Solving the Story Maze: 4 Compass Points for Planning Your Novel
When you begin planning your novel, there are a million details you could consider. At the start of every idea lies an endless labyrinth of possibilities, of different directions your could take your plot. Some writers prefer to figure out as much of their labyrinth as they possibly can before they even think to put […]
Three Tips on Writing Anything and Everything by Guest Blogger, Nancy Ling
I’ve been writing for over fifty years now, if I count my grade school tour de force, which includes a poem about raccoons and a Nancy Drew style mystery. Of course, I’m still a Work-In-Process, and I cannot give enough credit to all the various workshops and critique groups who have helped me a long […]
TEN Tips for WRITING BOARD BOOKS with Laura Sassi
My first five books for children were all released as picture books. Three of those were later released as board books. That got me interested in exploring the differences between the two formats and a few summers ago I decided to try my hand at writing for the board book format specifically. The result? My […]
Beauty Points Children to God
Lowly dandelions give us moments of beauty that point to God
Amazing Hack for Writing the Setting of a Story
There’s no way around it. Writing a children’s novel takes time. I know writer friends and writing challenges that boast they can whip out a picture book in one day. Not so with a children’s novel. The setting of the story. The plot. The characters. The shortest time frame most people can claim for writing […]
Stories Grow from Key Elements by Guest Blogger, Dawn Stephens
Stories grow from key elements: Setting, character, inciting incident, rising action, climax, surprise, conclusion.
Reaching Outside Your Comfort Zone by Guest Blogger Rona Shirdan
One writer’s journey to writing and publishing her first educational book.
5 Poetry Writing Tips for Children’s Authors
How can poetry writing tips improve your children’s books? Join Karley Conklin for 5 ways poetry can strengthen your fiction writing.
Writer’s Blocks
I’m getting ready for NaNoWriMo. I’m starting in October to make sure I hit my goals because I’m a notoriously slow author. My son is going to write a novel also. That will add more accountability to the process for me. But he will have writer’s block. He always does. He gets paralyzed with fear […]
Sharpen Your Writing Communication Skills by Guest Blogger, Vanessa Fortenberry
A few weeks ago, I completed an interview for an online magazine. One significant question referred to the essential skills needed as a writer. I concluded that the list of important abilities that exist could be endless. So, I decided to emphasize the most significant communication skills based on my writing experience. Communication- it seems easy enough. Right? […]