great writing tips

Top Ten Questions Dutton Editors Ask Themselves When Looking At A Manuscript 1. Who is the readership for this book? 2. Does this story surprise me and take me to places I didn’t expect? 3. Is this a main character I care about? 4. Am I personally moved by this story or sitituation? 5. I this a theme/emotion/concern that a lot of kids will be able to relate to? 6. Has this been done a million times before? 7. Will I want to read this manuscript ten (or more) times? 8. Is the voice/character authentic and real? 9. For picture books: Would this story be visually interesteding for 32 pages? Could I esaily envision the illustrations for this? 10. For novels: Does the action of the story move at a good pace and hold our interest? Does tension build as the story moves forward? (I found this on the Writing and Illustrating blog, posted by Kathy Teamen.)