Category Archives: Uncategorized

by | January 11, 2026 · 4:37 pm

Final Blog!

Thank you for taking the time to follow our blog, “www.inthewritersweb.com,” for the past ten years! Although we continue to meet regularly for critique sessions as “The Story Spinners,” we have decided to close down our website. But we are all still very much engaged in the Kidlit space and hope you will continue to follow us on the long and winding road to publication.

Here’s what we are doing and where you can find us:

 

IMG_1302 Elizabeth (Beth) Duncan

As we bid farewell to the Story Spinner’s website, I look forward to welcoming my debut picture book into the world. Antonia and Her Magic Wand: The Extraordinary Story of Antonia Brico, Symphony Conductor, tells the story of one of the first women symphony conductors. It will be published by Anne Schwartz Books/Random House in October of 2026 and illustrated by the talented Victoria Tentler-Krylov.

I continue to work on writing projects, especially picture book biographies, and am learning about the ways one promotes a new book. I’m enjoying getting to know others in the children’s book writing community and hope to have a more active social media presence as I move into the future. You can find me and Antonia on our new websites: www.elizabethduncanwriter.com or at www.AntoniaAndHerMagicWand

 

Coral  Jenrette

Coral continues to write and edit, shifting between kidlit and adult. She lives and works in Denver with her partner, kids and cats. One of her favorite things about being in the writing community is giving and getting feedback, being supported by and supporting other creators. She’s at www.coralwrites.com

 

Karen Deger McChesney – Writer of YA mystery novels with elements of history and romance, picture books and personal essays.

I love writing about nontraditional messy families, secrets and lies. All of my works are steeped in themes of belonging and rising above and have fiercely determined females. My goal: Publish my books traditionally. Immense thanks to Story Spinners and my other writer heroes who keep inspiring me to persist, persist, and believe in my stories. I am a member of SCBWI-Rocky Mt. Chapter, Writing Away Refuge, Wednesday Writers, and co-chair of Rocky Mt. Fiction Writers YA Birds of a Feather Group.

Love to meet you. Drop me a line at kdmwriter@gmail.com

 

Mary Kuehner

Friends, thank you for joining us on our writing journeys! While In the Writer’s Web is ending, we’re all still continuing on our paths to publication. I am sharing booklists and reviews of my favorite picture books, middle grade, and graphic novels, as well as occasional posts about writing and literacy, over on my new-ish website, www.MaryKuehner.com. I hope you’ll check it out – and drop me a line via the contact page if you want book recommendations for the littles in your life! Sharing books for kids is truly one of my most favorite things to do. I also post about books and writing on social media – primarily TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky – under the username @maryloveswords. Find me there – I’d love to connect!

 

Rondi Sokoloff Frieder

After close to ten years of volunteering for the RMC-SCBWI as the PAL LIASON (I promoted authors and illustrators at conferences and bookstores and hosted panels and webinars), I am now 100% focused on my own projects! For me, that means middle grade fiction. I am currently querying a humorous book about friendship, grief, and ghosts and am just starting my next project that takes place in Antarctica. Yes, there will be penguins! To keep my writing journey going, I participate in a variety of writing/critique groups and take tons of classes. Many thanks to The Story Spinners, The Just Do It Crew, Shalom Writers, and The Tuesday Writers who keep me writing and submitting. All my past, and possibly future, blogs are archived on my website: www.rondibooks.com. I can also be found on Bluesky – @rondifrieder.bsky.social or you can email me at Rondifrieder@gmail.com.

 

Susan Wroble

Contributing to our critique group’s In the Writer’s Web site was such a joy, and I learned so much over the years as I researched and wrote my posts. I leaned into kidlit in other ways as well, serving first as a critique group coordinator for my local Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI, then as Co-Regional Advisor, and now as one of the heads of RMC’s phenomenal mentorship program. In the years since we started this blog, I’ve published numerous articles for science magazines and books for the educational market, and my debut trade book, DAWN CHORUS: Conservation Efforts that Help Protect Birdsong Around the World is coming out with Holiday House’s “Books for a Better Earth” collection next spring. These days, you can find me online on my website, susanwroble.com, @susanwroble.bsky.social, and reviewing bird books for kids at 10,000 Birds—or out in the garden, where you’ll find me playing the dirt and listening to birdsong.

 

 

*Many thanks to former Story Spinner, Denise Schurr, who pushed us to “get blogging” those many years ago!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by | July 1, 2025 · 11:50 am

“JUST DO IT AGAIN!”

I’m so happy to be here with YOU!

Finally… I’m meeting you in person!

I can’t believe it’s been over two years!

 In April of 2023, I started a two-month online class through the Highlights Foundation called “JUST DO IT!” led by the amazing Sarah Aronson and Chris Tebbetts. (To read more about this, check out my post: https://www.rondibooks.com/just-do-it/.) The goal of this course was to be part of a collaborative support group to finish our drafts. There were weekly meetings on Zoom that provided us with tools to do this, as well as inspirational talks by Chris and Sarah, and the occasional guest speaker. We were also encouraged to participate in weekly word sprints by joining an accountability group. Needless to say, everyone in this group was determined to “get it done.”

And many of us did. I wrote 24,000 words. I didn’t finish my draft, but I made a lot of progress. I also amped up my writing practice, connected with kindred spirits, and wrote half a middle grade novel. But how was I going to finish the second half? The workshop was over. My daily support group and accountability team were gone. After speaking to other class members who felt the same way, we decided to keep going.

