April 2026 Master Class Registration is Now Open
As a writer, I often find myself bogged down in fear. Fear that my writing may not be good enough. Fear that I am too old. Fear that I don't know how to write. Attending conferences gives me the insight to overcome those fears through encouragement, instruction,...
As part of my research for my YA novel Half-Truths , I read a lot of books. And I mean A LOT. Read my pitch and I think you'll understand why: In the heavily segregated South, fifteen-year-old Kate Dinsmore's world is shaken when she realizes she's related to her...
People often ask me why I write. I keep hearing that this is the worst possible time to enter the world of publishing. Book sales are at an all-time low, despite the fact that by some estimates, more than two million books are published annually worldwide. I also keep...
You've finished your picture book manuscript. You've read it over and over again, and you've revised it several times. The children in your life love it. You've even had a writing friend or two critique it for you. Finally, it's ready to submit . . . or is it? In my...
I recently submitted thirty-one devotions for a national ministry's monthly devotional for its supporters. The batch I submitted last year was well received, and I hoped for a similar reaction. This time, the editor’s response was not quite what I expected. She...
UPDATE: Congratulations to Aurura B. Steadham, the winner of our Week 10 contest! This week's contest is open to everyone and is our final giveaway! To enter, tell us the name of your favorite picture book from childhood. Submit your answer before August 4 by...
Hello, everyone! This year's Write2Ignite conference is coming up fast. As one of the presenters at the conference, I'll be leading two workshops: "Children's Book Categories" and "Writing from Childhood Memories." Let me tell you about them. "Children's Book...
As a child, I penned a collection of Christmas poems. Little booklets of the poems became gifts tucked under Christmas trees. I loved creative writing and often wrote stories that I never finished, but I could always finish a poem. (Just don’t ask to see one of those...
Ahhh, summertime. There’s something about taking a road trip in the summer, convertible top down, wind in our hair. It brings out the teenager in all of us. Of course, I don’t have a convertible, but I can dream, can’t I? The drives in my dreams almost always include...
"Am I rich?" "Am I famous?" "Am I on a bestseller list?" Often, we writers ask questions like these as we try to measure our success. The problem? Most of you, like me, have to say no to these questions. Unless we’ve been fortunate enough to author beloved children’s...