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By Lisa A. Gavin I made an immediate connection with James Alexander Thom’s book The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction because of my own sense of history. It started in elementary school when I visited New Salem, the small village in Illinois where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood. That old village, reconstructed to Continue reading A Sense of History By Juliet C. Bond Finding My Mentor In 2005, I was awarded a scholarship to the Highlights writer’s workshops in Chautauqua, New York. Though I’d been successful in having a picture book published, at that time, I would not have been so brave as to call myself a writer. I’d never met other children’s book writers, Continue reading Lessons on the Way through the Woods: “Taking Joy” with Jane Yolen By Paula Morrow Yes, there are second chances in life. One of my lingering regrets used to be that I missed Prairie Writer’s Day in 2008, when Cheryl Klein was on the faculty. I’ve long admired her as one of the most perceptive editors in contemporary children’s publishing and would have loved to benefit from her knowledge Continue reading First-Class Writers Need Second Sight By Juliet C. Bond Joy Cowley was born on a chicken farm in Levin, New Zealand, at 6:00 p.m. on August 7, 1936. This sounds like the beginning to a great story, because it is! Like her own life story, Joy’s prose weaves together tantalizing tales with a hint of whimsy and a dash of wacky. But Continue reading Writing with Joy By Cheryl Bardoe A book of writing exercises is de rigueur for every writer’s bookshelf, and Brian Kiteley’s The 3 A.M. Epiphany: Uncommon Writing Exercises that Transform Your Fiction fits the bill quite well. Kiteley opens with a concise, inspiring introduction that challenges writers to trust in the process of writing to beget more and more effective writing. Continue reading Exercise Your Writing with THE 3 A.M. EPIPHANY By Jeanne Becker This issue’s craft book review comes from Prairie Wind’s new managing editor, Jeanne Becker. Becker’s review of Donald Maass’s book (The Fire in Fiction) is honest and insightful, so much so that I plan to add the book to my writer’s bookshelf. Thanks, Jeanne, and welcome!–Kim Winters Do you have a manuscript that has a Continue reading Review of THE FIRE IN FICTION By Kim Winters If your writing resolutions include adding at least one craft book to your to-read list for 2011, consider Gail Carson Levine’s Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly. I first discovered Writing Magic while visiting a Springfield area bookstore with my daughters six years ago. After putting my oldest in charge and setting everyone up in Continue reading Put Some Magic into Your 2011 Reading List By Kim Winters If writing a novel is 10 percent writing and 90 percent revision, as so many wise and seasoned SCBWIers say, then Darcy Pattison’s book Novel Metamorphosis: Uncommon Ways to Revise is your guide. Pattison, whose popular Novel Revision Retreat sells out each time it comes to Illinois, created Novel Metamorphosis (Mims House, 2008) as a Continue reading Go on a Revision Quest with Darcy Pattison By Jenny Meyerhoff Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time There are many skills, tools, and techniques involved in writing a novel, and often it can seem impossible to master them all. But if I had to choose one thing to perfect, it would be the ability Continue reading How to Make a Scene By Jenny Meyerhoff Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days For many authors, the idea of writing a “fast first draft,” or 50,000 words in a month, sounds incredibly alluring. However, for some, the intense pressure of the NaNoWriMo—five pages a day by the seat of your pants—method makes their fingers freeze. After attempting to fast draft several times, I’d pretty much resigned myself to being, if not a slow drafter, at the very least an average drafter. Continue reading A Fool-Proof Way to a Faster Draft 
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