Fantasy is one of my favorite genres. I love to escape our world for a moment and believe in the fantastical. However, my belief is
Category: Writing – Tools, Tips & Resources
Nine Reasons Your Children’s Librarian Should be Your Hero
On February 14th Diana Haneski, the library media specialist at Margery Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, saved the lives of fifty students and
Meet Laura Sassi, talented #kidlit author, plus #giveaway
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: In this wonderful #kidlit world, Laura Sassi stood out as a kind, supportive, and talented author. She’s a frequent visitor here at
Vexing Vocabulary Part TWO
Welcome to Part TWO of Vexing Vocabulary. Part ONE covered ME, MYSELF, & I, LESS/FEWER, YOUR/YOU’RE, ITS/IT’S, EFFECT/AFFECT, and TOWARD/TOWARDS. If you’d like TO read
How NOT to Format Your Manuscript
In my day job as an editor in educational publishing, the formatting of a sample manuscript can determine whether I hire a freelance writer or
Vexing Vocabulary Part 1
As an ELA/SAT tutor and member of multiple kidlit writing groups, I’ve noticed certain words cause more vexation than others. Worry no more! My goal
Describing Characters
I recently started revising my YA science fiction novel. I have very vivid pictures of each character in my head. When my critique partner read
Not Giving Up on Readers Who Struggle!
My first thought after reading an article in the SCBWI Winter 2018 newsletter about accommodations for dyslexic readers was that this significant problem seemed easy
Finding the Time to Write
Unless you are one of the lucky few who have made writing their full time job, you either spend all day at work or all
Creative Procrastination
When faced with a new project that I’m not sure how to approach, often my first instinct is total avoidance. All of a sudden, the
Just One Change
Guest post by Heidi Fiedler As an editor who’s also a writer, I am keenly aware of how overwhelming it can feel when you first
Inspiration for Writers from Action Painters
As an art teacher, I find a lot of inspiration for my work comes from my students, and their experiences in class. My self-published chapter
Three rules: being brutal enough when revising.
Our stories are often long in gestation and as personal to us as if they were born of our flesh and blood. If you want
Encore, Encore! (A recap of NESCBWI Encore 2017)
As you might remember, I absolutely love the Spring conference run by the New England chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators
