How Middle Grade Author Ellie Sipila Turned a School Assignment into a Series
To say that Elizabeth “Ellie” Sipila is just a “writer” would be like labeling Emeril Lagasse as merely a “cook”. Like a master chef,…
Crafting Scenes with Emotional Intensity
by Suzanna Henshon, Ph.D
Have you ever fallen deeply into a story and emerged changed forever? There are probably moments in the…
Kill Your Darlings – Editing Your Manuscript to Remove Overused Words & Phrases
by Jane Choate
We all have them. What are they? Our darlings, those words, phrases, or even chunks of description that we use over and over,…
Building a Fiction Series
Many authors, whether they’re published or not, would be thrilled to find out their latest manuscript is headed for a contract. If the publishing…
Critique Fear: How to Handle Negative Feedback
Have you ever received a critique on your work that pointed out substantial issues?
Yikes, it usually feels quite painful, particularly…
Persistence Pays Off for Middle Grade Author Erin Teagan
by PJ McIlvaine
This is excerpted from an interview that appeared in the June 2018 issue of Children’s Book Insider. Click here to…
Author Brings Neurodiverse Characters to Middle Grade Fiction
This is an excerpt from an interview that appeared in the March 2018 issue of Children’s Book Insider.
by PJ McIlvaine
The…
35 Years a Writer, 35 Lessons Learned
by Jane McBride
(Note: This article is from the new January 2018 edition of Children’s Book Insider, the…
Writing for Children & Teens: Simple Steps to Understand Your Readers
by Jane Choate
In various writers’ groups over the years, I have heard a number of writers who say, usually with a certain degree of…
How to Write Dialogue That Flows
How to write dialogue? That’s something that should come naturally. After all, most of us spend at least a portion of each day in conversation with…
Book Categories for Children from Picture Books to YA
Kidlit is a vast market, including book categories ranging from books for infants, with cardboard pages designed to be chewed on, to gritty YA novels…
Watch Your Tone!
by Jane McBride
Tone and voice are sometimes confused, the terms even interchanged. While voice is who we are, tone is an attitude toward…
Grand Slam Debut for Picture Book Author Nancy Churnin
by PJ McIlvaine
This is an excerpt from an interview that appeared in the March 2017 issue of Children’s Book Insider.
From…
Visiting Book Fairs and Conference Exhibit Halls —Why, Where, and How?
by Lionel Bender
As a regular visitor to many major conference exhibit halls, book fairs, and publisher exhibits over some 28 years, I…
Create a World with Your Five Senses
by Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D
How do you start a story? Does the vision of a character enter your mind, or do you start with a plot? While…
A Fantastic Example of ‘Show, Don’t Tell’
The advice “show, don’t tell” is certainly one of the most overused pieces of writing instruction. But it’s overused for a very good reason: It’s…
Laura Backes on Writing Picture Books- Full Webinar Replay
Here’s the complete webinar from July 7, in which Children’s Book Insider publisher Laura Backes reveals her biggest insights on…
Get Started Writing for Kidlit Magazines
What’s old is new again. The saying is never truer than when it comes to writing for children’s magazines. Did you think that magazines for…
The Adventures of Dan Santat: A Conversation with the Caldecott-winning Author & Illustrator
This interview originally appeared in the March, 2016 issue of Children’s Book Insider, the Children’s Writing Monthly. To learn more about this…
Writing Is Easier When You Stop Trying So Hard
by Noelle Sterne
I usually know when I’m trying too hard in writing. When I review one of my pieces toward revision or…
Author Alice Kuipers on How Writing Picture Books Makes Her a Better Novelist
Alice Kuipers, the award-winning young adult author, sat down with Laura Backes to chat about her transition to picture book writer, and how writing…
Ask Writer Alice: Three Top Picture Book Writing Mistakes
Best-selling author Alice Kuipers reveals the three mistakes you should avoid as an aspiring picture book writer. Sign up for Alice’s monthly writing…
Teens Review What Works, What Doesn’t in New Books
In this article from School Library Journal, five reviewers from the Kitsap (WA) Regional Library, ranging in age from 12 to 15, give their thoughts…
Writing the Modern Fairy Tale: Use a Twist
by Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.
How do you update an old story? Fairy tales have been popular for hundreds of years, and recently Red…
Dealing with (and Learning From) Rejection
by Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.
Have you ever received a rejection letter? At some point, every writer has her work rejected. Madeleine…
Why Teachers Make Great Children’s Book Writers
by Laura Backes
You’re a teacher. You spend your day around kids, reading to them, teaching them how to write, helping them find books…
Know Your Genre Before You Write
If you’re new to writing, sorting out all the different fiction genres, and figuring out where your writing fits, can be a…
Why I Write Teen Books with Diverse Characters
by Michael J. Bowler
As a high school teacher for twenty-five years, I primarily taught kids of color. And yet, in the books and stories…
Which Age Group Should I Write For?
Best-selling author Alice Kuipers is back to answer another Ask Writer Alice question: “Which age group should I write for?”
Be sure to…
Find Your Voice by Copying
by Suzanna E. Henshon
Have you ever wished you wrote someone else’s book, particularly if it is a classic or a…
How to Rise from the Slush Pile When Submitting to Publishers
by Jane McBride
We’ve all heard of it. Many of us have visited it on more than one occasion when submitting to publishers, though our…
Picture Book Shows How One Woman Changed the World
Just in time for Earth Day, picture book author Miranda Paul talks about her new picture book, One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling…
How To Figure Out What Editors *Really* Want
by Jane Choate
Editors are famous—or is it infamous— for saying that they want something “new, fresh, different.” In the next…
Ask Writer Alice: Writing Dialogue for Children and Teens
In this quick video tutorial, bestselling author Alice Kuipers give her best tips on writing realistic dialogue in books for children and…
Want to Write Children’s Books But Not Sure How to Start?
by Jane Choate
What is the first step in learning to write children’s books?
The first and, I believe, most…
Do I Need an Agent?
by Suzanne Henshon
“How do I get an agent?” a writer asked. Many people believe that getting an agent will lead to instant success in…
Ask Writer Alice: When is My Manuscript Ready to Send to Agents or Editors?
In this short video, bestselling YA author Alice Kuipers talks about how to tell if your manuscript is ready to be submitted to publishers or an…
Ask Writer Alice: Making Your Story Original
Author Alice Kuipers is back, and this time she addresses the question, “How do I make my story original for my readers?”
Do…
Use Author Visits to Generate Book Ideas
by Natasha Wing
If you’re a writer who has a hard time coming up with new ideas, schools are a breeding grounds for…
Turn Your Inner Critic into a Wise Editor
by Helen Landalf
Every writer I know has an inner critic. Even successful authors must put up with the nagging voice that pesters them…
Ask Writer Alice: The Difference Between Middle Grade and Young Adult
Bestselling author Alice Kuipers is back with another quick video explaining the difference between middle grade and young adult fiction. If you have…
Four Foolproof Ways to Hook Children’s Nonfiction Readers
by Sue Bradford Edwards
Paid member of Children’s Book Insider? Click on the link below this post for bonus…
Ask Writer Alice: Trends and Books on Writing
In this short video, bestselling YA author Alice Kuipers answers questions about following trends, and recommends some great books on…
Building the Perfect Monster, Bogeyman, or Other Creatures that Go Bump in the Night
by Christina Hamlett
Like a lot of kids, I grew up thinking that monsters lived in my closet. I had no real reason for believing this,…
How to Write Plays Children Will Love
by Christina Hamlett
If you want to pen plays that young actors will love, there are two rules you can’t afford to ignore:…
How to Write Compelling Dialogue
Struggling with writing believable dialogue in your fiction? In this video, writing coach Teresa gives her best tips for creating conversations…
How to Write a Children’s Book with More Depth
by Russell Hoy
Whether you’re an expert author or a kids book dummy, if you’ve ever tried to write a children’s book, you know how…
writeforkids Interview: Newbery Winner Kate DiCamillo on Writing From the Heart
interview by Anne Tews Schwab for writeforkids
(Paid subscriber to Children’s Book Insider? See the bottom of the post for bonus…
How to Accept Feedback on Your Writing
Getting feedback, whether it’s from a writer’s group or a professional editor, is a crucial step in your journey to becoming a published author. In…
Five Reasons Fiction Writers Should Write Nonfiction
by Pat Miller
If you think true books for children are boring, then it’s been too long since you’ve read one. Lyrical writing,…
