3 Mixed-Up Writing Goofs You Might Be Making

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of the How They Do It Series 

JH: Using the wrong word in our writing is not only embarrassing, but can hurt our novel's chances at success. Aly Brown shares a few tips on how to remember these often-goofed words.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

10 Things That Will Sink Your Novel’s Opening Pages

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of the How They Do It Series 

JH: The opening pages of a novel are probably the most important pages you'll write in that novel. Aly Brown shares ten things you might be doing wrong.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

Things That Happen When You Stop Chasing Social Media

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of The Writer’s Life Series 

JH: Social media is both a blessing and a curse, and no writer should feel pressured to engage if they don't want to. Aly Brown kicks off the New Year with thoughts and tips on what happens when you don't let social media rule your life. 

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

Publishing Far and Wide to Sharpen Your Skills, Thicken Your Skin

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of The Writer’s Life Series

JH: Being a writer encompasses many forms, and not all of them include fiction. Aly Brown shares her story about how a wider career path improved her writing--and saved her sanity. 

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

The Grammar Chicken: Helping Writers Write

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: Something fun and informative today, as Aly Brown returns to the lecture hall with her Grammar Chicken. Yes, that's right. A chicken that helps writers keep track of commonly misused words. Believe it or not, those are two of my favorite things (Well, chickens, and helping writers).

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

Pushing the Plot Forward—Tying (and Trimming) Loose Ends for a Tidy Finish

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of the How They Do It Series

Tying up all the loose ends in a plot requires the right balance between too loose (where the ending isn't satisfying) and too pat (where the ending feels too contrived). Alythia Brown joins us in the lecture hall today to share some tips on keeping our plot threads neat and tidy.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

The Responsibilities of a Small Press Author

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Part of the How They Do It Series

Please help me welcome author Alythia Brown, who's here today share some insights into an often overlooked publishing avenue--the small press--and what it means to be a small press author.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

Guest Author Alythia Brown: Silence After the Partial Request—What is the Agent NOT Saying?

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

Please help me welcome Aly Brown to the blog today, to chat with us about that scary time between hitting send and hearing back from an agent, and what might be causing that silence.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...

Believe in Your Drawer Novel—Even the Book that’s Doomed to Sit in the Dark Can Help You Become an Author

By Aly Brown, @AlyConnerBrown

JH: Please join me in welcoming Aly Brown to the blog today, to chat with us about the dreaded drawer novel. We all have them, we all have big hopes for them, but how many will ever really find a home? Aly shares with us why we should have more faith in the stories we hide away--and how they can help up achieve our dreams.

Aly Brown is a newspaper editor and author represented by BookEnds LLC. She recently inked a deal with Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan for a nonfiction middle grade book on Alvin Submersible called The Last Unexplored Place on Earth. Release date 2023.

Website | Twitter | Grammar Chicken

Take it away Aly...