Tag Archives: Writing

Aug8

Guest Post: 5 Tips to Help You Write Awesome Children’s Characters

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Savannah Cordorva is a writer with the website, Reedsy.com.

Good characters are the key to any novel’s connection with its readers, and this is no different in children’s books; if anything, it’s truer. Think of iconic children’s books like Harry Potter, Matilda, or The Hunger Games —what do they have in common? Their characters are relatable, driven, and memorable.

Indeed, even the most fantastical books rely on human themes to resonate with readers. After all, it’s usually the way that characters interact with elements in the book that makes it interesting, rather than the elements themselves!

This is why, no matter what sort of children’s book you’re writing, it’s crucial to develop strong characters that will stay in your young readers’ hearts for generations. Master these tips and you’ll be well on your way.

1. Establish your character’s age and relevancy

Many popular children’s books are remembered for their cherished protagonists. However, there are a couple of elements that set the best apart from the rest: age and relevancy.

Specifically, the ideal formula for long-lasting characters is that they should be both a few years older than the target readers and experiencing similar real-life issues. Children love reading stories that they can relate and aspire to!

For example, Percy Jackson is twelve years old in Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, and attracts readers around ten years old. Of course, while Percy’s young fans won’t be discovering their mythical powers, they are growing up and will soon be entering new environments and making new friends — just like him.

As long as you explore human themes, feel free to give your characters the most fantastical plotlines you can think of. And if you want total control of your characters, consider self-publishing your children’s book! Linking your protagonist’s story to a real-life lesson is the bread and butter of character writing, but if this lesson is somewhat unconventional, the self-pub route could be your best shot at conveying it without compromise.

2. Build their drive and motivations

You’ve established your character’s age and relevancy. Great! The next step is to make sure your protagonist’s main goal — the essence of your story — is clear. Whether you’re writing a short story or a novel, it’s crucial to get this right. A story’s narrative arc will fizzle without motivation to propel things forward. And with children’s relatively short attention spans, they certainly won’t be giving precious attention to a lackluster plot.

This means another huge part of well-written children’s characters is that what they want or need drives the plot. Imagine how boring a story like Treasure Island would be if Jim Hawkins didn’t want to find Captain Flint’s treasure. And Watership Down wouldn’t be nearly as memorable without Hazel’s need to escape from the warren’s destruction. Once your character’s key motivation is established, the rest of their story should unfold with ease!

3. Put thought into their appearance

While a character’s internal thoughts are very important, that doesn’t mean their external characteristics deserve none of your time. Though personality is Priority One in terms of story, physical characteristics are often what make a first impression, in books and reality.

So while your protagonist’s appearance might not directly affect the plot, it can impact how supporting characters respond to them. And of course, if you’re writing a picture book, how the characters look will be a major part of the reader’s experience — and will likely contain visual clues about their personalities, emotions, and so on.

This is why, regardless of your artistic abilities, it’s worth sketching out your characters, from their hair color to their type of shoes. It doesn’t have to be Van Gogh-worthy, but having a concrete reference for your character’s appearance will make it easier to imagine — and therefore write out — more realistic scenes in your story.

This may be particularly helpful when it comes to dialogue. Another useful thing to consider is your character’s voice: What do they sound like? How do they interact differently with one character vs. another? Does their voice match their physicality, or present a comical contrast?

(If this sounds like a lot of details to organize — or if you’re looking to go even more in-depth — try checking out some character profile templates to help, or perhaps just a few character-building questions to get the ball rolling.)

4. Choose meaningful, memorable names

Well-named characters are sure to stick in readers’ heads. It sounds simple, but giving a character a name that reflects their key traits will tie everything together — and tell readers what to expect!

A classic example of this is Harry Potter’s Remus Lupin: “Remus” nods to the Roman myth about the twins Romulus and Remus who were raised by a wolf, while Lupin is derived from the Latin for “wolf”. So — spoiler alert — it’s no surprise that Remus Lupin turned out to be a werewolf, with a name meaning “Wolf Wolf”. Another perfect example of this is the much-loved Miss Honey in Roald Dahl’s Matilda, who is adored for her sweetness.

