Writing - Closing the Loop Like many of you, I'm obsessed with mysteries—novels, detective series, and crime podcasts. People love a good mystery because we crave resolution. A mystery presents us with an open loop—an unresolved puzzle. We need to close the loop to feel satisfied. But writing, especially long-form projects like novels, forces us to live with an open loop for months or even years. That lingering uncertainty can feel pretty discouraging. When you sit down to work on your novel,...

Are your readers making reading goals and reflecting on who they are as readers? It's empowering to set goals, take steps to achieve those goals, and reflect on your progress. (I think reflection is one of the most powerful tools we can teach children, don't you?) It may be helpful to discuss the Rights of the Readers with your students and children and read about my process for goal setting with kids. New Picture Books (Ages 4 - 8) The new year in picture books features funny, sweet, and...

Hello, creative friends! Author / Illustrator Life Are you in a season of wintering? I (Melissa) had coffee with a group of SCBWI writers and illustrators last week, and they talked about how it’s hard to be creative during heavy times. It’s true. We have to have grace with ourselves in these seasons. In the book Wintering by Katherine May, she writes, “We have seasons when we flourish and seasons when the leaves fall from us, revealing our bare bones. Given time, they grow again.” We hope...