Writing 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 action. One of the most powerful ways to get something done is to establish the goal first. The simple act of committing a goal to [...]
The Best Children’s Books For, and About, Christmas
The holidays are a time of abundance, and the children’s publishing world is no exception. Every year, hundreds of new holiday-themed books are published, each with the hope of securing a place on the “classic holiday favorites” shelves in libraries, bookstores and homes. With so many choices, parents and caregivers are often overwhelmed, and narrowing [...]
Answers to Your Questions About Writing Children’s Books – Tonight at 7!
This is just a quick post to invite you to join me TONIGHT at 7 PM EST for a FREE question and answer phone call during which I will be answering your questions about writing children’s books! Here are the details: EVENT: Children’s Book Author Q&A Call with Emma DATE & TIME: Tuesday, December 14th [...]
Great Books That Inspire Reading
Sometimes just reading about something in a book can make it seem that much more appealing, and motivate us to investigate it further. My daughter recently read a book about list-making, and proceeded to spend several weeks making – and posting – heartfelt lists all over our house. With this in mind, why not choose [...]
Great Books That Inspire Writing
Building on my last post about books that inspire reading, here are some of my favorite books that celebrate and/or support writing, for children and adults: The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli Author: A True Story, by Helen Lester Spilling Ink: A Young Writer’s Handbook, by Ellen Potter and Anne Mazer Ish by Peter H. [...]
What’s in a Title?
One of my students asked a question this week about coming up with good book titles. It got me thinking. In my view, good titles are: Catchy – They play with language, use alliteration, rhyme or rhythm, have a sense of humor, rather than just describing the events of the story. What if Where the [...]
The 3 Little P’s of Picture Books
Writing a good children’s book is hard. Selling one to a publisher is even harder. Getting it bought, and read – by librarians, booksellers, and most of all, kids – is the hardest of all. The best children’s book authors are masters of economy and action, which can take a lifetime of study and practice [...]
Why You MUST Write That Children’s Book
I was recently interviewed for the esteemed blog “Cynsations,” run by the very talented YA author Cynthia Leitich Smith. It was a real honor – Cynthia’s site is among the most respected, and followed, in the Kid Lit blogosphere – but it also gave me an opportunity to reflect on a core value of mine, [...]
Conferences, Festivals, Bookfairs and Other Opportunities for Writers to Eat
Our MFA in Writing and Literature team spent the week in Denver at the annual AWP (Association of Writers and Writing Programs) conference. This got me thinking about the value of conferences to writers, and – a blog post is born! There are essentially two different types of conferences that children’s book authors should be [...]
Just Write For Kids
I have terrific news! But first – let me ask you a question: *Have you ever dreamed of writing a children’s book? *Do you have an idea for a story but don’t know where to start? *Have you written a book, but don’t know what the next step should be? *Would you like to join [...]