Though a name might seem a small feature, plenty of creativity goes into naming popular children’s characters! Whether your characters’ names are obscure linguistic references or common synonyms, make sure they’re fun to learn and impossible to forget.

5. Make character conversations believable

Going back to dialogue for our final point, many children’s writers are tempted to write their dialogue as they think children speak. But unless you’re a preschool teacher or a parent, try to avoid presuming anything!

Indeed, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with your target audience to facilitate more believable conversations. Good ways to research might be volunteering at your local school or working at a library. Bonus points if you have friends and family with children that you can ask to proofread your book. Their endorsement is a major signifier that you’re on the way to helping your target audience feel understood and represented.

Of course, every child is different, with their own personalities, opinions, mannerisms, and quirks. Keep in mind that your characters should progress and change, but dispositions — for example, a sharp sense of humor or joyful attitude — aren’t usually as fluid. A good rule of thumb is to figure out the essential traits your character has and stick with them. With this in mind, your characters are sure to instill readers with plenty of intrigue and love.

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading fiction (especially YA fantasy, and picture books to her niece and nephew!) and writing short stories.

Tiffany Turner was the editor on this post.

Sep24

Tiffany Turner To Teach Online Spooky Story Writing Workshop

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It’s getting near that spooky time of year. After over 15 years of teaching a spooky story workshop to my students, I’m offering it for the first time online. Bring Halloween indoors in an academic way, and keep this season spooky, fun and safe! It will be available two ways.

1) This first way to sign up for this workshop is as a full online in-person experience taught by myself live on Zoom. It will be available through the tutoring center called Knowledge Quest. I’ve worked there now for 3 years tutoring students in person and in local schools before the pandemic.

Now, the opportunity to learn from myself, a published author and certified teacher, is through Knowledge Quest. It starts on Oct. 5 through Oct. 29. There are two sessions, one for grades 3-5 and the other for grades 6-8. Each session will have one hour a week for four sessions. Kids will have an hour of instruction and will be walked through activities and given assignments to continue writing between sessions.

**Some at home support, such as looking over the story and doing feedback with your child, will be required.

I’ve taught and developed this spooky story unit over the years and I have put up some parts of it FREE to do through my website. But this is the full unit, developed by me, and available only this upcoming month of October. By the end of the sessions, all the students will have written their own stories that they can share on Halloween night. They will learn character development, create a plot with problem/solution structure, study the spooky genre, and have a lot of fun! They’ll have a chance to unlock the creativity within them.

**Note times are Pacific Daylight Time since I’ll be teaching the workshop live through Zoom. Sign-ups for the live Zoom instructional spooky workshop is through Knowledge Quest.

Find out more and REGISTER HERE!

2) The second way to take the workshop, especially if it would be difficult to in your time zone, is to sign up for my online writing school course. It’s the first course available, and I plan to develop more through the next several months. I’ve decided to develop the spooky story writing workshop first since the basic posts on the blog are so popular, and my students loved it as their favorite story during the school year.

Here is the blurb from my writing school “Keep On Writing”:

Ready to have some fun writing? Here’s a course to help children love writing and enjoy it. I often found children didn’t get to enjoy the writing projects assigned when I was a teacher. So, I developed an, exciting “Spooky Story” writing project for the month of October that I taught for over fifteen years in my classroom. Now, your child can experience the joy of writing and using their imagination.

Taught through a Writing Workshop format, I go over all the steps of writing, prewriting, drafting, revision and proofreading and creating a final draft. Each lesson includes mini-lessons on the craft of writing including organizing ideas through graph organizers, writing dialogue, “Show, Don’t Tell”, plot creation, character creation and conflict, and problem/solution story structure.

Write your own Spooky Story in either a live workshop with Mrs. Turner or in her online writing school. Get spooky and stay safe this Halloween! Use your imagination and write!

When your child finishes the course, they will have a fantastic story of their own creation to share with family and friends. As they go through the writing process, they are asked to work with a family member or guardian with the writing process in which they learn to gain feedback on their writing and make changes. Anyone in the family or through Zoom can fulfill this role making it a bonding activity with your child.

Whether this course is being used during the fall for a Halloween project or any time during the year to engage children in writing, or help adults write for children, it has always been a student and child favorite. I now present to you, the “Spooky Story” Writing Project to help bring the joys of writing to your child.

