A Few of My Favorite Things: Recap of #MGLitchat Tips from the Pros

As I mentioned in my post last week, I’m one of eight hostesses for the weekly middle grade twitter chat at hash tag #mglitchat. This month we’ve featured our second annual Tips from the Pros, weekly chats focusing on insights from middle grade authors, agents, editors, and publicity experts. This series is not only fun to plan, but very inspirational and motivating. I thought I’d share a few of the tweets from the #mglitchat Pros that I favorited from this month’s chats. If you want to see the full transcripts from the chats, they are available at http://mglitchat.blogspot.com/.  I thought some of these might get the creative juices flowing on a snowy spring Monday morning…

Fav #MGLitchat Tips from the Pros

Tips from MG Authors on Drafting and Revising

Tricia Springstubb ‏(WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET and MO WREN LOST AND FOUND)

@springstubb I always put my work away until I'm able to re-read it with the eyes of a stranger--or even an enemy

@springstubb: I think we risk failure every time we begin. It's part of creating

Jennifer Gennari ‏(MY MIXED UP BERRY BLUE SUMMER)

@JenGenn When I can't find my character's voice, I write a poem. Almost always gives me a scene idea. Always gets me to the core desire.

RoseCooper (Blogtastic Novel Series: Gossip From The Girls Room, Rumors From The Boys Room, and Secrets From The Sleeping Bag)

@RoseCooper  i never start a book at the very beginning for a first draft.  sometimes i start in the middle. or at the end. and then i piece everything together like a big puzzle.

Greg Fishbone (Galaxy Game series)

@tem2 Last word: When you find yourself in the zone during a writing session, thank the universe for cooperating

Tips from MG Authors and Agents on Querying and Working with Agents

Geoff Rodkey (CHRONICLES OF EGG series)

@GeoffRodkey 11-year-olds can't give actual notes for improving things, but they will usually tell you if something sucks. Which is critical.

John Cusick (Greenhouse Literary Agency)

@johnmcusick Also, know the first novel you complete may not be the one that sells. It can take a few turns at bat before you hit a homerun.

Tips from MG Authors and Editors on the Path to Publication

Zareen Jaffery (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers editor)

@zareenjaffery Write to please yourself first. It's originality and authenticity that stand out most

Kevin Emerson (OLIVER NOCTURNE series)

@kcemerson If I can see a character, really hear them, then I can find the right story for them

Deborah Kovacs (Walden Pond Press editorial director)

@deborahkovacs Also trust your subconscious. It is telling you the story. You must listen to it.

Claire LeGrand (THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS)

@clairelegrand but more than that, it's about creating something worth remembering. if you lose sight of that, you lose the specialness of Story

Hopefully one or more of these tips are inspirational or motivational to you as you start a new week pursuing your writing and publishing goals. And if you have time on Thursday at 9 pm eastern, join us for the final Tips from the Pros chat on marketing MG. Then, in April, we’re doing a What MG Readers Want, featuring teachers, librarians, booksellers, and bloggers/reviewers.