by Michael Mahin | Children's Writing, Creativity, Picture Books, The Writing Process, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
No matter what kind of writer you are, exploring childhood memories can be a rich source of material. Exploring these memories is especially important for children’s writers because they put you in touch with emotions that you had as a child. Remembering how you... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Creativity, Picture Books, Story Development, The Writing Process, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
Plotter? Panster? Planster? When I first started writing, I was really obsessed with getting it right. I thought there was a right way and a wrong way to write. So I spent a lot of time reading about how the best writers do it. And it turns out, they do it in as many... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Story Development, Writing Advice, Writing Exercises, Writing Tips
A story question is little more than your book’s theme stated as a question. It’s not a particularly revolutionary idea, but it’s a great trick for quickly and easily determining what your story is about. And why do you need to know what your story... 
by Michael Mahin | Blog, Children's Writing, Picture Books, Writing Advice, Writing Tips
Incidental vs. Cause-and-Effect Action: Do You Know the Difference? This is Part 2 of my look at Ann Whitford Paul’s Writing Picture Books: A Hands-On Guide From Story Creation to Publication (Writers Digest Books, 2009). You can read Part 1, which is about the one...
