Dual-Curriculum in Learning to Write for Children
I am the mother of four grown sons. But they weren’t always grown. There were quite a few hectic years that could best be described as managed chaos. I would get a little one off my hip and onto his feet just in time to have another firmly attach himself. And honestly, who knew there were […]
Dusty Old Writing
I remember words of advice from seasoned professionals in the writing industry. Don’t be in a hurry to hit ‘send’ as soon as you finish your manuscript. Put it away for some time. Then, revisit it and send the revised, polished work on to your agent or publisher. I was like many authors I know. […]
Preparing for a Writers’ Conference
It’s writers’ conference season! The idea of attending a writing conference might be new and scary to you. It might be an annual event on your calendar, or you may be one of the seasoned professionals who presents at multiple conferences around the country each year. After many conferences, my heart races a bit at […]
The Charlotte Mason Method, Part Four
In Part One and Part Two of our series about writing for the homeschool community, we talked about some of the main components of the Charlotte Mason Method of education. In Part Three, we explored how to create copywork. This month, we’re going to take a look at what other types of resources we can […]
Limitless Creativity
The creativity of God never ceases to amaze me. He created plants that grow underwater, He created diamonds and dandelion dust with equal ease, and He called a single woman with no children to write for the Christian homeschool market. I wasn’t homeschooled as a child. I went to a very small private Christian school. […]
The Charlotte Mason Method, Part Three
Copywork is a key component of the Charlotte Mason Method, but it is also enjoyed by many homeschoolers who do not use her method exclusively. You can create copywork that is connected to the themes you write about or you can create it based on Scripture, classical literature, etc. The first thing you need to […]
The Child’s Voice in Writing
Engaging young readers is important for children’s authors, but in an effort to reach them, how do we understand our young readers? Maybe we are parents or grandparents. We might be teachers or caregivers. Maybe we just have a heart for littles. I think every children’s author would agree that effective writing for children requires […]
Stories Matter
“The universe is made of stories, not atoms.” —Muriel Rukeyser Once upon a time… … in a Galaxy Far, Far Away… … a young shepherd boy stood before the giant with only a sling. … a starship set out to boldly go where no man had gone before. … four reptiles stumbled upon green ooze […]
Making Mud Pies
I’m told I was a particularly difficult baby and a challenging child. The family blames the first on colic; I blame the second on a vivid imagination. Whatever the cause, a series of photos seems to substantiate the claims of my parentals, aunts and uncles, and grandmother. One snapshot in particular comes to mind. Picture […]
More Than Just the Facts, Ma’am
When you think about writing for children, you might picture stacks of picture books or a shelf full of novels. But did you know there’s a large nonfiction market as well? In my workshop session “More Than Just the Facts, Ma’am,” I’m going to introduce you to the world of children’s nonfiction and educational publishing. There’s […]