Luckily for us, Dale Marie Bryan (a fellow “Just Do It!” participant and now my dearest friend) kept us on task. Dale organized morning writing sprints, afternoon writing sprints, once a month read-alouds and a goal-setting googledoc. The read-alouds not only helped us revise, it also enabled us to truly get to know each other’s work.

Chris and Sarah attended many of these sessions and often wrote and read right alongside us. They also offered more “Just Do It!” classes and continue to host inexpensive monthly online sprints. (For more information about these, message Chris on FB.) We also invited the next group of “Just Do It” graduates to join us for sprints and read-alouds. And after two years of meeting online on a regular basis, we have definitely bonded. So much so, that when Chris asked if any of us would like to attend a writing retreat at the Highlights campus, fourteen of us said  ABSOLUTELY YES!

At first, I didn’t think I could go. It’s quite a shlepp from Colorado to Honesdale. But the stars aligned. I was already going to NY the week before for my niece’s bridal shower. After spending a few extra days visiting family and friends, I rented a car and drove to Pennsylvania.

Spending time at the Highlights campus is always magical. Just ask anyone who’s been there. With the idyllic wooded setting, the cozy cabins, and the delicious farm-to-table cuisine, you can’t go wrong. This was my third time. However, the other two workshops I attended were mostly with people I didn’t know. It took a few days to connect and build trust. Gathering with the “Just Do It!” crew was a totally different experience.

 

 

The minute I arrived, I felt like I was at a family reunion. Or a getaway with camp or college friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. There were hugs and exclamations of glee. And after the initial thrill of finally being together in-person, we immediately got to work. Because that’s what we do when we’re together – WE WORK ON OUR STORIES!

And there was more. Sarah offered inspirational talks and morning yoga. Author/illustrator Daria Peoples joined us and did an art exploration. Chris asked if we’d like to workshop our manuscripts “theater-style” in the evenings. This entailed printing out 500-1000 words of a manuscript that contained a great deal of dialogue. We made multiple copies, highlighted (pun intended) individual parts and passed out the “scripts.” After an initial reading, people were assigned a role and got up and acted out the scene. Wowwy kazowwy! We were able to see our work in a totally different way. Some scenes needed more movement, heightened action, deeper emotion. Others needed a bit more description or a transition or two. We were all mesmerized by this exercise. We gasped at the dramatic pieces and laughed hysterically at the humorous ones. What a great editing tool! If you’d like to participate in one Chris’ future workshops, check out this link:https://www.theatercampforwriters.com/

I have to say, except for bidding farewell to the ridiculous number of ticks that had recently burst onto the scene, it was sad to leave. Sort of.  We were heading home, but we also knew we’d be seeing each other again online the following week. Because the “Just Do It!” community is unstoppable!

If you’d like to take Chris and Sarah’s class, the next one starts in October. https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/workshop/just-do-it-your-collaborative-support-group-for-finishing-your-draft-fall/.

And by the way… I did finish my manuscript. Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by | January 9, 2025 · 8:29 pm

Just the Right Word: The Joys of a Good Thesaurus

Many years ago, I attended a writing class with the incomparable Melanie Crowder that completely changed the way I wrote. That class opened my eyes to an entire new world, and at the time it was so far over my head—and was so brilliant—that I knew I was getting graduate-level craft techniques when my writing skill set was still somewhere at the high school level.

Melanie talked about word choice. Specifically, she talked about dialogue. What stuck with me was the insight that a character’s words should reflect their personality. A shy, withdrawn character would use softer sounds and would avoid using words with a lot of hard K and G sounds.

After that class, a thesaurus—first Roger’s, then the online Merriam Webster’s—became an essential part of my writing practice. I love searching for just the right word, with all its nuance and complexity of meaning. I’ve found that that those word searches have the added benefit of  being able to integrate words with poetic devices, like alliteration, assonance, and consonance.

But for writers, a generic thesaurus often isn’t enough. One of my favorite thesaurus-like resources has been linguistic professor Beth Levin’s ENLISH VERB CLASSES AND ALTERNATIONS: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION.While I can not tell you what a verb alternation is, I do know that Prof. Levin’s lists are priceless. For my upcoming picture book DAWN CHORUS: PROTECTING BIRDSONG AROUND THE WORLD (Holiday House, 2026), I featured a variety of endangered birds, and was searching for a whole lot of different words that described the emergence of early morning birdsong. And the list I needed was there, under “Verbs of Sound Emission.”

This is a book that you can open to any page and find unexpected gems. There’s “Verbs of Social Interaction” with subclasses for meet, marry, correspond, talk and chitchat, or “Verbs of Removing” with its subclasses of remove, banish, clear and wipe, or “Verbs of Gestures and Signs Involving Body Parts” its wink and crane and curtsey subclasses. Writers often strive to reduce their use of adverbs, and make their writing more crisp and descriptive. In Latin, thesaurus” means “storehouse” or “treasury”, and this book is indeed a treasure.

 

Another treasure that should be on every writer’s shelf is Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglist’s best-selling THE EMOTION THESAURUS. For each emotion, there’s a list of physical signals and behaviors, internal sensations, mental responses, long-term responses, signs that the emotion is being suppressed, other emptions that this might escalate or de-escalate to, and associated verbs.

Ackerman and Puglist didn’t stop with emotions. Under their Writers Helping Writers® brand, they have an entire thesaurus collection with the goal of help writers master description and learn to show, instead of telling. There are thesauruses for settings and conflict, for occupations and character traits, and emotional amplifiers and wounds. And for those who would rather search online, all their works are available via One Stop for Writers. You can check it out with a two-week free trial, or sign up for monthly, six-month or yearly rates (currently $11, $60, or $105).