The online writing school course is $19.99.

LINK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE & REGISTER!

**Happy Halloween!

-Mrs. Turner

Aug28

Coming Soon: Back to School Blog Tour 2020

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BacktoSchoolBlogTour2020It’s almost here. The 8th Annual Back to School Blog Tour is ready to launch on Monday, Aug. 31. This year, there will be a line-up of authors and featured books to help support kids, parents and teachers during this challenging year. With changes in routine to going to school masked or online, kids and parents are facing different challenges than ever before. I’ve lined up a variety of authors and their books to help support creative learning, children’s literature and distance learning.

back2schoolbanner2020Here is the line-up of authors for this year:

  1. Casey Gale
  2. Karen Goeller
  3. Devin Martin
  4. Craig R. Hazen
  5. Thomasina M. D’Arezzo

Each author will be featured each day of the blog tour. Feel free to visit information about their blogs/websites and about their featured book. As an added treat, I will be giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card through a Rafflecopter giveaway. Just visit the link to win all week, and the winner will be announced after the blog tour is over.

Come join all the fun and get to know some new, fabulous children’s authors!

The Back to School Blog Tour will be Monday, Aug. 31 through Friday, Sept. 4. Hosted here by the Indie Children’s Authors Connection.

***Follow my blog to get all of the posts emailed to you.

See you next Monday!

-Tiffany Turner

Jul28

Interview with Daniel and Madison Davis

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Dan _ Madi

Daniel and Madison Davis are the authors of the children’s poetry book, Melancholy Musings: Children’s Poetry for Life’s Darker Moments

With so much sad news and depressing events happening around us, there is nothing better than poetry to perk up your summer. I’ve found a fabulous father and daughter writing duo. Meet Daniel and Madison Davis. Dr. Daniel Davis is a sociology professor at San Diego State University. His daughter, Madi, loves art, writing and hip-hop dancing. They paired up during the Spring Shutdown to write poetry together to cheer themselves up and to share a positive literature experience with readers.

Their book, Melancholy Musings: Children’s Poetry for Life’s Darker Moments, presents children’s poetry to share and read to help with the stress and pain of growing up and other tragic events in life. I had a chance to ask Madi and Daniel about their writing adventure during this pandemic, and what they have in further store for us.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Madi: I’m still reading as a child! But I did feel happy when I finished the longest Harry Potter book. It was like 600 pages.

Daniel: I remember my mom signed me up for a summer reading challenge at the local library. I read as many kids books as I could, and don’t remember how many it was, but I ended up winning the challenge and felt pretty cool about it.

2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Madi: J.K. Rowling is my favorite. I’ve read everything she’s written. They made me really eager to keep reading.

Daniel: For fun, probably Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I love that genre of zany British humor, always makes me laugh. More seriously, probably Peter Berger’s work on the social construction of reality, which helped me see the many ways that society is our own creation. 

3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Madi: I write whenever I feel like it, but if it’s for school I always finish a rough draft the first day, add to it the second day. If there’s a third day, I spend that one editing it. For Melancholy Musings, there were also some deadlines from my writing coach and Dad that helped keep us going.

Daniel: I try to set up a process for each project. Like for this one, I would brainstorm poem topics with Madi and have her come up with some rhyming word pairs and ideas. Then I might create a few lines another day and she would go over them and add some still another day. It was a back and forth approach. 

4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Madi: Most things fiction. I sort of hate non-fiction. I like writing stories with drama, suspense, and mystery.

Daniel: Probably non-fiction or journal articles. I’m a sociologist, so either research or materials students can use in sociology classes.

5) How was your current poetry book written?

Daniel: While we were apart, Madi and I shared a Google doc and would take turns talking on the phone and adding lines and poem ideas. Madi also had the idea of making all of the imagery from the same family and centered on the main little girl. As new poem ideas came along, the family of characters kept growing.

6) Why do you feel this was an important poetry collection to create?


