Children’s Writing | Cathy C. Hall Writes

I’m not one to do much wild and crazy partying on my birthday, but I am all about celebrating other folks’ birthdays. And when those folks happen to be a wild and crazy bunch of kidlit writers who are giving away prizes…well, it’s bring in da noise and bring in da (writer) funk, ’cause I am down with winning prizes!

They’re having a birthday bash over there at Kidlit 411 (it started yesterday with a HUGE giveaway of all things picture book related!) and it continues through tomorrow (January 7th). If you want to win, you have to jump on the rafflecopter giveaways before January 15th.

And after you sign up for everything–and join everything Kidlit 411-related–then zip over and check out all the resources offered by this amazingly talented bunch of writers from the children’s world of literature. Many of them have their own blogs, of course, and you’ll want to catch up with them (and read their lovely books!). So even if you don’t win a party prize, you’ll still be a winner, enjoying the support of this terrific kidlit community.

(And P.S. I sorta told a fib. I kinda do par-tay on my birthday, and it gets a little noisy and a bit funky town. But I don’t give away any great prizes. Unless you count the booby prize. I pretty much win that every year.)

I don’t expect everyone loves research, but for me, it’s the thrill of the hunt on the way to the treasure. And I love to pick up gems as I go.

Here’s a post I found in my search for info on editor Diane Landolf (Random House). This little gem, with all kinds of great information on writing a series for children, is courtesy of the SCBWI in Metro New York. I love a post packed with tips and this one is brimming. I also love a succinct post, and this one nails that, too. So if you have a few minutes, you can learn a little something something about series writing and what editors look for in this area.

If you have a few more minutes, you might want to read a few of the feature articles provided by the lovely folks in the Metro New York SCBWI. You’ll find tips from agents, tips on query writing, tips about setting, tips on the digital age. All succinctly written and provided for your perusal.

And here’s my last tip. SCBWI chapters all over the country have swell websites, packed with tips. Many (including my chapter, Southern Breeze), provide an online magazine with all kinds of writing-for-children information. Some, like Metro New York, update a blog regularly for even more tips. And if you’re a member of SCBWI, you’ll have access to even MORE information and tips. Not to mention the opportunity to meet some of the finest children’s writers around.

I mean, as treasure goes, SCBWI is worth its weight in gold.