Words From A Newbery Medalist

During the recent SCBWI Conference in New York, Linda Sue Park gave a keynote speech that I wish I could have heard. Ms. Park won the Newbery in 2002 for A Single Shard (which I read a few weeks ago and loved…if you haven't already, please read it!). I first discovered her while reading Project Mulberry, one of the most refreshing contemporary MG books I’ve read in a long time (it includes clever conversations between the author and protagonist that put a big smile on my face).

Though I couldn’t attend the conference, once again I turned to Twitter to live vicariously through others. And you know what? I gathered more than a few gems from those who passed on the wise words of a wonderful writer. Without further ado, I present some of the Linda Sue Park quotes that were passed along to the public:

*You never love a book the way you do as a child.
* Our attention to craft today matters more than ever, and it matters to young readers.
*Books are just about the only place left where young people can encounter written language with the luxury of time.
*To write in a strong voice, you need to have a keen awareness of the rhythm of the words.
*Voice is word choice for meaning and nuance and sound, word order for structure and rhythm.
*Voice is the best words in the best order to serve the story.
*If you want to get good at writing, you have to put in the time training, which is reading.
* If you read enough good books, you begin to build a mental standard.
*How long does anyone spend becoming a professional? Writers must invest a lot of time in training.
*Don't believe in yourself. Believe in the work.
*What matters is the doing. What matters is the work.
* It's hardest in the place where you have a desire to do something but don't know if you can do it.
*Sometimes the writer needs to get the hell out of the way and let the story happen.
*Let the story matter more than your feelings.
*If you’re not afraid of the challenge that’s not courage; it’s a chemical malfunction in your brain.
* Courage is when you are afraid of something but do it anyway.
*I try to make every sentence I write worth reading 62 times.

OTHER BROWNIES TO CHEW ON:

-Authoress (of Miss Snark’s First Victim) posted this mysterious message on Twitter yesterday afternoon: *hem hem* Launching something BIG AND NEW AND EXCITING on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7!! STAY TUNED!!! :D. You should head over there on Monday anyway for the latest Secret Agent Contest (details HERE), but it sounds like she’s got something else to reveal too….nice use of a cliffhanger, Authoress!

-The Crusaders—Rachael Harrie is running a social networking and platform-building opportunity on her website, Rach Writes. Want to increase your blog readership, discover excellent new blogs, and meet some cool people? Head over to this blog post for details: Second Writers' Platform Crusade

Happy Friday, and have a wonderful weekend!