Author, Jody Hedlund's Blog

Jody Hedlund's Blog

I follow Jody Hedlund on Twitter and frequently click on links to her blog posts about the writing life, both inspirational and craft articles. A lot to learn here. Check out the topics on her side bar for past articles.

Recent Blog Posts:

• Write Because You Love It
• 3 Reminders About eBooks Versus Paper books
• Some Things Are Out of Our Control
• 7 Dialog Basics that Can Help Tighten Our Stories
• Why We Need to Put Our Books to Bed
• How Can Modern Writers Become & Stay Visible?

This is a blog well worth checking out.

Maggie Stiefvater, Author

Maggie Stiefvater's Website

Maggie Stiefvater's Blog

Maggie Stiefvater writes young adult novels, which include Shiver, Linger, Forever, Lament, and Ballad. Unusual and riveting would be two words that only begin to describe her books. I’m looking forward to reading her recently released The Scorpio Races.

Writing process always fascinates me. I love to read about how other writers write. There are many great posts on her blog about Maggie’s process. Follow her label “How I Write” to locate some of them. She uses helpful examples that illustrate her points and she fills her blog with glimpses of her personal style.

Between Fact & Fiction

Natalie Whipple:  Between Fact & Fiction Blog

I always find something interesting at Author Natalie Whipple’s Between Fact and Fiction Blog. Whether she’s sharing her feelings about being on submission for 15 months, or bragging about her friends’ books, or bemoaning the trials of medical insurance policies, or her approval of occasionally writing crap,  she’s always honest. That honesty shines through with over 1000 people following her!



Lois Lowry

Lowry Updates: Lois Lowry’s blog

Lois Lowry is one of my favorite authors. I’ve devoured her books since I first read The Giver and Number the Stars. You can keep track of her daily adventures on her blog, where she shares with her readers in a wonderfully conversational style.

Lisa Schroeder, Author

Lisa Schroeder's Website

I chose author Lisa Schroeder to start off this year's posts, because she's releasing TWO books in the first months of 2010! Her teen novel Chasing Brooklyn was released January 5th from Simon Pulse and her middle grade novel It's Raining Cupcakes will be released in March from Aladdin.

I've had the pleasure of meeting Lisa on a several occasions and she was nice enough to pose for a picture with my blogger bunny buddy Freckles.

There's some great information at both her website and her blog for writers.

Lisa Schroeder's Blog

Gail Carson Levine

Gail Carson Levine’s Blog

Gail Carson Levine writes wonderful fantasy stories. Her first published children's book, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Her blog is filled with advice for writers written in a friendly, conversational style. You can find more information about Gail Carson Levine and her books at her website.

Gail Carson Levine's Website

The Paper Wait

The Paper Wait

What they say about their blog: “We are an SCBWI critique group based in Madison, New Jersey. Established in 1997, our group includes both published and pre-published authors. We write magazine pieces and children's books in many genres including picture books, easy readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, nonfiction and poetry.”

Contributors to The Paper Wait are: Meg Wiviott, J. L. Finnell, Eileen Cameron, J. A. Palermo, Valerie Thomas, Melinda Meister, Gale Sypher Jacob, Brianna Caplan Sayres, and Robin Constantine.

I can always count on a good author interview or an interesting article or essay to fuel my motivation and knowledge. With the variety of authors writing for this blog, you’ll always find something that sparks a connection for you.

P. J. Hoover - Roots in Myth

Roots in Myth - P. J. Hoover's Blog

Roots in Myth, the blog of fantasy writer P. J. Hoover, offers information about writing and the author's life. Recent posts: Feeling the Fear, Loving and Hating your work in progress, the Red Dirt Festival in Shawnee, OK, and homemade Halloween gravestones. You just never know what you’ll find. An interesting author with an interesting blog.

For more information about P. J. Hoover and her books, visit her website:

P. J. Hoover's Website

The Story Board

The Story Board

The Story Board is an artist’s blog by Adrienne who is also a wife, mother, children’s writer and illustrator. The blog is as much about her family as her art. She shares their lives and their art in a unique way. I love visiting her gallery of fun children’s illustrations. I always find something to smile about.

The Children's Lit Project

The Children's Lit Project

Here's a quote from their About page: "This is the production blog of The Library of the Early Mind, a feature-length documentary film about children’s literature directed by Edward J. Delaney and produced by Edward J. Delaney and Steven Withrow. We’ll be working through this year interviewing authors, illustrators and critics on the topic. The film is intended for festival release in 2010. "

Neil Gaiman’s Journal

Neil Gaiman’s Journal

Neil Gaiman, author of American Gods, Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Neverwhere, and Stardust writes an interesting journal as well as original and exciting books.

