Author Archives: Hannah Deurloo

“Read, read, read. Read everything-trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master.” -William Faulkner

What NOT to ask at a Writing Conference

I’ve been to a fair number of writing conferences over the years. There is nearly always open question time for a presenter or two. There is also always those one or two people that take over the time. They ask things like, “How do I get an agent?” or “How do I write a queryContinueContinue reading “What NOT to ask at a Writing Conference”

The Math of Writing

Let me say that math was never my forte. I barely skimmed by in Algebra and for some reason I did great at geometry (still don’t know why). When I set out to write this post it occurred to me that writing can be shown as a form of math or presented within the parametersContinueContinue reading “The Math of Writing”

Page One… How to Start Your Story

I’ve seen the advice repeated over and over and over again: START WITH ACTION! Like books are: Lights! Camera! Action! Gimme a break. Books are not movies and that’s why we have both. They do different things. After listening to a dialogue from Agent Hannah Fergesen on Manuscript Academy, you don’t start with action… youContinueContinue reading “Page One… How to Start Your Story”

Putting Grumpy in Timeout

I think we all suffer from the occasional (or me a not so occasional) grumpiness. Certain things can get under my skin fast and make my mood turn dark within seconds. For example, loud chewing… I will excuse myself to the bathroom and “get lost” in route to avoid it. Put your big pet peeveContinueContinue reading “Putting Grumpy in Timeout”

Open to Suggestions… Right?

I’m not going to lie, anything about performing arts scares me. Ask me to talk to a room full of people about a topic I’m knowledgeable about sure thing- I got it. But ask me to act like something I’m not and bad things happen, and by bad I mean embarrassing. Flashing back to jr.ContinueContinue reading “Open to Suggestions… Right?”

Not What I Meant To Write…

Well I touched on this in my last post but I signed my agent not for a fiction picture book but for a non-fiction kid’s cookbook. Huh? Yep… Now before you say, “Wait! You can’t write non-fiction!” Let me break it down for you. I’ve spent years honing my writing skills for brevity, clarity, andContinueContinue reading “Not What I Meant To Write…”

Wreath Wall DIY

I’ve made wreaths on this blog before so I won’t bore you with the details again. I’ve also made fun trees with grape vines that I love. But not this time… This time I’m making a wall! My girls want to grow climbing beans and I’ll be honest I prefer bush beans over pole beansContinueContinue reading “Wreath Wall DIY”

DIY Veggie Bag

You pick out your veggies and put them in a bag. Which then goes into the grocery bag. When you get home you put that first bag into a garbage bag. At this point I’m feeling like I’m being punked. What’s the point of all the bags and can I change it? I know veggiesContinueContinue reading “DIY Veggie Bag”

The Well of Creativity

I’ve been working on being creative for pretty much my whole life. In grade school I was “crafty.” In high school I was “weird.” Today I’m actually viewed as somewhat “cool.” Not sure how that happened… Mostly I’m thankful that I didn’t listen to those voices earlier in my life. My parents kept buying meContinueContinue reading “The Well of Creativity”

Teamwork

“Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” – Amy Poehler After a whirlwind of excitement last week, which you can read about HERE, I’ve come to the full realization that I now have an even bigger team on myContinueContinue reading “Teamwork”

Query Letter Upgrade

I stumbled upon the best query letter advice in awhile through the Manuscript Academy. It’s called key selling points. Sounds super business fancy I know. But don’t let that freak you out. I’ll break it down for you super easy. If you want to watch the original clip or to see the whole video youContinueContinue reading “Query Letter Upgrade”

Balance

This week has forced me, literally, to take a rest. It has shown me how to look for balance. While I’m not emotionally prepared to go into what happened this week I do know one thing, humans need balance. A balance between creativity, hustle, and rest. I’ve been able to read Called To Create by Raynor someContinueContinue reading “Balance”

Bullies vs. Cheerleaders

I’ve been blessed to join a new critique group of amazing ladies. If you are in a critique group you know it can be invaluable in so many ways. I try to have a writing group for each age category I write in if possible. This means I have my picture book pals, my middleContinueContinue reading “Bullies vs. Cheerleaders”

Bravery is Not a Feeling

Bravery is an action. You heard me. It’s what you do that gets you labeled brave. Your feelings are secret and no one knows you are quaking inside. To the world, you are doing something incredible. Be brave. Take risks. Nothing can substitute experience.      -Paulo Coelho Every time you write your story, yourContinueContinue reading “Bravery is Not a Feeling”

The Art of the [Art Note: …]

I’m a fairly traditional writer. So making the transition into picture books has been difficult. Not because my writing is bad but because picture books are more than just the words. In picture books I have to leave room for art. You can check out another post on book structure HERE. When I say I’m leavingContinueContinue reading “The Art of the [Art Note: …]”

A New Editing Resource

For those of us that write kid lit, especially at the chapter level and below, it’s essential to understand reading levels. Unfortunately, there are nearly a dozen different scales you can use to “grade”  your story. Additionally, how do you know what makes a story a higher or lower level, are your edits even working?ContinueContinue reading “A New Editing Resource”

Comparable Titles Are Like Buried Treasure

Finding a good comparable title is like following a map to buried treasure. Once you’ve got a good one you’re golden but the journey can be grueling. Let’s add some tools to your backpack on this excursion. Beware! None of these ideas will help you if you don’t fully understand your own story first. YouContinueContinue reading “Comparable Titles Are Like Buried Treasure”