Just finished reading Uncle Montague’s Tales Of Terror by Chris Priestley, with wonderfully creepy illustrations by David Roberts. I’ve always been a fan of scary stories ever since I was little and I used to write a lot of scary, sinister short stories in grade school. My eighth grade teacher attended my I’M BORED . . .
Title: “Looking For Thyme” Having trouble finding the time to write during the day because of interruptions or other distractions? Or fighting the urge to go look stuff up on Google during your writing sessions? (hand waving weakly here) This year I’m going back to writing first thing in the . . .
Looking for a daily writing challenge with flexibility? Short on writing time for a particular project? Or are you motivated to write but have an unpredictable schedule? I started the 250, 500 or 1000 Words A Day Challenge for those who want to work on a particular writing project but are finding . . .
Skyping with 115 first-graders at A. Blair McPherson School in Edmonton, Alberta Although I’ve used Skype before, I resisted doing Skype classroom visits until recently because I wasn’t confident about the technology working properly. Since I first tried Skype, however, broadband services have improved and more schools are starting to . . .
A tip for aspiring children’s book writers and illustrators: Try not to let yourself get sucked into too much fussing over preparation and ritual. Make a routine and then stick to it. Now to follow my own advice…
One mistaken assumption that I’ve noticed some newbie writers making: Sending out their writing too soon, assuming that the editor who buys their short story (or novel, etc.) is going to be helping them polish the piece anyway. DO NOT DO THIS. Never, ever send an mss out just after . . .
Joyce Grant is the Toronto-based author of GABBY, a new picture book from Fitzhenry & Whiteside, illustrated by Jan Dolby. GABBY is Joyce’s first picture book. If you’re in Toronto, you’re invited to come to the Jan. 27th book launch – see GABBY launch info. In addition to writing picture books, Joyce is a . . .
Congrats to Tina Cho, who recently won the COWBOY CHRISTMAS book prize giveaway as part of my interview with Rob Sanders. Tina Cho is an author of 22 guided reading books from Lakeshore Learning and Compass Media. My Mini Pet Shop and The Christian Girls Guide to Grace (a book about etiquette), both with Legacy Press Kids, and . . .