My office window looks out on a moss lawn bordered by azaleas, dogwoods, red maples, tall, skinny pines, a crooked magnolia and assorted other trees. It’s a nice view if one is inclined to stare off into space: a busy playground for squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, deer, hawks, bluebirds, cardinals and other visitors, plus the human […]
Twenty years ago, when my son was a toddler, I wrote a tender tribute to the love between a father and child, based on a couple of guys I knew. I sold the manuscript, then called Papa’s Day, to an editor I’d worked with at a big publishing house. She left soon after, and the […]
McIntyre’s Books in Fearrington Village, NC is one of my favorite local bookstores. It’s charming, in a beautiful setting, and Sarah Carr—the Children’s Book Buyer—is exuberant, warm and welcoming. So when Sarah asked if I’d be interested in teaching a writing workshop, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. And it’s coming up! The Nuts & […]
Many years ago, I had what I thought was a great idea for a picture book. The title said it all: Take Your Pet to School Day. It would have chaos, humor, and lots and lots of animals—perfect! But my early drafts were duds. I dragged out the beginning, introducing a variety of kids and […]
Hey, it’s December! You’ve probably noticed that already. If you’re like me, you’re probably thinking back to those long-ago days of January when everything seemed possible. Remember all those projects you planned to finish? Those writing goals you were going to accomplish? Those time-management skills you were going to master? Well, if you’re also like […]
Years ago when I lived in Los Angeles, I had an old watch that occasionally needed repair. The only place around that could fix it was a small, family-owned business. As soon as you walked in, it was clear these people should not be working together. They were unpleasant, sarcastic and just plain nasty, screaming […]
Hey there! Got plans for the weekend of September 28th-30th? No? Then come on down to Charlotte for the 25th Annual SCBWI Carolinas Conference! As usual, there’s an impressive roster of agents, editors, authors and illustrators on the faculty, with intensives, breakout sessions, manuscript critiques, portfolio reviews, plus an autograph party and plenty of socializing. […]
Kids are natural scientists, yet somewhere along the way the subject of “science” becomes a snoozer for many of them. Maybe because there’s less opportunity for discovery and wonder as they get older, and more focus on facts and data. Doing science is fun, but reading about it can get a little dull. But science-y […]
My friend Caroline Stutson—a gifted poet and talented storyteller—passed away in 2015. Some years ago, Caroline shared with me a manuscript called Blue Corn Soup, and two weeks ago, it arrived in my mailbox as a beautiful book, illustrated by Teri Weidner and published by Sleeping Bear Press. As I write in this post, holding […]
I sold my first manuscript 20 years ago this month. That sale grew out an SCBWI manuscript critique with editor Allyn Johnston, then at Harcourt. Although Allyn was distinctly lukewarm about that particular story, she offered to look at others, which eventually led to the sale of BABIES ON THE GO. The second manuscript I sold, THE […]