VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

You're sitting at your desk, staring at a blank sheet of paper or a blank word document on the computer screen. You actually want to write, but just can't bring yourself to it. You have no clue what to do with your characters next, and they don't seem eager to tell you. Or perhaps you have a deadline, but you're aimlessly typing random letters on the page, none of which seem to make sense, and you're getting more and more frustrated as every minute passes. That deadline that you have in two weeks seems to be coming round very quickly and, at this rate there is no way you are going to make it! Whether you are experiencing this for the first time or for the hundredth time and you're at a loss as to what you should do, don't despair. You can consider yourself as having a case of writer's block or being stuck in a rut; it can and does happen even if you haven't been neglecting your work. Other writers experience this too. Your muse needs to ...

The What is Success show is on the 1st Wed. of every month with host Virginia S Grenier. Each month the show touches on different topics about the movie, publishing, marketing and even inspirational worlds around us. The guest each bring their own view point on what makes people success in their careers and life. This month listeners will get to meet the Hosts of the Featured World of Ink Network here on Blog Talk Radio. The hosts from WOI will share not only about their different shows, but also the other projects they are working on outside of talk radio.   We will be joined by Marsha Casper Cook from A Good Story is A Story; Rj Jefferies from The Write Step; Irene Roth from Families Matter; Willow Cross and Tracee Ford from The Paranormal Hour; Virginia S Grenier from The Writing Mama and Stories for Children; and lastly Bennet Pomerantz co-host and new WOI host. Learn more about the hosts and our network at http://worldofinknetwork.com Read articles, dis...

The Stories for Children Show can be listened to every other Monday on BTR's Featured World of Ink Network at 4pm EDT. Host Virginia S. Grenier is an Award-winning, Mom's Choice Honoree and Advocate of Reading and Writing. This week's show guest include Marsha Casper Cook, Patti Brassard Jefferson, Judy Snider, Lin Floyd and other children's author. They will be discussing the importance of picture and early chapter books. How parents need to have these resources at home and not rely on schools to introduce children to these frist-steps of finding the written word. The discussion will also talk about what publishers and readers are looking for in good books for young readers. Listeners are invited to post questions in the chatroom or call in to ask a question. You can learn more about the World of Ink Network, Our Hosts and Guest at http://worldofinknetwork.com Listen to the show at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2013/11/11/stories-for...

I'm speaking at the Utah Valley University this coming Tuesday September 24, 2013. Here is a summary of what I'll be covering: Knowing Your Market — Virginia Grenier My goal is to help new writers understand the differences between the genres in children's and YA markets, from short stories to full novels. I will also cover how to know which market is right for your work and how to best prepare manuscripts for submission. This is a wonderful opportunity and I'm truly looking forward to it. I do have to say it is fun being in front of people after all the blog talk radio shows I do. I enjoy speaking because I not only help someone starting out on the writing journey, but I also learn something new each time from each of the writers who attend. A bit more about this event: Enjoy this one-day conference designed to give authors and aspiring authors the opportunity to network and ...

Ah, anticipation...the breath before the kiss...accidental touches that stir the embers...the boundaries yet to be crossed...the art of sexual tension.   Just like in real life, flirting needs to be a part of every romance novel.   The give and take, lean in, lean away, to kiss or not to kiss, the glance, the biting of the lip, the inner debate between yes and no...all of that is integral in fueling desire.   Think about how you first know you’re attracted to someone.   It’s usually a physical reaction that you can’t quite put into words, right?   Sure, it’s easy to say someone is attractive, but I’ve met quite a few attractive people that I don’t feel sexual toward.   Desire is a purely physical and emotional response to someone else.   Conveying that in written word is best done through non-verbal cues or physical responses.   As the saying goes, show don’t tell.   In the beginning, I’ll often have my characters acting nonchalan...

Last week, I talked about the basic understanding of what a picture book is. Today, I want to cover the plotting, vocabulary and readability of picture books. To rhyme or not to rhyme? One of the greatest questions is should picture books rhyme. That’s totally up to you. If you do decide to write a picture book in rhyme, make sure to the sentences short. There are two rules to writing a book in rhyme: Reduce the distance between beats. Reduce the number of beats. Here are some things to think about if you do choose to rhyme your book: Does rhyme enhance the story? Does rhyme come easily to you? Is there rhythm and meter to back up the rhyme? Does the rhyme make the story sound trivial in any way? Could the same story be told just as well in prose rather than in verse? If the answer is YES to the last questions, you will probably be more likely to sell the story if you write in prose. Of course, how tight the rhythms should be will depend on the moo...

“To say that most writers who want to write for children want to write picture books is only a slight over generalization.” ~Tracey E. Dils (You Can Write Children’s Books) Most writers think of picture books when they hear children’s books. A good many writers think writing a picture book is easy because there are few words and the pictures tell most the story. However, as simple as it is to enjoy a picture book, it is one of the most difficult to write.  The Market and Audience: Many think the audience (readership) and market are the same, but truth be told, this is not the case with picture books. Even though picture books are written for preschool to elementary aged children, they are not the ones buying picture books.  What does this mean to you as a writer? You need to know adults are your target market when it comes to promoting your picture book. This also means your story needs to not only appeal to children, but also to the adult buyer. It sho...