Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 16

Is That Book Fiction, Nonfiction, or Informational?

Recently one of the members of my critique group recommended Bears Are Best to someone else in the group. When they were telling us about it, they called it nonfiction. Why? Because there is all kinds of information about each species of bears including where they live and what they eat. “Nope. Talking bears explain … Continue reading Is That Book Fiction, Nonfiction, or Informational? →

Non-Compete Clauses: What They Are and Why They Matter

On Friday I got an email from one of my favorite editors. “We are looking for writers for this series.” I groaned when I saw the topic because less than a year ago I wrote a book for another editor at another company on a tangential topic. Was it too close? I decided that I … Continue reading Non-Compete Clauses: What They Are and Why They Matter →

Should You Write Work-for-Hire for the School Library Market?

Most of my writing income comes from my work for Red Line Editorial. This is where I get most of my assignments writing for the school library market. Periodically I am contacted my a freelance editor working for one of the school library publishers. Here are the traits that make me a good fit for … Continue reading Should You Write Work-for-Hire for the School Library Market? →

Self-Care and Writing

Last week I met the last of my contracted deadlines. That means that I can work on whatever I want for the foreseeable future. I have several things that I want to work on. They include: That’s the order I plan to work on these projects. But without deadlines on anything but the Ann Whitford … Continue reading Self-Care and Writing →

NaNoWriMo Shutting Down

Instead of working on my book yesterday afternoon, I spent time watching The State of NaNoWriMo – A Community Update – March 2025 on Youtube. To make a long story very short, NaNoWriMo is closing down. For those of you who aren’t familiar with NaNoWriMo, it is a nonprofit program built around the November challenge … Continue reading NaNoWriMo Shutting Down →

Writing the Funny Picture Book

Earlier in the week when I was reading a stack of picture books, I found the perfect April picture book. April is National Poetry Month and, while this book is NOT an example of great poetry, it does combine humor and rhyme. So, yes, it would have been perfect for April Fool’s Day. Too bad … Continue reading Writing the Funny Picture Book →

Picture Books: Plot vs Theme

Yesterday I read a stack of 11 picture books. Two by Cori Doerrfeld very deftly showed the difference between plot and theme. Plot is what happens in your picture book. It is the events in the story as well as the development, the rising tension, the climax and the dénouement. Is the story an adventure? … Continue reading Picture Books: Plot vs Theme →

The Rule of Three: For More Than Plot

Mention the rule of three to a group of children’s writers and we tend to think of plotting. You present your character with a story problem and they don’t succeed in solving it until attempt #3. So I was really interested to read Janice Hardy’s Fiction University post on the Rule of Three. She pointed … Continue reading The Rule of Three: For More Than Plot →

My Writing Routine is a Revision Routine

I don’t have a set writing routine. Some writers sit down at the same time every day. They listen to a bit of music. They write morning pages. I get it. This helps them get into the writing groove. But it isn’t how I work. I may spend a bit of time on Facebook or … Continue reading My Writing Routine is a Revision Routine →

Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Freelance Writer?

I more or less lucked into my career as a writer. My degrees are in anthropology and history. Not writing. Not library sciences. Not education. Those are the degrees someone expects of a freelancer. Not me. It all started when I took a continuing education class with Pat McKissack.  I had just gotten married.  I … Continue reading Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Freelance Writer? →