Tips From a Newbery Winner

I had the chance to hear a very encouraging talk by Susan Patron, Newbery award-winning author of The Higher Power of Lucky.

Her path to publish this book included a ten year period of writer’s block and six revisions. Her work space is a cozy writer’s cabin without distractions of phone or internet access. She doesn’t outline her stories, and the first two drafts of her books are written in long-hand (in pencil).

Here are a few bits of advice from her talk:

Don’t try to write the story’s events in order. Dive right into the center of the action and work in any direction that keeps you learning about your characters.

Incorporate whatever emotion you’re feeling that day – any irritation or exhilaration over the day’s events – into the scene you are writing.

Read your work aloud. If at some point you find your mind wandering, cut those passages.

Closely observe to let the reader see what you are describing.

A trick she learned from another writer – if you get stuck, try putting an object in your character’s hand. What can it tell you about your character?

Regarding her use of a very controversial word in a middle grade novel (on page one, even!)– respect the intelligence of your readers, then use the word that works.

End your writing day by leaving something that you are excited to come back to the following day.

Don’t worry too much about what you’ve heard publishers are looking for (or not looking for). If you believe in your project and think you’ve done something different, go for it.