 

Another phenomenal resource for finding just the right word is the University of Miami at Ohio’s collection of collective nouns. This list is amazing not just for its depth, but for the fact that it includes when the word was first used (and the spelling at the time). A dissimulation of birds, for example, has been in use since the 1560s.

And, of course, there is the OneLook Dictionary and Thesaurus, a program that you can either use separately or install to work with your Google Docs. What I love about the OneLook Thesaurus is that it provides synonyms by part of speech, so if you were starting with a verb and looking for a relative adjective or noun, this one is great. For the poets, it will also restrict the lists by meter. For example, if you start with the word “soar” and wanted a related trochaic word (stressed, unstressed, unstressed beats), it might suggest “towering”.

Two thesaurus-related books for kids are also on my shelves: Tara Lazar’s ABSURD WORDS and Jen Bryant’s THE RIGHT WORD: ROGET AND HIS THESAURUS, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.

 

ABSURD WORDS is subtitled “A Fun and Hilarious Vocabulary Builder for Future Word Nerds” and in it, Lazar has created word squads with groups that share something in common. Not surprisingly, one of my favorite squads is “Once Upon a Time.” It’s words that have origins in stories—words like Pollyanna, jabberwocky, Lilliputian, and quixotic. The whole thing is just a delight to pick up, turn to any page, and read.

 

Jen Bryant’s THE RIGHT WORD is a nonfiction picture book that tells the story of young Peter Mark Roget, who made lists of related words in his desire to use the perfect word. Like many writers, I am indebted—and so, so grateful—for his work.

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by | June 7, 2024 · 12:38 pm

Hosting a Writing Salon in Montreal!

About a month ago, my son Noah asked me if I’d be interested in teaching a writing class for his friends. He lives in Montreal, and my husband I would be visiting him over Memorial Day weekend. Noah has been hosting “salon-type” evenings at his apartment ever since the pandemic. Montreal had an eight o’clock curfew back then,  and in response to this, Noah and his extremely creative friends, began gathering in small groups for events at their apartments. They offered everything from jazz jams to yoga stretching to candle-making. And if the session ran past curfew, many of them unrolled their sleeping bags and spent the night.

I told him I’d be happy to teach a class. After all, I am a teacher and I write almost every day. But my expertise was in elementary education. And I write children’s books. I needed to create an activity that would appeal to a group of international thirty-somethings, many of whom work in the tech field.  Hmm…

I thought about the variety of writing workshops I’d attended over the years. Most of them focused on plotting tools, character arcs, and world building. These were great, but I needed something with more universal appeal. Something that might inspire poetry, song-writing, or journaling. I thought about the prompt intensive I took with Andrea Wang: (https://inthewritersweb.com/2022/12/the-stories-hidden-inside-you/) and the revision workshop with Kate Messner: (https://inthewritersweb.com/2024/03/highlights-from-the-2024-scbwi-winter-conference/). Both of these classes had us tapping into childhood memories to spark the stories within us.

I went through my notes and came up with a variety of prompts, starting with childhood memories and moving to present day experiences. I asked my attendees to bring a blank notebook and their favorite writing implements. (I brought extra of both, knowing some people were rushing over from work to the event.) By 6:30, there were 17 people gathered in my son’s living room. They all settled in on couches, chairs, pillows, and the floor, and looked like they were ready to write.

The prompts would be five minutes in duration. I began by saying that some of the prompts would resonate, while others would not. I told them not to worry. This was not a school assignment. There would be no critique and no grades. I invited them to write poems, draw pictures, or make lists. I wanted them to enjoy themselves. I also told them the writing would get easier as we progressed.

We started with the question: “What is your earliest memory?” People stared at their notebooks. Others looked at the floor or the ceiling, while some got right to work. Eventually, the pens and pencils started moving. Everyone was slowly, but surely, getting into the flow. The teacher in me was thrilled to see my “students” scribbling away.

To be honest, an hour of writing by hand can be tedious. Some people were literally wiggling their fingers in between prompts to loosen up the muscles. I told them writing by hand was important for this fast-paced activity. It made it harder to edit and forced them to keep going. They understood this and before long, were immersed in their writing and flipping through pages in their notebooks. It was going well!

I had prepared twenty prompts and chose the following eleven because of our time constraints.

  1. Describe the house or apartment and neighborhood you grew up in. Use your senses.
  2. Tell us about a memorable family trip. Where did you go? Who was there? Include as many details as possible.
  3. Who was your first real friend growing up? What did you do together? Are you still in touch with this person?
  4. What is your favorite food and when was the last time you had it? Who prepared it?
  5. First crushes: Who was it? Give us details!
  6. Is there a story in your family that gets told over and over again? Tell us that story.
  7. Write about an amazing trip you’ve taken as an adult. Where did you go? Who was with you? Try to include all the five senses in your writing.
  8. Successes: Write about a time you achieved something extraordinary. How did it feel?
  9. Failures: Describe the most devastating failure or disappointment in your life. What happened and how did you handle it?
  10. What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you? Write about it using lots of emotion.
  11. Think about the most hilarious thing that has ever happened in your life. Write about this now and try to reignite those feelings of fun, laughter, and joy.

