It’s butterfly season here in Massachusetts, where I live. All of the beautiful monarch butterflies have come back up north to enjoy a few glorious
Tag: middle grade
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
Award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass have teamed up on this delightful and mysterious novel! How could any lover of middle grade resist?
Editing Tips 2: When to edit and how
To preserve the art of your story, don’t edit until you have a full draft. Or a second, or even a third. Then, you are
Before We Turn the Page: The 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’re invited to peruse my 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review! As another year draws to a close, I continue to marvel at the variety and quality of our posts, and thank all of our authors and readers for your commitment to our kidlit blog. Once again, I’ve been honored and challenged to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, date link, and brief summary. Enjoy!!
Editing tip: Ditch most filter words!
Crafting a memorable narrative requires keeping the reader engaged; limiting the use of filter words can help. Why is that? Because filter words tell rather
DECEMBER 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.
Celebrating Indigenous North American Life and Contributions…with Kidlit!
In my eyes, there’s nothing like an exquisitely written piece of children’s nonfiction in its ability to teach things and light a fire in a
Is Your Chapter Length Affecting Your Novel’s Pacing?
The secret to writing a great book is to make it absolutely unputdownable! Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, but there are some choices you can make with your chapter structure to encourage readers to keep those pages turning–hopefully until the very end!
NOVEMBER 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.
Kate DiCamillo’s Way of Seeing Character
The heart of Kate DiCamillo’s newest book, The Puppets of Spelhorst, could be the wondrous, looping trajectory of the plot or the rich color of
American vs British English: A Helpful Guide for Writers and Teachers
This post is inspired by The London Eye Mystery, a middle grade novel popular on both sides of the pond by talented Irish author Siobhan Dowd (who sadly, passed away in 2007). First in an award-winning two-book series, it features relatable, memorable, and unique kid sleuths.
OCTOBER 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.
Don’t Let ALMOST Sabotage Your Plot!!
If almost works in real life, why doesn’t it work in our novels? It’s no fun for readers when a scene builds up tension and … almost happens.
TOP 5 STEPS FOR EVALUATING ONLINE WRITING CONFERENCES
You’ve just received another email for an online writers’ conference. How do you know if it’s right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference? I’m the host of Picture Book Summit, and I’ve worked in the online conference space since 2011.
WRITERS' RUMPUS 