Irene Bennett
Battle of the Artisans: Making the Bells of Marquis Yi
May 24, 2024
How to Select the Strongest Nonfiction Structure
Organization is key to writing successful nonfiction. With easy-to-understand organization, you’ll lose the reader. Here’s how to choose a nonfiction structure.
4 Tips for Writing Active Nonfiction for Kids
Writing active nonfiction means getting creative and encouraging hands-on activities with kids. Could this genre be your ticket to publication? Let’s find out.
You Can Learn How to Write a Book
You can learn how to write a book! Learning how to write a book begins here and your next step is a novel writing course at Institute of Children’s Literature.
Try New Writing Techniques
How often do we, as writers, try new things with our writing? Fall is the time to take advantage of new opportunities to learn new writing techniques.
The Essentials of Writing Back-to-School Stories | IFW
Every year, book and magazine publishers buy back-to-school stories. Let’s talk about how to create projects that are unique and engaging to young readers.
Types and Topics: Nonfiction That Doesn’t Get Old | IFW
A look at magazines published one, five, ten, and twenty or more years ago will reveal the same categories of nonfiction and many of the same topics. Why? Because they address universal needs and aim to help readers improve their lives.
Recurring Topics: Seasons
Seasonal stories, seasonal poetry and even a bit of seasonal nonfiction can be counted upon to appear in magazines and on publishers’ book lists every year. Jan Fields shares how to make this perennial topics feel new.
Remember the First Day of School?
Every year one event rolls around that is profoundly meaningful for children: the first day of school and these stories can offer a special opportunity for writers.
Planning Ahead for Timely Submissions
What’s going to be happening? Victoria Sherrow helps us plan for timely submissions for holidays and commemorative events. Look for new angles into the market.
Writing for Holidays in Books and Magazines
Most publishers (including books and magazines) produce some holiday pieces each year. Here’s what you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities.
Freedom of Speech: What Does It Mean for Writers? | IFW
Jan Fields explains Freedom of Speech and what it means for writers
Can I Do That? Writing Difficult True Stories | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > WRITING DIFFICULT TRUE STORIES One of the most compelling types of writing for many is telling true stories from the writer’s own life, in other words, writing a memoir. Memoir writing isn’t just for books targeting adults. Examples…
104: Nonfiction Articles You Can Write Part 2
104: Nonfiction Articles You Can Write Part 2
June 15, 2018
Tough Topics in Fiction for Kids
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > TOUGH TOPICS IN FICTION FOR KIDS Today, many children’s books do not take place in an idealized world where children are always loved, cared for, and healthy. Instead, some writers set their…
Writing Poetry for Magazines
How can you be successful writing poetry for children’s magazines? Check out these three elements that editors look for in children’s poetry from Jan Fields.
Rene Diane Aube
Slug LoveMay 21, 2021
From a Nonfiction Idea to a Magazine Sale
Writing nonfiction for magazines offers publication opportunities and develops skills in research, organization, and submission in writers. Let’s find out how!
Writing Children’s Magazine Fiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For writers who love short stories, there are a few potential markets. Testing companies use short stories in reading tests, but connecting any given story to a testing company is close to…
From a Nonfiction Idea to a Magazine Sale
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > WHY TRY WRITING FOR CHILDREN’S MAGAZINES? Magazine writers can easily slip into a Rodney Dangerfield level of moaning about a lack of respect for the genre. For many, writing for magazines is…
Why Try Writing for Children’s Magazines?
Why should you try writing for children’s magazines? Let’s look at the benefits of breaking into the magazine market. They just might surprise you!
Explaining STEM and STEAM
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’ve spent much time reading guidelines recently, especially those for educational publishers, you’ve almost certainly run across one of two acronyms related to nonfiction: STEM or STEAM. STEM stands for science,…
Narrative Nonfiction: Finding the Lesser Known Story | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many new writers whose greatest goal is writing fiction shy away from writing nonfiction. They recall texts read as children without pleasure and don’t want to create material like that. But nonfiction…
How To Find Hot Nonfiction Topics
The popularity of nonfiction makes it worth an author’s time to investigate. Here’s how to find hot nonfiction topics that publishers are looking for.
