The Writers Chat Room

Category: Topic Chats

  • Join us throughout the month of May as we focus on Memoir Writing

    Wednesday and Sunday we will talk about what defines a memoir. How does it differ from a personal essay or an autobiography? When does a Memoir slip into the area of becoming a Therapy Journal?  What is a Fictionalized Memoir? Is a Fictionalized Memoir the thing we write while waiting for our ‘characters’ to pass…

  • You’ve Written a Children’s Book – Now What?

      So, You’ve Written a Children’s Book…Now What? Chronicle Books posted on Sunday’s Topic. We receive about a thousand unsolicited children’s manuscripts every month, like the ones in the mail bins below. Every one of them is read by a children’s editor here, and I’m here to offer you some tips on how to make your manuscript…

  • Our Wednesday Mini Topic – 6 Keys to Write a YA Novel

    6 Keys to Write a YA Novel That Connects With Teen Readers Writing a novel that appeals to a younger audience takes a certain amount of finesse—especially if you are no longer in that age bracket! It is not easy to venture into the minds of young adults and, essentially, “relive” your own past. At…

  • Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book

    10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book A children’s picture book may seem simple, but creating a brilliant one is no easy task. How do you make yours smart, engaging, and fun — rather than clichéd, saccharine, and didactic? “A picture book is a marriage of words and pictures,” describes Santopolo. “The most…

  • 10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book

    Wednesday’s Topic continues our April Theme Children/YA Writing Month 10 Tips For Creating Your First Children’s Picture Book   A children’s picture book may seem simple, but creating a brilliant one is no easy task. How do you make yours smart, engaging, and fun — rather than clichéd, saccharine, and didactic? “A picture book is…