Karen Krossing » On Writing

WordPlay Games and Ideas

Karen — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:50:24 +0000

I’ve posted a new section on my website of writing activities based on my WordPlayer writing program. I first developed the program as a lunch-time drop-in writing club at Presteign Heights Public School in Toronto during 2005 to 2006. Since then, I’ve conducted WordPlayer workshops throughout Ontario and Quebec with kids, teens, and adults, further developing the program. Click here to explore new ways to start writing, how to share your writing, and how to revise.

Why write for kids and teens?

Karen — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:35:37 +0000

I often get asked why I write for kids and teens. Usually, it’s an adult asking, and the implied message is, “Why don’t you write for us?”

I prefer to write for ages 8 to 18 because it’s a rich time of life that is full of so many ups and downs, trials and victories. The teenage years in particular are ripe with possibilities for conflict, which is central to any story.

I do want to point out that writing for kids and teens is not easier than writing for adults. And it’s not about teaching them a lesson.

People who write for kids and teens typically adore stories, respect children of all ages, and have child-like voices inside them that cannot be silenced.

How to Solve a Problem in a Work-in-progress

Karen — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:42:28 +0000

Don’t know what happens next in that story you’re writing? Or maybe you don’t know how to fix a glaring problem in a chapter you’re rewriting? Here’s a method that I use to solve a problem in a work-in-progress:

Ask yourself what is the problem? State it clearly. Write it down.
Ask yourself what information, if any, you need to solve the problem. Do the necessary research.
Wait for the answer, and trust that it will come. Try not to think about it. Go on to other tasks (menial tasks work well).

This technique may sound too simple, but the hardest part is trusting that it will work. Our subconscious minds are powerful tools. How often I forget to use it.

Online Author Interview

Karen — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:08:36 +0000

Check out this new online interview of me at Cheryl Rainfield’s informative site. Cheryl is a avid reader, reviewer and author of fiction for teens. Her first novel Dragon Speaker: The Last Dragon will be published by HIP Books in September 2009.

Writing From the Inside Out

Karen — Sat, 02 May 2009 20:49:40 +0000

When a good story idea hits, it settles in my body and takes over completely. The character occupies my mind, inhabits me, makes unreasonable demands. I find the engine of a story inside myself, where experience and imagination connect. I believe that a story must inhabit a writer to ring true, and that writers must give themselves over to the story completely until it emerges, transfigured by that unique and magical place that is the writer’s imagination.

Why I Write

Karen — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:26:07 +0000

I write to understand the world. It’s that simple. I love how a gorgeous string of words can alter my perceptions, widen my view of the world. Words have incredible power. They can inspire us to do great things. They can make us laugh or cry. I’m continually fascinated by the power of words to move me.