Daniel: Children’s books and poems typically center on happy topics or fantasy, but difficult things happen to kids too. We thought it might be meaningful to create a set that parents could pull from to allow for discussions about these things with their kids. Ultimately pets pass away, families have to move or get divorced, loved ones get sick; it can be helpful to have opened up some of these conversations with kids in advance. It helps them understand that these things happen to everyone; they are part of life.

7) What message do you have for aspiring poets?


Madi: Just keep practicing! I could tell by the end, we had better poems than what we had first written.

Daniel: Brainstorm lots of ideas, take your time, have fun with it, and find a good website to help you think of rhyming words.

8) As a parent, why do you think working on a project like this during the pandemic helped you and your daughter cope?

Daniel: It gave us something to focus on other than all of the bad news that was happening every day. We also had little deadlines we self-imposed every Tuesday at noon. So, sticking to some kind of structure like that helped make sure we kept working on it, but also that we made time to FaceTime each other every week. It was nice to connect with her and hear her ideas and thoughts. I could tell some of the topics were easy for her to think of, like the death of a goldfish or getting lost in a crowd, which she had experienced before. But there were other topics that were more of a stretch, like imagining what it would be like to have an older sister go away to college or an aunt tired of hosting family for the holidays.

9) What suggestions do you have for parents trying to help their children through the COVID19 pandemic?

Daniel: It depends on the age of the kids, of course. With a tween, I try to keep her informed and aware of what’s going on, but she doesn’t need daily updates on virus numbers and such. She is careful about social distancing and understands it, but not getting to see her friends or have her fifth-grade promotion, missing summer trips and camp are certainly a disappointment. The pandemic will forever be a milestone of her generation’s collective memory, like 9-11 for the cohort before. But unlike 9-11, Covid-19 is such a prolonged tragedy. It’s hard to say what the long-term impacts will be.

But I think the best thing we can do is keep listening to our kids and giving them room to process. It’s an unprecedented situation, so it’s hard to give one-size-fits-all advice. Different kids will need different things. But, I think if we listen empathetically and ask lots of questions about how they feel, in most cases they can tell us what they need. We don’t have to guess.

10) What is writing to you in one sentence?

Madi: Writing is a hobby that I really like, especially writing surprising stories where a character might get hurt, go insane, or die all of a sudden. Not really horror, but things people don’t expect me to write.

Daniel: It’s a way to share ideas and inspiration with others, and possibly even a way to create a legacy that will outlive us.

Melancholy Musings Front CoverMelancholy Musings: Children’s Poetry for Life’s Darker Moments is a fantastic read-aloud to share with family to discuss times such as the pandemic or the other difficulties children face. Death of pets, life transitions, moving to a new place and others can be difficult events in a child’s life. This collection addresses these tough subjects along with others in a humorous and empathic poetic approach. It encourages families to have discussions together with poetry as the catalyst. Written as collaboration between a father and daughter during the Spring Pandemic Lockdown of 2020, these light-hearted poems will be a wonderful addition to any home library.

Book Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro1xd9P1qKU&t

Melancholy Musings: Children’s Poetry for Life’s Darker Moments is available at: Amazon.com. This is a Kindle Unlimited title.

 

 

Jul23

Interview with Freddie Bell

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With the little ones stuck inside, I’ve been on the search for activity adventures through books. It’s the safe way to spend the summer, and can be enjoyed in any backyard or camping trip. My newest discovery is the picture book, “Mya, the Amazing Girl with Magical Hair, Rides Her Bike” written by author Freddie Bell. I had a chance to interview Freddie about his childhood reading memories, writing routine, favorite authors, and what he has in store for future projects.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Freddie Bell: My favorite memory reading as a child came after I read an adventure book and tried to convince my neighborhood friends to go on an overnight adventure with me. (We were seven years old at the time.)

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Freddie Bell: James Patterson, I love the character development and plot twists.

  • Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.

Freddie Bell: I write constantly. Any situation can spark an idea.

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Freddie Bell: Space Travel, Entrepreneurship, and Empathy. You can throw a little comedy in there as well.

  • What is writing to you in one sentence?

Freddie Bell: Fun!MYARidesHerBikeCVR

“Mya, the Amazing Girl with Magical Hair, Rides Her Bike” takes you on a daring, magical adventure. Written by Freddie Bell and illustrated by Aria Jones, this picture book will sweep you into another world of fantasy adventure. It’s available at Amazon.com as a Kindle Unlimited title.

