Don’t Dangle
Will we ever know what became of all the mannequins?
An editor complimented me this week by saying I was the first author she had ever known to fix a dangling participle rather than introduce one. I’m proud.
A dangling participle sounds like some finicky grammar tidbit only a fusspot would worry about, but it’s actually quite simple. It’s all about getting a descriptive phrase (the participle) next to the noun it modifies. If it’s closer to a different noun, it “dangles”–i.e. it’s not securely attached to the right noun.
Like this:
The site of the infamous Mannequin Massacre, Algernon had always been fascinated by Lord Lingleberry’s Tower.
The participle (“the site of the infamous Mannequin Massacre”) appears to describe Algernon rather than Lord Lingleberry’s Tower. It dangles.
Algernon had always been fascinated by Lord Lingleberry’s Tower, the site of the infamous Mannequin Massacre.
Now the participle is securely next to the noun it describes. No more dangling.
Read MoreTwo Friends, One Cover
Delighted to reveal the cover of my upcoming chapter book, Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week!
“Emily knew what kind of a kid she was. The responsible kind. The kind teachers asked to take a message to the office. The kind who hung up her coat without being asked. The kind who had never been late to school. Not even once.”
And then Rani, plus her big dog Otto, move into Emily’s apartment building….
Read MoreTwo Friends, One Dog, and an Audiobook!
I can’t yet reveal the cover of Two Friends, so I’ll share this photo of my favorite character in the book, Otto the dog. We all need an Otto.
Very excited to share that my upcoming chapter book Two Friends, One Dog, and a Very Unusual Week (out next April) will have an audio edition put out by Listening Library! I’m so eager to hear an actor voice Rani, the narrator’s new best friend–her voice is unique and will be a lot of fun.
Here’s snippet of Rani-speak:
Read MoreSalutations! Like Charlotte says. You know Charlotte, right? Charlotte’s Web? Charlotte is an Araneus cavaticus–that’s a barn spider. Did you know that the biggest spider of all is the Goliath birdeater? They don’t actually eat birds all that often. They do eat mice, though. It’s a good thing there wasn’t one of those in the barn with Wilbur, or Templeton would have been toast! Their legs can stretch over a foot long. Wouldn’t it be amazing to hear one tap dance?
What I’ve Been Reading
Actually, listening to. (I’m a big audiobook fan.) My new favorite: Hench: A Novel by Natalie Zina Walschots.
Sometimes a romp, sometimes a deadly serious meditation on moral responsibility, and most of all a book that answers the eternal questions we didn’t know we had, like: Who the heck runs payroll for supervillains? Who does R&D on those space lasers and mind-control rays? Who’s renting the space for the hidden lair? Do minions get health benefits? Do they have HR?
It’s not strictly YA but it could be. Mostly it’s fascinating, suspenseful, and fun. I found the end a bit unsatisfying, though, and am wondering if this is supposed to be the first in a series or at least a trilogy. If so, I’m eager for more!
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Thomson focuses on newfound connection, magic, and suspense to conjure a fast-paced, heartwarming mystery. Thomson’s world is populated by resourceful protagonists, fanciful creatures, and quirky supporting characters.”
—Publishers Weekly