Welcome back to toydust.com where we talk books, toys, and writing! The correlation between books and writing is obvious, but what about toys? Why include toys with a blog about books and writing? A good question perhaps, but here's another one: What happens when you play with toys? As a kid, the first stories I … Continue reading Books, Toys, and Writing
Dialogue is what a character says in your story. A dialogue tag is a short phrase that goes along with a line of dialogue that lets the reader know which character is speaking. For example: "Let's go to a movie," said Jennifer. DIALOGUE: "Let's go to a movie," DIALOGUE TAG: said Jennifer. Easy enough, right? … Continue reading Dialogue Tags
Would you like to become a children's book author or illustrator? If so, you should be aware of this guide: The cover does a good job selling it. It gives you the following information about publishers and magazines: *which publishers are open to submissions without agent representation (and those who are not) *submission guidelines *what … Continue reading Children’s Writer’s & Illustrators Market
Newbery-winning author Richard Peck said, "You are only as good as your first sentence." That sounds a bit harsh. Is it fair for someone to judge your entire story from only one sentence? Maybe not, but it happens all the time. Think about people browsing in a book shop, trying to decide which one to … Continue reading What should be in the first sentence of your novel?
Welcome back! Today's topic? What should be on the first page of your novel? At a writing conference I attended, editor Alyson Heller spoke on this topic. Here are some things she looks for in the beginning of a novel: *Not bogged down with info-dumping *There needs to be emotion right away *Needs to see … Continue reading What should be on the first page of your novel?
Good morning my toy-dustian friends! It's time for a writing tip. Okay. Let's pretend you're writing a Toydust fan-fiction story. Because let's be honest. Who wouldn't want to write a fan-fic about me? (insert sarcasm) And let's further pretend you had written something like: "Toydust walked excitedly out of Dallas Vintage Toys, thrilled with his … Continue reading What Are Strong Verbs?
