Tag Archives: Stephen King

May 3 2012

Author Exposed: Karin Lefranc

I love promoting authors and their books. I love it even more when a book can teach a child a very important lesson in life. Karin Lefranc has done this with her book “A Quest For Good Manners.” This is a story kids will have fun with while they learn valuable life lessons. Teachers and parents will appreciate the lesson young readers will learn. Karin also shares some insight on her favorite books, authors and writing tips. Please help me in welcoming author Karin Lefranc. Feel free to leave a comment.

TNW: How long have you been writing?

KL: I have been writing since my first job, which was as a reporter for a local newspaper.

TNW: Have you always written for children?

KL: I went from writing for the local newspaper to working as an assistant editor at Virgin Books in London. There I wrote a lot of press releases and book blurbs. I didn’t start writing for children until about five years ago.

TNW: What drives and motivates your writing?

KL: I first excited about a story idea. I am fueled by the creative process, and then I just love to write.

TNW: Do you feel it’s important for writers to use social media? How?

KL: Oh my, I do feel it is important. That’s not to say I am very good at it. Social media is a powerful platform and as writers we have an advantage to use it well. Marketing ourselves and our books is so important and facebook, blogs, twitter are incredibly useful tools.

TNW: Who are some of your favorite authors and why?

KL: I love One by Kathryn Otoshi. A book about bullying but so much more.

Anything by Mo Willems—he gets how kids think. On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillma

is a lovely gift for any new baby on planet earth. Frog and Toad Collection—don’t need any self

-help books when you have this treasure!

TNW: What writing books would you recommend to new writers?

KL: I just finished Stephen King’s On Writing and that was great. Today, I bought Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, which is on everyone’s list of best books on writing. One that isn’t on everyone’s list and is wonderfully inspiring is If You Want to Write: A Book about Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland. It was originally published in the 1938 and it is a real treasure.

 TNW: What advice do you have for new writers?

KL: Read, write, join SCBWI and a critique group and then read and write some more.

TNW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

KL: With four kids ages 10 and under it’s sometimes hard to find time to write. I hope in five years, I will have more time to write. In addition to more picture books, I would love to write a middle grade novel.

Title: A Quest For Good Manners

Author: Karin Lefranc

Illustrator: Hannah Neale

Publisher: Beluga Press
ISBN: 9780983045908


Review:

Teaching children good manners is a required item on any parents “to do” list. Children can learn to be respectful and courteous at a very young age. Instead of making learning manners a cumberson task, teach them how with a fun, easy to read story that has a princess, a dragon, a fairy and a wizard. It might even be fun for you to send your little ones on a quest of their own for good manners.

Princess Rosalind and her trusty friend Sparkler, a big green dragon, are the slurppiest, sloppiest and drippiest eaters at the Queens table. These two friends over-stuff their mouths with food and then talk while they chew. As a result, food spews and splatters everywhere. The Queen will not stand for this ill-mannered behavior any longer. Of course, Rosalind argues that they really don’t need manners and dragons don’t really know any better. The Queen gives Rosalind and Sparkler three days to find good manners or she will banish Sparkler forever from the kingdom. Rosalind and Sparkler begin their quest to find Percival, an all knowing wizard, for help and guidance.

Rosalind’s first task is to pull a golden fork with a ruby embellished handle from a stone. Rosalind pulls and tugs at the fork until her hands hurt. With the help of Percival she soon realizes its not strength that will release the fork, but knowing how to hold a fork. Once she achieves that goal the fork will glow and be her guide to her next quest. As Rosalind and Sparkle learn more about good manners and what is expected, the two also makes some really nice friends along the way.

Teaching manners can be tricky. Lefranc has done an excellent job of showing young readers how to say please and thank you. This quest can also open up dialogue between parents and children no matter what age. Teachers can also use this as a tool for students in preschool or kindergarten during snack time. Bright and cheery digital illustrations invite readers into the world of the princess and her dragon. Visual expressions of these hilarious characters will bring smiles to all who turn the pages.

Thanks so much Karin for sharing with us today. To learn more about Karin please visit Kristi’s Book Nook and participate in the awesome book giveaway.

twitter: @karinlefranc
A Quest for Good Manners—“a fun and meaningful way to demonstrate to children that good manners are not just boring rules but a show of kindness and consideration to others.”—New York Journal of Books
Apr 1 2012

Do Writers Need Rules?

In this world there are rules. Plain and simple. When we are born we learn to crawl, walk and speak. Doctors learn procedures, ditch diggers learn to hold shovels and writers learn how to tell stories. If there were no rules or methods of learning we would all be sitting around with our thumbs up our rears. Harsh, but true. Larry Brooks wrote a wonderful article on the subject of writing fundamentals. Check it out and let me know your thoughts.

The Learning Curve That Keeps On Curving

 has written 434 posts on Storyfix.com.You can follow Larry on Twitter, or Google+.

 Email the author

by LARRY BROOKS on MARCH 19, 2012

In all my years as a writer, writing teacher and blogger, I’ve never run into anybody who claims to knoweverything there is to know about storytelling.

That’s because the more you know, the more you realize how complex and deep it all can be.  Stories are like people, no two are completely alike, and therefore each needs to be regarded, analyzed, appreciated and repaired separately.

That said, certain fundamental principles and physics apply. 

Just like they do to people.  And they can be learned.

And yet, while nobody is claiming to know it all, I have run into writers who claim they don’t need to pay attention to those pesky fundamental principles and storytelling physics.  They say something like this:

“Don’t over-think it, just sit down and do it, let the story flow, trust your instinct, do whatever the hell you want, keep working on it and it’ll turn out like it’s supposed to. There are no rules.”