Cover and Query Letters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The vast majority of submissions you will make during your publishing career will include a letter. If the letter travels on its own, it is a query letter and must carry a…
The Odd Bits of Submission
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Not all publishers ask for the same things during the submissions process, and sometimes the listed requirements for a submission or a proposal can be confusing. After all, surely all they really…
Electronic Submissions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Wouldn’t it be nice if you only had to learn one set of rules about how to make a submission to a publisher, and that way would always be exactly right? There…
Ashley Bartley
Diamond Rattle Loves to TattleJanuary 2, 2021
Carla Sabotta
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.December 8, 2020
Finding Markets in Difficult Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As with virtually every industry, publishing has faced new challenges during the pandemic, even though book sales have stayed strong (especially in children’s books). The issues aren’t with lack of sales, but…
You Only Need One
The whole publishing process is a journey up a mountain after the path has been washed out. Remember, it only takes one editor to connect with your work.
Corinne Mordaunt
Keep the Light Burning
August 28, 2020
Structure in Narrative Nonfiction Articles
Blending fiction structure with nonfiction facts makes narrative nonfiction a favorite of kids and educators. Discover how to successfully write this genre.
Traditional Plot Structure for Very Short Stories
Short stories for young children are often under 500 words. That’s why writing picture books and stories for kids looks easy but is actually quite a challenge.
212: Interview with Paula Morrow
212: Interview with Paula Morrow
August 7, 2020
Alicia Klepeis
Little Gestalten
June 19, 2020
Writing in Difficult Times
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > During this month of exploring the topic of world building, it seems appropriate to talk about the world building we’ve all been doing in real life during this pandemic. Just as when…
Poetry Publication Options
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For the last couple weeks, we’ve looked at the value of writing poetry simply to write it with no concern toward publication. But as writers, most of us do want to be…
Why Poetry?
Poetry has an intense flavor that prose generally doesn’t manage, and that intensity can make poetry valuable for a number of reasons in your writing.
5 Poetry Practice Playtime Activities
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Poetry, like any art form, is improved with practice. The more you do it, the better you’ll become at it. But there is something very special about poetry: the more you practice…
Children’s Poetry for Magazines
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 6 Hot Tips Finding a market for poetry can be tough. It’s not that children don’t enjoy poetry. In fact, many young children love verse. The even meter and the rhyme make…
Top Three Narrative Nonfiction Missteps
Narrative nonfiction is popular with kids, teachers, and publishers. Here are the top three missteps to avoid when writing narrative nonfiction.
Narrative Nonfiction and Magazines
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you’re interested in trying your hand at narrative nonfiction, there are options beyond massively researched full-length books. Some children’s magazines buy narrative nonfiction in the form of biographical sketches, profiles of contemporary figures, and anecdotal stories of…
How Do I Tell Where I Fail?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > According to Dr. David Dunning, a psychology professor at Cornell, we are not good judges of our own competency. In other words, we aren’t very skilled at telling if we’re good at…
Picking the Right Word
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Polishing a manuscript involves both big picture corrections, such as plot issues or motivation issues for your characters, and incredibly small, picky bits where you’re really bringing out the shine in each…
Perfectionism Alert
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > How Polished Does It Need to Be? In the many views about the importance of polishing a manuscript, there are two opposite ends of the spectrum. First are the writers whose work…
4 Tips for Snappy Dialogue
Dialogue is a great way to get readers to care about your characters and eager to find out what happens next. Here are 4 tips for snappy dialogue.
Dialogue Bits and Bobs
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Let’s talk about the mechanics of dialogue, the nuts and bolts of putting it on the page. In order to write good dialogue that communicates clearly with the reader, it’s helpful if…
Checking for Ruts
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the things that keeps writing fresh for me is trying new things. I can always tell when I’m in a rut, because my excitement for the writing wanes. Whenever I…
The End
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As I type this, I’m minutes away from having finished my last pass of revisions on a novel. I sent it off to the editor. I know, of course, that I’m not…
The End
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As I type this, I’m minutes away from having finished my last pass of revisions on a novel. I sent it off to the editor. I know, of course, that I’m not…
Looking Back on Your Year
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Are We There Yet? One of the best things to consider when looking over a year of writing is what we’ve learned. As writers, we’re always learning new things. It’s one of…
Your Year in Review
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > December is often a terrible time to try to get any writing done. We’re pulled in different directions socially since so many events pop up. Also, for anyone who gave NaNoWriMo (National…
Okay, I Sent My Submission. Now What?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many of us, the hardest part of the submission process comes after you’ve finally gotten brave enough to send off the submission. Whether you’re submitting to an agent or an editor,…
Crossing Over Into Writing for Adults
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Throughout my career, I’ve written for children and for adults. My magazine work covers both. And I have books for kids and books for adults. For me, writing is about freedom. I…
Madeleine McLaughlin
Backyard Bug BandOctober 25, 2019
Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them – Part 1 | IFW
Famed editor Paula Morrow brings us Research Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them because research is essential whether you write fiction or nonfiction. Expert tips ahead!
