Every writer I know has encountered writer’s block at one point or another. Sometimes it arrives quietly—a vague resistance when you sit down to write. Other times it slams the door shut entirely. The page stays stubbornly blank. The story that once felt vibrant suddenly...
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In the writing world we often say there are two kinds of plotters—outliners, who work from a carefully planned story map, and...
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One of the most common issues I see when reviewing picture book manuscripts is this: a story that’s pleasant, charming, or even...
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Many writers assume that depth comes from complexity—that richer stories require more plot, more explanation, more moving parts. But picture books teach us...
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Picture books are often thought of as "simple." Short sentences. Only so many pages. A quick read. But anyone who has ever tried...
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Dialogue in picture books does a lot of heavy lifting. Good dialogue: - Reveals character - Builds tension - Moves the plot forward - Delivers conflict -...
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Let’s start with a confession. For years, I used “voice” and “tone” interchangeably. And the truth is, in casual conversation, many writers do....
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There’s a particular magic to picture books that still thrills me—even after years of writing, editing, and teaching them: In roughly 32 pages...
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Finding the right literary agent for your work can feel a bit like searching for a needle in a haystack. With so...
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My friend Peter H. Reynolds once gave me a great image for cultivating ideas. He said he had "story radar"...
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