Tips & Tricks for Crafting Stories...

Writing is a wild ride, and Stephanie and Jess are sharing tips and tricks on the ups and downs of crafting a mystery. They've opened the closets in the Begonia House and followed the twisted corridors into the nooks and crannies of their story, where they uncovered useful tools to navigate a writer's pursuit in delivering a book.



After presenting at the Plumb Memorial Library, the authors discuss their experience using Google to build their book series in this short video clip. There's no better place to get a clue than the library!

Episode 1: Using Google to organize and edit a manuscript

Example of organizing in the Google Drive

From this:

To this:

Example of editing with Google Docs

From this:

To This:

Referring for Google/ G Suite Referral Program 

Try out G Suite and wrangle your words in line.
Learn more about G Suite

Stay tuned for the next episode of 

Making A Mystery

Coming Soon!

Catch our feature articles on Writing Mysteries

I See Dead Quotes

Critique, Editing your MS

Weaving in the Backstory

Working with editors, Collaborating using Google Docs

BOO-k Bones

Skeleton's poetic interpretation on formatting a book

Story Seeds

Origins of a story, Creative process

A Writer Delivers

Tips for growing a successful book garden

Writing Resources

Editors 

Betsy Thorpe

Nicole Ayers

Monday's Riddle: Blind Beats...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? It's always the right time to celebrate this feeling, but in February we like to show off.  ; ) ~ F

Simple, yet complex; this is felt by muscle flex. It'll knot your gut, tingle toes, make heads spin as it grows. Like a coin with two sides, it's kept in view or rather hides. The main focus of a plight, this can cause a terrible fight. The reason why you laugh and sing. The single point of everything. It may feel grand or make you mope, but being blind, has infinite scope.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!

😍

A Single Shard

A long long time ago in a potters’ village in Korea there lived an orphan named Tree-ear. He lived under a bridge with Crain-man, who had taken him in as a toddler. Together they foraged for food, told stories, and kept each other company. Thirteen-year-old Tree-ear loved to watch an older potter at the wheel and see the pieces he made. One day while examining a ceramic box in the potter’s workshop, Tree-ear is startled and drops it. The potter, Min, is furious and berates Tree-ear. The piece is very valuable, and Tree-ear agrees to pay off the debt by working for Min. The work is hard, harder than Tree-ear ever imagined, but it's also satisfying. Tree-ear wants more than anything to learn to use the wheel and create his own pieces. But Min will not teach Tree-ear the craft, as it's passed down from father to son, and Tree-ear is only an orphan. News arrives that the royal court is coming to look at the potters’ pieces, and maybe pick one of the men and put his work on commission. Min hopes he's selected, but is another potter working on a new technique? What will become of Tree-ear if Min is selected? Will Tree-ear ever learn to use the wheel? 

I didn’t know much about A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. What a treat it turned out to be. I loved how the words flowed, and I felt like I was being told an elaborate bedtime story every time I picked it up. The relationship between Crain-man and Tree-ear was so special that it tugged at my heart. I was impressed by how hard Tree-ear worked and how driven he was to learn the ways of the potter.Tree-ear is respectful of others, and I liked the way he thought of their feelings. There are a couple of scenes that broke my heart, but I truly loved the way the story unfolded. I would recommend this book to readers fourth grade and up who like historical fiction and stories with amazing characters. You will be rooting for Tree-ear!

Has anyone else read A Single Shard? Or have you read another book by Linda Sue Park? We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading!
~L

Answer to Monday's Riddle: A Potter's Art

Excellent guessing, Riddlers! This week, we're working with clay. Friday, Lizzy's review will take shape, so stay tuned! See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F

I've hands to mold things that hold, and earthenware is what I bear. Stories speak of centuries past if my work was made to last. Should it break, you might say darn, but you'll find another in a barn.

What am I referring to? Answer: Potter

Fairday's Riddles: Volume I 

Make time to riddle and rhyme!

62 original riddles and illustrations
Available in all e-book formats

Monday's Riddle: Shaping Reality...

Hello, Riddlers! Can you guess our theme this week? It always makes me nervous to walk through this section of a store. ; ) ~ F

I've hands to mold things that hold, and earthenware is what I bear. Stories speak of centuries past if my work was made to last. Should it break, you might say darn, but you'll find another in a barn.

What am I referring to? Stop by Wednesday for the answer.

I gave you a clue!