MY BEST FRIEND EDITED THIS. I LOVE IT AND YOU ARE REQUIRED TO LOVE IT ALSO. THANK YOU. ( )

Recommended by Cressida H.
Saw Ally Carter on a YA panel at PLA in 2018 (https://jenny-arch.com/2018/04/02/pla-day-three-the-big-ideas-of-the-internet-we......)

Written in an accessible Q&A style and peppered with advice from other writers (Shannon Hale, David Levithan, Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater, etc.), this book is an incredible resource for any writer - teen or adult. From practical nitty-gritty (word count, perspective) to basic story structure, it's realistic and encouraging.

Quotes/notes

Exercise: Pick a favorite book, start reading, make a list of every big thing that happens - identify all the scenes. (7)

You need more conflict. And you need more scenes to resolve all that conflict. (9)

First person, second person (rare), third person limited, third person omniscient (34-36)

When thinking about characters, I think it's important for authors to consider both nature and nurture. What kind of person is that character just wired to be? And what kind of person has their world turned them into? (68)

[Backstory] What kind of stuff has your character had to endure? ...What kind of coping mechanism did they develop to endure it? (69)

Backstory isn't the stuff that happened to your characters. Backstory is the stuff that turned your characters into who they are right now. (70)

What does your character want? What does your character have? (David Levithan, 70)

All characters - even the "bad" ones - are the heroes of their own stories. (83)

Even by taking steps in the wrong direction, you learn which way the right direction may be. (98)

Screenplay by Syd Field: storyboards, acts, plot points, beginnings/middles/ends (98)

Every story is composed of three parts: Beginning. Middle. End. [1/4, 1/2, 1/4] (99)

During an Act, the character/story is moving in a particular direction; a plot point changes that direction. (100)

Story structure: Inciting incident, setback, progress, setback(s), new plan, failure, dark night of the soul, rally, climax, victory/defeat, conclusion (105)

Pay attention to where your stories - and your scenes - are set. Settings can provide humor or suspense or conflict....It's up to you to use your characters' environment to make the story as interesting as possible. (108-109)

A person wants a thing for a reason, and something (or someone) stands in their way. (110)

Characters need to want things. And the force of their wanting is what propels the story. (Holly Black, 110)

Stakes don't always have to be life or death. What matters is that they feel that way to your character (and to your reader). (111)

On filler: You should only be writing the good parts....Any scene too boring to write is probably a scene too boring to read. (154)

Every single scene...should accomplish multiple things. (155)

Not everything in a book has to look like a book (pro/con lists, letters, etc., 155)

It's hard, but the only way to write a good book is to slog through writing a bad one first. (Alex London, 211)

--> Look for writing contests to enter (SCBWI, e.g.) (250)

Publishers Marketplace, QueryTracker.net, ManuscriptWishList.com, SCBWI.org (264) ( )

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: N/A
Recommended: Yes
Level: 7th grade - 12th grade

Ally Carter created a great resource for teens who want to write a book. She was supportive and honest throughout the explanation of the writing process. Carter has a clear table of contents and the chapters are broken into logical sections. Each chapter has questions that work as subject headings to guide the reader.

Carter included advice from other famous YA authors to share their tips and tricks for writing. Their diverse responses provided reassurance that there is no correct way to write. I also liked that she outsourced questions to authors when she did not have experience with the subject heading.

Overall, I would recommend the book- I did think it was a little too long. ( )