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STOCKPILING STORIES THAT GRAB AN EDITOR’S EYE: A 12-STEP PLAN
I’m always ready to cheer when book deals are announced, especially if I know the author and/or illustrator. But honestly, I wouldn’t be...
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WIELDING THE RIGHT WORDS
WIELDING THE RIGHT WORDS (And the Right Journals.) by Shutta Crum Okay, you’ve slogged through a difficult—even hellish—first draft (or...
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TIPS & TRICKS FOR WRITING A PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY
1) PICK A PERSON YOU LOVE Whoever you pick is someone who is going to be part of your life for a long time. You will be spending time...
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PUTTING YOUR HEART ON PAPER
“You gotta have heart. Miles 'n miles ‘n miles of heart,” or so sang the team in the musical Damn Yankees. If you’re a ball player,...
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HOW TO BOOST YOUR AUTHOR CAREER & TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OPPORTUNITIES
When it comes to getting that elusive publishing contract, we all obviously have to spend a lot of “butt in chair” time writing and...
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GEARING UP FOR SUCCESS IN 2018
Writing is full of ups and downs—the adrenaline rush of getting something published may be followed by months of rejections, sluggish...
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HOW I GOT MY AGENT - DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME
After banging my head on my computer for more than five years of trying to entice an agent into representing me, I finally got one....
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ENJOY THE JOURNEY
When I first decided to venture into the world of writing for children, I had no idea what I was getting into. I thought it would be...
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Truth Above All in Young Adult Novels
Many of us are painfully aware that truth, one of the ultimate values that makes us human, is being eroded in this day of fake news and...
2017 WRITING CONTEST WINNERS
After much deliberation and multiple rounds of judging, we are excited to announce the results of our 2017 Awesome Openers Writing...