I was recently asked by one of my readers my thoughts on the dialogue tag "said." I do have thoughts, and thank you for asking this question. In grade school we are taught to use all kinds of dialogue tags: "Watch out," he exclaimed; "Get back here right now," she yelled; "We can't go to… Continue reading “Use dialogue tags sparingly, if at all,” she said.
I've written stories nearly all my life. I still have an original from when I was in grade two, three maybe. I wrote poetry and gory short stories through my teens. Picture books when my kids were little. And now, I focus on novel writing for middle grade and young adult audiences. Amazing how our… Continue reading The biggest lesson about the editing process.
Do you write middle grade, young adult or new adult novels? Writing for these audiences is very different than writing for adults. A lot of people believe it's easier to write for kids -- oh, if they only knew. . . Clear, clean, concise writing; convincing dialogue; and telling a story without preaching a message… Continue reading Don’t Get Shelved!
I was at the Forks today, a major tourist hub in Winnipeg, and one of my favourite hangouts. I had supper at my favourite restaurant there, A Taste of Sri Lanka. And then splurged on a small cookie dough flurry from Neon Cone. I highly recommend both when you visit. I found a table and… Continue reading Editing at the Forks
