ALL THE LOVELY BAD ONES by Mary Downing Hahn 18 Feb 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer The New York Times Book Review says, “Spooky…A fine scary tale for a campfire.” That is a perfect description of... Read More
Richard Peck and Me (Part 2) 13 Feb 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer I was ecstatic when I discovered that Richard Peck would be critiquing my manuscript at SCBWI Miami. Several people asked... Read More
First Page Wisdom From Richard Peck, Kathleen Duey, and Jen Rofe SCBWI Miami 06 Feb 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer Richard Peck talked about the importance of a great opening line. Consider this from his book THE TEACHER’S FUNERAL: “If... Read More
Finding Your Voice: Tips from Peck, Duey, Santopolo SCBWI Miami 30 Jan 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer For Kathleen Duey it’s all about finding the right voice for the book. She shared that her voice varies widely.... Read More
Writing Tips From Kathleen Duey SCBWI Miami 24 Jan 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer 1. Find the right voice for the book. Kathleen’s voice varies widely. 2. When plotting don’t ask what happens next.... Read More
ROADBLOCKS TO PUBLICATION 13 Jan 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer On Friday, I’ll be participating in a “novel intensive” workshop led by Jen Rofe and Kathleen Duey. We have a... Read More
RICHARD PECK and ME! 05 Jan 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer All writers have them. Those authors we admire and strive to emulate. Lots of the usual suspects are on my... Read More
DRAGON SLIPPERS by Jessica Day George 03 Jan 2010Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer Never underestimate the power of a great opening line. DRAGON SLIPPERS starts like this, “It was my aunt who decided... Read More
FOUND by Margaret Peterson Haddix 17 Dec 2009Shannon Hitchcock Childrens Writer If you find yourself contemplating writing a series, then I recommend reading FOUND with a writer’s eye. Ms. Peterson starts... Read More