This took up the full hour because 12×5=60 minutes! We had twenty minutes to share before the next session, which was being taught by my husband. Each person was invited to read what they had written or tell the story in their own words. Only one person felt uncomfortable doing this, but at the end, she came over and said this was one of the most powerful experiences she’s ever had. She had no idea these events and feelings were lurking inside her brain, waiting to burst forth.

Can you guess which prompts were the most popular? Earliest childhood memories, favorite foods, and first crushes were the winners. Two people even had the same favorite food story – a sweet, buttery, stuffed pastry from India. One person described a crush she had on a boy in kindergarten. Another spoke about how his mother sang to him every night before he went to bed. And one women described the house she lived in as a child, which was so vivid, I told her it would be the perfect setting for a middle grade novel.

As writers, we enjoy creating a compelling plot. We rejoice in finding the perfect verb to convey a feeling. And we love the challenge of imagining a setting with lots of sensory details. Did any of these attendees feel this way? As it turned out, the answer was a resounding yes. One person told me she was now inspired to take a writing class Another said he had no idea these memories would be so emotional for him. A third said he needed to do more prompts when he taught his adult writing class for immigrants. I was elated. Telling our stories is the universal human language.

By the way, my husband’s class was about how to plan a multi-day bicycle trip. Perhaps when our “students” go on a bike trip, they’ll take some time to write about it!

 

 

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by | March 2, 2024 · 3:58 pm

Highlights from the 2024 SCBWI Winter Conference

By Rondi Sokoloff Frieder

“Poetry inspires all other writing!” Joseph Coelho

“Go snoop in your protagonist’s bedroom.” Kate Messner

“Throw rocks at your characters!” Phil Bildner

“There’s always more to learn!” James Ransome

 I recently had the pleasure of attending the SCBWI WINTER CONFERENCE in New York with my RMC-SCBWI buddies, Susan Wroble and Stan Yan. Susan and Stan are the dynamic co-regional advisors for the Rocky Mountain Chapter and spending time with them made the weekend extra-special. We went to a Broadway play, strolled through Central Park, ate in charming restaurants, and regularly checked-in to discuss our sessions.

I’ve attended this conference before, but not in many years. I remembered being wowed by the inspirational keynote speakers, and blown-away by the impressive portfolio showcase. This year did not disappoint. Our opening speaker was the Children’s Poet Laureate from the United Kingdom, Joseph Coelho –  www.thepoetryofjosephcoelho.com. Joseph was extremely entertaining and drew us in with zany poetry prompts, rap writing, and tales of riding his bike through the countryside, collecting library cards (he has 213). His mission – to engage children in literacy. Here’s author/illustrator Stan Yan’s visual documentation of this presentation:

Our closing keynote was the award-winning illustrator (and sometimes author), James Ransome. James has published over 70 books for children, many with his wife, Lisa Cline Ransom. http://jamesransome.com. James’s vibrant use of color and innovative composition evokes an emotional response in the reader every time. His illustrations linger in your mind, long after you’ve turned the page. James’s passion for being a lifelong learner was infectious. He encouraged us to always take classes to hone our craft and told us to never stop creating.

But the highlight of the conference for me, were the “Creative Labs.” We all signed up for two, three-hour intensives in our genre – one on Saturday and one on Sunday.  In my case, these workshops focused on revising middle grade novels. My incredible teachers were Kate Messner, https://katemessner.com and Phil Bildner  https://philbildner.com.

In Kate’s REVISION HALF-MARATHON, she told us that “Revision is magical. You are shaping your manuscript into something TRUE!” She asked us to spend some time thinking about THEME. And once we figured out what that was, she suggested we post this in our workspace to remind us that theme must show up in every scene. She also set the timer and had us write about two things: “My novel is about… But underneath that, it’s really about…” I’ve done this exercise before and it is always enlightening.

Kate also talked about loglines and pitches and reminded us that we must write these in order to really know what our book is about. But the second part of the intensive, the heart of the workshop, involved snooping around in our main character’s bedroom! And man-oh- man, was this eye-opening. I thought I knew almost everything about my main character. But oooooh, there was so much more to discover, right in the most obvious place!

Coincidentally, the opening scene of my novel takes place in my protagonist’s bedroom. But after starting this exercise, I realized I didn’t have a detailed enough picture of what this room actually looked like. Kate asked us to consider the following: Does your MC have her own space or does she share? What’s in her closet and dresser? Are there books on a shelf? What are the titles? Stuffed animals? Collections of rocks, shells, baseball cards? Is she neat or messy? What kind of technology does she use? And my favorite… What is ON and UNDER her bed? Kate also had us make character circles, with inner circle friends vs. outer circle friends. Then she asked us how these circles changed throughout the course of the book – a very important component of most MG stories. Brilliant!

Kate loves charts and gave us a zillion ideas on how to make them. She suggested a chart to track important characters and themes in each chapter. A chart that monitors emotions and image systems. And finally, a chart that looked for the frequency of short sentences vs. long. She also suggested making a calendar and map of our setting. She even gave us chart paper to take home so we could start the work! This was a master class. I can’t wait to use some of these “magical tools to make something true!”

My second Creative Lab was with the dynamic writer and teacher, Phil Bildner. It was entitled “Breathing Life Back into Your Manuscript.” I had taken a class with Phil at another conference and I knew we were in for a treat. Phil’s session was extremely interactive. First, he had us working alone, then with one partner, and eventually three of us spent time creating a completely new story together! In the partner-exercise, we were asked to clean out our pockets; either in our clothing or from our purse or backpack. He asked us to use three of the found objects in a new scene in our novel. That’s when I literally struck gold. I found a gold candy wrapper that sparked an idea. Gold is now an image system that pops up throughout my novel.

