Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: Deborah Diesen

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What: I write children’s books. Many of them are in rhyme, including the books in The Pout-Pout Fish series (illustrated by Dan Hanna), but I also write non-rhyming stories. My latest book is Catch a Kiss (illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod), which came out this spring. Why: I love the sounds that words make, and I also love the rhythms of rhyming stories. Writing for children gives me a chance … [Read more...]

Don’t Let Research Slow Your Writing

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How much research does a writer need to do while they're actively writing? Won't it slow down the writing process? Research while plotting An interview in "The Big Thrill" with thriller author Elizabeth Heiter reveals writing habits concerning research that are useful to all writers. She does as much research as she can while she's still plotting out her novel: I love the research side of … [Read more...]

Nickels, Pickles and Chewing Gum

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Getting my 8 year-old granddaughter to memorize something to exercise her brain wasn't my intention, but it sure turned out to be fun for us both. Choo'n Gum As I drove her to my house for a sleepover, we heard this song with the silliest lyrics ever on Kids Place Live. Choo'n Gum, sung by Teresa Brewer with Jimmy Lytell & the Dixieland All Stars, was a Billboard hit in 1950: "A wing zingy … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Zilka Joseph

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WHAT? Poetry, some hybrid forms, a little prose WHY? It springs naturally from a source that is beyond my comprehension, almost like a meditation or prayer, or a consciousness thinking aloud in something like an interior monologue. When something starts up in my mind— a bubbling, a rumbling, an itch, an ache, a desperation, anger, compassion, a vision or an unexpected insight or maybe all of … [Read more...]

Why Reader Reviews Matter to Authors

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A tsunami of books One book every five minutes. That's the estimated rate of books published by the click of a button on Amazon every day since the self-publishing boom. That's a tsunami of books! How can an author ever expect readers will find their book? This is why reader reviews are so important. Amazon's algorithms. Authors don't ask readers to post reviews to feed their ego - they need them … [Read more...]