Winning Nonfiction: A Path for Revision
Nonfiction writing includes outlines, research, and many drafts. The revision process gives us the chance to polish the content, presentation, and style.
Guilty Secret: Revision is Not My Favorite Thing | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some people adore revision. They so talk excitedly about belching out their story in a rush of words and then relishing the time put into turning that rush into something a reader can love. I can admire that…
Misunderstood Verbs
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 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…
164: Interview with Pascale Duguay
164: Interview with Pascale Duguay
August 30, 2019
Top Ten Questions to Ask Before Submitting | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The moment when you submit can be an interesting mix of exciting and terrifying. It’s easy to forget small details. So a good checklist can help. Before you send, make sure you…
Mining Magazine Markets
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Discovering markets you didn’t know existed From quarterlies about secretaries to periodicals about electricity, it seems there’s a magazine for everything. Expand where you sell your writing by mining obscure markets. I worked as managing editor of OfficePro…
Is This Real Writing?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writers tend to have trouble holding onto a positive self-image. We toil alone, usually with little or no cheering section. In fact, our writing can be seen as being a resented competitor…
Write Your Fiction Tight But Right
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One absolute need a fiction writer must have to create material for magazines is the ability to write to extremely short word counts. As this is also true of picture book writers,…
Overcoming Fear
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Talk about “platform” is pretty scary for a lot of writers. Many of us are not really all that social, so we’re not excited by the words “social media.” But really, isn’t…
Listening to More Voices
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Last week we looked as some good advice writers would give their past selves, their pre-publication self. And this week, we’ll see even more of these tidbits of advice. What kinds of…
Listening To the Voices
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I recently asked a group of published writers for examples of advice they would give their unpublished selves, looking for insight into the things that might speed up our writing journey. As…
Author Platform: It’s About Name Recognition | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most alarming things to tell a new writer is that he or she needs platform. Most of us don’t know what that is when we’re early in our career…
Self-Care Matters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing never happens in a vacuum. It’s always something we’re throwing into the stewpot of life, hoping that the writing isn’t overwhelmed by the other ingredients. But in order for that to…
Judyann Ackerman-Grant
Chicken Said ‘Cluck’! June 14, 2019
Amanda Kelley
Unfading Daydreams May 24, 2019
Lynne Marie
The Star in the Christmas PlayMay 3, 2019
Check Your Clutter
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Like most writers, I’m prone to clutter. Clutter in my office with one deep drawer in my desk where I toss an alarming variety of things. And shelf clutter with all the…
Yeah, It’s Work
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is work. Now, I’m not one of those who think writing is suffering or agony. Honestly, if it were agony, I’d do something else with my time to make money for my family. But it is work.…
Harnessing the Power of No
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > This week is mostly going to be story time, so let me share some with you. When I was younger and single, folks had a tendency to assume I had a lot…
Falling in Love
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers create playlists for their books. Some do elaborate interviews with their characters. Some just can’t get started until they come up with names: name of the book, name of the…
Dialogue Attribution: Small Thing, Big Effect | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Dialogue is the favorite part of story writing for many authors. In dialogue writing, the author is able to give voice to the people the author created. Also dialogue is a favorite…
All Done, or Not?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most satisfying things about writing is finishing a book or story. That last line typed, that last period placed almost always brings a rush of accomplishment. If you’re like…
The Value of Road Maps
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I do love having a GPS to guide us whenever we’re making a road trip. Still, to be honest, I miss the days when I navigated using a combination of internet map…
When I Really Want To Get Better, I Teach
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When I was in high school, I discovered something interesting: teaching something made me learn it more. I spent a lot of time helping other people through a variety of subjects and…
Adding Humor for Increased Sales
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you flip through your market guide or read writer’s guidelines online, there’s one word you’ll see over and over: humor. Kids love humor, so publishers do too. But for many writers,…
Beware Bears: Problems to Avoid
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Having been writing professionally for a lot of years, I have sometimes been asked how do you build a career that has legs, one that will last. This is a valid question…
Cleaning Up Misconceptions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > January is a great time for a good cleaning. There’s something heartening about starting a new year with a clean slate. So let’s sweep away writing myths that might still be clinging…
Success Ahead in Creating Characters
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Success Ahead in Creating Characters As we look at a successful year ahead, we must overcome the problems that have held our writing back. One of the frequent problems new authors encounter…
Triple Up for an Electrifying Year Ahead
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Now that 2019 has arrived, we want to get going on the best writing year ever. With many things outside our control (like publisher or agent reaction to our work), it’s good…
Preparing for Next Year’s Success
