Kids Lit
Objects in the Rear-view Mirror…
I wrote this totally CUTE board book featuring CUTE dinosaurs, and it has the CUTEST art ever. During the…
August 8, 2025-
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Kids Lit
Have You Considered Writing Board Books
Board books have extra thick coated pages that small hands can turn and chewing babies can sink their teeth…
December 8, 2021 -
Mastering Middle GradeThree Tips for Middle Grade Historical Fiction Authors
I once asked New York Times bestselling author Melanie Benjamin her top tip for writing historical fiction. She gave…
May 16, 2021 -
Kids Lit
Know Your Audience
“Many books for children feature children. Your writing will be more natural if you are aware of the rhythms…
January 21, 2021 -
Kids Lit
Writing Books that Matter
I was in the window seat, thumbing through my recent issue of “Writer’s Digest,” just waiting for the plane…
October 21, 2020 -
Writers ChatWriters Chat Recap for September, Part 2
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all…
September 30, 2020 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Middle Grade Goes Back to School
Ready or not, September means it is time for heading back to school. As an adult, the phrase “back…
September 16, 2020 -
Mastering Middle Grade
Write Like a Kid
When your critique partners tell you (more than once) your middle grade fiction sounds too adult, how do you…
August 16, 2020 -
Kids Lit
Which Hat Shall I Wear Today?
In January, I had the privilege of speaking about being a writer at a large private school near…
April 21, 2020 -
BestsellersAward-Winning Author Interview with Taryn Souders
Can you share a little about your recent book? It’s a mystery titled Remains To Be Seen (to be published…
September 1, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Who You Gonna Call? A Ghostwriter!
Eva Shaw, author of “Ghostwriting: How to Get Into the Business” beautifully sums up the heart of being a…
May 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Crafting Holiday Books that Sell
Christmas comes every year. And so does Easter. And so does Thanksgiving. And so does the Fourth of July.…
March 21, 2019 -
Child's CraftWhat IS a picture book?
We’re story-tellers! So, we often want to tell every scrumptious detail of our stories as we write. But not…
February 21, 2019 -
Kids Lit
Write Like a Dinosaur to Succeed in Children’s Publishing
Write Like a Dinosaur While doing research for my latest children’s devotional book, “Dinosaur Devotions: 75 Dino Discoveries, Bible…
February 2, 2019 -
Child's Craft
Nonfiction For Kids Is Big! – Part II
Last month we looked at an overview of writing nonfiction for kids. This month we focus in on writing…
September 21, 2018 -
Child's Craft
Nonfiction for Kids Is BIG!
In the publishing world nonfiction is a hot item at this time. For both children’s magazines and books (especially…
August 21, 2018 -
Child's Craft
Readability—a Key Element in Beginning Readers and Early Chapter Books
As I mentioned in my last post, Understanding Early Readers, there are several markets for books for emerging readers.…
June 21, 2018 -
Child's Craft
Understanding Early Readers
A few weeks ago I started typing a new manuscript. I thought it was going to be a picture…
May 22, 2018 -
Child's CraftWhat Children’s Publishers Want
What do children’s publishers want? That is the question that all children’s writers long to have answered. What is…
April 11, 2016 -
Child's Craft, Uncategorized
Questions Childen’s Writers Should be Asking
When I was in India recently, our team leader told of an Indian child who asked her if the…
February 29, 2016 -
Child's Craft
Picture Book Submissions – The Mighty Manuscript
Picture Book Submissions – The Mighty Manuscript The third item to include in your full proposal submission for a…
November 17, 2015 -
Child's CraftStrengthening Your Children’s Story
So, you’ve written your masterpiece of a story. You finally put your great idea onto the pages. What a fabulous…
July 27, 2015 -
Child's CraftFrom Story to Book Part I
So you have this fabulous idea of a story for children. You’ve told bedtime stories to your children every…
June 28, 2015
