Welcome back to the Explorer Academy! and…
The Explorer Academy: The Dragon’s Blood Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of Explorer Academy: The Dragon’s Blood by Trudi Trueit on October 5th, blogs across the web are featuring exclusive guest posts from Trudi, as well as 5 chances to win all 6 books in the series so far! The 7th and final book in the series will be released in Fall 2022.
Tips for Writers of All Ages
by Trudi Trueit
I’ve gotten plenty of writing advice over the years but have found that I rely on certain pieces of wisdom much more than others. Here are a few of my favorite writing gems.
Chapter One? It’s Everything
Hook your reader with a good opening paragraph and move right into the action. Something big should happen to your main character in those initial pages, so that by the end of the first chapter their life is forever changed. In chapter one of Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret, Cruz is innocently surfing in the teal waters of Hanalei bay, Hawaii when he is attacked by a scuba diver. Cruz is nearly killed. But who is after him? And why? Cruz’s peaceful world is disrupted and there’s no going back. This one scene sets the entire seven-book series into motion.
Never Underestimate Your Reader
Young readers are not only capable of following complicated plots but they love them! You don’t need to simplify things or go into deep explanations, but you do need to make sure you resolve all your plot points. Don’t leave anything hanging. Also, this does not mean you should throw in a bunch of flashbacks/flash forwards, crazy time travel, or jump between characters so fast we lose track of who is speaking. Confusing readers is worse than underestimating them.
Plan your Plot
It can be a short synopsis or a detailed outline, whichever you prefer, but you should have a clear concept of your protagonist’s goal, the major conflict, and how your hero will triumph in the climactic scene. Your plan can change as you write. Mine always does (sometimes, dramatically!) but having these milestones set from the get-go will keep you from diverting too far off your writing path, getting stuck, or leaving loose story threads.
Let It Marinate
After you’ve written something, set it aside for, at least, two weeks. A month is better. Coming back to it with fresh eyes will help you spot holes and areas that need work. Whenever I do this, I am always amazed at the glaring issues that jump out at me on that second reading. This scene is waaaay too long. I need another plot twist in that last third of the book. How could I have left that character hanging?
Trust Your Heart
Take a writing class. Read books on the subject. Learn your craft. Let trusted readers review your manuscript and give constructive feedback, if you want. But, in the end, follow your own instincts. Make only those changes to your work that you truly think will make it better. This is your story. No one else can tell it the way you can.
“a fully packed high-tech adventure that offers both cool, educational facts about the planet and a diverse cast of fun characters.” —Kirkus
“This exciting, fast-paced, far-flung story is full of science facts and James Bond-like gadgets, accompanied by colored illustrations. The ending is guaranteed to keep readers eager for the next series installment.” –Booklist
“Explorer Academy is exciting and smart.” —Karen Bokram, Editor-in-Chief, Girls’ Life
An explosive revelation and a familiar face heighten the mystery for Cruz and friends in the sixth book in this adventure-packed series.
Still reeling from the life-changing discovery he found buried in the mysterious archive, Cruz Coronado grapples with an important secret as the gang heads to China in search of the second-to-last piece of the cipher. Under the watchful eye of a new adviser, life on the ship returns to almost normal…Almost.
Just as things seem to be going smoothly, a familiar face shocks Cruz back into reality, and the final piece in this life-and-death scavenger hunt veers toward a dead end.
Check out the Explorer Academy website, featuring videos, comic shorts, games, profiles of real-life National Geographic Explorers, chapter excerpts and more.
Follow Trudi: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube
TRUDI TRUEIT has written more than 100 books for young readers, both fiction and nonfiction. Her love of writing began in fourth grade, when she wrote, directed, and starred in her first play. She went on to be a TV news reporter and weather forecaster, but she knew her calling was in writing. Trueit is a gifted storyteller for middle-grade audiences, and her fiction novels include The Sister Solution, Stealing Popular, and the Secrets of a Lab Rat series. Her expertise in kids nonfiction encompasses books on history, weather, wildlife, and earth science. She is the author of all the narratives for the Explorer Academy series, beginning with Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret. Trueit was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and lives in Everett, Washington.
GIVEAWAY
- One (1) winner will receive all 6 Explorer Academy hardcovers (The Nebula Secret, The Falcon’s Feather, The Double Helix, The Star Dunes, The Tiger’s Nest, and the NEW book The Dragon’s Blood)
- US/Canada only
- Ends 11/1 at 11:59pm ET
- Check out the other stops for more chances to win!rafflecopter.com/…afl/display/a195e820167
Blog Tour Schedule
October 18th – Pragmatic Mom
October 19th – Imagination Soup
October 20th – Mom Read It
October 21st – Always in the Middle
October 22nd – BookHounds
I haven’t read any of the books yet but they look like they would be really good.
I haven’t read any of these books and it sounds like they are exciting and full of action.
I’m not familiar with this series but I think my daughter would love all of the action and adventure!
haven’t read them
I can’t wait to read these because it looks like a great adventure series where the kids make important decisions.
I’ve read every single book and I love the technology and science in them! I want to be an environmental engineer, and the adventures Cruz, Emmett, Sailor, Bryndis, and Lani go on make me feel as if I’m out in the field already!
Loved Nebula Secret
Just read Star Dunes
My daughter and I love the series. Our favorite book is The Falcon’s Feather.