u/-authourable-

Looking for a children's book my sister remembers reading a few years ago. We apparently used to have it, but no one in my family can remember it 😅

It's about a family with three kids--2 boys, youngest was girl.

The arents found an article or something about using the wrong saying when their kids did something bad, and the idea was that the kids would get tired of the sayings and stop disobeying.

Example--one time the daughter was eating peas with her fingers and the mom said "you could put an eye out with that thing."

One of the kids was up at night and found out about the plan, so they flipped the tables on their parents and started trying to do wrong things.

One random scene she remembers is when they were talking about how their dad had really ticklish feet and couldn't go outside barefoot.

It was a yellow paperback with the three kids on it, and the girl had short brown hair.

Any ideas appreciated! We have no clue when this book is from.

https://preview.redd.it/9rwlc2yl8fzg1.png?width=1280&format=png&auto=webp&s=155492d9d9d0da4a526c9248e10199fb4aabc25d

Happens to me often. My family now knows when it happens because I just sit there with one eye closed until the contact figures it's life out and is useful again

Hello fellow writers, I am a longtime lurker here and have such a dilemma that I need some outside advice. Basically:

I finished my MS last year. It's the first of a trilogy. I plotted all three books, but was having some trouble with the middle one. Now it has come time to work on the second one, so I started plotting it. Then, last night, I had a terrific idea that would solve a lot of plot problems in the second book. Unfortunately, it would involve a MAJOR edit in the first book.

I would have no problem doing this, except I just sent this first book to several beta readers. I think I could do the edits in a week or so if I hit crunch time.

I still can't decide if I *want* to do the edits at all. Essentially, I would be replacing characters A and B from the first book with characters C and D from the second book. It would streamline my characters a bit, help the plot progress in book 2 (I wouldn't have to spend time introducing C and D), and honestly, A and B were kind of weak characters.

I emailed one of my beta readers asking their opinion, if they would be willing to wait a week to read, or if they'd like to help give advice on the situation. The others I have not contacted.

I am grateful for any and all advice people can give me. What would you do in this scenario?

Hello everyone, my project of many years has finally made it to the "sharing with others" stage! *deep breath* I can potentially critique swap depending on what you have.

BLURB:

>Alexandra Mason wants nothing more to get out of the spy life she’s been in her whole life. And to never hear the name Alexandra again. The last time she used that name was when she and her dad were split up, five years ago…

>Unfortunately, now she’s mixed up in some shady business in Chicago that she just can’t seem to get away from. That is, until her dad, whom she hasn’t seen since It All Went Wrong, shows up ready to bail her out in turn for his own request: that they join forces again to stop the very person who split them apart.

>Now, Alexandra (currently known as Ella) must find a way to work together with her dad, her estranged foster brother, and a few more old friends to stop the woman that she can’t bear to face.

>In this shadowy YA spy thriller for the teens who grew up with James Ponti, Gordon Korman, and Stuart Gibbs, read about one girl’s battle to accept help from others before she ends up in jail - or worse.

Although I wrote First Pursuit (name in progress) for the YA readers like me who grew up with authors like James Ponti, this book is also for anyone who wants an in-the-shadows, high-stakes YA read with lots of emotional tension.

My MS *does not* contain: romantic subplots, explicit content, or swearing. It *does* contain: family tension, skateboarding and rock climbing, a “gang” life, and some Christian themes/mentions. It is the first of a trilogy.

I'm hoping for advice on pacing, continuity, what you think of the plot and characters, and whether or not my writing is absolutely cringy and terrible. I have a list of simple questions that you can answer as well, if that helps. I know the word count is quite high, but I will be cutting it down in future drafts. Procrastination, am I right?

I won't be working on this project for another six weeks or so, so if I could get feedback sometime in that time range, it would be just fine. I can critique swap depending on what it is. I prefer YA or MG, but I would not be a good fit for fantasy, spicy romance, or LGBTQ+ books. If you are interested in a swap, I would prefer swapping a few chapters first to see if we are a good fit.

Thank you in advance and feel free to ask any more questions! I am happy to answer. I can also provide an excerpt if you are interested.