How can you tell when you have enough information from the texts to write?
Carrie:
There is no time like the present to write…no need to wait. The reading we do for research helps enhance our writing. Whether we apply what we learn to our revisions or a brand new draft, there is no time limit for when to start. Write and read every day if you can. Trust your inner editor. Sometimes when I am reading a mentor text, I have an ah-ha moment about one of my own drafts. That’s my inner editor at work. Learn to listen to the inner conversation going on in your brain as you read. Perhaps the particular text I am reading excels at offering the element of surprise flawlessly. My inner editor says, “That’s it! You are missing a surprise!” Or maybe one of my manuscripts feels awkward in a certain point of view. After reading a stellar mentor text in a new point of view, I might try that POV in my manuscript. Whatever you do, just keep writing…and reading!
Bonus Links
-Pain-Free Writing and Art from Writer's Rumpus Blogger Joyce Audy Zarins
-Plot Advice from KidLit Summer School's Co-Founder Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
-Mentor Text Author Study of Author Andrea Davis Pinkney's Nonfiction Books
Do you have a question for me? Feel free to leave it in the comment section. Did you participate in ReFoReMo this year? I’d love to hear about your experience and how you are using mentor texts today. Check out the submission guidelines for the Revealing ReFoReMo series HERE.