Phil also had us reimagine an abandoned manuscript as a different genre. I scribbled down a variety of picture book ideas from a MG novel that has not sold. Phil also gave us a list of mentor texts to read and, more importantly, provided us with resources to combat the banned books movement: Authors Against Book Bans, Unite Against Book Bans, Book Riot, PEN America, We Need Diverse Books, and many more. He is passionate about this cause and inspired us all with his activism. Because if books didn’t matter, they wouldn’t be banned.

I also had the opportunity to have dinner “off-site” with the amazing Jewish Kidlit Mavens. I am in the Maven’s Facebook group, but hadn’t met these people in-person. Most of the authors/illustrators who attended were from the NY/NJ area. And what an impressive group – Liza Wiemer, Chana Stiefel, Ann Koffsky, Josh Levy, Kimberly Marcus, and Yevgenia Nayberg, to name a few. It was such a treat to spend the evening with these inspirational creators of books for children with Jewish content.

But the biggest takeaway for me was the strong sense of community we all felt by being together, in-person, with a common goal – to create the highest quality books possible for children. Oh, and one more thing… I had a very promising critique with an agent. Fingers crossed for a positive outcome!

 

 

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by | December 2, 2023 · 7:30 am

How Writing Got Me Through a Very Tough Year

2023 has been a tough year for me. It began in January when my 97-year-old father’s health began to seriously deteriorate. And after many trips back and forth from Denver to New York, it was clear that the end was near. He passed away on May 18. It was a long life well-lived, but still, a big loss for everyone who knew him.

Then on the day before the funeral, when we were flying from my son’s business school graduation in Washington DC to New York, my husband received the final diagnosis of his recent health problem. He had multiple myeloma, cancer of the plasma cells, which seriously affects the body’s immune system. After the funeral, three shivas, and a couple of days of cleaning out my dad’s condo, we flew back to Denver. My husband would begin treatment. This included a regimen of twice-a-week infusions of a targeted drug therapy for three months. It was supposed to be followed by a stem cell transplant in October. Only in September, he contracted West Nile virus.

I am not making this up. And for those of you who are unfamiliar with the disease, West Nile is no joke. You get it from a mosquito bite. And although Colorado is known for its dry climate and lack of bugs, this year was different. We had an unusually large amount of rain and much warmer fall temperatures. There were swarms of mosquitoes. Colorado actually had the most cases in the entire country! West Nile can cause a high fever, excruciating headache, tremors, brain fog, paralysis, meningitis or worse. My husband had the first four symptoms. And with his compromised immune system, the virus took hold in a big way. He was hospitalized for two days and sick for five weeks. The stem cell transplant was postponed.

And then in October, the world went crazy. Hamas attacked Israel and a violent war erupted. Anti-Semitism around the world and on college campuses, including my own college campus, reared its ugly head and shook us to the core. It was soul-crushing, complicated, terrifying.

But we had to keep going. My husband slowly recovered from West Nile. Family members flew in to help. Our friends baked and cooked. My morning dog-walking group provided an arena for venting and processing whatever was on my mind. But the biggest distraction of all, was my writing. It became my refuge, my emotional escape hatch, my joy.

Before my dad died and my husband was diagnosed, I serendipitously signed up for the Highlights Foundation online class, “Just Do It” in April. https://inthewritersweb.com/2023/06/. This class became a lifeline of structure and support during my most difficult months – May and June. It pushed me to get up and work on my novel. Every single day. I was moving along at a clip and decided to apply to the “The Whole Novel Workshop,” an in-person retreat at the idyllic Highlights campus in Pennsylvania. I wasn’t sure if this was going to work with my husband’s transplant schedule, but he really wanted me to go. He thought it would be good for me to do something for me. And as it turned out, the transplant was scheduled for the week after I returned from Highlights. The timing was perfect. Our sons flew home to be with my husband while I spent a week in the “Renee Watson cabin,” surrounded by talented writers, inspirational faculty, and the award-winning Highlights cuisine. Oh, and let’s not forget the pair of roosting bald eagles, the white-tailed deer meandering past my cabin, and a rusty red-colored forest right out my window! It was perfect.

 

 

 

There were other ways my writing supported me in a big way. I continued meeting with my always amazing critique group, The Story Spinners, twice a month. Members of my Tuesday writing group, The Nanos, stepped up to host, since I could no longer have people in my house because of my husband’s compromised immune system. I also joined two new online groups: an accountability group from my “Just Do It” class and a critique group of Jewish writers from around the world. I completed my nine years of being the PAL LIAISON for the RMC-SCBWI by moderating the industry panel at the annual Letters & Lines Conference in September and was asked to moderate two more panels at the Denver Festival of Stories, sponsored by Second Star to the Right Book Shop and the non-profit Books To Kids in October. I even got to introduce the keynote speaker, Bruce Cameron!

“Thinking about my writing” also relieved daily stress. I would take walks and ask myself: How can I strengthen my main character’s arc by throwing more obstacles in her way? Is there a better way to describe the setting? What plot twists will surprise my reader? Throwing myself into the world of my books gave me a constructive outlet when I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or deflated. It was the best way to reflect, regroup, and recharge.

