Revision – aka catching all the boo-boos
I’ve been up to my elbows in the muck of revision for a few weeks now. I started off looking at the forest, or the big picture. Have I built tension? Have the characters...
A Fun Photo Shoot
My second chapter book, Salamander Rescue, will be out next spring – yahoo! – and I thought I should update my author photo. Perhaps something with a little more character. A little more fun. A...
What inspires you?
Last month, I found myself in need of a little inspiration. I sat at my desk, fingers poised above the keyboard, blinking cursor ready to march across the page – and I couldn’t get...
Reflect, Aspire, and Strategize for 2015
Writers make a lot of resolutions. I like to take two kicks at the can, making resolutions in September (when I get my peace and quiet and writing time back), and in January (when...
Who have YOU met on the internet?
If you look carefully, you can find some fascinating, helpful people through the internet. While writing Dirty Jobs: Coal Miner (published by Weigl, 2014), I was challenged to find accurate, reliable details about modern...
The Joys of Feedback and Revision with Frieda Wishinsky October 16
Honest – revision and feedback can be joyful, with a little help from your friends. At some point, we all get a little too close to our own work and have trouble seeing it...
Focus on Children’s Literature with Martine Leavitt: next SCBWI meeting September 11
Do you wrestle with theme when you’re writing, or is it your guiding light? If you write YA or mid-grade fiction, you won’t want to miss Martine Leavitt’s presentation on theme on Thursday, September 11. Leavitt is...
Signing ‘The Wall’
Behind the counter at Monkeyshines Children’s Books there’s a cool and pretty unique feature wall. It’s an “I was here” for authors and illustrators who have had the pleasure of reading/signing/launching their books at...
Reading and signing this Saturday
Monkeyshines Children’s Books is such a fun place to explore! On Saturday, May 31, I will be reading from Ospreys in Danger and signing books, so please drop in and say hello. We...
From call to launch: Two years, three months and 17 days
My telephone – my rather retro home landline – has a strange feature: it announces the caller. I found that annoying right from the start because it garbled simple words. I mean, really, how difficult is “Grandma...
Kids’ books versus children’s literature
Is this a case of ‘I say potato, you say spud?’ I don’t think so. In my mind, children’s literature is like adult literature: finely crafted prose that delves deep into social issues. Great...
