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Unless you have a particular title in mind or you have an author whose work you follow, walking into a bookstore or library can be overwhelming. There are so many books to choose from. How do you pick?

 Even though you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, the cover is a big part of its advertising. Pictures, colors, mood all play into whether you think a particular book is for you.

 One thing I do is to keep a small notebook with me all the time. I write down books I hear about from friends or reviews or NPR. I write down when books by my favorite authors are coming out so I can look for them when it’s time.

 Another way I find good books is that I read several authors blogs. They often talk about books they like which sound good to me. Two blogs I especially follow are by two of my friends and are both specifically to recommend books. One is by author Debbi Michiko Florence called Debtastic Reviews. Since Debbi and I have a similar taste in books, I like seeing what she recommends. Another is Jennifer Recommends written by an agent and bookseller. Jenn recommends adult books as well as middle grade and young adult and makes them all sound so good I have to find them.

 Next time you’re looking for a recommendation, check out these two sites!

NaNoWriMo begins tomorrow!

If you’d like to do some thinking about your plot, I found these videos very helpful.  Keep your notebook nearby and jot down ideas while you listen!

I’ve made a goal of writing 200 words on my brand new project each day for the month along with my other writing goals.  I’ll be keeping track here.

What’s your goal for November?

 

Registration for the Vermont Novel Writing Retreat begins 11/1!

More information and link for sign up here .

 November is National Novel Writing Month.  For years many people have signed up on the NaNoWriMo website (ywp.nanowrimo.org) and pledged to write a certain number of words in a month.  The Young Writers section of the website is filled with ideas for developing your story and completing the words.  It also has a tracker to graph your progress.

Imagine making a commitment to writing every day.  By the end of thirty days, you’d have a lot of work done!

What kind of goal would you make?  A journal entry every day?  A page of your story?  A poem?  A certain number of words?

I’d love to set up a class on the NaNoWriMo site.  Students from my former school and writing camp, let me know if you want to join!

Think about your own commitment to writing for the next month.  What will it be?

 Four thousand sentences.  Whether you’re reading or writing, this is true. But which four thousand sentences should you spend your time on?

  Every Wednesday I hope to post a reading recommendation here.  Maybe you’ll find books to add to your reading list.  Let me know if you read something I recommend.  Tell me what you’re reading and what you recommend. 

  I’ll also be posting about writing on Mondays. I’ll talk about things I’ve learned in my own writing. I’ll post links that give great writing ideas, have places where teens can publish, or run writing contests for teens.  If you have a question about writing, ask!

  Of course, I don’t count sentences in either my reading or writing.  I’m more likely to use number of pages or word count, measures that are easily available.  I like goals for myself for both reading and writing.

  What about you?  Do you try to read a certain number of pages a day or week?  A number of books?  Do you write a certain amount?

  I hope you’ll check back next week when I talk about NaNoWriMo and choosing books!  Please follow this blog by entering your email in the box to the right.