Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 12

Nonfiction Series for Kids: No Two Books Are Quite Alike

Two of my new book covers just dropped. The cover for South Africa really captures the geography. Coastal South Africa is a narrow lowland band bordering the sea. The interior is either mountainous or an upland. It is quite dramatic. Speaking of dramatic, can you imagine approaching that Maori carving on the New Zealand book … Continue reading Nonfiction Series for Kids: No Two Books Are Quite Alike →

Meditative Exercise: Freeing My Brain to Problem Solve

Being a nonfiction writer means spending scads of time trying to figure out how to explain at a preschool level how a jackrabbit stays cool. Or how a sunflower tracks the movement of the sun. Or the volume of poop created by your average horse. No, really. I’ve had to figure all of those things … Continue reading Meditative Exercise: Freeing My Brain to Problem Solve →

Funny Picture Books

I don’t remember where I heard about Don’t Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson, illustrated by Dan Santat. But I didn’t even hesitate to request it. Dan Santat! He is a master at funny! Mammals produce milk to feed their young. Reptiles have scales. If something has feathers, it is a bird. Fish? Fish don’t follow … Continue reading Funny Picture Books →

Character Growth

The other day I read a Writer’s Digest article. In it, the author discussed the importance of the character’s emotional arc. While many of us spend hours or even weeks mapping out our plots, we spend a lot less time on our character’s emotional arc. That’s a mistake because readers fall in love with characters. … Continue reading Character Growth →

Repurposing Your Work

I have some gorgeous bookends, but not all of them are heavy enough. The light ones are in danger of being thrown to the floor if a book tips and the shelf “self clears.” This sometimes happens with even a few of the stone bookends. Look what my husband found for me! I mentioned to … Continue reading Repurposing Your Work →

Inspiration Happens When Your Eyes Are Open

In Wayne County, Missouri last weekend, we saw two luna moths. I tried to be appreciative when we saw the first but it was fluttering around in the dark as we tried to unlock the front door. “I’m a gigantic thing upside your head!” No, they aren’t really gigantic but it does feel that way … Continue reading Inspiration Happens When Your Eyes Are Open →

Beware Mislabeled Photos and More

We were down in Wayne County, Missouri last weekend so we visited a favorite flea market. Country Pickins is in a building that once housed a grocery store. You aren’t going to find a lot of really nice china or large antiques, but I like to visit because I’ve found yarn here (mohair). This time … Continue reading Beware Mislabeled Photos and More →

Describing Sounds

Friday we were in Wayne County, Missouri. Our drive crosses a culvert and the edges can be hard to spot among the irises and yucca. I swear I felt a tire dip as we turned off the road. Because of this, I was adding reflectors along the drive. I was working outside by myself when … Continue reading Describing Sounds →

Memorial Day

I hope you are taking some time to recharge and recenter yourself today. Most Memorial Day weekends, my family spends the weekend in the country. Yes, I know that this holiday was originally called Decoration Day. It was created as a day to honor fallen members of our military. But it is important for me … Continue reading Memorial Day →

Writers Must Recharge

Writing involves a lot of sitting on your behind, staring at a computer screen. It is amazing how much energy that consumes. This is especially true when there is some sort of problem. Three power outages in less than a month is a huge energy drain. A friend’s husband messaging me no less than 12 … Continue reading Writers Must Recharge →