Writer Unboxed

Like many of you, I’ve been hacking away at the world of publishing for a bunch of years now. I’ve written five novels, three of which I think truly are publishable, and one of which is on the desks of three agents as I write this.  And I’ve been doing my Flogging the Quill blog […]

I write mainly for young adults and children, though I’ve also written several adult novels. Most of my books have been fantasy novels, though I’ve also written some realistic fiction. Fantasy is a genre I’ve always felt at ease in—a genre that expresses well the way in which I see the world—and also, it formed […]

The Preditors & Editors Readers’ Poll is in full swing. If you’d like to vote for WU—or any of your fave blogs—visit the P&E voting page HERE.
And now, your regularly scheduled blog post.
I should’ve followed it, but I’ve blown the good advice regarding synopses: that you’re supposed to write them sometime between the first […]

We are pleased to announce that award-winning YA novelist Sophie Masson is joining WU as a contributor. Prolific author of bestselling novels, Sophie’s blend of fantasy, history and lyrical prose have captured the imaginations of readers worldwide. We can’t wait to read her perspectives, struggles, and inspirations in the crazy business of writing fiction.
And so, […]

Weekend Update 2: Researchers with the Smart Bitches site have uncovered a new sad truth in the plagiarism scandal involving Cassie Edwards–similarities between one of her novels and the Pulitzer-prize winning novel Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge. Here are two comparable excerpts:
Beyond were red-brown cliffs, dull orange bald rock, and yellow sand, leading away […]

Weekend update: Signet has revised its position on the plagiarism scandal. This letter copied from the Smart Bitches site:
Our original comments were based on Signet’s review of a limited selection of passages. We believe the situation deserves further review. Therefore we will be examining all of Ms. Edwards’ books that we publish, and based on […]

Author Joseph Finder’s formula for success centers on delving into the seedy side of corporations and turning the decidedly unglamorous institutional setting into nail-biting thrillers. His books have touched a chord among readers who instantly recognize the problems and the stakes associated with those who work for big bureaucracies, their web of rules, rule-breaking, […]

You know that we’re not about bashing other authors here. But the developing scandal over one novelist’s work and her extensive “borrowing” of large amounts of others’ texts does make one take notice.
In a nutshell: historical romance author Cassie Edwards has been accused of plagiarism.  She hasn’t plagiarized another novelist’s plot, prose, or dialogue.  She’s accused […]

So everyone’s heard of the winter blahs, but what about writing blahs? You know what I’m talking about: those times when you’ll do everything, and I mean everything (including but not limited to: cleaning out the closet, checking the mouse traps –ew- paying your estimated taxes, reading catalogs you’ll never order from, and hell, […]

Kathleen and I are thrilled to announce the latest contributor to join Writer Unboxed: Sophie Masson. (See her page HERE.) Sophie–who lives in Australia now, but was born in Indonesia to French parents and spent much of her life in France–has published many historical YA novels as well as some adult fantasy. Stay tuned to […]

Snippets from my life of late:
Sister: So, is it done?
Me: It’s done, but it’s not DONE done.
Friend: When are you going to get that book published?
Me: There are a lot of steps to take before that’ll happen, and there are no guarantees.
Random family members: Do you have a publicist yet, an editor, a graphics-intense website?
Me: […]

My grammatical pet peeves are legion, and I’ve blogged about many of them here before (like my legendary hatred of adverbs or the Florid Verb), but none sets me off as much as the overuse of “quotation marks”.
Why? Why do people “do that” to their writing?
Even more annoying, why do people “wiggle” the first […]