Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink

by Gail Carson Levine, Heather Henderson (Read by)

Overview

Bestselling author of Ella Enchanted and fairy-tale master Gail Carson Levine shares her secrets of great writing in this companion to the popular Writing Magic.

Have you ever wanted to captivate readers with a great opening, create spectacular and fantastical creatures, make up an entire country, realize a dastardly villain, write an epic love story, or make your characters leap off the page? If you answered yes to any of these questions, Gail Carson Levine can help you achieve your goals.

Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine offers a behind-the-scenes take on writing and teaches you how to become a world-class author. Drawing from her popular blog, Gail answers readers' fiction- and poetry-writing questions and dives into how to make a story come alive. If you're interested in writing prose and poetry or just want to be a better and more rounded writer, this book will help you on your creative journey.

With her trademark humor and vast writing knowledge, Gail Carson Levine reveals the tricks of her trade, writer to writer.

Supports the Common Core State Standards

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781483041780
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	12/28/2014
Edition description:	Unabridged
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.50(h) x 5.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gail Carson Levine's first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Ever, a New York Times bestseller; Fairest, a Best Book of the Year for Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and a New York Times bestseller; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; A Tale of Two Castles; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction books Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink, as well as the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie. Gail Carson Levine and her husband, David, live in a two-centuries-old farmhouse in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Editorial Reviews

09/29/2014
“Have fun, and save what you write!” Those words close out nearly every chapter of this valuable writing guide, a companion to Levine’s Writing Magic (2006), and they form the heart of the author’s advice. Levine describes this book as the “greatest hits” of her blog, where she has discussed the craft of writing since 2009 (and where the exclamatory advice above closes out her posts). Chapters explore finding inspiration (and time to write), character- and plot-building, and writing poetry, among other topics. (Walking readers through the publication process, Levine notes, “We writers rely on the eagle eyes of copy editors! However, I still try to get the nitty-gritty right myself, and so should you.”) Questions from visitors to Levine’s blog are used as springboards, and Levine is generous in sharing her struggles, tactics, and experience. Ages 8–up. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Dec.)

Publishers Weekly

A veritable treasure trove of advice and guidance for writers across a range of ages.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

In this follow-up to Writing Magic (HarperCollins, 2006/Voya December 2006), award-winning fantasy writer Levine again provides advice to writers. Since 2009, Levine has shared her thoughts on “the how-to of writing” on her blog, and in the first chapter she explains that this book consists of the highlights of that blog, sometimes expanded. The author draws from her experience as a writer and teacher of writing workshops to develop sections on being a writer; character; plot; the “underpinnings of storytelling,” such as tense and word choice; and poetry. As in Writing Magic and the blog, each chapter ends with prompts for the reader to put into practice the ideas discussed in the chapter, as well as words of encouragement: “Have fun, and save what you write!” Levine is an amusing, approachable writing coach. By incorporating comments from blog readers, she intercepts many of the questions aspiring writers might ask. The tone is distinctly geared toward younger readers, but the prompts are specific and interesting enough to intrigue high school students or even adults, for example, writing a story of a romance between Gretel (of Hansel and Gretel) and Rumpelstiltskin or recasting a Roman myth in the future tense. Especially valuable for young writers of fantasy, Writer To Writer will engage aspiring writers of all ages. Reviewer: Samantha Godbey; Ages 11 to 15.

VOYA, December 2014 (Vol. 37, No. 5) - Samantha Godbey

Using questions posed to her on her blog—many from young people who would love to become authors—Levine, a bestselling author and Newbery Honor Book finalist for Ella, Enchanted, shares her many words of wisdom on everything about writing from beginning to end…literally. After an initial section that shares what it means to Levine to be a writer, she offers readers chapters on “Character Building,” “Character Nitty-Gritty,” “Hatching the Plot,” “Aspects of Story,” “Underpinnings,” and “Closing the Circle.” An additional section highlights writing novels in verse. This book follows many best practices that middle school English/Language Arts teachers use in their classrooms and will certainly aid fledgling writers as they work on developing their craft. Each chapter provides helpful suggestions for working on some aspect of that section, and the author ends each section with the always useful advise to “Have fun, and save what you write!” The book will be a great resource for many writers and teachers as each works to foster good writing in themselves and others. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.; Ages 7 to 12.

Children's Literature - Jean Boreen

★ 11/01/2014
Gr 5–8—In this follow-up book to Writing Magic Creating Stories That Fly (HarperCollins, 2006), fantasy author Levine doles out realistic and helpful guidance to aspiring authors. This title is an extension of her blog, and Levine provides her audience with the common nuts and bolts of the profession, offering this advice: writers write, they keep writing, and they save everything they write to use again. Levine's tone is conversational and upbeat and her suggestions easy to follow, tinged with an underlying sense of encouragement that will bolster readers. She discusses common difficulties, warning young people not to get hung up on minutiae and letting them know that confronting challenges is a surmountable part of the craft. The chapters are based on questions that have been posted to her blog and address how to develop characters and backstory, come up with plot twists and flashbacks, and create mystery and tension. Each chapter ends with appealing and doable exercises. Levine urges her audience to cast away self-criticism and to write and rewrite, underscoring that this is an enjoyable, important process. An engaging and valuable addition.—Patricia Feriano, Montgomery County Public Schools, MD

School Library Journal

2014-10-01
A best-selling children's author offers a comprehensive guide for aspirants. In 2009, Levine started a blog about writing, short essays that became a writers' advice column, and this volume presents the blog's "greatest hits." Character building and "hatching the plot" are clearly what young writers get stuck on most often and thus receive substantial treatment here. Other issues, such as theme, "mid-story crisis," back story, flashback, foreshadowing and mystery are also covered. There's a seriousness about the craft that's refreshing; Levine is determined to help young writers get the underpinnings right—verb tense, using a thesaurus (or "word grazing," as she calls it), clarity and grammar. She urges readers to take to heart her advice about usage, writing, "here's a command about grammar and spelling: Get it right. An editor won't give the newbie writer any latitude on this." Most chapters end with the friendly reminder to "[h]ave fun, and save what you write!" The volume has a pleasing circularity, beginning with the author's discussion of her own blog and closing with advice on writing blogs, since a well-written blog offers what Levine's became, a means of mutual support for writers. A well-meaning and friendly resource that may well save young writers much time and distress and, perhaps, lead to success in getting published. (Nonfiction. 11 & up)

Kirkus Reviews