Write What You Know

Howdy (writing) partners! Just wanted to pop in with some blast-from-the-past pictures and a quick tidbit about picture book subject matter. 

This is me - circa 1980 - and one of the Brahman bulls on our family's farm. It was a little farm - but a busy one, filled with sounds (and smells!) that stuck with me. And it's exactly these kinds of childhood experiences that I have been mining for book ideas. So what inspired the walk down memory lane? 

Well for one thing I own half that farm now, and still make memories there. 

Secondly, I just attended a SCBWI conference and this message - write what you know - was a key theme. In other words, your stories should look in, not out. Be authentic, and mine your memories for (especially childhood) experiences that were both unique but also universal. 

Also, watch out for cow pies. 

*NEW KIDLIT IMPRINT*

Well looky here! A new kidlit imprint will be launching in 2020! As explained in the article: "HarperCollins Children’s Books is expanding with a new imprint for young readers, Quill Tree Books....Quill Tree will focus on publishing authors with a strong point of view, as well as those who are often underrepresented"

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/82185-harpercollins-launches-quill-tree-imprint.html

Start Your Engines...

Your literary brain engines, that is! It's January which means it is also Story Storm time! As explained on the website "The Storystorm challenge is to create 30 story ideas in 30 days. You don’t have to write a manuscript (but you can if the mood strikes). You don’t need potential best-seller ideas."

This amazing event was created by Tara Lazar - yes, THAT Tara Lazar. So you know it is good! And it's free and it's online. YAY!

https://taralazar.com/storystorm/

The Naughty List

This article is an awfully good reminder of what NOT to do when writing for kids. Thank you Margaret Meachem for keeping us scribes on the Nice list this year :) 

https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/writing-for-young-readers/childrens-book-mistakes/

Ho-Ho-Holiday Writing Prompt

I love all the holidays that arise this time of year. From Hanukkah to Kwanza - there's just a cool buzzy energy happening all around. In my house it's ye olde Christmas time, which means Santa lists. So I was inspired to create this holly, jolly writing prompt. Try writing a wish list for Santa from an unusual (so, NOT a kid) perspective. Maybe Bubbles the family fish wants new shiny pebbles for his bowl. Maybe Principal MacManus wants ear plugs and pencils. Maybe a small children's author from Florida wants donuts and a nap....

Clever Query

Thank the heavens I have an agent - and an amazing one at that. (Hugs Miss Kathleen. And also Jazz Hands!)  But recently I was thinking about that whole process of querying and well, it inspired me to post about querying. Sooo... you may be thinking .... What is a query? Why do I need to write one? What should be in a query? How many fonts should I use? All excellent questions my writer buds! And all questions that can be answered in this awesome article by Australian kidlit author Jo Hart. Check it out: https://johartauthor.com/2016/03/05/how-to-write-a-picture-book-query/

Oh and the answer is one. One font. One normal non-weird font, OK?

Catherine in a Castle

Did you know that, once upon a time, I lived in England? Canterbury to be exact. I wish I could say I lived in a painting-filled castle among precious artifacts. That would make my Art History degree make more sense. But alas I lived in a converted former chicken coop so close to the road that the furniture shook when cars zoomed by. I would find feathers everywhere (and mean  EVERYWHERE). So why am I telling you this? Because I'm working on a book about feathers. Obviously. Inspiration is all around - even in memories of old stinky former chicken coops.