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.
(Shortlink: https://debbieohi.link/ClearTheList) UPDATED June 1st, 2023: I have a new Twitter thread for educators with crowd-funding projects. Teachers spent an average of $750 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies during the 2020-2021, according to a survey by AdoptAClassroom.org. Many teachers started using the hashtag #clearthelist on social media . . .
Adriana Hernández Bergstrom is a Cuban-American artist and children’s literature author-illustrator. She enjoys learning languages and lives in Florida. Abuelita and I Make Flan is her debut picture book, and comes out from Charlesbridge on Aug. 9th! I was lucky enough to see an early version of Adriana’s picture book . . .
Congrats to my writing critique partner and friend, Carmella Van Vleet, whose NOTHING IS LITTLE launched from Holiday House Books this week! This middle grade book has already received many accolades, including being a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. NOTHING IS LITTLE is about 11-year-old Felix, who likes being . . .
Rebecca Gardyn Levington is a children’s book author, poet, and journalist. Her debut picture book BRAINSTORM! (Sleeping Bear Press, 2022, with illustrator Kate Konreif) hits bookshelves August 3rd, 2022 – you can pre-order a personalized, signed copy from her local indie bookstore, Words in Maplewood, NJ. She has four more . . .
Does this happen to anyone else? I hit the 54k wordcount today in my middle grade novel. My original goal was around 50k but my characters won’t let me end the story yet. ? I figure I can let them take over for now since it’s just a first draft; . . .
I’m up to 51,000 words in the first draft of my middle grade! In the home stretch now. If you’re confused about why I’m talking about writing middle grade and not picture books, please see my Perseverance post. Using Linda Sue Park’s #12minutes first-drafting method helped me get going, as . . .
Ah, rejections. It’s part of the business, before and after publication. If you’d like to get straight to the poll results, feel free to browse the original Twitter thread about writer rejections. As someone who has received many rejections over the years, I am well acquainted. In the years I . . .
To those who never have problems writing the first drafts of their novels, you can skip this post. For others like me who sometimes find it a challenge (especially during the past couple of years) getting that first draft down, I highly recommend Linda Sue Park’s 12-minute Pomodoro routine. I . . .
In prepping for a picture book writing workshop I did recently (via Journey For Kidlit), I posted a poll on Twitter to find out how picture book writers, agents and editors felt about pagination in submissions. Results were fascinating. And people are still posting answers, so feel free to bookmark . . .
Looking for reading-focused recommendation sheets and activities? Feel free to check out my free, print-ready archives and especially the section with book review and recommendation sheets. Here are just a few: Bookmark Recommendations: Finding Summer Reading Activities and Programs: Check your local library. Chances are good that you’ll find summer . . .