Author Archives: Donna Maloy, Author

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About Donna Maloy, Author

Captivating romantic suspense. History, mystery, and sometimes... a little touch of fantasy.

How to Build a Coming of Age Arc

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

Some of the most famous books ever written have been about finding oneself while on the journey to adulthood. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee The Giver by Lois Lowry A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith Lord … Continue reading →

Posted in Character arcs, Coming of Age stories, Coming of Age stories, Genre elements, Genre recipes, Interior life; interiority, Plotting, Young adults | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Monday Advice from Agents and Editors: An Editor’s Take on Criticism

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

The Wakeup Call Many new authors, shiny new publishing contract in hand, think all the hard work is over. And then they get the first editorial letter. The one that’s a dozen pages long. The one that starts “I really … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism, Editing, Editorial Criticism, Revising, Taking out fluff | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Writing Swordfights

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

Today I saw a terrific post on writing swordfights over at Book Wars (“unadulterated fangirling of children’s books, authors, and bookstores”). It made me recall the two semesters I took fencing in college and the aching, burning thigh muscles that … Continue reading →

Posted in Action, Swordfights, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Alex award Winners

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

Originally posted on Writing and Illustrating:
•All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, published by Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. (9781476746586). A blind Parisian girl and an orphaned German boy conscripted by the Nazis for…

Posted in Writing | 2 Comments

What Makes a Reader and Character Connect

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Donna Maloy, Author

I enjoyed this post from Ryan Lanz on character development. (P.S., Ryan also has a terrific set of resources at http://ryanlanz.com/writers-toolbox/

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