Young Writers

 

 I received a message via Facebook this week from a seventeen year old girl asking me about how to get stories published. She loves to write and is considering her major in college based on that. Her message was music to my ears. I can't help it. It's the teacher/mom/ writer in me!

My heart leaps when young people are excited about reading and writing. My experience has allowed me to read the creative works of children. Their imaginations leave me in awe at times. Imagination is the building block needed to develop their writing. Nothing motivates my kids to write more than when I tell them their stories don't have to be real. Their little wheels turn. I like to eavesdrop on their conversations as they bounce ideas off one another.

My FB message this week gave me an idea for this blog. I'd like to post advice and information for young writers beginning today.  I think a good place to start for writers 13 and over is the Young Writers Society. It's an online community for young writers to interact and showcase their writing.

For children under 13, with parental permission, I like Poetry 4 Kids. Kenn Nesbitt is the author of many funny poems that kids love. He has a poetry contest for kids once a month. The winner's work is published on the website.

My advice for writers of all ages is to read and write as much as you can!

Meet the Author of the Teen Wytche Saga

I'm please to introduce this Friday's Feature YA Adult Author,  Ariella Moon,  author of the Teen Wytche Saga.
                                                              





What inspired you to become a writer?

In sixth grade I won a national essay contest. Talk about a confidence booster! Plus, I have always been a voracious reader. But my biggest inspiration has been my daughter. She was an advanced reader from a very young age and it was difficult to find complex books for her that were age appropriate. She's grown now, but there are many kids like her. So I write clean teen romances with relatable subjects like sibling rivalry, friendship issues, mental illness, high school, and first love.

What book(s) have you written that you would like to tell us about?

I have written three contemporary, paranormal teen romances (working on #4) in the Teen Wytche Saga. In Spell Check, Evie must prevent her best friend Parvani from casting a binding love spell on Jordan, Evie’s secret crush. Evie enlists the help of goth outcast Salem, who stars in Spell Struck, book #2.

In Spell Struck, the spell book from Spell Check has morphed into a priceless gypsy grimoire. Salem hopes to unlock its mysteries and discover a Get Well Spell for her suicidal sister. But Salem's boyfriend must destroy the grimoire before it falls into the hands of his kidnappers.

Spell Fire introduces my most controversial heroine, Ainslie. She works hard to escape her Crazy Girl past, but it's difficult when her parents ditch her at Christmas and a dragon wants to be her new BFF. And no one will explain the hissing spell book. She meets a boy who calms her obsessive-compulsive disorder, but his deadly secret may be their undoing.


                                                                                 

 

Do you have any favorite childhood books?

 I loved The Chronicles of Narnia. The series has magic, adventure, fascinating worlds, strong female characters, and romance — basically everything a girl could want.

Do you have advice for aspiring writers?





 Study your craft and never give up. Join writing organizations like the Romance Writers of America or the Society of Book Writers and Illustrators. They will help you hone your craft and stay updated on industry news. And RWA has excellent writing contests

Where can we find you and your books?

 

The Teen Wytche Saga can be found at:
http://www.amazon.com/Ariella-Moon/e/B0071NUOAK/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
http://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/8187
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spell-check-ariella-moon/1108368570?ean=2940014028592
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/Spell-Check/z8Ff8HtryUC2zWcfy2eYaQ

You can find me at:
http://www.ariellamoon.com
http://ariellamoon.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/ariellamoon.author
http://www.goodreads.com/AuthorAriellaMoon
http://www.pinterest.com/ariellamoon

 

Use Your Talent

A person's talents are often referred to as gifts. Sometimes talents are unknown until we unwrap them layer by layer and the gift is revealed. Once the talent is revealed, it's time use it. Talent is not to be wasted, it's given to us to help others.

 There are times when I get overwhelmed and want to choose one gift over the other. I know in my heart that God gave me the gift of teaching and compassion for children to be used together. I also know that writing is talent that has been slowly unwrapped and also used to benefit young people.  Teaching and writing in themselves take a tremendous amount of time to plan and develop. I often get discouraged when trying to make time for both.  I think of the quote from Erma Bombeck, put my game face on, and set to work.

I too one day want to stand before God and say "I used everything you gave me."

Click here for more inspirational quotes.
     



Young Adult Novella

 My young adult novella, Beyond Vica, was released by Astraea Press yesterday.  I've always had a passion for helping young people along with writing. The combination of the two is my inspiration for writing this novella.

