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March 11, 2019Writing and illustrating children’s books: All the surprises
The process of writing, illustrating and publishing a children’s book can be filled with surprises—good and bad! For example, I’m always surprised by how much my heart explodes when a friend sends ...
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February 05, 2019Who I Think About When I Write … It’s Probably You: A List of Questions to Ask Yourself About Audience as You Write
I find it really challenging to write a picture book without imagining its audience. In whose hands will the finished book end up? What will make them pick it up? Will they find my story satisfying? To ...
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January 10, 2019CBC Canada Reads Announces Eclectic Longlist for Canada's Most Moving Book
CBC Books has announced the Canada Reads longlist and the 2019 competition's theme: "One book to move you".The 15-title list includes fiction and nonfiction, new titles and older ones, from authors across ...
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November 22, 2018Calling All Aspiring Authors: Never Ask an Illustrator to Illustrate Your Picture Book for Free
A few weeks ago, I was in a local tavern with some friends—a few of them are professional illustrators. They were drinking overpriced mocktails and commiserating about the emails they get from aspiring ...
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October 23, 2018Bad Reviews and Broken Hearts: How to Deal with All the Feelings
First: Spend several years working on you—I mean, a manuscript. Revise each draft based on feedback from your therapist—I mean, editor. Get Tinder—I mean, get publishing deal. Agonize over each ...
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August 27, 2018An Open Letter to the Stranger Who Asked Me, “How Did You Write That Book for Children If You Don't Have Children?”
Dear Stranger,I realize that writing a book is kind of a self-important undertaking. When I write, I sometimes imagine that there are people out there who might actually enjoy reading my words and letting ...
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June 27, 2018Why Do We Keep Picture Book Authors and Illustrators Apart? - or How to Play Well With Others
I completely underestimated how emotional the whole process of creating a picture book would be. When my first picture book was being published, I became a horrible self-involved troll-person. I couldn’t ...
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May 29, 2018What I Wish Every Aspiring Children’s Author Knew About Publishing
It seems like book publishing is a mysterious, captivating industry to many people. It barely gets represented in pop culture and when it does get featured (Elf and Fatal Attraction come to mind), ...
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May 28, 2018"I Realized the 1st Time I Walked into a Prison That I Would Write About My Experiences" Activist Ann Hansen on Her New Book
In 1983, Ann Hansen was arrested along with four friends. It wasn't mischief, drinking, or other youthful antics that led to the arrest though - Hansen and her companions comprised a radical group called ...
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April 30, 2018Robert Chafe on Writing a Play About a Man Who Spent His Life Freeing Things Only to Become Trapped Himself
Governor General's Literary Award winning playwright and author Robert Chafe has made a name for himself with both his acclaimed original plays and fiction and his stunning stage adaptations of works ...