 

 

Jul21

Interview with Elizabeth M. Reinhart

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Elizabeth M. Reinhart is the author of the picture book, “The Fox Who Chased the Sky.”

Growing up in the West Virginia hills inspired the stories of my next summer reading find. Elizabeth M. Reinhart uses memories of her youth and the beauty of her home to create a fantastical world for her character, the Little Fox. In her book, “The Fox Who Chased the Sky”, the author brings nature and a playful fox into the safe haven of home. I had a chance to talk to Elizabeth about her childhood memories, advice for aspiring writers, and what she has next in store for us.

1) What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: It’s funny, because no amount of words can truly capture the feelings that these memories have for me. Times were not always easy for us back then, financially or emotionally. Reading before bed became a little cocoon of time when we could all be transported into other worlds with a sense of security. My brothers and I heaped onto our parents’ bed while our mom patiently read each book that we picked out and I cherish that time so much. Once I began to read on my own, I read voraciously. I consumed as many words as I could, and still do today! I credit our mom for passing on that love of reading and writing.
2) Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: It’s difficult to choose, but I think Kenneth Grahame. Wind in the Willows fascinated me as a child. I understood that his writing was for children (it had all the hallmarks of whimsical characters and adventure), but in my heart I also felt that he treated us as “grown ups”. Sure, I LOVED Little Golden Books and Dr. Seuss, but there was just something about reading Grahame’s words and knowing that he respected the reader enough not to simplify it. Books like Wind in the Willows taught me to be curious about language, which in turn led to a love affair with words.

3) Do you have a writing routine? Share what works for you.
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: The first book in my series was written at 4:30 in the morning on my front porch after having a very sudden surge of creativity as I awoke. For me, it strikes unexpectedly, so I am always prepared to write notes wherever I am. As a children’s book author, I find that the challenge is to pack a lot of punch in a short amount of text. To successfully accomplish this, I rely heavily on imagery – which means that I daydream … a lot! I try to be open to creative influence whatever I am doing.

4) What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: For now, I am very focused on the “Little Fox” series that I have been developing over the past 3 years. My illustrator, Aleksandra Bobrek, and I have about 4 books planned so far in this series and we are also focusing on a line of merchandise. We would love to really make this world come alive for readers who fall in love with him.

5) What other books do you have planned in the “Little Fox” series?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I’m really excited about our plans for the Little Fox series. “The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is book 1 in the series and focuses on themes of self-discovery and establishing friendships. Book 2, “The Fox Who Caught a Star” carries on with the characters introduced in book 1 and takes a deeper dive into the concept of what it means to be a friend to another. Book 2 will be available by the end of the summer! I’ve also written a free book which is posted on my website titled, “The Fox and the Last Leaf.” It has not been through the editing and illustration process, but I thought it would be fun to begin to share stories in early stages. I’m all for creating more story time for folks!

6) What adventures playing in the West Virginia hills as a kid have led to scenes in your books?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: So many! My brothers and I rarely played indoors, so our memories are deeply entrenched in nature. We would climb trees, play pretend and run around our several acres of land, play on the swing set while watching the farmland behind us being baled for hay. For me, an interesting point about the illustrations is that Aleksandra (the illustrator) is from Poland. Much of what you see is HER perspective living in Europe as a child – and to me, it is a lovely marriage of memories and culture that makes the final look very special to me. When we collaborate, we try to include special details to both of us. For instance, there are little secret nods to my family in each of the books that Aleksandra has captured – one of which is the violets. They have a very special meaning for me.

7) What advice would you give to “aspiring” writers?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I think it depends on what the writer wishes to accomplish. To me, writing in and of itself, is freedom. Even if I were not pursuing a business in this field, I would write for the love of it. If that is you, write, write, write to your heart’s content and bare your soul. If you are pursuing a livelihood as a writer, do everything I mentioned before – that never changes! I do encourage everyone to research the business end if you are taking it a step further. There are so many nuances to the business and several pitfalls you want to avoid. I am by no means an expert, but I have learned so much starting up my business. I am always happy to pass what I’ve learned on, so if you need a little advice, please feel free to reach out to me.

