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Debbie’s Blog

Welcome to my new blog, which now includes content from many of the blogs I’ve created over the years. You can now also access content via category from this one page instead of having to search for my individual blogs, which were scattered over various platforms and websites.


Never too late to find writing success

I found out about Mary L. Tabor through a recent blog post by Jane Friedman. Mary published her first book after the age of 60, and Jane’s Q&A with Mary is full of fascinating insights. Not only did Mary’s writing success come later in life, but blogged her second book on Sex . . .



Deborah Halverson: Ultimate Checklist for Submitting to Publishers

One of the biggest challenges of attending an event like the SCBWI Summer Conference, I found, was having to pick between simultaneously scheduled workshops. I wasn’t able to attend Deborah Halverson’s workshop but Adventures In Children’s Publishing did, and has generously shared a conference round-up. A former editor at Harcourt, Halverson . . .



2010 SCBWI-LA Takeaways: Jon Scieszka

I’ve always appreciated those who post “takeaways” after they attend conventions: nuggets of wisdom that they took away from the event. Everyone’s takeaways are different because everyone has different levels of experience and goals. I’m going to be sharing mine over the next little while, as well as linking to . . .



2010 SCBWI Illustrator Mentorship Award Winners!

Many thanks to the SCBWI for the Illustrator Mentorship Awards; the six of us learned SO MUCH at our mentorship sessions on the weekend. We also had fun hanging out with each other, exchanging tips and advice, and we plan to keep in touch after we all go home. In fact, . . .



A Brief (And Somewhat Stunned) Post From The SCBWI Conference In L.A.

The image above was one of the pieces in my portfolio, and was displayed on the screen at the Golden Kites Luncheon, when the award winners were announced. [August 21, 2010 update: WOW, Simon & Schuster wants me to illustrate a book! Author: writer/actor/comedian Michael Ian Black. Tentative release date: . . .




Countdown to the SCBWI Convention

I lack the time to do a SCBWI countdown comic for this year, but here are the comics I did for last year’s conference: Hope to see meet some of you at the conference! Debbie



Writer’s Guide To Twitter updated

Believe it or not, I think I’ve finally moved over most of the old site. Most recently revamped: The Writer’s Guide To Twitter. I’ll be gradually adding to this FAQ, so if you think of any questions you’d like me to answer or research, please let me know!



Blog highlight: Rachelle Gardner’s Rants & Ramblings

If you’re not already following Rachelle Gardner’s blog, you should go add her site to your RSS feed RIGHT NOW. Not only is her blog a great glimpse into how a literary agent operates, but Rachelle’s site is packed with fantastic advice for writers.