Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 137
July 21, 2020
Why Picture Books Must Appeal to Two Very Different Readers
If you are going to write picture books, your work has to appeal to two very different readers – the adult and the child. Most of us think of the child as the picture books intended audience. We are, after all, writing for a group of people who are 3 to 5 years old. Young […]
July 20, 2020
4 Rules for the Historical Fiction Road
The other day I read a guest post by Andrew Noakes on Jane Friedman’s blog. He wrote about writing historical fiction and has some really good tips. I’m going to expand on one of them and then add three of my own. No Hive Mind I don’t remember how Noakes phrased this but remember when […]
July 19, 2020
3 Ways to Stop Getting in Your Own Way
We creative types tend to be complex. We love to create. Sometimes. We want to publish. But we don’t send out our work. Our excuses are legion. Fortunately, there are three things that we can do to get out of our own way. Identify the Problem. Some people research, falling down that rabbit hole and […]
July 16, 2020
3 Things to Know about Hi-Lo
First things first, you need to know what this term means. Hi-Lo If you aren’t familiar with the term, a hi-lo book is one that has a high interest level, such as teen, and a low reading level, such as 4th grade. Hi-lo readers may be learning English as a second language. Or they may […]
July 15, 2020
RIP Joanna Cole
Sadness in the world of children’s books. Joanna Cole, the author of the Magic School Bus series, passed away on July 12. From the picture books to the chapter books, my son had every Magic School Bus book we could find. We read the books. We watched the movies, checking them out at the library […]
July 14, 2020
A Free Webinar
What is it that inspires authors and illustrators to create stories for young readers? Sometimes they are inspired by positive events. But other times they are negative experiences like racism. On Thursday July 16 at 1:00 pm Pacific, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) is bringing together 10 creators of color to […]
July 13, 2020
Books on Tap: Creating a Multilayered Picture Book
If you haven’t taken the time to watch a Books on Tap event, they are definitely worthwhile. The one scheduled for this Thursday, July 15 at 4:00 pm Eastern features Daniel Bernstrom discussing his book Big Papa and the Time Machine. I have to admit that up until now, I hadn’t been aware of Bernstrom […]
July 12, 2020
Fantasy and Horror: The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Seventeen year-old Ryn has three things in life – her family, the graveyard her family cares for, and the forest she explored with her father. The other villagers avoid the dark of the forest, venturing when they must into the outskirts but never going far. As a child, Ryn learned that the scariest forest things […]
July 9, 2020
How to Develop Your Picture Book Character
Yesterday I posted about discovering just how badly I needed to develop one of the characters in my new picture book manuscript. I knew I needed to do it but I’d been waffling over how to do it. I’m not a huge fan of mind maps but decided to give it a try when I […]
July 8, 2020
Why Writers Should Attend Illustration Workshops
Earlier this week, I watched the archive of an SCBWI digital workshop with illustrator/author Vashti Harrison. I wasn’t sure what I would get out of the event and almost clicked it off but I was rowing and didn’t want to slow down or stop so I let it play. Am I ever glad that I […]
