« Author’s Craft »
What does it take to improve as a writer?
Be a lifelong learner and study author’s craft…like me!
Book List
Storytelling Structure
- Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
- Story (Principles of Screenwriting) by Robert Mckee
- Improving Your Storytelling by Doug Lipman
- Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
- Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
- How to Write a Children’s Picture Book vol. I, II, III by Eve Heidi Bine-Stock
- The Scene Book by Sandra Scofield
Researching and Writing Nonfiction
- Anatomy of Nonfiction by Margery Facklam and Peggy Thomas
- Write for Story by Jon Franklin
- Story Craft by Jack Hart
- Keep It Real by Lee Gutkind
- Telling the Story: How to Write and Sell Narrative Nonfiction by Peter Rubie
Powerful Writing
- Showing & Telling by Laurie Alberts
- Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan
- Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Writing from the Senses by Laura Deutsch
- Writing Toward Home by Georgia Heard
Finding Your Voice (Sign up for my newsletter as we explore voice together)
- The Call of the Writer’s Craft by Tom Bird
- Image Grammar by Harry Noden (geared towards teachers)
- Crafting Authentic Voice by Tom Romano (geared towards teachers)
- The Art of Voice by Tony Hoagland (poetry)
- Word Magic for Writers by Cindy Rogers
- Word Painting by Rebecca McClanahan
For Perseverance
- Page after Page by Heather Sellers
- The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale
Finding an Agent/Publisher
- The Writer’s Digest Guide To Query Letters by Wendy Burt-Thomas
- Yes! You Can Learn How to Write Children’s Books, Get Them Published and Build a Successful Writing Career by Nancy L. Sanders
- the current Children’s Writer’s Market
Other Learning Options
Online Coursework
- September/October Rene’e LaTulippe Lyrical Language Lab
- August 2020 Kate Messner/Julie Hedlund Reinventing Author Visits
- April 2020 Alayne Kay Christian Art of the Arc: How to Analyze your Pb
- Nov/Dec 2019 Julie Hedlund/Emma Walton Hamilton The Complete Pb Submission System
- October/November 2016 Anastasia Suen Intensive Picture Book Workshop
- May 2016 Susanna Leonard Hill Making Picture Book Magic
- February/March 2016 M. Shannon Hernandez Copywriting with Heart
- January 2016 Kristen Fulton Nonfiction Archaeology
- October/November 2015 Joyce Sweeney Mystery and Suspense
- September 2015 Jodell Sadler Pacing Picturebooks to WOW
- April/May 2015 Jane Friedman Author Website and Marketing Webinars
- Summer 2014 Joyce Sweeney Picture Book Essentials
- Summer 2009 Laura Purdie Salas Writing Nonfiction for the Educational Market
Conferences
- SCBWI Western/Central NY regional conferences, latest one 2018
- SCBWI Conference NYC 2002
Retreats
- 2019 Elizabeth Falk, Linda Sue Park, Keely Hutton RACWI Fall Retreat
- 2019 Highlights Foundation Master Class in Writing NF for Children/YA
- 2018 and 2019 Darcy Pattison Western/Central NY SCBWI Voice Retreat
- 2016 Kristin Fulton WOW Retreat in Helen, Georgia
- 2014 Darcy Pattison Website Design, Novel Revision and Picture Book in MA
- 2010 Darcy Pattison Novel Revision in Syracuse, NY
WIP-This page will be updated periodically.
