You may recall I posted Writing Tips for Teens once a month last school year, to help out teen writers, teachers, and librarians. I recently compiled and edited them to create a booklet. (It's too short to call it a book!) If you're looking for ideas about the writing process, setting, character, or point of view--or you need new writing prompts--this is for you! It's on the books page of this website at www.lynnlovegreen.com/books . To download your own copy, click on the "D

I’ve been posting #writingtipsforteens on the first week of each month. This month’s post is the last for the school year. Here are some tidbits to consider as you write on your own this summer, and a bonus writing prompt in case you’d like one to play with! 1. There are no rules, just guidelines. Never believe anyone who says “always” or “never.” (See what I did there?! J) Sometimes guidelines are important; you probably need a plot and characters to write a book. But someti

I’ve been posting #writingtipsforteens on the first week of each month. This month’s subject is setting. So, what is setting? Generally, setting is the time and place of your story. To give a couple examples: Star Wars takes place long, long ago in a galaxy far away. Indigo by Beverly Jenkins is set in Michigan during the Civil War. The sky’s the limit--anything is possible in fiction! But you as the author will need to choose a specific setting for your story. I usually choo

I’m posting #writingtipsforteens on the first week of each month. This month’s subject is character arcs. In each novel or long story, things happen. Those events are called the plot. In great stories, the events that happen to the main character or protagonist lead to character growth. Sometimes the person—or alien or whatever—will learn something important; other times she will change a personality trait or flaw that is holding her back. (I usually use “she/her” pronouns fo

I’m posting #writingtipsforteens on the first week of each month. This month’s subject is point of view. Point of view shows who is telling the story. You can think of it like watching a movie—are we seeing it from a character’s point of view? Are we close to them, like seeing it through their eyes or looking over their shoulder? Where is the movie camera, like in a close up shot, or is there more distance, like a long or wide shot? All these things can enhance your story or