Not long ago I flew into Salt Lake to give a keynote and writing workshop at a major conference.  The young writer who picked me up at the airport was curious about my book (which is all about writing fundamentals and storytelling physics), and in the course of our conversation told me that one of writers who would be attending the conference – an older guy who had been writing for years – said my book was ridiculous, that there are only three things a writer needs to ultimately know, the rest is just hot air: the beginning, the middle and the end.

That’s it?  Who knew.  All these years, I’ve missed that one on the writing shelf.  This is the same guy who claims all he needs in life is “three hots and a cot.”

I asked now many books this guy had published.  The answer was none.

Interesting.  While I have run into writers who line up behind this simplistic belief system, none of them – zero – have been published.

Coincidence?  I think not.

And when it does happen – and I’m sure it does – it isn’t proof of the theory.  Rather, it’s the writer not understanding what just happened.

There are a few Big Names out there who claim to be listening to some muse, that they simply sit down and channel it.  But the truth (IMO) is one of three things: this is a transparent stab at modesty, they have a great editor, or they’re truly clueless and therefore just lucky to be where they are.

I don’t think the last two are it.  Such writers probably write organically, on instinct… but what is instinct if not the expression of something that has been learned?

In essence these writers are saying that they’re some kind of genius.

Diana Gabaldon comes to mind.  As does Stephen King, who is a genius, but in talking about “how to write” laughably discounts the fact he’s published hundreds of stories over many decades, which by definition means he’s learned something along the way, which again by definition means if something can be learned, it can be sought-out and it can be taught, if nothing else through acknowledgement.

Just because you haven’t filed a flight plan, it doesn’t mean you don’t know how to fly the airplane.  No,that part you have to learn. Read more here.

Aug 5 2011

Do Writers Need An Agent?

Stephen King, American author best known for h...

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Do we as writers, especially new writers, really need an agent right away?

I want an agent when I really have something to present that’s polished and well written. I feel that I would be spinning my wheels trying to get an agents attention if my project isn’t worthy. Not only that, I would have to share any profits. Is that me being cheap? Not sure about it, I haven’t had that experience yet.

According to an article from The Writer, Stephen King had this to say about agents in 1986:

An agent? Forget it. For now

Agents get 10% of monies earned by their clients. 10% of nothing is nothing. Agents also have to pay the rent. Beginning writers do not contribute to that or any other necessity of life. Flog your stories around yourself. If you’ve done a novel, send around query letters to publishers, one by one, and follow up with sample chapters and/or the manuscript complete. And remember Stephen King’s First Rule of Writers and Agents, learned by bitter personal experience: You don’t need one until you’re making enough for someone to steal … and if you’re making that much, you’ll be able to take your pick of good agents.

That was quite a while ago and so much has changed since then. I feel he has a valid point, new writers should wait and shop around with publishers first. None of us would be any worse for the ware.

Will you be shopping for an Agent first?

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May 4 2011

2011 Blogathon Theme Day Post – Day 4

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We are on day 4 of the blogathon, and it has been quite the challenge for me to post daily. But, who doesn’t love a challenge. In this post I will list 5 books on writing. It’s a tough choice for me because there are so many helpful books on my shelves. So here goes!

My top 5 writing books are:

“Bird by Bird- Some Instructions on Writing and Life” by Anne Lamott

“Writing Down the Bones – Freeing the Writer Within” by Natalie Goldberg

“On Writing – A Memoir Of The Craft” by Stephen King

“The Artist’s Way – A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” by Julia Cameron

“How to Write A Book Proposal” by Michael Larsen, AAR

If you don’t have these books in your collection already I suggest you visit your local indie bookseller or stop by My Amazon page to order them online and have them shipped right to your doorstep. Happy Writing & Reading.

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Feb 13 2011

American Idol: Every Writer Has One

P writing blue

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As a writer I’ve come to learn and understand those who are passionate about writing. Perhaps the love of Dr. Seuss, Aesop’s Fables or The Brothers Grimm encouraged many readers to long to write whimsical rhyming stories and fairy tales. Many of those writers are an American icon and household name. One of my favorite authors is Dr. Maya Angelou. She had the gift of words at an early age and did stop speaking entirely for a while. But when she decided to share her voice she came out in full force. I love it!

For those writers who are inspired to follow the path of someone like T.S. Eliot, a Nobel Prize winner who dared to dream, they would willingly follow the same path with patience and diligence toward the pursuit of their dream. Having an American idol is the start of many dreams. The love of words is what calls most us to this journey. A journey that is long and filled with rejection. But because there were others before us, we strive, we write and we never forget why we are here doing this thing that we love.

I still remember how I felt when I read my first grownup paperback. It was a science fiction novel by Robert A. Heinlein. The words pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down. I own two copies even now of “Stranger In A Strange Land.” I have always had a passion for reading, but reading that particular book at that particular time in my life created a frenzy in me that will never subside.

With the new infatuation with vampires there are a ton of new authors following the path of an urban writer targeting the young adults on the planet. When I was a young adult, my macabre idol was Stephen King. I read everything he wrote and then some. I still own his entire collection today and have a few outlines ready to be turned into manuscripts. He inspired me. Now I can following his writing advice from “On Writing.”

My new love and American idol is James Patterson. His “Alex Cross” series has me hooked and reading into the late night hours. His genius in telling a story and creating a character is astounding. I can think of several story ideas after reading his books. I wake up in the night and jot down my ideas in my journal. I can hang onto those thoughts until I am ready to bring them to life.

I’ve had many American idols over the years. I don’t doubt I will have many more in the coming years. I hope someday to become someone’s American idol. Who is your American idol?