To preserve the art of your story, don’t edit until you have a full draft. Or a second, or even a third. Then, you are
Tag: writing tips
Pedal, Balance, Steer: Interview With Children’s Book Author (And Kidlit Champion) Vivian Kirkfield…Plus A Double Giveaway!
Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? I sure do. It felt shaky, awkward, and a little scary at first. But
Before We Turn the Page: The 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’re invited to peruse my 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review! As another year draws to a close, I continue to marvel at the variety and quality of our posts, and thank all of our authors and readers for your commitment to our kidlit blog. Once again, I’ve been honored and challenged to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, date link, and brief summary. Enjoy!!
FOOD AND FAMILY IN PICTURE BOOKS…PLUS A GIVEAWAY!
Guest Post by Patricia Tanumihardja Chances are you’ve read a picture book or two with food themes in the last year. While they’ve been around
Editing tip: Ditch most filter words!
Crafting a memorable narrative requires keeping the reader engaged; limiting the use of filter words can help. Why is that? Because filter words tell rather
DECEMBER Middle Grade and Young Adult Opportunities
Welcome to the MG/YA Opportunities post! Find all of the monthly opportunities on the MG/YA support page! All opportunities are available to anyone with an internet connection.
Is Your Chapter Length Affecting Your Novel’s Pacing?
The secret to writing a great book is to make it absolutely unputdownable! Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done, but there are some choices you can make with your chapter structure to encourage readers to keep those pages turning–hopefully until the very end!
NOVEMBER Middle Grade and Young Adult Opportunities
Welcome to the MG/YA Opportunities post! Find all of the monthly opportunities on the MG/YA support page! All opportunities are available to anyone with an internet connection.
Kate DiCamillo’s Way of Seeing Character
The heart of Kate DiCamillo’s newest book, The Puppets of Spelhorst, could be the wondrous, looping trajectory of the plot or the rich color of
The Thing To Remember About Stargazing: A Lesson in Learning to Rewrite/Revise/Recycle
Guest Post by Matt Forrest Esenwine This is a story about four books and a poem, and how interconnected the publishing life can be. Folks
OCTOBER Middle Grade and Young Adult Opportunities
Welcome to the MG/YA Opportunities post! Find all of the monthly opportunities on the MG/YA support page! All opportunities are available to anyone with an internet connection.
The Gift of Highlights
by Danna Zeiger Last year, PJ Library gave me the greatest gift I could never give myself: the gift of treating myself seriously and calling
Don’t Let ALMOST Sabotage Your Plot!!
If almost works in real life, why doesn’t it work in our novels? It’s no fun for readers when a scene builds up tension and … almost happens.
TOP 5 STEPS FOR EVALUATING ONLINE WRITING CONFERENCES
You’ve just received another email for an online writers’ conference. How do you know if it’s right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference? I’m the host of Picture Book Summit, and I’ve worked in the online conference space since 2011.
WRITERS' RUMPUS 