Author: Cathryn Free
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Project NaNoWriMo: Gearing Up!
One more week until NaNoWriMo! I’m super pumped and I’m craving getting back into a story, but I will hold out until November first before I start drafting. In the mean time, I thought I’d just share with you a few recent updates and what I’ve been working on… Book Reviews I’m going to take…
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Middle Grade Book Review: New Kid
Title: New Kid Author/ Illustrator: Jerry Craft Year published: 2019 Summary: Jordan Banks is a kid from Washington Heights who wants nothing more than to go to art school. When his parents enrolled him in a prestigious private school, Jordan is one of the few kids of color in the entire school. Jordan struggles finding…
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What is NaNoWriMo?
If you’ve been following me here or on Instagram, I’ve thrown the term, NaNoWriMo, out there a couple of times. For those who don’t know it stands for National Novel Writing Month. What is National Novel Writing Month? Excellent question, dear friend! It’s been described as many things: writing boot camp, a novel writing celebration,…
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Free Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: Prewriting
Prewriting is a crucial step in the writing process, but it takes a different shape to different writers. Depending on what kind of writer you are, you may spend a lot of time prewriting, or very little. Some writers do all of their prewriting in their heads, while others have notebooks, whiteboards, outlines, binders, and…
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The Second Draft
As I sit here typing this, my printer (super old, and super crappy printer) is chugging out the pages of the second draft of my YA fantasy novel. And I am both elated and exhausted. It’s done. I did it. Despite my tendency to doubt or think it’s not worth it, I managed to finished…
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YA Book Review: The Silence of Bones
Title: The Silence of Bones Author/ Illustrator: June Hur Year published: 2020 Summary: Seol is a damo–a female indentured servant to the police bureau, assisting the male officers with crimes dealing with women. When a noble woman is found murdered, Seol is thrust into an investigation where the primary suspect is the lead investigator. Set…
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Free Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: The Parts of Speech
Let’s for once and for all, break up any confusion about the parts of speech. The phrase “Parts of Speech” simply refers to the names we give to each word in the English language, depending on what it is. Each part of speech performs a distinct job in a sentence. There are eight Parts of…
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The Waiting is the Hardest Part
You write a piece. After pouring hours of work into drafting, revising, editing, and proofreading a story or article, you’re ready to submit. You research publications to submit to and draft a cover letter, query letter, or pitch. You take the time to follow their specific submission guidelines, and format your manuscript to that publication’s…
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Picture Book Review: Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee!
Title: Take of Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! Author/ Illustrator: Andrea Loney/ Keith Mallett Year published: 2017 Summary: A story about the photographer, James VanDerZee, his journey as an artist, and his significance during the Harlem Renaissance. Review: As a teacher, I love this book. I’m so glad it exists. This nonfiction picture book tells…
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Free Writer’s Workshop Wednesday: To Be or Not to Be
One of the most common verbs within the English language is the verb “to be.” This linking verb does nothing more than explain a state of “being” whether in the past, present, or future tense. The Two Ways of Using “To Be” It can be used on its own as a linking verb: The cat…
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