Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Writing

Failure and the Power of Yet

During one of the first weeks of school,  my daughter came home from first grade with this paper in her backpack: I was thrilled to see her teachers reinforcing a belief we’ve been working on instilling at home: that even though there are a lot of things she can do now that she’s older, some things […]

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Revising

How Do You Know When Your Book Is Finished?

If you’re currently writing or revising a manuscript, you’ve probably found yourself looking forward to the day when you reach the final page for the last time. Maybe you’ve pictured yourself typing “THE END” or labeling your manuscript file as “FINAL” (or perhaps some variation of “Manuscript_final_NEWfinal_REALfinal _FINALfinal_THISONEISFINAL”). But no matter how many times you

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Revising

The Writing Feedback Funnel

Last week, I outlined the three essentials of helpful feedback. Today’s letter discusses another important aspect of receiving feedback on your writing: how to avoid the proverbial problem of too many cooks in the kitchen. While thoughtful, well-timed feedback from multiple trusted sources may seem like a good problem to have, the subjective nature of writing

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Writing

Finding Your Creative Community

While no two publishing journeys are identical, one constant I’ve heard from countless writers and illustrators is the value of finding your creative community. We all know that writing and illustrating are solitary activities, and that the creative life can often feel lonely. At the same time, it can be hard for those outside of

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Writing

Writing Lessons from Picture Books: Think Visually

Wrapping up this four-part series on lessons all writers can learn from picture books, today’s letter is about one of the central characteristics that sets picture books apart: their marriage of text and art. In great picture books, the art and text work in synergy, building upon each other to become stronger than either would be alone. Whether or not you

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Writing

Writing Lessons from Picture Books: Character Development

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of your favorite picture books? If you’re like a lot of people, you probably envisioned at least one memorable picture book character. There’s a reason that many picture books include the main character’s name in the title, from Ada Twist, Scientist to Corduroy to Julián Is a Mermaid.

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Julie Scheina Editorial Services
Writing

Finding Your Story’s Voice

Voice has always struck me as one of the most challenging writing topics to talk about. In comparison to areas like character development, plot, and pacing, what makes a strong voice can be harder to pinpoint and even more subjective. Instead, a strong voice is often described as “I know it when I see it”

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