We need more female protagonists in STEM fields, especially in YA. For those of you who don’t know, STEM covers science, technology, engineering, and math. The reason STEM needs to be explored more in YA fiction is to encourage young women to explore those fields in real life more. Hold the eye rolls. I get… Continue reading YA Female Protagonists in STEM
Author: Shannon A Thompson
Hi! I'm Shannon. I'm a young adult author. Speaker. Librarian. Cat lady. I thrive on moonlight & coffee. I'd love it if you said hello! I am represented by Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency.
Book Marketing Woes
Marketing is a word authors either embrace or want to stoke in the fire, but one aspect is universal: It’s necessary. Whether you’re self-published, published with a small press, or published by a HUGE publishing house, authors have to take on some of the marketing efforts in order for their book to be as successful… Continue reading Book Marketing Woes
When Your Writing Issue Is…
Writing a book—or anything—comes along with a lot of challenges, and sometimes those challenges can feel overwhelming. So here’s a quick tip guide to help you navigate your writing journey. I have an idea, but now what? Well, now you write. (And write and write and write again.) Don’t focus on being perfect. Don’t focus… Continue reading When Your Writing Issue Is…
World Building: Where to Start, What to Consider, & How to End
I mainly write science fiction and fantasy, and both of those genres tend to come with heavy world building. A few of you have asked me where I begin. How do I start? How do I know when to write? When does world building end? Well, if you read my editing tips series, then you… Continue reading World Building: Where to Start, What to Consider, & How to End
Editing the “Final” Draft
This month, I’m covering my editing process. If you haven’t read the first two steps—My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process and Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft—then check those out now. Today is the last post about editing, but, as always, feel free to ask questions! We are discussing the “final” draft. The “Final”… Continue reading Editing the “Final” Draft
Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft
This month, I’m covering my editing process, so if you haven’t checked out the first part— My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process—check it out. Today, I’m continuing the writing journey by explaining what happens after I finish writing a first draft. 1. Review Your Notes & Plans Hopefully, you took a break between… Continue reading Editing (Rewriting) the First Draft
My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process
The other day I asked you all what topic you would most like me to cover, and editing rose to the top, so…I decided to post a month-long series on this topic—mainly because my editing process is as complicated as my writing process, and I want to get as in-depth as possible. So you can… Continue reading My Editing Process Starts in My Writing Process
The Ideal Writing Pace
Writing is a different experience for everyone. Just check out the #amwriting hashtag on Twitter and you will see authors hitting 50,000 words in two weeks…and in two years. So how long should it take to write your book? Stephen King claims to give up on a book if you can’t finish the first draft… Continue reading The Ideal Writing Pace
Challenge Your Writing
Challenging your writing is important, but what does that mean? It means trying something new—attempting a project outside your box of comfort—or switching everything up entirely. Challenging yourself can be a big or small adventure. You can try a new genre in a short story rather than a novel, for instance. But pushing yourself to… Continue reading Challenge Your Writing
First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
So you're writing a book...but your book requires some decisions. Your narrative needs structure. And there are a million options to choose from. So how do you decide a perspective and a tense? What is the best combination for your book? Let me start out by saying that making the choice to write in first/third… Continue reading First or Third Person? Present or Past Tense? How Do You Decide?
