Category: Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan

October 31, 2025

Happy Halloween! There’s a lot of scary stuff out there. But there can also be a lot of scary stuff inside oneself! With THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG, amazing author/illustrator Stan Yan faced his fears. Here he shares his process of digging into the personal. GIVEAWAY! Stan is offering a copy of THE MANY … More Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan

Behind the Scenes: “The Evolution of a Picture Book Biography from Sub to Pub” by Danna Zeiger, Ph.D.

October 17, 2025

Looking back over the process of a book can be really informative. So much is forgotten over the course of the several years it takes from idea to published. Here’s an interesting post from debut author Danna Zeiger on the journey of REWRITING THE RULES: HOW DR. KATHLEEN FRIEL CREATED NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR BRAIN RESEARCH … More Behind the Scenes: “The Evolution of a Picture Book Biography from Sub to Pub” by Danna Zeiger, Ph.D.

Behind the Scenes: “The Unexpected Lessons from Building a Children’s Reading Roadmap” by Bianca Schulze

October 10, 2025

How do we as parents, teachers, librarians, and authors decide which books are important for kids? With the range of possibilities delightfully wide, deep, and ever-growing, it’s hard to know where to start, and impossible to finish. But lucky for us, Bianca Schulze took on the task! Here she shares her thoughtful and insightful process … More Behind the Scenes: “The Unexpected Lessons from Building a Children’s Reading Roadmap” by Bianca Schulze

Behind the Scenes: “How Primary Sources Can Grow Your Nonfiction Nature Picture Book” by Lynn Street

September 5, 2025

It’s quite amazing when you find primary sources that provide the seed, or acorn, that allows you to tell a story that for a while seemed lifeless. Check out this great post from debut author Lynn Street about how THE BLUE JAYS THAT GREW A FOREST grew from deep research and personal immersion in the … More Behind the Scenes: “How Primary Sources Can Grow Your Nonfiction Nature Picture Book” by Lynn Street

Behind the Scenes: “Using Timelines to Focus a Conservation Narrative” by Darcy Pattison

June 27, 2025

Ah, so much fascinating research, and so limited story space! Prolific author Darcy Pattison shares how she organized and focused NOT EXTINCT: THE PRZEWALSKI’S HORSE RETURNS FROM EXTINCT IN THE WILD, an amazing story with a ride range of appeal. GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below to be entered in the drawing to win a copy … More Behind the Scenes: “Using Timelines to Focus a Conservation Narrative” by Darcy Pattison

Behind the Scenes: “Making it Personal: Interviewing Relatives of Historical Subjects” by Claudia Friddell

June 20, 2025

Writers often ask how to go about interviewing someone connected to the subject of a biography. The opportunity is golden, and…very intimidating! In this post, author Claudia Friddell shares her process of preparing for an interview with relatives of Virginia Hall, as well as conducting it. The book is fabulous! And so are her tips! … More Behind the Scenes: “Making it Personal: Interviewing Relatives of Historical Subjects” by Claudia Friddell

Behind the Scenes: “Using Poetry to Get Unstuck” by Julie Winterbottom

June 6, 2025

Ah yes, the conundrum of TMI (too much information). I know it well. It’s like you’re a kid in a candy store and can only choose one of the many varieties tempting you. Here’s a wonderful post from Julie Winterbottom on how she drilled down for her focus in MAGIC IN A DROP OF WATER: … More Behind the Scenes: “Using Poetry to Get Unstuck” by Julie Winterbottom

Behind the Scenes: “Organizing Facts for the Audience and Current Market” by Tanya Konerman

May 30, 2025

Ah, the fun of mud! But how does one create a viable manuscript with this topic and a pile of information? Like a mudpie, it takes some squishing and slopping and playing around. Here’s a post from author Tanya Konerman detailing her path to MUD TO THE RESCUE! And don’t miss the GIVEAWAY! Leave a … More Behind the Scenes: “Organizing Facts for the Audience and Current Market” by Tanya Konerman

Behind the Scenes: “Finding ‘Something Extra'” by Eileen Rajala Meyer

May 16, 2025

Writers are always in search of a special way to tell a story or a unique format that serves the topic. In this post, Eileen Rajala Meyer shares the process that led to the final version of BUILD A SANDCASTLE. GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment after the post to be entered in the drawing for a … More Behind the Scenes: “Finding ‘Something Extra'” by Eileen Rajala Meyer

Behind the Scenes: “Crafting an Enticing Opening in Nonfiction” by Ann McCallum Staats

May 9, 2025

Ah, the HOOK! How can you grab the readers’ attention? Snag their interest? And pull them in to read your work? Hooks are key, but sometimes hard to come up with. Take a read through Ann McCallum’s post to learn four specific ways to create hooks. And then leave a comment to be in the … More Behind the Scenes: “Crafting an Enticing Opening in Nonfiction” by Ann McCallum Staats