It’s my great pleasure to welcome Rajani LaRocca back to Writers’ Rumpus to discuss her upcoming books in 2023- three picture books (fiction and non-fiction alike) and an epistolary middle grade novel co-authored with Chris Baron.
Category: Writing – Tools, Tips & Resources
How Difficult Can A Comp Be?
VERY! That’s my conclusion. I have been reading and writing in both YA and MG for nearly twenty years (where has the time gone). My querying nightmare continues to be comps!
When to Use THAT (Which and Who, too!)
When I ask writers which word confuses them the most, the most common answer is THAT! There are some complicated grammar rules, but rest assured, I waded through them and strove to make my explanations as clear and understandable as possible. I promise we’ll ease into this slowly, starting in the shallow end and moving progressively deeper.
Hook Your Readers from Page One with Three Ingredients
Whether it’s an agent, editor, or reader, the first page is your first, and sometimes your only, chance to make an impression and convince them to continue with your story.
Interview with Author, Editor, and Poet Ryan Van Cleave…And a Double Giveaway!
Today is a very exciting day here on the blog. I have Ryan Van Cleave here with me, who, if you don’t know, is a bit of a writing and poetry rock star. And some of what he does, you may actually not know, because he has ghostwritten many books (in addition to those under his own name) and coaches and mentors many writers behind the scenes.
INTERVIEW WITH DEBUT PICTURE BOOK AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR MARIE BOYD
Picture book illustrations are almost limitless when it comes to the materials and techniques used to make them. It’s part of what makes them so
Meet Your Writing Goals – Join a Writing Community!
Ask any successful kidlit writer how they succeeded, and chances are they’ll tell you about their writing communities. In this reblog, Carol Gordon Ekster shares the many ways she benefits from the yearly 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, one of the most well-respected and supportive online writing communities in the kidlit world.
Interview with Debut Picture Book Author Jennifer Raudenbush…and a Giveaway!
I am so pleased to have Jennifer Raudenbush here with me today so we can talk about a very magical picture book she has written called In the Palm of My Hand. The words and illustrations (by Isabella Conti) are just gorgeous, and they meld together to create a mindful, meditative, and quite existential experience for the young reader.
APRIL Middle Grade and Young Adult Opportunities
Welcome to the MG/YA Opportunities post! Find all of the monthly opportunities on the MG/YA support page! All opportunities are available to anyone with an internet connection.
EVEN: JUST’S SNEAKY COUSIN
in literary terms, the four-letter word EVEN is primarily used to provide emphasis, and once invited into sentences, can infect multiple sentences without a writer’s conscious intention.
JUST: Let it Stay or Hit Delete?
The subject of this post is JUST, a four-letter word that sneaks into sentences without invitation. Learn when to let it stay…and when to hit DELETE!
Interview With Debut Picture Book Author Cathy Stefanec Ogren
As I type out the words ‘Debut Picture Book Author’ in front of Cathy’s name, I feel a surge of excitement and pride course through
MARCH Middle Grade and Young Adult Opportunities
Welcome to the MG/YA Opportunities post! Find all of the monthly opportunities on the MG/YA support page! All opportunities are available to anyone with an internet connection.
Examining the Personality Traits of Memorable Characters
Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Charlotte, Wilbur, and Fern. Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, and Christopher Robin. If you read and/or write kidlit, I’m sure you know these well-loved characters and the phenomenally popular books they inhabit. So how do we create characters as memorable as these?
WRITERS' RUMPUS 