Wimpy

I was reading The Longstockings blog today on which Kathryne posted a link to the NY times article about the Diary of  a Wimpy Kid series.  It points out that the appeal for kids is that the protagonist, Greg, does not always do the right thing and that as adult readers it gives us insight into the "child's ethical mind." I also enjoyed reading the comments if for no other reason that they illustrated that there are still places, unlike here or here, where people can comment on the internet thoughtfully and articulately and without name calling!

First Chapters

The Longstockings blog is always fun and informative. This particular entry by Coe Booth (the amazing author of Tyrell and Kendra) is very helpful in regards to first chapters and the myriad ways in which they go wrong. 

Just another reason why I start writing at the climax and work the scenes out backwards. By the time I get to my first chapter I have a better idea of what details absolutely need to be addressed and which details will come out later.