8) Do you have any upcoming virtual appearances planned?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: Not quite yet, but I am working on it! I had some local plans set up, but as the situation shifts, I will focus more on virtual appearances. Check in with me on my website http://www.emreinhart.com for updates.

9) Are you planning to write any other types of children’s books after the “Little Fox” series?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: I’m always daydreaming up ideas for stories, and yes, I do have other ideas in mind! If I can gain a strong following, I would like to create two separate series. “Stories from the Dale” (which is where Little Fox lives), and “Stories from Home”, which will focus on lighthearted stories about life in West Virginia. All are children’s books which, I hope, young ones and adults will love!

10) What is writing to you in one sentence?
Elizabeth M. Reinhart: Writing, for me, is allowing my true self to come forward, unapologetically.

cover The Fox Who Chased the Sky“The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is a story about self-discovery and friendship through the lens of the character, Little Fox. Inspired by the beautiful West Virginia hills, Little Fox sets out to discover the world around him and learns of kindness and patience when he finds himself in a lonely and confused point in life. This book is not only for young readers, but also for everyone with the “child inside” that still needs an occasional reflection on life lessons.

“The Fox Who Chased the Sky” is available at the author’s website here. For more information on Elizabeth M. Reinhart, please visit her website at: https://www.emreinhart.com/.

 

Jul16

Interested in Self-Publishing? I Just Wrote the Book On It.

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Get Ready Push Button-FinalEbook

Tiffany Turner is the self-published author of a children’s fantasy book series and several paranormal romance titles. 

It is now available. All of my self-publishing knowledge over the last thirteen years. I’ve been at this self-publishing thing for awhile now. And I’ve learned a lot. It’s been called a gold rush by some, from about 2009 to 2011, and beyond. I would say that was mostly due to KDP, Kindle Digital Publishing, Amazon’s digital platform. It is now a whole new frontier that I can help you navigate.

From watching and talking to other self published authors on Kindleboards (later Kboards.com) like Hugh Howey, to getting the idea and encouragement to start writing romance after my children’s books, I’ve had quite a journey. I wrote “Get Ready to Push the Button: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing” to make it easy for anyone to get started. All you need is that finished manuscript, and you can be on your way.

All of my hard earned experience has been written down into my beginner’s guide to self-publishing. So, if you’ve been thinking about it, or even wrote a manuscript during lockdown and don’t know what to do now, I’ve got an answer for you. Self-publish!

I’ve been talking to people about how to self-publish on panels at various local conferences including Fanime, San Francisco Comic Con and the Silicon Valley Comic Con over the last few years. Now, you can get all my expertise in one helpful guide, with links for support in an online FB private group. Plus, I’ve worked with a lot of emerging authors through my Fiverr.com gigs. I’ve gotten experience in so many areas from diving into the self-publishing world, and I keep growing with it. Find out how you can make your writing dreams come true, and become a working writer.

Have a manuscript and don’t know what to do?

Have you considered self-publishing?

Get Ready to push the button (3D)-PromoJoin Tiffany Turner as she explains how to get your manuscript ready to finally push that self-publishing button. This beginner’s guide to self-publishing has been put together with Mrs. Turner’s thirteen years of self-publishing experience in romance and children’s book self-publishing. With easy step by step explanations of how to prepare your manuscript, she’ll walk you through in her humorous banter how to:

-Discovering if this self-publishing path is for you.
-Terms & tips you’ll need to navigate the self-publishing world.
-Preparing your manuscript with an easy to follow list of steps.
-How to find the people to help you self-publish such as beta readers, editors, cover designers, formatters and self-publishing platforms.
-What to set up before you self-publish.
-Launching your book.
-Maintaining your self-publishing empire after your first book.

Discover how to get yourself started onto the self-publishing path.

“Get Ready to Push the Button: A Beginner’s Guide to Self-Publishing” is available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Apple/iBooks, and Rakuten/Kobo.

 

 

 

Jun13

Interview with Tiffany Watkins

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This pandemic has made many of us become aware of those things to be thankful for. It may also be bringing on feelings of resentment of what your child might have lost out on. Help them deal with the loss and look at the positives of their new situation with a fabulous find, a “Gratitude Journal for Kids”.

