Writing Wisdom
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Thursday, April 19th, 2018From the Swoon Squad: Don't Give Up (Part III)
Swoon Reads StaffHey there, Swooners,We are so excited to welcome three new authors into the Swoon family! There were SO many great manuscripts to choose from this season, and we want to thank all of you again for your awesome ratings and comments that pointed us toward these new books.We truly wish we could select every last manuscript on site. Every single one of them has something special going for ... Read More -
Friday, April 13th, 2018Swoon Author Alyssa Brandon: Characters – To Have, to Hold, to Hate?
Alyssa BrandonShould you love or hate your characters? Are their your friends? Or are they just tools to get your story to where it needs to go? I’m not sure. I do know that when you write a book, the simple truth is you’re going to be spending a lot of time with these made up people. And to get the story done, you’re going to have to ... Read More -
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018Swoon Author Shani Petroff's Editing Update: Setting the Tone
Shani PetroffWhen I wrote Romeo & What’s Her Name I included a lot of physical comedy. The main character Emily would duck for cover, knock things over, and in general was a pretty big klutz. Powered by Giphy When I wrote my first draft of Airports, Exes, and Other Things I’m Over, some of that started creeping in. There was a scene where my main character Sari thought she ... Read More -
Thursday, April 5th, 2018
Swoon Author Karole Cozzo's Editing Update: A Few Points to Consider
Karole CozzoHey gang! I’m happy to be checking in with the Swoon Reads community today and giving you some updates on my forthcoming fourth novel. Kat B. and I have been hard at work making The Game Can’t Love You Back the best story possible, and I’m so excited to share Eve and Jamie’s story with you in a few weeks!Certainly, the editing process is very ... Read More -
Thursday, March 29th, 2018
Swoon Author Alyssa Brandon: The Idea vs. The Process
Alyssa BrandonWhenever I tell people about having written a book and that I’m working on another one, one of the first things people ask me is "Where do you get your ideas?"I think this is a question writers (and other creative folks) get asked a lot and while it’s fun to talk to people about how an idea for a story took shape, it often feels like people ... Read More -
Tuesday, March 27th, 2018Write in the Now: Plot vs. Backstory
Holly WestThere’s a famous quote by Salman Rushdie: “I am the sum total of everything that went before me, of all I have been seen done, of everything done-to-me.” And that’s very deep and very true. People grow and change in response to the world around them and their choices are definitely affected by the things that have happened to them before. Nothing happens in a vacuum. It’s ... Read More -
Friday, March 23rd, 2018Swoon Author L.E. DeLano: Ask Yourself (And Your Character) “What Did You Learn?”
L.E. DeLanoI will confess right now that I wasn’t sure how I was going to end Dreamer. I knew where I wanted my characters to beat the end, mind you; I just wasn’t entirely sure how we were getting there. I’m a “pantser” sort of writer and as I began telling the rest of Jessa’s story, I found myself stuck every so often, as all writers do ... Read More -
Wednesday, March 21st, 2018
Swoon Author Sandy Hall's Editing Update: A Draft to Remember
Sandy HallWe, as in authors, talk a lot about planning, writing, revising, and editing. Which makes sense; we devote our lives to these steps and all that they involve. There are so many nuances and stages to editing, that I thought I’d take some time to talk about something that I feel like gets lost in the shuffle: late stage drafts. Those drafts that aren’t your first or your ... Read More -
Tuesday, March 13th, 20183 YA Female Character Tropes That Can See Themselves Out ASAP
Kat BrzozowskiLet’s face it—even though we’re living in the golden age of young adult fiction (I just decided this is true, you’re welcome), there are certain plotlines we see over and over. The star-crossed lovers. The hero destined to save the world. The big misunderstanding. For me, part of the fun of YA is seeing how authors reimagine these tropes over and over (for a defense of ... Read More -
Wednesday, March 7th, 2018
Swoon Author Alyssa Brandon's Editing Update: Different in a Good Way
Alyssa BrandonFor me, editing was the most time consuming bit of writing Bound to You. Finishing the first draft was easy and fast; it just all came tumbling out and in a few short months I was done. Problem was it didn’t quite make sense, the ending wasn’t really an ending and there were some bits that needed to be cut. So going into the editing process I already ... Read More
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