Sue Bradford Edwards's Blog, page 31

Picture Book Biographies: Wide or Narrow Lens

Yesterday I read through a stack of picture books including two biographies of architect Zaha Hadid. Both were what I call “wide lens” biographies. They started with her childhood and moved through her entire life. Other biographies use a narrower lens, focusing instead on an event or other small portion of a person’s life. How … Continue reading Picture Book Biographies: Wide or Narrow Lens →

Writing Is My Job

I have projects that I haven’t work on in weeks. Oh, let’s be real. I have projects I haven’t worked on in months. But it isn’t because I’m not writing. It is because there are only so many hours in a day and so many days in a week. I know dozens of writers and … Continue reading Writing Is My Job →

Making Paper Crafts Is Too Much Like Writing

I decided to whip up some book-page calla lilies to replace my aging book-page roses. I made them and now I don’t like them. That leaves me trying to decide if it is a skill issue. Maybe I did a bad job. I hate using a hot glue gun. And I substituted bamboo skewers for … Continue reading Making Paper Crafts Is Too Much Like Writing →

Were You a Born Storyteller?

Recently a friend asked us if we were storytellers when we were children. Hmm. It all depends on how you define it. I was totally into what is now called imaginative play. When I was a kid, I think it was just called playing. We played with dolls, Barbie’s and Dusty – a more robust … Continue reading Were You a Born Storyteller? →

1-2-3 The Steps I Follow to a Finished Manuscript

I just started my next project. Step one is always the same. I get out the author’s guidelines and make a list of everything I need to remember to include in the order it will appear in the book. Then I took some time and played around with Microsoft Designer. This is me in my … Continue reading 1-2-3 The Steps I Follow to a Finished Manuscript →

Historical Fiction or Alternate History

I am wrapping up the class that I took on writing historical fiction. I was a little put off when I got to one particular part in the reading. The problem? One of the textbook authors has a serious issue with alternate history. She says it isn’t historical fiction. It is tangential. Hmm. It would … Continue reading Historical Fiction or Alternate History →

Paperback Book Day

I almost forgot that today is Paperback Book Day. Recently I read a really interesting article about the Penguin Books coin-operated vending machine. For a few coins, someone could buy a mass market paperback. It was just the right size to slip into a pocket, purse or other bag. The point? To read it on … Continue reading Paperback Book Day →

My Writing Team

Writing is done in isolation. Writing is the loneliest profession. You sit at your desk all alone and then you write, squeezing out each word. On your own. Time and time again, these are the kinds of things I hear other people say. And, while I do work on my own laying down the words, … Continue reading My Writing Team →

The Final Edit

I have a book due today. For some of you, the final edit means that you read through and look for typos. I’ve done that. This is a job for an educational publisher, and it is part of a series. That means that on this final edit I am doing several things. Tighten the Text … Continue reading The Final Edit →

Is My Plan to Combat Rejection Letter Blues Working?

Back in January, I posted about my new plan to combat rejection letter blues. I developed my idea after listening to the podcast Writing Class Radio. The episode I listened to was HERE’S WHY I RESOLVE TO FAIL MORE by Andrea Askowitz. She talked about how failure and rejection are essential parts of development and the … Continue reading Is My Plan to Combat Rejection Letter Blues Working? →