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SELF DOUBT or BIG DREAMS

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Saltwater TaffySELF DOUBT or BIG DREAMS

You have to decide if self doubt or big dreams will lead your adventure when going after something you love.   The reason I wanted to talk about the self doubt or big dreams because it’s a choice and a battle I have been dealing with the evolution of my adventure novel, Saltwater Taffy.

When we think about going after our dreams, self-doubt has the uncanny “in-ability” of creeping in, looking for ways to defeat us before we even begin our adventure.  The more mental attention we give to the dream and not the Read more

GETTING BOYS TO READ: Writers, Parents and Teachers, Oh My!

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Saltwater TaffyGETTING BOYS TO READ

Sadly, getting boys to read has been a problem in the past, but now it is an epidemic in our country that we need to address.  In our rapidly changing, dancing with the stars, fast food nation of American culture, boys are falling behind in school for one reason and one reason only.  Getting Boys To Read is difficult.

The official GUYS READ website tells us that the United States Department of Education reading tests over the last 30 years shows us that boys are scoring lower than girls in every age group…every…single…year.  The study also showed that eighth grade boys were 50% more likely to be held back Read more

7 SECRETS TO CHILDREN’S BOOK MARKETING

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Saltwater Taffy7 SECRETS TO CHILDREN’S BOOK MARKETING

Children’s book marketing is the most important element there is after you write a children’s book.

So, there you are, drained from giving your blood, sweat and tears to write the next great American best-selling children’s book, but what’s this?  You have more work to do?  I know, it’s hard to imagine, but it is true as the sky is blue.  You see, the minute you finish your manuscript, you are only 10% there.  You must now must up the strength to give another

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7 Secrets For Children’s Book Writing

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7 SECRETS FOR CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING

While there are potentially 1000 tips for children’s book writing, here are my 7 Secrets for Children’s Book Writing.  I used these secrets to write my award winning children’s book, Saltwater Taffy.  And remember when taking advice from other writers about writing…find what works for you and apply it to your writing, but never lose sight of YOUR writing.  More and more, people are writing to satisfy either the marketplace or their agents.  What does that leave?  A bland and boring piece of writing.

 

1. MAKE IT FUN – Kids want adventure.  Kids want action.  I once heard a kid say: “If it’s not fun, I don’t want to read it.”  With fractured attention spans and our culture of ADD and ADHD, you have to grab your reader on page 1 with an awesome opening!

2. CHARACTERS AGE – Once you determine your target audience, tack on a few years to your main characters.  Kids like to read what it’s like to ‘be older.’

3. PACE IS EVERYTHING – On Law & Order, we had one rule; if the scene doesn’t move the story, cut it.  This speaks to TIP #1.  Kids want the story to read stories that are fun and cook! Read more

CHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING

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Children's Book WritingCHILDREN’S BOOK WRITING

Children’s Book Writing can be a difficult task, but from the minute we sit down to write something without an assignment from a teacher, we are officially writers.

The minute we have a desire to create something out of nothing, we are writers.  The minute we answer a story call from the deepest parts of our souls, we are writers and we are at our very best.

After 7 seasons of Law & Order, 2 seasons on The Big Easy for USA Networks, writing and directing a nightmare job for Lions Gate Films (Venice Underground), adapting a NY Times best seller for 2oth Century Fox Read more