Dialogue!  Do you struggle writing dialogue in your stories like I do? Then I recommend an article written by the author of “Under a Painted Sky,” Stacey Lee.  In “The Word on Dialogue,” written on the Adventures in YA Publishing blog, Stacey Lee mentions the five tips of the importance of dialogue: (1) Give information via dialogue, (2) Cut dialogue tags where possible, (3) Give every character his/her own way of speaking, (4) Make every word count, and (5) Sound natural. Visit the above site for detailed information.

Here’s an excellent article on the online The Horn Book written by Stephen Savage. It is titled, “The People in My Neighborhood: One Author/Illustrator’s Rambles Around Brooklyn.” He writes about the “Rise and Fall (Again) of Brooklyn” and the people living there … The Old Guard, The Power Couples, The Writers’ Groups, and so on. He mentions that “… the last ten years has seen an explosion in the number of book artists settling in the borough.” Amazing article.

A “LIVING” WALL OF PLANTS IN LA

Platform: A writer’s professional affiliations, speaking experience, interview skills, web site, and other abilities which help form a following of potential buyers for that author’s book. – Writer’s Digest Weekly Planner