November 15th is I Love to Write Day. It is a day for people of all ages spend time writing. You can write a poem, a love letter, a greeting card, an essay, a short story, start a novel, finish a novel … the possibilities are endless. John Riddle, started I Love to Write Day … Read more
As a former teacher, I believe that there is a lesson in most things. The lessons I have learned from Gertie Saves the Day could fill a notebook or two. Hard as it is to believe, it has been two years since Gertie Saves the Day was published. Happy 2nd Birthday Gertie! My launch date was September 8th and … Read more
Staying motivated as a writer can be hard. I have my fair share of days when pursuing my writing goals is the last thing I want to do. Writing is a journey and there will be times that you may lack the motivation to push past those moments. It is in those moments I try to … Read more
Why am I writing a Student’s Guide to Interviewing Authors? One of my all-time favorite children’s book authors was Tomie dePaola. I loved reading his books to my third graders. Strega Nona and Big Anthony and the Pasta Pot were two of our favorites. The more I read his books to my students, the more questions the children had that … Read more
Setting achievable writing goals is an effective strategy for most writers. Writing a book, whether a novel, memoir or children’s book is a difficult task. That’s why authors set writing goals. Authors often set daily, monthly and yearly goals that help them stay on track with outlining, drafting editing and revising their writing. In my … Read more
After the holidays I had trouble getting back to my writing. In fact, there were others in my writing group who admitted they too were having the same problem. It was reassuring to know that others were experiencing the same thing. We decided to brainstorm ways that might motivate us to get back to our … Read more
Every Child is a Writer Children want to write. Children as young as two years old make marks on paper to express their feelings and communicate with others. In fact, research has shown that the earlier adults encourage and support writing skills in children, the more successful those children are as writers later in life. … Read more
Children’s Book Week is an annual celebration of children’s books and reading. Since 1919, it is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. This year it is celebrating its 101st anniversary of spreading the joy of reading. Inspire children to read during this week by sharing and recommending your favorite picture books. Your influence … Read more
If you love picture books as much as I do then you are going to love the month of November. Picture Book Month is an International Literacy Initiative that celebrates picture books during the month of November. My posts for the month of November will be designed to share some of my favorite picture books … Read more
Writer’s Notebook The concept of a writer’s notebook is simple: All children need is a blank notebook and a pencil or pen. Children write or draw in their notebook, for at least a few minutes each and every day. It is an activity that encourages writing practice and nurtures creativity. A writer’s notebook removes the … Read more
