Fiction Notes

Tag: Picture book

  • Picture Book Idea Month 2011

    After flirting with the idea of doing NaNoWriMo, I decided instead to do PiBoIdMo, or Picture Book Idea Month, the 30 days of November in which I am supposed to come up with 30 picture book ideas. It makes sense. I am attending the SCBWI Eastern NY Falling Leaves Master Class retreat where five picture […]

  • Story Ideas: New Education Standards Sets Topics

    Ours is a business of ideas: unique, fresh, high-concept, sweet, outstanding. Without a great idea, your story has little chance of flying in “today’s crowded market.” One new source of ideas is the curriculum that is taking shape around the Common Core State Standards. In the past two years, education reform has swept across the […]

  • Dummies and Prairies

    YA for Dummies and Prairie Storms What sounds does a ground hog make? An earless lizard? A burrowing owl? Six months ago, I had no idea! When I decided to create a book trailer for my forthcoming book, PRAIRIE STORMS, I knew I wanted something fun and useful for kids, parents and educators. We know […]

  • 99 Picture Books to Study

    Over at Playing by the Books, the UK blogger (bilingual Dutch/English), is talking about picture books. The UK Secretary for Education, Michael Gove has suggested that kids read at least 50 books a year. Playing by the Books took up the challenge: I approached six brilliant UK-based illustrators and asked them to contribute towards a […]

  • 30 Days to Stronger!

    We’ve done several 30-days series over the last few years. I’m considering topics for a couple “30 Days” series this year, probably March and October. What topics would you like to see? Plot, publicity, career, voice? Something else? Leave a comment, please, and let me know what interests you! Newly updated 30 Days series 30 […]

  • STOP! Cut Picture Book Mss by 1/3

    Stop! Before you send out that picture book manuscript, cut it by at least one-third. Really. Make that revision. Biggest Mistake in Picture Book Manuscripts I recently read a picture book manuscript from a novice writer and it had the usual problem: too long. In a picture book manuscript, every word counts, so you must […]