Writing for Children

INTERVIEW WITH POET PATRICE VECCHIONE

Poet, nonfiction writer, and teacher PATRICE VECCHIONE has edited several highly acclaimed anthologies for young adults including, most recently, Ink Knows No Borders: Poems of the Immigrant and Refugee Experience, winner of a Cybil Award.

We talk about:

• Finding Yourself on Paper
• Who Said You Couldn't Say That?
• Ways to get yourself writing poetry.
• Lots more

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INTERVIEW WITH SUSAN CAMPBELL BARTOLETTI

Newbery Award Winner Susan Campbell Bartoletti is a nonfiction superstar author. Her books include Terrible Typhoid Mary and Hitler Youth. She took one episode from her Newbery Honor Book, Hitler Youth, and fleshed it out into the thought-provoking nonfiction novel The Boy Who Dared. Talk about getting more bang for your research buck. In today's rebroadcast, we discuss:

• What are some research pitfalls?
• How does one locate and use primary sources?
• How can an interview with an expert make nonfiction come to life?
• Are there resources you always trust and those you never do?
• And more!

Let a one-on-one mentor help you get that book out of your head and onto the page. Get started here!

GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE: TRY NONFICTION

For most people considering children's writing for a career (or even for a hobby), the type of writing that comes to mind is fiction. For many of us, the picture books we loved most were fiction. The novels we read in our spare time are fiction. So we think about writing as a place to tell stories. And it certainly can be, but if you're serious about building a career in writing, it's worthwhile to give at least some thought to nonfiction. And as soon as you're thinking nonfiction, you have to come up with an idea.

Ready to write nonfiction? Let us help! Our one-on-one mentors can help you discover new ideas and develop your work for publication. Get started here!

TRUTH, OPINION, AND 4 WAYS TO LEARN TO LOVE NONFICTION

Many writers view nonfiction as less: less creative than fiction, less fun than fiction, less interesting to kids than fiction, and definitely something they want to do less often. Some will accept the possibility of writing a little nonfiction to break into publishing, but do not like the dea of doing it steadily. For many, they want to do the important work of fiction.

But nonfiction is important. Especially now. Kids love nonfiction, and many young readers prefer it over fiction. Nonfiction is an important teaching tool in support of school curriculum. And nonfiction can offer children something that can help them long after the book is closed: an appreciation of the value of well-researched, accurate facts.

Ready to write nonfiction? Let us help! Our one-on-one mentors can help you discover new ideas and develop your work for publication. Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH ELENA FAVILLI

Elena Favilli is the co-founder and CEO of Rebel Girls, the cultural media engine working to empower girls and women all over the world. She has worked for Colors Magazine, McSweeney's, RAI, Il Post, and La Repubblica, and managed digital newsrooms on both sides of the Atlantic. She holds a masters degree in semiotics from the University of Bologna and she studied digital journalism at UC Berkeley. Elena continues to spearhead Rebel Girls, as it dives into new mission-driven initiatives and projects.

WE TALK ABOUT…

• The recording-breaking Kickstarter campaign to fund the first Rebel Girls book.
• The journey of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls to selling over one million copies, and being translated into more than 47 languages.
• How the books are an alternative to the stereotypical portrayal of girls and women in fiction.
• Being banned by the Turkish government.
• What happens when you include divisive figures, particularly subjects who are alive.

Ready to write nonfiction? Let us help! Our one-on-one mentors can help you discover new ideas and develop your work for publication. Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH TALIA BENAMY

Talia Benamy is an associate editor at Philomel Books (an imprint of Penguin Young Readers), where she focuses on everything from picture books to middle grade and young adult novels. She has worked on books by Chelsea Clinton, Sonia Sotomayor, Temple Grandin, Jane Yolen, Abigail Harrison, Lisa Graff, Ruta Sepetys, Dev Petty, Sarah Brannen, and Terry Border. She sees books as having the amazing power to shape kids' worldviews, and looks for manuscripts that have the potential to do just that.

We talk about: • What exactly does an associate editor do? • How does the process of using a reader help you go through the slush pile? • How do you determine if a piece of writing is good? • What are common mistakes you see in submissions? • What makes you reject a manuscript almost immediately?

Get a one-on-one mentor to help you write publishable work that agents and publishers are looking for! Get started here!

MISUNDERSTOOD VERBS

When you're polishing and perfecting your work, one big thing to pay attention to is your verbs. Inspired by an article from Jan Fields, we're going to come to a greater understanding of these action words.

Verbs are the powerhouse of the sentence. Because of that, understanding how verbs work will help you tremendously in the revision process. It's only by knowing what verbs are all about that you can make them do their tricks. So with that in mind, let's look at some of the most misunderstood verbs.

Join the Institute of Children's Literature Community! Get our weekly newsletter with articles on the craft of writing, hot markets looking for your work, and cool resources for your writer toolbox: www.instituteforwriters.com/icl-news

10 THINGS THAT MAKE EDITORS CRINGE

Nobody wants to make an editor (or anyone) cringe when they read your manuscript. Inspired by a post from Jamie K. Schmidt, we're covering 10 things that make editors cringe and tips to avoid them. Be sure to head to writingforchildren.com/187 to download the show notes because many of these tips will be easier to see in writing.

Everybody knows to use spellcheck or Grammarly when going over their writing. However, some mistakes aren't generally caught by these two programs. And if you want to stop an editor's eyes from rolling to the back of her head, you should check your writing for these errors.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREA LONEY

At the end of January, the American Library Association announced their annual awards. DOUBLE BASS BLUES illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez and written by Andrea J. Loney was named a Caldecott Honor Book! Andrea was our guest last year, so in honor of her book's big win, we're rebroadcasting her interview with some bonus audio as she shares her tips for getting from unstuck to success.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your revision skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!

NEWBERY MEDALIST JERRY CRAFT

This week, the American Library Association honored Jerry Craft with the Newbery Medal for his graphic novel NEW KID! To celebrate the first graphic novel to ever receive the Newbery, we're rebroadcasting our interview with Jerry from last year where he talked about his inspiration for the book and how he used real-life experiences to give authenticity to the story.

Let a one-on-one mentor help you hone your writing skills and polish your work so it shines in your submissions to agents and publishers! Get started here!