Despite the challenges of the past year, I do have some good news. After 18 days in the hospital, my husband is coming home. Today! The stem cell transplant was successful. He still has months of healing ahead, but we are moving forward. Our younger son earned his MBA and has started a new job. Our older son continues his humanitarian work around the world and is engaged to be married. One niece got married and another had a baby – the first child of the next generation of our family. One of my manuscripts was a finalist for the Golden Pen Award at the RMC-SCBWI Letters & Lines Fall Conference. And my latest novel, the one I workshopped at Highlights, received glowing feedback. It wasn’t easy, but I made it through 2023. And leaning into my life as a writer was a big part of this accomplishment.

How has writing helped you through a personal challenge? Please share your story in the comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by | August 20, 2023 · 5:10 pm

Putting Edelweiss to Work!

By Susan Wroble (Note that a version of this post first appeared in RMC Kite Tales, Spring 2023)

Have you ever noticed the disclaimers on some book reviews posted to book blogs or Goodreads?  “I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all opinions are my own.”  They aren’t talking about that “Sound of Music” flower!

 

Edelweiss (aka Edel) is an online platform where publishers make advance reader copies (ARCs) available in digital formats to select readers before the books are published. They do this to encourage early reviews and generate buzz before a book comes out. 

In the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI’s Publishing Path webinar series, developmental editor Susan Chang recommended that everyone should have an Edel account, but for surprising reasons unrelated to reviewing e-ARCs (electronic ARCs). And when someone like Susan says “everyone should,” I pay attention. 

Susan explained that for authors, having an Edel account is an efficient way to read new books in your category, find comparable titles (comps) for your own work, explore marketing plans, and study a publisher’s catalog before submitting to them. 

Regardless of where you are in your publishing journey, you will eventually want to have access to upcoming releases as you study the market for your work-in-progress. And we all know that finding good comp titles can be tricky, so I am very excited about this platform. Edelweiss can make parts of querying so much easier, and setting up an account is FREE!

CREATING YOUR PROFILE AND REQUESTING ADVANCE READER COPIES:

Start on Edelweiss by navigating to www.edelweiss.plus to create your profile. To get approved to read those digital reader copies (DRCs, Edel’s version of the e-ARC), your profile strength needs to show as “excellent.” Profile strength (with levels like incomplete, good and excellent) is based on how much of the profile you have completed. The question mark beside your strength will show you what is missing. Keep tweaking until you get to excellent. 

When you request DRCs, you are most likely to get approved if you show that you write reviews. Here’s a version of my profile, which shows who I review and why:

I’m a children’s author and voracious reader. I usually max out my library card, and my house is full of books that I am either reading or using as mentor texts for my stories. I currently serve as Co-Regional Advisor of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and am a member of the marketing group STEAMTeam 2023. The two groups that I usually support through reviews (Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram, and the Instagram of the nonprofit organization Partners in Literacy) are children’s nonfiction authors and children’s authors in the Colorado/Wyoming area.

Note that when you request a specific DRC, you will also need to write a few sentences about why you’ve requested that book. Once you’re granted access, you’ll be provided with a link to download the manuscript in a variety of ways. You can even connect your e-reader and receive the e-ARCs on your personal devices. Remember, though, you’re being provided the sneak peek with the expectation that you’ll write and post a review after reading, so if you love the book, try to be a good author citizen, and follow through. Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble are all great places to leave reviews. Your fellow authors will thank you! 

 

USING EDEL TO FIND COMPS:

While the ability to search for comparable titles, or comps, is one of the huge benefits of Edelweiss, there is one caveat. In query letters, comps are designed to give the agents or editors a feel for the subject or tone or theme of your story. In Edelweiss, comps are intended for marketing. Keeping that nuance in mind, they are incredibly valuable. 

Here’s how to find them: under the “Search for titles” box, type in a title. Using Kaz Windness’s BITSY BAT as an example, note that at the bottom are a series of carrots next to “Content, Comps, Related, Refs.” Clicking on comps and refs gives us three books that are considered comp titles, and others that are related in some way (in this case, because Kaz wrote it!).

If you have a book that might make a good comp, a great next step is to check Edelweiss. You’ll get what the professionals consider to be the comps for that book. 

 

USING EDEL TO REVIEW MARKETING PLANS:

Authors are increasingly being asked to submit marketing plans. Again, Edelweiss can be a huge help. The marketing plans posted here are often a mix of author and publisher activities, but be aware that not all books will have them. To find the marketing plan, go back to those “Content, Comps, Related, Refs” carrots. Clicking the carrot by “Content” for Carmela Coyle’s SOMETHING SPECTACULAR: A ROCK’S JOURNEY gives the summary, bio, marketing plan and selling points. In the marketing plans, you can see the specific blogs that will be targeted for this picture book.

Marking Plan (SOMETHING SPECTACULAR):

  • National outreach campaign targeting mom bloggers, librarians, social media influencers and children’s book reviewers; Mo
  • m Blog Society, Free Range Kids, Jenn’s Blah Blah Blog, Kids Activity Blog, It’s a Lovely Life, Green Hour, The First Book Blog, Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast, and more.
  • Trade announcements of book to PW, Booklist, Foreword Reviews, Library Journal, School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Shelf Awareness
  • Event kit available for bookstores, schools and libraries for self-promotion, author events, and activities with the book
  • Featured title at Trade Shows
  • NetGalley campaign for early review

As for me, Edelweiss has provided such great data that I am now revamping the comp titles and marketing plans for my works-in-progress. The time spent learning how to navigate this site truly pays off.

(Tech note for Apple users: Chrome seems to be a better browser than Safari for Edelweiss. Once in, Apple’s “Command F” search function is far more powerful than the internal search.) 

 

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by | July 21, 2023 · 7:23 pm

Is that REALLY what’s happening? Unreliable Narrators in Picture Books.