AuthorCulture

AuthorCulture

I always find something interesting about authors or books at AuthorCulture. Whether it’s a fascinating look at how three authors strategized a plan for writing their book to a list of author resources, this blog never fails to offer enlightenment.

Lisa Yee

Lisa Yee's Website

Lisa Yee's Blog

We just finished reading Lisa Yee’s three-book series Millicent Min Girl Genius, Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time, and So Totally Emily Ebers in one of my writer groups during our examination of “point of view." Lisa’s books are funny, creative, and interesting. Can’t wait to read her latest: Bobby Versus Girls (Accidentally).

Joan Bauer

Joan Bauer's Blog "Toward Home"

Joan Bauer has written some great books for kids: Best Foot Forward, Backwater, Rules of the Road, Thwonk, Squashed, and one of my all time favorites Hope Was Here. So, it is not surprising that I find her blog full of wise words and interesting advice. Just read her October 12th post "Dancing with Words" to see what I mean!

You can explore Joan Bauer’s writing life from essays to information about her books on her website.

Joan Bauer's Website

Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins Blog

Ellen Hopkins writes young adult “problem” novels. They’re pretty edgy and don’t pull any punches. If you know anything about Ellen’s own story, you understand why, after tough times dealing with her daughter’s drug use, she felt the need to write a novel about teens and drugs.

It is an unfortunate fact of life in the United States that if you are truthful with teens and tell them about the not-so-pretty side of real life, someone is going to try to stop teens from reading about it. And of course, they don’t want to just block their own children from reading it, they want to control what everyone else’s kids read as well.

Ellen has fought many of these battles and is in the middle of a couple right now in Oklahoma. She talks about it frankly on her blog.

You can learn more about Ellen and her books at her website:

Ellen Hopkins Website

Cynsations

Cynsations

Cynthia Leitch Smith, children’s writer and instructor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults, authors a great blog called Cynsations. Her blog is "a source for interviews, reading recommendations, publishing information, literacy advocacy, writer resources, news in children's and teen literature."

You never know what treasure you'll find when you visit Cythia's blog. I always come away with a new nugget of knowledge.

Visit her website for even more resources!

Hip Writer Mama

Hip Writer Mama

Vivian from Massachusetts, who writes the Hip Writer Mama blog, has been counting the days as she works on a 30-day writing spree. She’s up to day 12. She’s thought of some interesting ways to “map out writing time” and has shared a few videos with information and inspiration. (ex: Kate DiCamillo on Writing, Ray Bradbury on Writing Persistently, and Christopher Vogler describing The Hero’s Journey for the movie, The Matrix.) She offers a“Write-a-Scene Writing Prompt” for each installment.

I always find something new when I visit Hip Writer Mama.

Author Blogs

Author Blogs

If you can't find enough blogs in the listing here on Writer Sites, go to Author Blogs, where you'll find a huge listing of blogs penned by writers!

Verla Kay

Verla Kay's Home Page

I'm proud to be a Blueboarder! That's the nickname of the registered members of the Verla Kay Message Boards. We're a large group of children's writers and illustrators brought together by Verla Kay, the writer of historical picture books. Verla generously built and maintains an information-packed website that hosts one of the busiest and most well-respected message boards on the Web.

Verla Kay Message Boards The BlueBoard

According to the About Me section of Verla's blog: "Her message board page has been getting an average of between nine hundred thousand and one million hits per month since January of 2007. It currently has over 2000 registered members. In the past few years, the 'Blueboard' has become almost an 'icon' for children’s writers and illustrators."

Grow Wings: Laini Taylor

Grow Wings: The Journal of Laini Taylor

Laini Taylor's Website

Laini Taylor, the author of Faeries of Dreamdark: Blackbringer. I loved this book, the story of Magpie, a kick-ass faerie living among crows and fighting a terrible devil to keep the dark from swallowing the world.

Two new books releasing :
Faeries of Dreamdark: Silksinger (available September 17, 2009)
Lips Touch (available October 2009)

In addition to writing, Laini is also a talented artist and the inventor of Laini Ladies. The collection consists of assorted ornaments, cards, and bookmarks adorned with beads, ribbon, and wire featuring quotes designed to inspire and motivate. (I have the Books Lady with the Louisa May Alcott quote hanging by my computer.)

Laini is also a new mom. Little Clementine was born on August 9, 2009. She has reddish-brown hair like her dad (from what I can tell from the pictures) and not the bright pink of her mom's lovely locks. Maybe the pink will grow in when she's a little older.