Welcome, Kirsti Call! Thank you so much for sharing this essential part of the path to publication! Waiting is hard. So hard. And after experiencing rejections, even harder. But…patience can make all the difference. If you’d like a chance to win a copy of COW SAYS MEOW, just leave a comment after the post to … More Behind the Scenes: “How Waiting Saved My Writing Career” by Kirsti Call
I started seeing today’s guest, Hope Lim, in online kid lit writing groups a few years ago, and am truly excited to see all her hard work pay off! Hope mined her own heart for her new book MY TREE. Here she shares her connection to a special tree and how that translated into a … More Mining for Heart: “Family Connection” by Hope Lim
It’s such a pleasure to share critique partner Julie Rowan-Zoch’s debut picture book as author/illustrator! What fun to see this story develop over time, and, as the die-hard nonfiction person in our local critique group, so cool to see the nonfiction element grow stronger and even inspire back matter! Thank you, Julie, for sharing how … More Behind the Scenes: “BACK MATTER? How a Character-Driven Picture Book Became Informational Fiction,” by Julie Rowan-Zoch
There are lots of rules about writing for children and breaking them usually results in rejections. But…like in most aspects of life, if you do it right, that story might just turn out for the better. Thank you, Carrie Finison, for sharing your process in DON’T HUG DOUG! And thank you for offering a GIVEAWAY! … More Mining for Heart: “Breaking the Rules” by Carrie Finison
Today we get a peek into the process of taking a classic story and changing it up with a different time and place. Thank you, Susan Kusel, for sharing your meticulous research process for THE PASSOVER GUEST! AND thank you for offering a GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment after the post for a chance to win … More Behind the Scenes: “Where and When?” by Susan Kusel
Have you ever wondered if an idea sparked by a prompt can result in a publishable story? Well, here’s your answer! Thank you, Rosie Pova, for sharing the process of shaping SUNDAY RAIN from the spark of a prompt. Rosie is offering a swag giveaway x 3! Just leave a comment below for a chance … More Behind the Scenes: “Prompts Can Spark Stories” by Rosie Pova
Here’s a really special book I’m recommending for Perfect Picture Book Friday about connecting across cultures, respect, empathy, and so much more. This book, a finalist for the Jane Addams award, should not be missed! The winner of the giveaway for Cow Boy is Not a Cowboy by Gregory Barrington is Cathy Ballou Mealey! Congratulations! … More The Day Saida Arrived
Authors get advice from all sorts of people – their family, critique partners, agents, and editors. Sometimes it takes a while to nail down exactly what’s needed, and the path to publication can be long. Here, Gregory Barrington shares how he stayed the course and put the advice he received to good use, turning his idea into … More Behind the Scenes: “The Advice that Created a Story” by Gregory Barrington
What a special treat to feature one of my local critique partners, Julie Rowan-Zoch! She’s guided me from the start! Here she shares her process of creating illustrations for Tom Lichtenheld’s text for Louis. Such a perfect match of text and art has resulted in an irresistible book! AND…Julie’s offering a giveaway! A copy of … More Behind the Scenes: “Easy as Working with an AD” by Julie Rowan-Zoch
Just take a look at that book cover…who hasn’t felt like that a time or two recently? And that just might be the key to the heart of this new picture book. Welcome, Kirsti Call, co-author of Mootilda’s Bad Mood. Thank you for sharing your process of adding the heart to the humor in your … More Mining for Heart: “We are all Mootilda.” by Kirsti Call
