Friday, July 10, 2009

Learning from Other Writers

Today's forecast for St. Peters, MO: Chance of thunderstorms, high 90 degrees.

Last night I attended an author talk at the Kisker Road Branch of the St. Charles City-County Library. During the event three local contributors to the Chicken Soup series spoke about their writing experiences, families, and careers.

Becky Povich, one of the speakers and a member of Saturday Writers, did a wonderful job encouraging writers to pick up their pens (or crank up their PCs) and write--no matter what your age.

In fact, all three women were great. After their talks, each of the three speakers read one of their published stories. As I sat there, I was amazed at their poise and courage reading in front of a group, mostly because their works are so personal.

Listening to advice from writers who have achieved some measure of success is always inspiring. When my schedule permits I try to attend these type of events, not just to support local writers, but also to learn from their experiences.

Another way I learn is by regularly seeking out books with solid writing advice.

Today on my other blog, A Book A Week, I have posted a summary of a book with some superb writing advice. The book, written by Ann Whitford Paul, is Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide from Story Creation to Publication (Writer's Digest Books).

If you get a chance pop on over to A Book A Week to check out my comments on Ann's book. Even if you don't write for children, Ann's book has lots of helpful advice and hands-on exercises to hel you become a better writer. While you're there, you'll discover which famous writer celebrates her birthday today. Hint: Did you love Nancy Drew books growing up?

Hope you all have a great weekend.

2 comments:

  1. Donna, thanks so much for attending our presentation. It was so nice to see you....a familiar face! And thanks for posting all the great info......and the kind words about the three of us!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Bekcy,
    It was fun. Keep up the great work!
    Donna

    ReplyDelete

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