  The four most important young people in my life have experienced more than one tragedy that has taken a loved one from them too soon. The latest tragedy occurred after this story was already written and in the process of being published. As a result of this, I 'm now raising two more teens. My family grew and so has the love in my heart. 

  The most difficult part of this journey was to watch the grief of my two new children. There were nights I wished I could rub their hearts and heal them. Unfortunately, grief is a process.  I have to love them through this.

  My story shows the process of grieving through the eyes of Gabby. Just like Gabby, my new children have the support for young people grieving through our local hospice. I can't say enough how thankful I am that we have this resource available to us. Click here to read more about the services they provide.


Enjoy and love the people in your life.   

Book Trailer Images & Music

      

   Last week I talked about stepping out of my comfort zone in order to take my writing to the next level.  I enjoy the challenge of  improving my writing, it fuels me.

   I run out of fuel when it comes to promoting my writing. I admit that this is my least favorite part of the process. Sigh.  With that said, I suck it up and keep working.

Book trailers are a popular way to promote a book.  I'm venturing to create my own and found some websites that have public domain images and music that I'd like to share. I've been able to find free images and music on these sites. 

Fellow writers, do you any advice or tips on creating book trailers?



Wikimedia Commons

US Government Photos and Images

Wikipedia: Sound

 ccMixter

Friday Featured Author -Krysten Lindsay Hager

Last summer I featured children's authors on Fridays. This summer I'm starting  Friday Featured Authors for young adult writers. I pleased to introduce my first Friday Featured Author, Krysten Lindsay Hager.





What inspired you to become a writer?

 I've loved coming up with storylines since I was a little kid. I used to watch soap operas with my mom and instead of waiting for the cliffhangers to resolve on their own, I'd take my Barbie dolls and act the scenes out how I wanted them to play out. I was always scribbling story ideas down and my fifth grade teacher told my parents she thought I'd be an author one day. It took me by surprise, but it got me thinking.

What book(s) have you written that you would like to tell us about?

My new book is called, TRUE COLORS, about Landry Albright, an eighth grader who enters a modeling competition with her two best friends, but runs into jealousy when she advances to the next level without them. Enter the gorgeous Devon, who also made the first cut of the modeling contest and becomes the perfect best friend, but can their friendship survive the competition? Throw in a new boy, jealousy issues, and hair stylist insults. How’s a girl to deal?

                                                                                   

Do you have any favorite childhood books?

 Hangin’ Out with Cici by Francine Pascal. One of my favorite YA novels of all time. Victoria time travels and sees what her mother was like as a kid. The humor in this one is great.

The Great Mom Swap by Betsey Haynes. (Middle grade novel) One of the characters, Scottie, wants to be an author and I was obsessed with this book as a kid.

Good-bye, Glamour Girl by Erika Tamar. I read this for the first time the summer after 5th grade. It’s a coming of age story about a girl whose family escaped Europe during WWII and she is trying to fit in while in America and becomes a fan of Rita Hayworth.

Do you have advice for aspiring writers?





The best advice I ever got was read over a hundred books in your genre before you attempt to write your own. I'd also suggest taking both writing and literature classes and getting into critique groups. 

Where can we find you and your books?

 Website: www.krystenlindsay.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

Instagram: http://instagram.com/krystenlindsay

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22444090-true-colors

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96jxcUH54hU

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/True-Colors-Krysten-Lindsay-Hager-ebook/dp/B00L2G0YJS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403032881&sr=8-1&keywords=krysten+lindsay+hager

BarnesandNoble.com: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/true-colors-krysten-lindsay-hager/1119742726?ean=2940149747658

Out of the Comfort Zone





 By nature I'm shy and quiet. It's hard for me to reach out and share my writing with other people. To be true to my blog premise, that's exactly what I had to do. In order to improve my writing I had open myself up to critiques. Last summer I found my first critique partner. She was wonderful and pushed me to rise up to a level of writing that I didn't know I could achieve.
  Another first for me was to seek out a professional to  analyze my writing. I needed to ensure that my novella started strong. Heather Webb reviewed the first fifty pages of my novella and gave valuable insight to its strengths and weaknesses. It was worth every penny.
   When I finished, I sent my novella to be professionally edited by Eileen Brady. She did in amazing job.
  Finally, I was ready to submit my story. I sought out a publisher from whom I've read quality young adult books from. I was offered a book contract from Stephanie at Astraea Press within two weeks of my submission! My novella, Beyond Vica, will be available on July 8.
   The step out of my comfort zone and all the hard work paid off.  Thank you to my critique partner, Heather, Eileen, and Stephanie. I appreciate all of you!.