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As the last days of 2018 tick off, it is a good time to prepare for a successful new year. I always find a special hope in a new year. No matter…
Taking Stock of Your Attitude
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Attitude can make a big difference in your writing, and we often overlook its importance. Are you apologetic about the time you spend writing? Do you let minor things crowd it out…
The Courage to Go Your Own Way
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > People often ask successful writers “how do you do it?” as if there is a special roadmap that will always take you from wanting to be a successfully published author to actually…
Taking Stock
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As the end of the year creeps ever closer, it can be a good time to take stock of how your writing life is going, as long as you do that examination…
Novel Writing FAQ
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many children’s writers, the concept of attempting a novel is daunting at best and filled with questions. So for the sake of those looking toward this exciting writing option, let’s answer…
Break Free from Pretending
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “Fake it ’til you make it. How many of us have heard that advice? Sometimes it’s a good thought. It doesn’t hurt to step out boldly sometimes, even when you’re not 100%…
A Writer’s Book of Lists
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > This week I bought one of those journals where the pages have dots instead of lines, a bullet journal. I did it because my desk has a tendency to become a bunny…
Off the Beaten Path
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > You might notice that the markets this week are off the beaten path, outside of what we normally think of when we’re considering markets for our work. Today, publishing is a massive…
Reconnecting with a Work in Progress
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the problems with writing is that it’s fairly difficult to complete a project in one sitting. It can sometimes be a bit easier with a picture book where the rough…
Don’t Crash on the Rock of Talent
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I have heard some people argue that good writing cannot be taught. It is innate or it simply doesn’t exist. Sure, they will argue, most people can learn to communicate competently through…
Show Up To Learn
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In-Person Learning For most writers, conferences and in-person workshops are gifts we give ourselves. Often these options aren’t cheap, but they let us get out of our homes and mix with other…
Reading: Osmosis Education
Love of story isn’t the only reason successful writers are readers. Reading is one of the best writing teachers because it teaches us without us even noticing.
Behind the Curtain
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Whenever you get a chance to watch a really good magician, it’s easy to get caught up in the wonder of what they’re doing. But if you’re an adult, and driven by…
Leaving the Nest
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing is an interesting sort of thing. You can spend years and years doing it, even getting published and paid, and there will still be a multitude of writing and publishing areas…
Revision: Revising By the Bones
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers love outlines. They outline everything they write and feel it gives the story order and direction. Some hate outlines and feel that an outline makes a story rigid and lifeless.…
Writer Reason Vs. Story Reason
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Generally the things we put into our work have strong writer reasons for being there. The main character has a sidekick to give him someone to talk to so the scenes have…
Distance: The Key to Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As most writers know, it’s much easier to find the flaws in someone else’s work than to find the flaws in your own. Part of the reason for this is distance. When…
Nonfiction: Let’s Talk More About Sources
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most valuable tools in any writer’s toolbox is the ability to evaluate sources. What is a trustworthy source? How do I know? Should I always avoid Internet sources? Is…
4 Ways a Fiction Writer Can Learn to Love Nonfiction | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many fiction writers shy away from nonfiction. They are afraid it takes skills they don’t have, or that they’ll be bored in writing it. But good fiction writers already have the skills…
How To Get Started as a Travel Writer
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Tips for turning the dream into a reality Getting paid to travel is the ultimate dream of any writer, right? Lounging on white, sandy beaches with the crystal-clear blue sparkling water just beckoning you for a day of…
Active Nonfiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Nonfiction does many things for readers. Sometimes it tells them a story. Sometimes it informs. But sometimes the whole point of the nonfiction piece is to help and encourage the reader to…
103: Nonfiction Articles You Can Write Part 1
103: Nonfiction Articles You Can Write Part 1
June 8, 2018
The Importance of Nonfiction
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 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…
Developing Characters: What Are Their Extremes? | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing a compelling character is often about extremes. The best characters are believable but pressured. The whole point of a plot, in fact, is to apply pressure to a character to make…
Character Development: A Rose By Any Other Name | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some of us struggle with finding names for characters. As I write (on average) 6 to 10 books a year, I have to come up with a lot of names. And if…
Tough Characters to Sell
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As important as solid writing and well-crafted plot is to a successful book (and they’re really important), there is something that could arguably be considered even more important: characters. Your characters are the life…
Character Development: Every Character is a Casserole | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Character creation can be approached in many different ways, but overall, most great characters come about as a mixture. Like a particularly tasty casserole, a writer grabs a pinch of this and…
Contests: Little Things Mean a Lot
How do you make a story stand out among other writing contest entries beyond simply writing a strong engaging piece? Here are three judge-grabbing suggestions.
