WRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

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do_your_bestWRITING CHILDREN’S BOOKS

One of the biggest secrets to writing children’s books is to watch your own thoughts.   Be careful not to judge your abilities, just trust in the process and keep moving the story forward.  Remember, if a chapter or page doesn’t propel your story, then CUT IT.  Be bold.  Be ruthless with your story.  If you don’t, who will?  Certainly not your readers because they will lose interest.

The process of creating my Middle Grade Fiction novel, Saltwater Taffy has been a wild ride.  By saying it’s been a wild ride, I mean my thoughts were all over the place…thoughts of JUDGEMENT, right there alongside…. Read more

MIDDLE GRADE CHILDREN Are Messengers of Greatness

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Flippity FlappityMIDDLE GRADE CHILDREN Are Messengers of Greatness

Why do I think middle grade children are messengers of greatness?  Well, when I sat down to write the Saltwater Taffy book, I knew I wanted to tell a story of adventure for middle grade readers.  Middle grade children are at an age where they still know what it is like to play, be silly, and dream of a brighter future.  They never worry about what other people think of them.  They simply go about their business and take no prisoners doing so.  They simply PLAY.

If we aren’t careful, however, it can also be an age where they develop bad habits that stick with them for the rest of their lives.  What kind of habits am I talking about?  The habit of… Read more

The Secret to Writing Middle Grade Fiction

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Saltwater TaffyThe Secret to Writing Middle Grade Fiction

The secret to writing middle grade fiction is not really a secret, but rather a discipline of practice for authors.  That discipline is the craft of rewriting and being ruthless on your own work.  This is what I had to do when I began writing the Saltwater Taffy book…an adventure book for tweens.  I had to become my own editor.  I had to scrutinize every word, because if I didn’t, my middle grade readers would see it on the page.  

With that in mind, I will give you a few of MY secrets, because after writing three books and making my share of independent movies, not to mention 7 years of working on NBC’s LAW & ORDER, I am often asked… Read more