Write to the Heartfelt Needs of Kids
I was surprised at my reaction to the back-to-school sales. Last spring, I left teaching to write full time. I didn’t expect to have strong feelings about back-to-school supplies this summer, but I did. It was obvious that the children and parents in the store had their own range of emotions, too. Nervousness Excitement Dread […]
Read What You Write
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” ~ Stephen King I don’t like the horror genre (it gives me nightmares), so I’m not a fan of Stephen King. But when he’s right, he’s right. Romance writers read romance. Science fiction writers read […]
10,000 Hours
10,000 hours. That’s the amount of intentional practice Dr. K. Anders Ericsson determined is needed to master a skill. He published his findings in the Harvard Business Review in 2007. Author Malcolm Gladwell popularized those findings in his book, Outliers, in 2008. https://www.gladwellbooks.com/https://www.gladwellbooks.com/gladwellbooks.com/ Just how long is 10,000 hours? If you practiced full-time, 40 hours per […]
What’s New in Children’s Books?
If you follow our blog, you undoubtedly have a sense of calling to write for children and teens in the Christian market. Today, I want to encourage you to check out what’s new in children’s books. Keeping on top of that may include some things that surprise you, but they’ll be relatively simple additions to […]
Rainy Days
As I write this, it’s raining. At least my lawn and flowerbeds are happy. Is it raining where you are? I don’t mean the weather. Is it raining on your writing? Are you familiar with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, “The Rainy Day”? The day is cold, and dark, and dreary; It rains, and the wind […]
In Search of Excellence
In my previous career as a human resources executive, one of my areas of responsibility was the management of our quality control programs. Phrases such as “Quality First,” “Do it right the first time,” and “Quality means doing it right when no one is looking” (Henry Ford), pervaded our corporate culture. But corporate America did […]
Best Laid Plans
Conventional wisdom tells us that to be successful we should become adept at planning. Good planning helps us manage resources and minimize unexpected challenges. But life doesn’t always work out as we planned. We pour ourselves into a manuscript, but agents and editors are not interested. We finally receive that coveted contract, but sales are […]
Write Exciting Things for Kids
Some of you know that I’m a teacher as well as an author. I learn from my students and fellow teachers every single day, even—and sometimes especially—from those who are brand new to the profession. What does teaching have in common with writing? So. Many. Things. I was sitting with a new teacher who had […]
Little Things Mean A Lot
New year, new calendar. I love the potential of a brand new calendar, don’t you? All those pristine pages with their empty little boxes…well, they started out pristine when I unwrapped the cellophane. But they’re filling up quickly! As I look back on the past year, I had so many thoughts about how to market […]
Back to Basics
by Kim Peterson Every January, I return to the basics. Not resolutions exactly, but I return to what anchors me. Ideally, I maintain good writer-ly habits all year: I write in my journal daily. (Um, only did that one year.) I nurture my creativity regularly. (Well, it’s on my to-do list.) I edit and […]