
Last week, someone at my day job asked, “Are you still writing?”
I have a love-hate relationship with that question because I suspect what they’re really asking is, “Have you published a book yet?”
I’ve been at this writing endeavor … (Read More)
Last week, someone at my day job asked, “Are you still writing?”
I have a love-hate relationship with that question because I suspect what they’re really asking is, “Have you published a book yet?”
I’ve been at this writing endeavor … (Read More)
Post-Conference Thoughts From Your Regional Team
Our Carolinas 2022 Fall Conference, Swinging into Kidlit, is over, and now it’s time to jump off that swing and FLY! (Remember that sensation? Leaping off the swing, airborne for just a moment, before … (Read More)
You might wonder why this post is titled, How Self-publishing Found Me. Well, it did. I had always enjoyed writing but never thought about publishing anything until I had to step away from my full-time job. That is when I … (Read More)
You may already be meditating and not know it.
Ever puzzled over a problem in a creative project only to get zapped by the perfect solution hours later while in the shower, walking the dog, or in the middle of … (Read More)
As creative professionals in children’s book publishing, our happy place is no doubt in the creative work of writing and illustrating. However, we are, each and every one of us, also a business. And it can be really difficult to … (Read More)
When we were kids, creativity and play were interconnected, innate, and fundamental to life. As adult creatives, however, our brains are always being rewarded for checking items off our to-do lists instead. Inbox zero? Ping! Empty sink and clean … (Read More)
First, a confession: I am a thinker, not a feeler. My natural instinct is to make lists and figure out plots and put the pieces of the puzzle together. I say things like, “I need to decide what happened.” But … (Read More)
Puns and idioms can be worth their weight in gold. If purposeful to the plot and emotional arc, they enhance the story and even give the reader a chuckle. But there is fine line between using these types of wordplay … (Read More)
The key to staying inspired on the road to being published is being kind to yourself, and recognizing success in all forms. Here are four ways to push through stalled creative momentum by taking control of your inspiration:
The New Year comes rushing in like a story ready to be opened. “Once upon a time” is the casting of a spell, isn’t it? Anything can happen. But what if the existence of so much possibility mires me down? … (Read More)
Revision is not editing, it is re-seeing and re-imagining your work. Revision is different for every writer and each project. Here are some tips that work for me, but you’ll develop your own approach based on … (Read More)
Last month, Mary Jane Nirdlinger wrote her first post about the top craft techniques she learned while obtaining her MFA. We welcome her back again for another thought-provoking article.
My first (unsold) novel got a lot of positive feedback from … (Read More)
When we’re not writing, most of us spend time looking for ways to hone our craft. For me, an MFA was part of that journey and I’m excited to share a series of blog posts to answer some questions about … (Read More)
Characters are the foundation of your story. You build your house on them. But what should that house look like? A picture book, a Y.A. fantasy, a graphic novel? Hard to decide, especially if you want to write a middle … (Read More)
A BIG Adventure
Exactly ten years ago this month I began the biggest adventure of my life: moving to Taiwan, or 台灣. This small, democratic island nation consists of Han Chinese and native aboriginal people who are hard-working and compassionate. … (Read More)
Some years ago, my son made a startling declaration: He hated to read. Once my shock subsided, I responded that I felt sure he just hadn’t found the right book. And so even though he was technically reading-proficient, we began … (Read More)
PitMad IWSGPit DVpit PBpitch
Did I drop some Scrabble tiles? Spill a bowl of alphabet soup? Actually, these are some of the Twitter pitch events (also known as pitch parties) that take place throughout the year.
If you’re not familiar … (Read More)
If you are an aspiring children’s picture book writer like me, the first few questions that come to mind are: Where do I begin? How can I take my ideas and get a picture book published? What can be so … (Read More)
Ironically, just as I was getting excited about diving back into my novel after a summer of frivolous and fun short books, I had a horrible fall that’s left me bruised, battered, and a bit disabled. My right shoulder … (Read More)
I thought this would be a perfect topic for me. Here I am, a mom of six, a kindergarten teacher, and I just published my third picture book.
I was planning on writing about “writing on the fly.”
I was … (Read More)
Last October I taught an adult cultural enrichment writing class for the first time. I was pleased to have only five students so we could spend most of our class time working on their storytelling. I prefer to lead discussions … (Read More)
I am often asked about writing narrative nonfiction. Some of the questions are broad such as What is it? How do I Choose a Topic? Others are more specific like How long should my story be? I have attempted to … (Read More)
When we think about art, we imagine a beautiful landscape from the Hudson River School or maybe a Degas ballerina or a colorful Renoir painting of ladies having tea on a river barge. Maybe we see angular Picasso blues … (Read More)
Coronavirus. Social Distancing. Self-Quarantine. Stay at Home. As the world confronts a new pandemic, the future can be scary and daily life feels overwhelming at times. If you’re like me, books are more than good … (Read More)
We're still not sure how many participants took us up on the PJs part, but we KNOW that many came away with a true understanding of how