Tighten Up the Weakest Link for a Contest Win | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Judging a contest is an interesting activity because it happens in layers. The first layer is simply removing from consideration all the entries that are not appropriate at all (prose memoirs sent to a poetry contest for young…
Launching a Story From a Title
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > It’s hard to develop a story when you can’t get started. Though there are many ways into story creation, one that isn’t considered as often is the title. Titles are often tacked…
Story Development and Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For many writers, especially newer writers, revision is mainly a step for fixing typing errors, spelling errors and grammar mistakes. Some may have a checklist of things to look for such as…
Story Development: What’s At Stake?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most important questions to consider when developing a story is “what is going to be at stake for my main character?” By this, we mean, “What is the cost…
Playing Fair with Plot
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Good stories have lots of moving parts, and it can be challenging to get all the parts to come together in a way that works. Many writers understand that a good plot…
Piece by Piece
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Many times, the compelling urge to write, to create, to make something that reflects our skills and creativity, brings us to the blank page (or blank computer screen) with the intention of…
What’s the Rush?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When it comes to writing and submissions, there is such a thing as too soon. In fact, the number one mistake writers make in the area of submitting their work is moving…
What’s Your “Elevator Pitch”?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Query letters, cover letters, pitches, and proposals all have one very important thing in common. They all require an author be able to describe the story in few words. This is sometimes…
Projecting Confidence Without Being Obnoxious | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Your first contact with a publisher or agent does a lot of things. It presents the project you’ve created (or wish to create) in a clear, concise, lively manner. That’s hard enough,…
Submissions: Because Publishers Rarely Come to You
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > If you ask almost any writer what parts of the process they like least, submissions will pop up somewhere in the list. We worry about whether we’re doing it right. We struggle to find all the information we…
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone: Try Nonfiction | IFW
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > 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…
A Raven and A Writing Desk
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > “How is a raven like a writing desk?” When Lewis Carroll first wrote the riddle about the raven and the writing desk, he didn’t have an answer. It was simply a riddle…
Using an Object for Inspiration
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Over the holidays, as I was putting out the holiday decorations, my daughter and I took time to talk about some the ornaments and other well-loved decorations. Some decorations brought back memories…
Must I Be Unique?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the most crippling things a writer can do in the early stage of any book is worry about whether your story (or something like it) has been done before. First,…
How to Achieve Success in 2018
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The new year will be upon us soon, and it’s a good time to make plans to increase our chances of publication success in 2018. Now, it helps to know what you…
How to Title Your Book
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalg > Coming up with a title for your work in progress can be easy or really hard. Sometimes the title comes to you early, and you just always know what you want to…
Copyright and You
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Copyright, because it is an area of law, can be scary for writers, and many new writers worry about their work being stolen; they want to know what to do to protect…
When the Ideas Won’t Come
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > One of the questions writers tend to be asked a lot is “where do you get your ideas?” Of course, two other questions are “can you read something for me?” and “can…
Finding the Right Tone for Your Story
Facebook Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > We’ve talked about “voice” now it is time to meet its twin sister, “tone.” If you are writing for publication, or for a specific publication, no matter what the genre, and you strike a tone that is too…
Creating Quality Dialogue
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > A while ago on the Institute’s Facebook page, someone was asking about dialogue, which made me think again about this important writing tool. Readers love dialogue because it makes a scene and a…
How to Choose Your Educational Writing Sample | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > The Secrets to Samples Many of us who write for educational publishers are very familiar with samples. These are the bits of writing publishers use to judge whether you’re a writer who…
How to Write Craft Articles Magazines Will Buy | IFW
