Since I was a kid, I’ve hated the idea of being forced to choose favorites. I’ve almost always stubbornly insisted on multiple favorite colors, foods, movies, music, and especially books. It’s not (merely) that I’m indecisive; it’s that I find it impossible to choose a blanket favorite without considering the context. Am I choosing a […]

“Show, Don’t Tell” is one of the most common pieces of writing advice, and for good reason. Writers have a tendency to lean on descriptive statements, or “telling,” particularly in early drafts. When you’re starting a manuscript, it can be easier and faster to describe the broad strokes of a scene, such as, “She felt

If you’re on social media, you may already be familiar with Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist known for her engaging posts about common parenting struggles. After the publication of Dr. Becky’s book, Good Inside, I read an interview she did with reporter Elizabeth Holmes, and was struck by one piece of advice in particular.  While talking about

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

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

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.

As last week’s letter touched on, great picture books demonstrate many of the same qualities as great novels. This is one of the reasons studying picture books can help all writers to improve their craft, whether or not they’re writing for a picture book audience. Today, I want to talk about two specific areas in which great

As an editor, I’ve found that picture books are one of the topics that people outside of publishing tend to be the most curious about. Even people who have read numerous picture books can be surprised to learn how much time, hard work, and artistry goes into creating one. After all, shouldn’t writing a 500-word