You write because it’s an adventure to watch it come out of your hands.
Ray Bradbury
Author: Susan Uhlig
Code Name Kingfisher
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
Code Name Kingfisher (Aladdin, 2023) by Liz Kessler is a remarkable duel timeline novel of present day and 1942. You definitely don’t want to miss this story.
Thirteen-year-old Liv doesn’t understand her ninety-two-year-old grandmother and why all she says about her childhood is that it was hard. How is Liv to do a school assignment of a family tree when she knows nothing and Bubbe won’t answer questions. But while helping clean out Bubbe’s house, Liv finds a box of old letters in Dutch and begins to unravel the past.
Twelve-year-old Mila and her older sister Hannie have to leave their Jewish family behind and go live with strangers during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Will they ever see their parents again? Mila makes new friends in her new home, but her sister is becoming more and more distant.
The contrast of the three girls’ lives and the growth of affection and understanding between Liv and her grandmother is so good. I also love how Liv changes because she was inspired by knowing the truth about her family.
The author writers for children and young adults. Read more about her here and check out all her books here.
X Draft is Done! (revising a novel)
Yea, for you! You’ve completed several drafts of your novel. You’ve already looked at the big picture. The plot is working, your characters are strong, and it’s now time to look more closely at the words on the page. “Writing is about getting down to it, about finding your way into the moment and sustaining the energy for as long as you can effectively. But the REAL writing is during revision.” – Steven Gillis
First, take a break—I suggest a couple weeks. Think about something else, read some books, enjoy the outdoors, talk with friends. This will help you be fresh when you dive into revising.
Second, prepare. You may already know some of your areas of weakness. If so, now’s a good time to read up on those subjects. If you’re not sure, read about revising in general. Here are a few posts from my archives to get you started.
General Novel Writing Revisions:
The following is a collection of posts on a variety of topics. Many will include resources to other posts or articles. Some may have similar information. I’m sure these posts aren’t all-inclusive, but many are ones I’ve struggled with or have seen in others’ writings.
Mechanics:
Do you struggle with grammar? – some helpful resources
Perfecting Dialogue Punctuation
Beats, Taglines, and Areas to Tighten:
Yes, some writers write too tersely but most of us could benefit in tightening in some area or another. And I do mention where to expand as well. See if any of these apply to your writing.
He Thought to Himself and Other Excesses
I, I, I – Writing in First Person
Check your Setting and Use of Senses:
This is an area that many writers don’t include when they are first writing a story.
Ground Me – sense of place or setting
Moment-by-Moment – being on scene
Third, make a list of the areas you need to work on. It’ll help you keep track of what needs to be done.
Fourth, get to work. You don’t have to try to edit everything at once, but focus on one weakness. Later move on to another, etc.
William Zinsser said, “Rewriting is where the game is won or lost.” Get out there and win!
Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.
Pablo Picasso
Learn the rules
The Girl Who Kept the Castle
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
The Girl Who Kept the Castle (Quill Tree Books, 2024) by Ryan Graudin was a fun fantasy with humor and heart. It also has a main character who has to fight against what is expected. Plus, there’s a dragon.
Look at the first line, “Wizard West was dead for nearly an entire day before he noticed.” And actually he doesn’t notice. It’s up to Faye, the daughter of the West’s groundskeeper, to tell him he’s dead. (The servants cast lots.) “Sugarcoat the situation,” Puck, the cat says. But the wizard is angry to hear the news and casts a spell to turn Faye into a . . .
Read about the author here and check out her many books here. I love finding a new author.