Win a critique of 2 picture book ms.s or 50 pages of your WIP, plus a query letter. Proceeds go to Feeding America’s Covid-19 Response Fund
Read moreThe Top Ten Things I Learned from Writers in 2017--and That You Can Learn from Them, too
Ten tips to ponder that will improve your writing, from people who should know.
Read moreAsk Elaw: Must I Tweet? and Picture Book Authors' Particular Pain
Is Social Media a must, is my manuscript forgotten, and why can't my neighbor illustrate my book?
Read moreAsk Elaw: A conference, then a black hole
What to do when you haven't heard back after a conference...or a not-so-talented friend asks for feedback. Or when you just feel like giving up.
Read moreSeven Ways to De-clutter Your Writing...and Your Life
I had no idea that asking "Does it spark joy?" about my clothing, papers and stuff would have so much impact on my work.
Read moreNavigating the Forest of Feedback: 8 Ways to Recognize Helpful Criticism (and How to Ignore the Rest).
Recently, on a flight home from vacation, I met author Randi Hutter Epstein and we we were talking about her work. She said “After about three days of writing, I don’t know if what I have is good, or crap. I’ll ask anyone their opinion!”
Read more6 Ingredients to Make Your Story Great (from the Mighty Robert McKee)
A few principles on the creation of Story that I learned in a weekend-long seminar with the legendary Robert McKee.
Read moreThe One Piece of Advice Every Writer Needs to Hear
"If you was hit by a truck, and you was lying out in that gutter dying, and you had time to sing one song, one song people would remember before you’re dirt, one song that would let God know what you felt about your time here on earth."
Read more5 Things to Do When You Haven't Heard Back From an Editor or Agent: The Art of Following Up
5 ways to follow up with an editor or agent, when to do it, and a reason or two why they're so slow
Read moreThe 5 Most Common Query Letter Mistakes…and 5 Query Letter "Do's"
The 5 Best Things to Do, and 5 Things to Avoid, when querying an editor or agent
Read moreTen Things That Make an Editor Stop Reading Your Manuscript
Common errors that literary agents and editors see in picture book, middle grade, and young adult manuscripts. These can cause us to say a gentle "no"... or to head to the nearest bar.
Read moreArt Isn't Easy: An interview with critics Roger Sutton and Ilene Cooper, Part One
A candid, informative interview with two leading children's book reviewers
Read moreThe Question of Word Count: Let it Go, Let it Go.
Every question you have about word count answered
Read moreWhat I Read for Love
Ten great books for YA fans
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