I realized recently that two of my manuscripts have unreliable narrators. One is a “voice over”-type style, describing what’s (not actually) happening in the action on the page, and one is also omniscient but instead describing a character incorrectly. That character happens to be a potato, but that’s neither here nor there.

It got me thinking about this type of story and what other picture books have unreliable narrators. I really gravitate toward this kind of storytelling, because it’s often funny and can make for a great read-aloud. Kids LOVE correcting the reader and having the opportunity to feel like, for once, they know more than the adult.

An unreliable narrator can be an omniscient voice, but it can also be a character in the story – main protagonist or not. They can be unreliable for malicious or devious reasons, for silly reasons, or simply because they’re just wrong or don’t know any better. The thing they all have in common is that they cannot be trusted to give the full, correct picture of what’s happening.

So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite picture books with unreliable narrators:

Cover image of the picture book Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be In This book, an aggrieved alligator holding a copy of the same book with a chicken looking on.

Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be In This Book by Julie Falatko and Tim Miller

An unreliable narrator (a chicken) follows Snappsy around describing things that Snappsy is decidedly NOT doing – like hunting defenseless bunnies or buying snacks for a party. Snappsy gets more and  more exasperated as he just wants to live his life, quietly.

A Unicorn, a Dinosaur and a Shark Walk Into a Book by Jonathan Fenske Cover of the picture book A Unicorn, a Dinosaur and a Shark Walk Into a Book. Yellow with cartoon images of the three main characters.

No, it’s not the start of a joke, although the book is seriously funny. The narrator tries to get the three creatures to make this the BEST BOOK EVER (I mean, c’mon, what’s better than a UNICORN, a DINOSAUR and a SHARK in one book) but they won’t do what that narrator asks. How will the narrator convince them?

Cover for the picture book The Panda Problem featuring a friendly panda perched in a bamboo stand.The Panda Problem by Deborah Underwood and Hannah Marks

As the narrator explains to us right at the start, every good story has a problem. And, in this book, they insist, the panda is the one with the problem. Panda begs to differ. The narrator insists that the story must have a problem, though, so panda tries to invent some.

My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World by Gilles BacheletCover of the picture book My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World. The cat is actually an elephant.

The unseen narrator describes their silly cat, which, as one can clearly see from the book’s cover, looks suspiciously like an elephant.

Cover of the picture book How to Give Your Cat a Bath in Five Easy Steps. A girl with afro puffs and a white cat look over the edge of a bathtub filled with water. How to Give Your Cat a Bath in 5 Easy Steps by Nicola Winstanley and John Martz

Anyone who has a cat knows there’s nothing easy about giving a cat a bath. Yet, the narrator insists it can be done, while the hapless child becomes increasingly frustrated as she tries, and fails, to get her cat into the bath.

Cover for the picture book Have You Seen Gordon? A rabbit looks through binoculars and we see a crowd reflected in them.

Have You Seen Gordon? by Adam Jay Epstein and Ruth Chan

So, okay, this is cheating a little because in this story the narrator isn’t unreliable as much as the main character, Gordon, is uncooperative. This is ostensibly a seek-and-find book, but Gordon refuses to make himself hard to find. He prefers to stand out.

These are just a few of the picture books with unreliable narrators that are in the world. Which ones do you love? Sound off in the comments so we’ve all got a great list!

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by | June 4, 2023 · 1:32 pm

Middle-Grade Novels that Address Climate Change

Climate change is on the minds of everyone, including our children. Ellen Herbst, a UCSF psychiatrist and mother of two, suggests that the climate crisis is impacting the mental health of children and adolescents. She explains that children are, appropriately, being educated about climate change in many schools and learning about it in the news. But they are not necessarily given the coping skills to handle the devastating and anxiety-producing information. https://magazine.ucsf.edu/helping-kids-cope-with-climate-change-anxiety

There is a new trend in middle-grade fiction in which thoughtful, well-written novels for children address the climate crisis. The books vary widely, sometimes set in the future and detailing the effects of climate change on the characters’ lives or set in the present day and focusing on real climate change situations that children face. But all the novels offer students hope that they can face a challenge and make a difference. Most importantly, they all highlight that the values of family, friendship, and working together will always endure.

Fiction allows people to imagine themselves in different situations and these books allow children to see themselves making a contribution. Instead of feeling hopeless and that the situation is out of their control, these books can help ease anxiety as students read how the creative, thoughtful, and brave characters work to solve problems and change the world.

One Small Hop by Madelyn Rosenberg (Scholastic Press, 2021)
This novel finds a balance of humor, adventure, and a glimpse into the future and the effects of global warming. It is set in the not-so-distant future when global warming has made the world a very different place. Ahab and his friends risk the polluted waters of the ocean, which is now devoid of life, and go to an off-limits island and find a real, live bullfrog. It is possibly one of the last bullfrogs alive.
After an internet search, Ahab convinces the rest of his friends to embark on a bicycle journey to unite their frog with another frog. Their adventure is hilarious, exciting, and alarming. It teaches the kids that hope is alive and that they can make a difference. Author Madelyn Rosenberg builds an all-too-imaginable future ravaged by climate change but also one where a kid can still lean on his friends and work toward a better tomorrow.

