Author: Cathryn Free
-
“The Dive” Published in Cricket Magazine
My short fiction piece, “The Dive”, was published in the May/June 2021 issue of Cricket magazine. When I first started pursuing publication, I decided that I would start with magazines. I wanted the practice, the resume, and frankly, the income. Magazines have a greater need for short pieces since many put out an issue multiple…
-
How to Write Short Fiction for Children’s Magazines
These tips will help you write and sell your short fiction for children to magazines. A great place to break into writing for children is magazines. Unlike book publishers who have limited needs, magazines are constantly looking for submissions, especially for short fiction. Magazines like Cricket, Spider, and Highlights are published nearly every month and…
-
Top 10 Writing Mistakes that Guarantee a Rejection
Every agent and/or editor is different, but these ten writing mistakes will guarantee a rejection! Writers face a massive amount of rejection–it’s part of the package if you’re making a career in writing. But there are certain things–habits, rookie mistakes, red flags, call them what you will–that can cause an editor or agent to toss…
-
The Waiting is the Hardest Part (Part 2)
I’ve come to a realization recently about writing and being a writer. Whether working as a freelancer, or publishing novels, one giant cable connects all writers. And it might be the most frustrating part of writing: there’s a lot of waiting around. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that 90% of “being a writer”…
-
Are You a Plotter or a Pantser?
Most writers–supposedly–fall into one of two categories of writing style. Either they are a plotter or a pantser. But what do these strange terms mean and how do you know if you’re one or the other or maybe something completely different? If you’ve never heard of the terms before, they describe two completely different writing…
-
How to Write a Nonfiction Article for Children
If you want to break into writing for children, nonfiction is where it’s at. Nonfiction is in high demand for publishers and especially magazines. They’re constantly looking for high-quality, engaging, and factual articles that can be used inside the classroom and libraries. Kids love it, editors need it, and you can write nonfiction articles for…
-
How to Write a Synopsis
You wrote a novel. You revised and revised and revised. You’ve spent hours and days and maybe years working on this baby, and now you’re ready to send your baby out into the world. As you prep your submission package, whether to an agent or a publisher, they keep asking for one specific thing: a…
-
5 Mistakes You Make when Researching for Your Writing
Research is a key ingredient in writing. Even if you’re writing contemporary fiction, there will be things you need to know so your story is believable. Research is unavoidable. You need to do it. Research is CRUCIAL to historical fiction, nonfiction, or papers and essay for academic purposes. In fact, it’s probably the biggest hurdle…
-
Writing and Illustrating
I’m the kind of person who likes to do everything herself. I don’t buy things I can make, or pay for services I can do myself. It’s probably a huge character flaw, but that’s just my natural tendency. Aside from my writing goals this year, I’ve stumbled upon a new project I’m messing with right…
-
Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: The Five Paragraph Essay
I have taught the basic five paragraph essay for years. It always surprises me when students get so worried and worked up about a basic essay because if you know the organization of the essay, there’s really nothing to fear. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a piece of writing consisting of five paragraphs that…
cathrynfree.com 