Ad-Lib Mondays
Moving Forward — with Emma Walton Hamilton’s “Just Write for Middle Grade”
As I mentioned when I signed off for the summer, I spent May, June and July taking Emma Walton Hamilton’s online/home study course Just Write for Middle Grade. Back in 2010 I took Emma’s Just Write for Kids, which is a course in writing picture books. I’ve been eager for a similar course dealing with…
Read MoreHow To Make a Picture Book, part 3c
I’m delighted that Julie Gribble is back with her monthly guest post on the making of her picture book Bubblegum Princess. Welcome back, Julie! The Making of Bubblegum Princess Story and Character Development – Part 3c: A Collaboration Children’s book writers are there with our readers when they’re very young, learning how to negotiate the terrain, from…
Read MoreEmma Walton Hamilton’s Editor-In-A-Box
Do you struggle with the revision process? Do you sometimes wish you could have someone coach you along as you decide what to include, what to leave out, whether you have the right word, and whether you’re using that word correctly? Do you ever feel overwhelmed when you look at the big picture of the…
Read MoreMarcie Colleen — Interview with Teacher’s Guide Expert
I am delighted to bring this interview with writer and teacher’s guide creator Marcie Colleen to you today. Marcie is, as you will see, a woman of many talents, and I’m grateful to call her friend (although we haven’t yet met in person). I got to know Marcie through our mutual involvement in Julie Hedlund’s…
Read MoreMoving Forward — by Sitting Still
Every once in a while, no matter how determined one is to move forward in whatever one is doing, it’s a good idea to stop for a little while, take a break, change focus for a while. I’ll be taking a blog-break for the rest of the summer. It’s not that I’ll be doing nothing…
Read MoreIn the Spotlight — Past Interviewees
Do you enjoy watching those “where are they now” shows on TV? I do, especially when they feature people who were once the kids on TV programs I used to enjoy. It’s interesting to see how their lives have changed, and what interesting projects they might be involved in now. In previous years on this…
Read MoreMoving Forward — By Asking Questions
If you’re on Facebook at all regularly, you’ll no doubt have seen more than one of the plethora of quizzes and questionnaires that are so popular there. I admit I have fun with them. You may be interested to know that if I were a children’s book character, I’d be Max from Where the Wild…
Read MoreA Word with Beth — about Me, Myself and I (Part Two)
As I indicated last month, the Owl really gets his grammar feathers in a twist when it comes to the use and misuse of the word Myself. In an attempt to smooth the Owl’s feathers, I’d like to mention a few of the ways Myself is abused in conversation, writing, and speech-making, and suggest alternatives.
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