068: How to Write Craft Articles Magazines Will Buy
September 15, 2017
Writers Make the Best Friends
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writing can be a lonely art form. Unlike performance artists, you don’t have audience reaction to rev you up. And sometimes family and friends aren’t incredibly supportive, especially during the early years…
Once Upon a Time
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Every story has a beginning. The best beginnings grab our attention and make us eager to read on. The best beginnings give a sense of sort of story we’re going to get…
Your Brain on Writing
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > For me, being a writer is more than something I do. It’s something I am. A writer is always a writer, whether sitting before a computer or picking up a pen and…
What To Do on the Hard Days
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > People often tell me how lucky I am to make a profession from something I enjoy deeply. And I am thrilled that this has been possible for me. I love being a…
Holly Niner
No More Noisy NightsJuly 29, 2017
Should I Contact This Publisher?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As writers we can easily get caught up in the mode of looking for anyone who will accept us. This is especially true early on in our writing careers, but all publishers…
Behold the Spider
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I was recently at the Highlights Foundation and had the opportunity to read the guest book journal in my cabin. A couple of the guests talked about a large spider they cohabitated…
Succeeding with Digital Submissions
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > When I began submitting to editors, no one used email. Okay, I’m sort of old and no one actually had email. Submissions were sent through the postal mail, so they were typed.…
Trade Secrets: Which Ones Should We Keep?
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Recently I was watching a video where an artist was talking about “trade secrets” in art. He was recounting the times when he was just beginning in art and people would refuse…
Revise Your View of Revision
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Some writers love revision. In fact, for many, the rough draft is something to be rushed through to get to the real “fun,” the revision. I’m not one of those writers. I…
8 Must-Know Facts About Magazine Nonfiction | IFW
056: 8 Must-Know Facts About Magazine Nonfiction
June 16, 2017
Time to Write
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > I know folks who lament about not having time to write. They’d do it if they just had time. If they could quit work. If they didn’t have so much care-giving they…
Can I Say This ? Copyright, Trademark, & Writers | IFW
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Writers often look at trademarked products or song lyrics or bits of poetry and ask, “Can I put this in my book?” The answer to that question can be complicated and rests…
051: Get Crafty
051: Get Crafty
May 12, 2017
Exit Stage Left
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > As playwrights know, a script is made up of both dialogue and directions for movements on the stage. Good playwrights tend to trust the actors and directors to determine most of the…
Within Reason
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Within Reason People write stories for all kinds of reasons. Some do it to pass on experiences in their own life and family. Some do it to impart life lessons to help a…
Finding Your Way to “The End”
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > In a way, every story is a story of transformation. Circumstances change. Characters experience revelations. Challenges are met and overcome. The longer the work you’re writing, the more transformations are likely to…
How to Make Your Good Muse Show Up
Share on facebook Facebook Share on twitter Twitter We teach our students how to write and get published! View our Course Catalog > Along with writing, I also draw a bit and work with polymer clay. On some days, it seems I can draw or sculpt anything. My little clay creatures end up with charming…
7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Short Story | IFW
046: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Short Story
April 7, 2017
Michael Shay
A Flash in TimeMarch 25, 2017
The Hero’s Journey for Magazine Writers | IFW
039: The Hero’s Journey for Magazine Writers
February 17, 2017
Rick Starkey
Luminaries: A Children’s Book AnthologyJanuary 7, 2017
Cynthia Collins
The Unicorn TreeNovember 26, 2016
026: Q&A Hall of Fame
026: Q&A Hall of Fame
November 18, 2016
Kimberlee Esselstrom
Highlights for ChildrenNovember 11, 2016
How to Get Your Nonfiction Rejected – Institute for Writers
024: How to Get Your Nonfiction Rejected
November 4, 2016
023: Querying About Query Letters
023: Querying About Query Letters
October 28, 2016
Write the Most Popular Genre in Kidlit | IFW
021: Write the Most Popular Genre in Kidlit
October 14, 2016
Where Did You Get That Information? – Institute for Writers
013: Where Did You Get That Information?
August 19, 2016
011: Magazine Nonfiction that Grabs Kids
011: Magazine Nonfiction that Grabs Kids
August 5, 2016
010: Unusual Story Forms
010: Unusual Story Forms
July 29, 2016
Holidays: Time to Try Out Some Crafts
Can submitting craft tutorials help you get published by a children’s magazine? Yes! Crafts make magazine content interactive! Use these tips to get started.
