Politics are pretty much at the forefront of my life right now. I eat a regular diet of the news every day though I take in much more than I should. With that in mind, Micheal D. French's new young adult book, The Beginner's Guide to Winning an Election, is just up my alley. I also find the book a great learning vehicle for young folks who are and/or want to get involved in politics. As we saw from our recent mid-term elections, more young people than ever are participating in politics in a very smart way. Don't you love the cover? I do. Here's my review. Review of The Beginner’s Guide to Winning an Election by Madeline Sharples Brit Kitridge was definitely a beginner when she decided to enter a high school election as a candidate for student body president. But she is smart and learns very quickly – especially about her major opponent, Matthew’s ties to money and other political shenanigans that he and his team use to ruin her reputation and try to get her to bow out. She … [Read more...]
A must-read young adult book
Revising and editing are like sculpting
Here's a piece of advice from Samuél L. Barrantes in his article, 7 Things I've Learned So Far, by Samuél L. Barrantes, for Chuck Sambuchino's website: Guide to Literary Agents. It came at exactly the right time. I am in the very nitty-gritty editing and rewriting phase of my revision process. Barrantes says: Writing = Re-Writing. I used to have a romantic notion of writing as a frenzy of creativity, where the words poured out of me, the Muses singing by my side. But the truth is writing is as much about editing and re-writing as it is about creation. You really have to love what you're working on to stick with it. I think of the first draft as the sculptor's block of cold stone there is something there, buried within, but the sculptor spends years chiseling away. For example, I cut approximately 35,000 words between the first and final drafts of Slim and The Beast, with countless rewording and revising throughout. My goal is to cut 9,000 words from my manuscript … [Read more...]
