The Lone Ranger and Me
October 4, 2022
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It’s difficult to explain the enormous impact radio drama—kids’ radio drama—had on me. When a boy, I listened to it every day, starting at five in the afternoon. Nights too.
Blog
Monologophobia
September 27, 2022
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Why and how: As a writer, I use a dictionary of course. But I also make steady use of a Thesaurus.
Where I get my ideas
September 20, 2022
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Probably the question readers (young and old) most often ask me is “Where do you get your ideas?” I’ve been asked that question for more than fifty years. The answer is multifaceted: To begin with, I grew up in a house of books. I had great grandparents who were writers. One of my grandmothers was. My parents had
A Modest Proposal
September 13, 2022
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We should just stop teaching young people to read. Consider all the benefits that would bring.
There is no one way to write
September 6, 2022
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On my website, these past three months of summer a great variety of my friends and colleagues—successful writers all—have been offering ideas, tips, and suggestions about writing.
Writing Tip: James Ponti
August 30, 2022
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Have you ever been overwhelmed when you start to write something? Worried that it isn’t quite good enough? Worried that it’s not perfect or important?
Writing Tip: Margarita Engle
August 23, 2022
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Read a lot of poetry, then scribble just for fun. Don’t expect your first draft to be perfect. Let the beautiful words and musical rhythms flow. You can make corrections later.
Writing Tip: Gary D. Schmidt
August 16, 2022
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Get your protagonists in trouble right away. Put them in a place where something has happened, or will happen, and they have no choice but to respond. That starts the story off, and that makes the reader want to know what happens next.
Writing Tip: Padma Venkatraman
August 9, 2022
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Split yourself into 2 people in your head. I call them Writer Padma and Editor Padma.
Writing Tip: Bruce Coville
July 31, 2022
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One of the most irresistible things in the world is a secret. Seriously, what is your immediate reaction if someone tells you they have a secret? You want to know what it is!