Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 11

How Being a Nonfiction Writer Warps My Perspective

Not long ago, I was talking to someone about a tree. I don’t remember specifically what we were talking about but I named what type of tree it was. I didn’t get super specific. It was a gingko or a cypress. Oh, wait. If it was a gingko, I guess I was super specific because … Continue reading How Being a Nonfiction Writer Warps My Perspective →

Do You Have a Story?

When you are a new writer, or even a not-so-new writer, it can be hard to tell if your idea is a story. It might actually be a situation. Or an event. Let me show you what I mean. “I want to write about a birthday party.” “I want to write about the Blizzard of … Continue reading Do You Have a Story? →

3 Ways to Create a Nonlinear Timeline

Note: This was supposed to go live for Thursday but didn’t! So I’m going to drop it now and it will count for both Thursday and Friday. Sorry! I just finished reading a book with a nonlinear timeline. A linear timeline starts at a specific time and moves forward. Let’s say it starts on March … Continue reading 3 Ways to Create a Nonlinear Timeline →

When My Editor Asks for Revisions

I actually work for a number of different editors. When I work on a manuscript for RedLine, I frequently work with at least two editors and may also work with a content expert. This means that when I get a manuscript back, it may have well over 100 comments on it. “Can you have it … Continue reading When My Editor Asks for Revisions →

Children’s Book Week and Looking Back at Uncomfortable Truths

May 5 – 11, 2025 is Children’s Book Week. I wish I still had a copy of this, but it fell apart before I could even remember loving it. That said, I’m sure my parents correctly identified this toddler favorite because they continued to recite it to me into adulthood. Childhood books have a huge … Continue reading Children’s Book Week and Looking Back at Uncomfortable Truths →

Books as Gifts

This weekend, we got to go to a three-year-old birthday party. This was a family get together for our 3 year-old great niece. What was there in the gift pile? There were sandbox toys and bubble toys which she was super chuffed to play with. There were a ton of clothes which she took out … Continue reading Books as Gifts →

3 Steps to Defeat Imposter Syndrome

“I’m such a fake. I don’t belong here with the real writers.” Every writer I know, including those who are also editors and those who are published, sometimes feels this way. Sometimes it happens when they almost make a sale and then get rejected. Or because one too many people has asked when they are … Continue reading 3 Steps to Defeat Imposter Syndrome →

Don’t Let Perfectionism Bring You to a Halt

I’ve been reading about perfectionism lately and how it can bring your creative endeavors to a halt. The first place I saw it mentioned was in Adam Ming’s Ten Minute Artist. The post I read discussed, among other things, the fact that so many people won’t draw at all if they don’t have the time … Continue reading Don’t Let Perfectionism Bring You to a Halt →

One Writer’s Reading

This seriously cracked me up. Part of the reason for this is because when I look at those quizzes on social media, “You can only keep three of these things,” I invariably think, “Pfft. Like you’re the boss of me? I don’t think so. I’ll get rid of one.” Or I don’t want any of … Continue reading One Writer’s Reading →

Picture Book Gold: Why Reading Stacks of Picture Books Pays Off

Last week, I read a stack of nonfiction picture books. I’m working my way through Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A Step-by-Step Revision Guide for a manuscript about animal coloration. I needed to figure out what structure would work best for my book, and I needed to find a mentor text. Among the books in … Continue reading Picture Book Gold: Why Reading Stacks of Picture Books Pays Off →