Summary and Takeaways: The 2025 Write to Publish Conference
It’s summer, and that means it’s writers’ conference season! A time for education, encouragement, making connections, and building friendships. Recently, four of us Write2Igniters attended the Write to Publish Conference near Chicago. We came from all over—Missouri, New Jersey, Colorado, and Australia. We all write for children but are at different stages of our writing […]
On Our Bookshelf: Every Moment Holy by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
When my dad passed away in April 2024, a friend mailed me a copy of the devotional Every Moment Holy Volume 1 written by Douglas Kaine McKelvey and published by Rabbit Room Press. There are several volumes in the series, and I have since purchased Volume 2 which is entitled Every Moment Holy – Death, […]
Summer of Stories: A New Family Favorite with a Purpose-Driven Beginning
A Season of Purposeful Connection Summer is often a time of sunshine, rest, and togetherness — but it can also offer families a powerful opportunity for spiritual growth. That’s the heart behind Summer of Stories, a new faith-based initiative created by Christian children’s author and mom Erin Greneaux. Her vision? To give parents access to […]
Should Your Narrator be a Character?
It’s an honest question. Obviously, if you are writing first person POV, then this does not apply to you. Of course your narrator should be a character. Otherwise, it ain’t first person! But what about third person? Should your narrator have a distinct personality? Should your narrator be you? Mark Twain and Charles Dickens seemed […]
On Our Bookshelf: Waiting is Part of the Journey by Mark Vroegop
What is the one of the biggest struggles for someone who is on the book publishing journey? The most obvious answer to me is…WAITING! As writers, we all face many struggles, but one that none of us can avoid is waiting. Waiting to hear back from a potential agent, waiting to hear back from a […]
Author Interview with Chelsea Tornetto
I’m delighted to introduce you to Chelsea Tornetto today. Chelsea is the author of several picture books, a freelance editor, and an author coach. Welcome, Chelsea! Thanks for joining us to discuss your newly-launched picture book, Chalk the Walk (illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth, published by Familius Publishing). Interview Sue: Let’s start with a talk about […]
Two Kinds of Children’s Books
There are two kinds of children’s books: the kind that grownups want children to read and the kind that children want to read. As adults, we may be tempted to write the first type of book. The kind that gets Newberry and Caldecott medals. The kind that ends up on librarian and teacher’s lists. They […]
We Take the Land of Writing Little by Little
We take the land of writing little by little. Just as the Israelites did when they entered the Promised Land after their exodus from Egypt.
Author Interview with Bitsy Kemper
Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Bitsy Kemper to Write2Ignite. Known in the children’s book industry for her generosity in sharing her list of Publishers Accepting Children’s Books – No Agent Needed, and The 31-Day Author Platform Challenge, Bitsy is a wife, mother of three kids, and author of 23 children’s books – and the delightful […]
A Conversation with Joyce Hostetter
A conversation with Joyce Hostetter, our spring MC teacher.