Shout-Outs, Giveaways and Reciprocity
One of the things I love best about being a member of the children’s lit industry is the spirit of community with which we support one another. Unlike many other...
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Five Ways to Layer Structure Without Complicating Your Story
Many writers assume that depth comes from complexity—that richer stories require more plot, more explanation, more moving parts. But picture books teach us the opposite lesson. The stories that linger...
Read MoreWriting Goals for the New Year
I prefer setting goals to making resolutions. Somehow they feel more positive and attainable, less like resolving not to do something and more like committing to a new behavior or...
Read MoreWhere Do Picture Book Ideas Really Come From?
Writers often get asked this question: Where do you get your ideas? But it’s a tricky one to answer. Why? Because ideas usually don’t arrive fully formed. They come in...
Read MoreThe Series Series, Part 6: Tracking Plot Details
When it comes to maintaining continuity of plot details in a series, it can be helpful to create a scene chart or a storyboard for each story as well as...
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