Do you sometimes feel stuck when you sit down to write? Do you wish you had someone to empathize with the challenges of the creative process - someone who could cheer you up and remind you that you have the talent and power to succeed? Sports teams have cheerleaders who raise the overall mood by cheering at each of their matches. The authors of this world, whether experienced or aspiring, need cheerleaders too. Enthusiasm and support allow writers to gather their wealth of experience to enchant and entertain their fans. I've been lucky to have many amazing cheerleaders in my life. And in my life as a writer, there has been one particular cheerleader who made all the difference. She helped me finish my first novel and showed me what I could achieve if I just listened to her uplifting feedback (and that of other well-meaning friends) and continued writing. She is also the one who inspired me to write this book and pay forward the gift of cheerleading to others.Cheerleading For Writers contains twenty-six articles and essays on various aspects of writing, publishing, and life. In them, I share personal experiences about my writing adventures and reveal what I learned from teachers and cheerleaders along the way. I hope it will help you discover the pearls inside your own writing and creativity. I wish you joy while reading this book and immense pleasure in your creative processes!

"Sharp, brilliantly plotted, and totally engrossing."--KAREN M. MCMANUS, New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying "A crafty, dark, and disturbing story."--KATHLEEN GLASGOW, New York Times bestselling author of Girl In Pieces "A little bit Riverdale and a little bit Veronica Mars."--RILEY SAGER, bestselling author of Final Girls A Goodreads Best Young Adult Book of the Year Nominee From the author of The Darkest Corners and Little Monsters comes an all-new edge-of-your-seat thriller set in upstate New York about an eerie sequence of seemingly unrelated events that leaves five cheerleaders dead. There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook. First there was the car accident--two girls dead after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know his reasons. Monica's sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they'd lost. That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it's not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica's world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad's desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn't over. Some people in town know more than they're saying. And somehow, Monica is at the center of it all. There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn't mean anyone else is safe. More Praise for Kara Thomas: "Gripping from start to finish . . . with twists that left me shocked."--VICTORIA AVEYARD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Red Queen "You'll be up all night tearing through the pages."--BUSTLE "This deliciously deceptive thriller...is a must-have."--SLJ

Sunday, September 5: Afternoon, my crib Spirit Level: Cheered Out OK, so this was supposed to be the first day of my new, totally fantastic life as a Port Angeles School Titan Cheerleader. BUT instead, it’s the day that I, Madison Jane Hays, got rejected from the Titans and forced to join the dreaded, B-Squad Grizzly Bears. That’s right. My name was sandwiched in between Jared “Jazzhands” Handler and “Toxic” Tabitha Sue Stevens. Oh, and the girl who can’t even speak English, Katarina Tarasov. Yup, we’re one big hairy family. I went from being a god-like Titan to a lowly Grizzly in like, five seconds. My life. Is Seriously. O-V-E-R. I mean, who cheers at chess matches??!! I’m never going to make it to Nationals with a team like this. All I’ve ever wanted to do in life is cheer for the Titans. My mom (the most gorgeous, youngest ex-Titan cheerleader of ALL TIME, BTW) must be so disappointed! How she ended up with such a spastic daughter, I’ll never know. What I DO know? If I don’t whip this team into shape fast, I’ll literally DIE from embarrassment. Thank goodness I have my BFFs Lanie and Evan to keep me sane—otherwise, I might SERIOUSLY lose it. When Maddy's triple flip becomes a major FLOP during tryouts, the whole gym echoes with the snickers from the Titan cheerleading triumvirate: Katie Parker, Clementine Prescott, and Hilary Cho. Forced to join the challenged B-Squad Grizzlies instead, Maddy realizes that to become a Titan she'll need to whip the Grizzlies into shape first. Will Maddy ever land on top of the pyramid with a squad like this? Maybe not, but when her awesome designs for new Grizzly uniforms get revealed at a big game, even the Titans are overheard whispering her name. Does this mean what she thinks it means?

A sweet, queer teen romance perfect for fans of Fence and Check, Please! Annie is a smart, antisocial lesbian starting her senior year of high school who’s under pressure to join the cheerleader squad to make friends and round out her college applications. Her former friend BeeBee is a people-pleaser—a trans girl who must keep her parents happy with her grades and social life to keep their support of her transition. Through the rigors of squad training and amped up social pressures (not to mention micro aggressions and other queer youth problems), the two girls rekindle a friendship they thought they’d lost and discover there may be other, sweeter feelings springing up between them.

What In These Girls, Hope is a Muscle did for girls high school basketball, We've Got Spirit does for cheerleading.

Gooooooo team! Do you want to learn more about cheerleading? Or are you already a cheerleader? Either way, this is the book for you! You'll find tips about everything from cheer gear and tryouts to snappy snacks and the perfect ponytail. Jump right into the sport of cheerleading!

"Readers will learn about the power of positive attitudes, pep rallies, and spirit"--Provided by publisher.

Positively packed with all things cheer-related, this is a peppy tribute to the glory and pageantry of cheerleading. 100 vintage color images.

*A Barnes & Noble Teen Blog's Most Anticipated LGBTQAP YA Book of 2019* Jenna Watson is a cheerleader. And she wants you to know it’s not some Hollywood crap: they are not every guy’s fantasy. They are not the “mean girls” of Marsen High School. They’re literally just human females trying to live their lives and do a perfect toe touch. And their team is at the top of their game. They’re a family. But all that changes when Jenna’s best friend stops talking to her. Suddenly, she’s not getting invited out with the rest of the squad. She’s always a step behind. And she has no idea why. While grappling with post-cheer life, Jenna explores things she never allowed herself to like, including LARPing (live action role playing) and a relationship with a trans guy that feels a lot like love. When Jenna loses the sport and the friends she’s always loved, she has to ask herself: What else is left?

"Readers will find out about the differences between tumbling and stunting, and learn basic moves in both"--Provided by publisher.