Querying is no writers’ favorite. These free submission spreadsheets won’t make the querying process less emotionally fraught or more successful, but they will help you be more organized. That frees more time for writing and binge-eating ice cream which will make your querying more successful and ease the emotionally fraught-ness. I’ve outlined how to use …
Get Organized for Querying: Two Free Submission Spreadsheets Read More »
The first books in The Little Elephants BIG Adventures series finally published! *cue happy dance* I wrote these books whole five years ago. (And one of those years was 2020 – so it feels like a couple of decades.) Even in the slow world of children’s book publishing, that’s a long time to keep book …
12 Things to Know About The Little Elephants’ BIG Adventures Books Read More »
Genres carve up all the works we call “literature” and put them into helpful categories. For kids, the most helpful categories are developmental stages. So children’s book genres really equate to age categories or developmental stages. Why developmental stage? What’s interesting and appropriate to a toddler is wildly different from what would make the cut …
It’s no secret I’m a big fan of bullet journaling. My writing bullet journal is my number one tool for achieving my writing goals. Also, I love the smell of a fresh notebook and an excuse to play with markers. View this post on Instagram Mmm. New bullet journal smell. . #bulletjournaladdict #bulletjournaling #writinglife #authorlife …
I’ve been wanting to write this blog post for a long time to share how I use bullet journaling to help me write my middle grade novels. I’m in the middle of writing a new novel right now, so it’s the perfect time for me share. It’s also nearly NaNoWriMo time! If you’re not …
Bullet Journaling for Writers: Part 4 Writing a Novel Read More »
A few days ago, my daughter leaned over my shoulder and asked what I was reading on my phone. It was a blog post about writing villains, so I told her it was about how to write a better story. Which led her to say: “But you already know how to write.” Yes and no. …
Welcome to my blog series on how children’s books are actually made. Last time, I explained illustration from the author’s perspective. This time, we’ll look at how the illustrator does their job. I’m not an illustrator, so I’m going to let them speak for themselves. I’ve gathered together videos and blog posts of different illustrators explaining …
How a Children’s Book is Made: Part 2. The Illustrator’s Speak Read More »
Being an author is a funny thing: everyone has heard of your job. (Unlike my husband – a systems architect.) But people don’t know what it is I actually do. (My husband and I have that one in common.) Whether you’re a writer hoping to publish a book or a kidlit lover who is curious …
How a Children’s Book is Made: Part 1. The Truth About Illustrations Read More »
Today I excited to share the third part of my series on bullet journaling: collections to add to your writing bullet journal. But before we jump in, if you aren’t familiar with Bullet Journaling read part 1. I’ll wait. Ok, ready to rock your bullet journal? Here we go! What is a Collection? Just …
Bullet Journaling for Writers: Part 3 Collections Read More »
Today I excited to share the second part of my series on bullet journaling: the monthly log that is the magic to the whole system. But before we jump in, if you aren’t familiar with Bullet Journaling read part 1. I’ll wait. Back? Great. Now let me tell you how I got here. …
Bullet Journaling for Writers: Part 2. The Magical Monthly Spread Read More »
