submissions by email. Reading period runs from September 1 to December 1 annually.
Should Writing Be an Art or a Career?
newrepublic.com – Tuesday December 8, 2015
There’s a very funny photograph taken by Brassaï of Pablo Picasso posing in his Paris studio. Picasso had acquired a giant oil painting of a nude woman from an antique shop, and he strikes an affected pose before it, his brush poised and his little finger extended, as though he’s preparing to make the finishing touch on a masterwork. The actor Jean Marais is stretched out on the floor beside him, pretending to serve as the model despite being fully dressed. The target of the joke is clear: Picasso was ridiculing the pretensions and conventions of the professional painter. “I am not a professional artist,” Brassaï recounts him repeating, “as if he were claiming innocence of a slander.”
What Acclaimed Authors Love About Writing
huffingtonpost.com – Monday December 7, 2015
Over the years, I've had the incredibly good fortune of interviewing many of the most widely-read novelists on the planet. I often (but not always) ask certain questions of each author. One of my favorites is: What do you love about the writing life?
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