3456 ratings | 365 reviews | avg rating:3.36

Kelly’s Year In Books

Kelly’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Kelly’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Kelly Carey’s Followers (48)

Kelly’s Bookshelves

to-read (1050)
currently-reading (9)
read (3924)
did-not-finish (0)
adult-animals (3)
adult-fiction (341)
adult-fiction-abuse (37)
adult-fiction-adoption (2)
adult-fiction-aging (8)
adult-fiction-art (3)
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Kelly’s Friends (109)

Julie Hedlund

7,828 books | 1,653 friends

Jessica S

394 books | 962 friends

Andy (Vacay ia - will be back soon 🫶)

270 books | 3,624 friends

Carrie Finison

552 books | 141 friends

Candlewick Press

3,993 books | 3,333 friends

Aurora

1,126 books | 50 friends

Upton Town Library

727 books | 20 friends

Kristi

2,151 books | 17 friends

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Kelly Carey

Goodreads Author

Born

in Newtown, The United States

Website

http://www.kcareywrites.com/

Twitter

KCareyWrites

Genre

Children's

Member Since

January 2014

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Kelly Carey I find that one of the best ways to deal with writer’s block is to move on to a new project. Usually, if I can’t find the right way to revise a proble…moreI find that one of the best ways to deal with writer’s block is to move on to a new project. Usually, if I can’t find the right way to revise a problematic manuscript or tease the story out of a kernel of inspiration, it’s best to put that manuscript aside for a week or two and pick up a different one.

Of course this only works if you have some ideas and manuscripts on standby that can jump in during an emergency. That’s why I jot down ideas all the time. I’m always grateful to have those backup stories to work on. I pop ideas into a note on my phone the minute they come to me and then I transfer them over to a computer file titled “story ideas”. I love being able to lean into those files when I feel stuck.

Another great resource to fight through writer’s block is a critique group. If you really want to bust through a blocked moment with a manuscript and the thought of putting it aside for a few days seems tragic, I reach out to my critique partners for help. Often they offer up just the right piece of advice or ask the perfect question to reset a blocked moment.

And if none of this works – I call it a day and go grab a good book to read or go do laundry. There is always an abundance of both in my house!
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What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Kelly Carey I actually run a one-day workshop for aspiring writers (you can find information about this workshop at www.kcareywrites.com) and I offer three main p…moreI actually run a one-day workshop for aspiring writers (you can find information about this workshop at www.kcareywrites.com) and I offer three main pieces of advice. They are write, find your squad and read. They may seem simple, but they are not.

So many folks get stuck at the “thinking about” phase of becoming a writer. To get over that hurdle aspiring writers need to build intention and structure around their writing. This can mean committing to writing at least twenty minutes a day or devoting a specific day a week to writing. I’m partial to Writing Wednesdays – it has that nice alliteration. Your writing dream needs a concrete plan and goals. For help with that check out www.24CarrotWriting.com – this is a goal setting blog I host with three fellow authors. It is full of good advice and help as you kick off your writing journey.

Then I tell folks to find your squad. So much of writing is a solo practice but it is also riddled with self-doubt and tough rejection. You’ll need a support group of like-minded writers to keep you on track. Search them out at SCBWI, at local writing groups like The Writers’ Loft in Sherborn, MA, or online – like through www.24CarrotWriting.com.

Finally, you will need to read in the genre you want to write in. So if you want to write picture books, read picture books. If you have a middle grade novel you want to write, read middle grade books. And you need to read the books not as a reader looking to be entertained, but you’ll want to approach the books like textbooks. Learn from the skill of the authors; dissect what works and doesn’t work and how the author crafted the story. And you’ll want to track what you read – I do this using my Goodreads library – so you have an idea of what is already in the market and how your manuscript can fit.

So good luck on your writing journey!
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Kelly Carey’s books

Average rating: 4.45 · 97 ratings · 47 reviews · 1 distinct work

How Long Is Forever?
by

Kelly Carey (Goodreads Author),

Qing Zhuang (Illustrator)

4.45 avg rating — 97 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions

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Kelly Carey's Blog

The Unibrow Revision Strategy

A few years ago, an editor asked me to flip a Christmas themed story centered on gift giving to fit with a February issue of the magazine. The story was titled “The Gingerbread Shop”. I thought she was insane. Then I decided she was mean. Then I was just really mad. How do you take what is clearly a December Christmas story and rework it to fit in a February issue?

While I am never happy when an e Read more of this blog post »

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Published on January 29, 2019 13:54 • Tags: revision, writing

Kelly is Currently Reading

Kelly Carey is currently reading

Lady Tremaine

by Rachel Hochhauser (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: adult-fiction, currently-reading

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May 29, 2026 10:10AM

Kelly Carey is currently reading

The Calamity Club

by Kathryn Stockett (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: adult-fiction, currently-reading

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May 27, 2026 12:56PM

Kelly Carey is currently reading

It Girl

by Allison Pataki (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading, adult-fiction

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May 05, 2026 11:16AM

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Kelly Carey and 2 other people liked Karlii Le's review of Red River Rose: "Read this book to see if it would be a great fit for my 10yo girl, but I’m just not sure what to think about it? I really wanted to like it and tried to be invested, but it fell very flat to me. Idk. Kind of a boring story and could have been told wi" Read more of this review »
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