In our September issue of Writing, we invited you to send us your writing-related questions and promised to send them to some our guest authors to answer.
Question No. 1 was for Ralph Fletcher, author of The Writer's Notebook and Marshfield Dreams. It comes from Chelsea Groyohann:
Dear Ralph,
I'm responding to your letter. For one thing I always can't think of anything to write about. It takes me a while to think of what to write about. Usually when I do finally think of something to write about I can't stop writing. I LOVE Dunkin Donuts. It's like the best place to go in the morning. My favorite drink there is iced lattes. Well, anyway I have a few questions:
1. How was China?
2. Was it very different from where you live now?
3. Did you get any good ideas for something to write about?
Well, I liked your article, and I hope you do great in your future writing.
Sincerely,
Chelsea
This is what Ralph Fletcher had to say:
Dear Chelsea,
Nice to hear from you. You and I share a love of writing and iced lattes at DD. Yes, China was great. So wonderful to get into a completely different culture. And the shopping was great (lots of inexpensive cool stuff!). I didn't get any ideas to write about but I'm sure China will somehow figure in my future writing.
Hard to come up with ideas, huh? I wish I had an easy answer. You might try making a map of a special neighborhood (where you visited, or where you grew up).
On the map, mark: 1) a place where something happened 2) a favorite place 3) a secret place.
A "story map" like this will generate lots of ideas. Good luck!
Your friendly author,
Ralph Fletcher
More writing tips for young writers from Ralph Fletcher.
Question No. 2 was for Amy Krouse Rosenthal, author of Encylopedia of an Ordinary Life. It comes from Maryellen Carrigan.
Dear Ms. Rosenthal,
My English teacher has given every student in my class their own writer's journal, but I'm never exactly sure what to write in it. She also speaks of how fantastic writer's journals are to store all of your thoughts and ideas, as you do in your letter. I was just wondering how to get the lame stories and clichés out of my writings. I know I have them, and I am willing to take all of the help I can get.
Thanks a lot,
Maryellen
This is what Amy Krouse Rosenthal had to say: 
Dear Maryellen,
The only way to get the lame writing out is to write write write write write. The lamer/cliché stuff will hopefully ooze out first, and then as you dig deeper, and get more familiar with your own thoughts and your own writing style/voice, hopefully the next writing layer will emerge, the stronger layer, the more "you" layer, the less lame layer.
If there's another way, a simpler approach, i'm afraid i don't know what it is.
akr
Read more about Amy Krouse Rosenthal's inspiration for writing.
Do you have any questions about your writing? Click on comment to send them to us. One of your friendly editors or a well-known author will make sure to answer them.
