One of the most mysterious parts of being a writer is finding the inspiration for your next story. Sometimes a bestselling idea will hit you out of nowhere, but more often than not you have to go out into the world and seek inspiration. But where do you go? And how do you do it? […]
Happy New Year! Can you believe we’re already over halfway through with January? As always, the first month of the year seems to fly by and with it, so do our New Year’s goals and resolutions. Today I just wanted to come on here and tell you that if writing a book was on your […]
As an author, the question I hear most often is this: Sands, how can I write my own children’s book? I don’t blame these aspiring writers for looking for the secret. I remember the days of wanting to see my own words in print and not knowing where to start. I had this idea—a story […]
When a child finds a book that they love, he can become a reader for life. But what makes a good children’s book? What qualities should it possess to make a child hold onto its memory and message? If you’re an aspiring author or simply someone who loves kid lit, and you’re trying to answer […]
From Lord of the Rings to Game of Thrones and Harry Potter, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that some of the most influential and popular books of our time are part of a series. A book series is something that can draw you in for long periods of time, and something that can keep […]
An author’s favorite writers can often say quite a bit about where they draw inspiration for their own novels from. For instance, the Night Buddies books are full of imaginative descriptions and witty dialogue, which is largely inspired by some of my favorite quotes from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. For instance, a quote […]
It’s the first week of November, and if you’re like hundreds of other writers around the world you know what that means…you’re six days closer to finishing your next book! The first week of NaNoWriMo tends to pass by in a whirlwind of excitement and adrenaline, but the key is to stay motivated even after […]
A lot of you reading this blog are writers yourselves, and we had a tribe of people tackle National Novel Writing Month this past November! I know how rewarding it is to type, “The End,” but finishing that first draft is far from the end of your book’s journey. This year, the NaNoWriMo organization wants […]
Halloween is almost here, and while some get excited for costumes, trick-or-treating, and scary movie nights, most writers out there will tell you that the best part of Halloween is when the clock strikes midnight…and NaNoWriMo officially begins! Every November thousands of writers come together with one common goal—to write a 50,000-word novel (or start […]
Now that our kids have gone back to school, we writer-parents have a little more alone time on our hands to get back into a writing groove. Which is why I thought now would be a perfect time to share a few writing tips over the next few weeks with you! I’ve given and been […]
One of the most fun and most difficult parts of being a writer is finding your next story. Sometimes a bestselling idea will hit you out of nowhere, but more often than not you have to go out into the world and seek inspiration. But where do you go? And how do you do it? […]
Hi all, and welcome back to my Q&A series, where I answer your questions in long-form on my blog! This week I decided to answer a Frequently Asked Question from Goodreads, which asks, “How do you motivate yourself to get through writing the first draft of a book?” Writing a first draft of a book […]