Tiffany Watkins is the author of this book. She has a BSA in Sociology with a minor in Child and Family studies, and a master in Divinity Studies. She received a doctorate in Christian Counseling. She enjoys serving her community and working with the United Way Young Philanthropist Program. Through her book, she hopes to encourage children to look towards what they are grateful for each day and find the magic in a moment of their day. I had the chance to interview Tiffany about her childhood reading memories, favorite author, and what projects she has in store for the future.

  • What is your favorite memory from reading as a child?

Tiffany Watkins: My favorite memory from reading as a child was how fun it was to have your peers reading about the same thing and able to discuss it among them.

  • Who was your favorite author and how did they influence you?

Tiffany Watkins: My favorite memory from reading as a child was “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret?” by Judy Blume. This book greatly influenced my walk as a middle schooler because it addressed the things I was experiencing at the time.

  • What subjects would you like to write about in future projects?

Tiffany Watkins: In the future, I would like to write about positivity for kids.

Gratitude Journal for kids front pic“Gratitude Journal for Kids” is a helpful tool to help children focus on the positive aspects of their lives. Written to encourage an Attitude of Greatness, the journal has daily entries so your child can write three things daily about what they are grateful for. Each entry also includes a “Magic Moment of the Day” in which they can reflect on something that was positive and memorable about their day. Drawing is encouraged in the entry to express their gratefulness and artistic abilities. This book will help your child get in touch with their feelings and cope with the loss of a daily routine and events during the COVID19 pandemic.

“Gratitude Journal for Kids” is available at: Amazon.com.

For more information on Tiffany Watkins, visit her Amazon Author page.

 

Apr4

Parent Support for Homeschool: Free Ebook & Online Novel Study

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The Lost Secret of Fairies is FREE on Smashwords for a limited time!

So folks, some of you have been following along with a two week, free novel study. I thank you for that, and am warmed by the feedback I’ve been hearing. Because of this, I wanted to help you out even further.

I have managed to find a way to get the ebook for the novel study, FREE, for a limited time. From now until the end of the month, The Lost Secret of Fairies ebook is FREE. Yes, you heard that right. I’m giving it to you as a gift, along with the entire free online novel study, to help promote reading and learning during these hard times for the world. It is my gift to the world to hopefully help us all get through together. I’m sure fairies are something we all need right now.

Link to Smashwords Free Ebook

Offer extended until May 31, 2020.

I hope you enjoy the story, and for those of you just finding my blog, here is a link to the entire online novel study in order. It takes about 2 weeks to go through the whole novel study. Please leave any comments or feedback on how you are enjoying it. Plus, feel free to add any questions too. I love talking to people and finding out how they enjoyed my book.

summer1The Free Online Lost Secret of Fairies Novel Study

Day 1: Beginning of The Novel Study/Journal Entry Set Up

Day 2: Spooky Writing Online Unit

Day 3: Chapter 1-3 Study Questions

Day 4: Chapter 4-6 Study Questions/Blog Reading Activity

Day 5: Chapter 7-8 Study Questions/Definitions Activity Worksheet

Day 6: Chapter 9-10 Study Questions/Using Fairy Tales & Legends in Lit Paragraph Response Reading Activity

Day 7: Chapter 11-12 Study Questions/ PE Activity

Day 8: End of Book Study Questions/ Summary & Character Change Response Worksheets

Day 9: Theme/Author Message Response Worksheet/Video Lesson

Day 10: Final Essay Test & Grading Rubric with Completion Certificate

Bonus Posts:

Tips for Helping to Create Structure & Schedule For Distance Learning/Homeschooling 

Reflection on the Emotional Impact of the Corona Virus Lockdown: Poem and Journal Response Activity

Just remember, wash your hands, stay safe, and be kind to everyone, because the world needs that right now. Oh, and fairies. We need the World of Fairies too.

So, enjoy, read and write!

Until next time,

Tiffany Turner

***Tiffany Turner is the author of the children’s fantasy series, the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. She has had 18 years teaching experience in California as a public elementary teacher. She is currently tutoring in the private sector and continuing to write full time.