This series is intended to help my new-to-writing friends, but also should be of interest if you wonder how books are made. In the first installment of Peek Behind the Curtain, I shared the lightbulb moment of a new manuscript [cue copious thank yous to Lin-Manual Miranda, Leslie Odom, and Hamilton]. The idea was a… Read more »
Much of children’s publishing feels like a big ol’ mystery especially when we are getting started in the industry. I thought it might be helpful to share the process of a new children’s book from my original lightbulb moment to the eventual book on a shelf. Caveat: there is no guarantee this will actually be… Read more »
Today, Nerdy Book Club hosts children’s book author/illustrator Abi Cushman with Ten Ways to Make Storytime Interactive. The post is a great resource for librarians, educators, and caregivers. But let’s give it another look from a creator’s POV. Abi has also identified 10 strategies creators can implement to pull listeners into a story and increase… Read more »
I’m excited to share that I’ve finished a first draft of my upper middle grade chapter book, Exile. Normally I’m sort of a quiet person, so those who know me will be surprised I had 15,500+ words in me. I’m happy to tell this story — it’s about time… The plot synopsis follows: This historical fiction, upper middle grade chapter… Read more »
My eyes are blurry from reading everything I can about the Pedro Pan mission. I want to understand what was going on in the minds of Cuban parents, American politicians, foster families/orphanages, and of course, the exiled children, prior to starting the manuscript. There are several good adult books written about this subject, each representing the authors’ biases… Read more »
This weekend, I revisited Twelve Terrible Things by Marty Kelley (Tricycle Press) for a classroom talk I’m doing on how text and illustration work together in children’s picture books. (I often think how cool it would be to illustrate my own story but since I can only draw smiley faces, I’ll have to give that job to someone else.) I wonder if this text… Read more »
Sharing insights on writing children’s books and the publishing industry, and offering trinkets for creators and educators because you rock.
