Writing Tips from Author J. Aday Kennedy

J. Aday shares some of her best writing tips. Read on…

One of the most important areas to focus is marketing yourself. Come up with your tag line. Where are you from? What do you write? I call myself “The Differently-Abled Writer & Speaker.” I include this tagline at the closing of all correspondence and comments at blogs and websites. I attach it in small writing with my logo on all of my promotional material. I had a logo made. I use it with and without the cart. I use the logo on my business cards, postcards, promotional T shirts, letterhead, and everything else.

Now that you have your identity defined you can focus on what you want to do, which is write. Keep in mind that marketing should never be far from your thoughts. Does your character have a hobby, career, personality trait, favorite food, and health concerns? Where is the story set (geographically, era, holiday theme, etc…? Consider tucking, in those details to use later when you are marketing your book. There are holidays for everything you can use to promote your book if you have placed these tidbits in your book.

Here is an exercise to help you to write your book(s). Browse the Internet for unusual holidays, headlines, advertisements, pictures, magazines, books or newspapers. Find items that strike you as interesting. Clip them out and place them in a box. When your creative juices need some help, reach into your box and choose one at random. It may be the beginning of your next great novel.

Another trick that is specific to writing for children is eavesdropping on kids whenever possible. This helps you create realistic dialogue and a child’s viewpoint.


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Follow along the tours for all the authors showcased this month at the National Writing for Children Center. Visit Kristi’s Book Nook tomorrow for Day 5 of J. Aday Kennedy’s tour.