Inspire The Writer

Writer and illustrator. Author of THE WRITER'S ONLINE MARKETPLACE (Writer's Digest Books). Illustrator of I'M BORED, a new picture book by Michael Ian Black (Simon & Schuster, 2012). For more info: http://DebbieOhi.com

My Posterous blogs are mainly for my own use, a news clipping archive I can use when I'm looking for content to share or refer to later. For my regular blogs and more about my other projects, please see http://DebbieOhi.com.

http://pubnews.posterous.com (Publishing news)
http://illus.posterous.com (Illustration)
http://ipadgirl.posterous.com (iPads, digital pub)
http://coolpals.posterous.com (News from friends)
http://inkygirl.posterous.com (Catch-all)

Debbie Ohi's profile »

June 14, 2010

Incorporating this blog into Inkygirl.com.

In an effort to cut down on the number of blogs (and associated admin headaches) I have, I've decided to incorporate almost all of them into two Squarespace accounts at DebbieOhi.com and Inkygirl.com. This decision was prompted in part by yet another compromise of my Wordpress blogs and a desire to spend more time on creating content than on admin.

Apologies for the inconvenience if you've bookmarked this blog. With any luck, I won't have to move again for a very long time.

Thanks for your continuing interest in my creative projects!

-- Debbie Ridpath Ohi

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May 13, 2010

How to Write a Synopsis of Your Novel

via how-to-write-a-book-now.com

The biggest mistake most people make when they try to write a synopsis for the first time is to create a bare bones plot summary, along the lines of “First this happens, then this happens, then this happens...” Synopses written this way tend to be so dry and boring even the author would have trouble understanding why anyone would want to read the full novel.

Some great tips on how to write a synopsis of your novel:
http://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-synopsis.html

Filed under // synopsis

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April 22, 2010

Plotting Made Easy: The Complications Worksheet

Want to create a plot you'll itch to write? A protagonist you'll love? An antagonist that will give you shivers? And (simultaneously) the first draft of a synopsis ready to be pared down to two pages and polished up? Try the Complications Worksheet as a thinking tool.

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2010/03/plotting-made-easy-complicati...

(from Adventures In Children's Publishing)

Filed under // character outlining plot

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April 20, 2010

Donald Maass Character Checklist « Writing and Illustrating

Donald Maass Character Checklist

via kathytemean.wordpress.com

Summary by Kathy Temean:

http://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/donald-maass-character-checklist/

Filed under // character

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March 24, 2010

Novels Need Vivid Images to Bring Them to Life

Create Vivid Images to Bring a Novel to Life

“Vivid imagery makes a story world come alive,” says Stacy Whitman, Associate Editor at Wizards of the Coast (Update March, 2010: Whitman is now editorial director of the Tu Books imprint at Lee & Low.) Everyone agrees that a writer’s ability to create an image in a reader’s head through their words is integral to fiction and effective novels. When writers and editors push toward imagery vivid enough to transport readers to new worlds, there are many options.

via darcypattison.com

Darcy Pattison offers some great tips in her article:
http://www.darcypattison.com/revision/vivid-images-sensory-details/

Filed under // description

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March 17, 2010

Picture Book Plots, step-by-step: Ellen Jackson

The first thing you want to know about any story is "What’s it about?" The unfolding of events in the story, the plot, describes how one thing leads to another and how everything is resolved in the end. The plot tells how your characters move through time and space and what happens to each of them. To write for kids, you must know how to devise a strong, workable plot.

via ellenjackson.net

Filed under // picture books

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March 12, 2010

Guidelines for Writing Children’s Books « Ramblings of a Raconteur

Many new writers are unaware there are guidelines and rules for numbers of pages or words per type of literature as well as specific ages each category applies to. Listed below is a compilation of some of these guidelines.

via rebeccaryalsrussell.wordpress.com

Filed under // reference

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March 5, 2010

Mem Fox » 20 Do’s and 20 Don’ts of Picture Books

Here are twenty DOs and twenty DON’Ts for writers of picture books, to make sure nothing vitally important has been left out from the previous information!:

via memfox.com

20 Do's and Don'ts from Mem Fox about writing picture books:
http://www.memfox.com/20-dos-and-20-donts.html

Filed under // picture books

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March 5, 2010