Hello from Renn Lake by Michele Weber Hurwitz (Wendy Lamb/Random House, 2020.)
Annalise Oliver is the adopted daughter of a family that has owned lakeside cabins in Renn Lake, Wisconsin for generations. The story, told from the perspective of Annalise, the Lake, and a nearby stream, reinforces the complexity of how climate change affects communities and ecosystems. Annalise’s special relationship with the lake lets her sense what Renn Lake thinks and feels.
A harmful algae bloom emerges and begins to cover the lake and Annalise can no longer hear the voice of the lake. The lake is closed to human activity, which threatens the livelihoods of her family and the town. Annalise and her friends use research, ingenuity, and community organization to take action and save the lake. As the community supports the children’s work, everyone learns important lessons about working together and listening to nature.

The First Rule of Climate Club by Carrie Firestone (G.P. Putnam, 2022)
In this novel, Mary Kate Murphy participates in a unique science program focused on climate change. The class opens her eyes to many things she had never noticed before about her small suburban town: Kids throw away tons of food at school, adults drive ozone-depleting vehicles, people buy clothes they don’t need, and the birds in the local preserve seem distressed. Complicating the situation, her best friend is plagued with a mysterious illness.
The class tries to bring their concerns to the mayor who isn’t willing to listen to new ideas for addressing any of the pressing issues. Frustrated and fired up, Mary Kate and her classmates take matters into their own hands and work to bring lasting change to their community and beyond.

Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee (Aladdin/Simon and Shuster, 2022.)
Haven Jacobs is a twelve-year-old girl who is unable to stop thinking about the climate crisis. Her anxiety about the state of the planet begins to interfere with her schoolwork, friendships, and even her sleep. She can’t stop worrying about why adults aren’t trying to solve the problems.
Haven’s social studies teacher challenges students to find a specific way to address environmental issues and she focuses on the annual science class project at the local river. Her brother tells her about the frogs he loved when he did the project several years before. But when Haven and her classmates get to the river, there’s no sign of the frogs —but there is evidence of pollution. The only thing that has changed near the river is the opening of a new factory. Haven is challenged to work with her community to make changes that benefit everyone.

Global Warning by Steven B. Frank (Clarion/HarperCollins, 2023)
A group of 12-year-old friends concerned about climate change propose a new way to save the earth– crafting a new amendment to the United States Constitution. Their project sends them on a journey through America and Norway as they take steps to save the planet. Sixth grader Sam Warren and his friends think that climate change is too pressing to ignore. Adults don’t seem to be up to the challenge of real change, but the kids know their futures depend on action now.
With a little help from some enlightened adults, the friends draft an amendment to the Constitution that protects the plane, passes it in Congress, and changes the hearts and minds across the country to get it ratified! Although the scenario in the book is very unlikely, the book challenges students to think big to make their voices heard.

A wonderful resource for book lists of middle-grade novels is a blog written by Afoma called https://readingmiddlegrade.com/blog/ For even more suggestions, check it out!

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by | March 17, 2023 · 8:18 pm

Finding the Heart of Your Story

I had the opportunity to spend a lovely day attending an inspiring workshop called “Creating the Hearts and Bones of Your Next Nonfiction Picture Book.” Sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI, the presenters were Colorado powerhouse writers Beth Anderson, Laura Perdew, and Julie Danneberg. These three women, who are prolific nonfiction picture book authors, are also former teachers. They were eager and willing to share their expertise with attendees.*

I needed help getting started on drafting my next picture book biography. I had done hours and hours of research and had filled two spiral notebooks with fascinating information about my person. I found everything about her interesting, important, and worthy. I would look at my research and try to imagine fitting her story into 1000 words– and I was paralyzed.

What I needed to do was to find the “heart” of the story. But how?

Fortunately, Beth Anderson’s presentation was just what I needed to hear. Beth’s books pulse with heart and every sentence in her books contributes to her identified heart. Everything else is left on the cutting room floor or salvaged for the back matter.

Heart, she explains, isn’t the theme, the hook, the nugget, or the emotional arc. Instead, the heart is more elusive and more important. Sometimes called the “so what?” or take-away, it is the vital idea that lingers in the reader’s heart.

The key to finding the heart of your story is to focus on your connection to the story. Beth suggests you think about why you love your topic. Ask yourself repeatedly why you want to tell this story. Why does this story matter? What is the story REALLY about?

Through this idea of heart, an author will find the way to make their story stand out. At its essence, this vital idea will allow children to connect with the story and feel part of it. She suggests digging deeper and deeper until you find that one extraordinary and meaningful idea.

When researching, Beth gathers ideas in a list at the front of her research, recording insights that might be or contribute to the heart of her story. She looks for a key idea or a question that could guide the story. This should be a fresh take that pushes thinking or a personal angle that resonates.

Beth has been focused on how heart matters since she started writing. In her blog series, “Mining for Heart,” she reviews published picture books through the lens of that one idea that drives the book. Her insights and recommendations were helpful to me as I explored the concept related to my own work. You can access her blog here.   https://bethandersonwriter.com/category/mining-for-heart/

After the workshop, I went back through my research, riffling through the information with new eyes. I started analyzing and began to identify where my passion for my subject started and what would resonate with readers. It’s been fun to explore ideas and tangents. The different perspectives are helping me wrestle the story I want to tell into a meaningful book.

Thanks Beth, for a wonderful presentation and your dedication to helping other writers tell their stories!

*As an extra bonus, the workshop was held at the incomparable Penrose House of the El Pomar Foundation in Colorado Springs. The sprawling, historic, Italianate mansion next to the Broadmoor Hotel was built in 1910. The foundation is dedicated to serving non-profit organizations and is available free of charge to groups like ours. The beautiful setting added to the day.

 

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