Often in children’s books, the authenticity of emotion arises from the writer searching for and finding themselves as a child and their own fears and joys. Here are some elements of fiction to think about as you explore writing a picture book. I’ve come to realize that writing a book for children is a powerful…
“Terry’s presentation style is lyrical, engaging and her love of the medium was infectious.” Laura Horwood-Benton, Public Programming & Community Relations Librarian, Portsmouth Public Library. I’m offering this Online workshop especially for libraries. Thank you, librarians, for doing essential work this past year to keep kids and all of us connected with the books we…
Pugs, Merengue, Dolce & Gabbana By Terry Farish In a first draft, the one that makes me cry over some truth I’ve finally seen, for a flashing moment, I am sun god. I am sloppy and haphazard in my journal keeping, but my journals are invaluable to me when I go…
I wrote this essay in appreciation for Jan Mark. Jan was a two-time winner of the Carnegie Medal, the award given to England’s most outstanding work of children’s literature. I studied with Jan in the early 1980s.
Everybody has a story and it’s made up of moments – this moment – of a story. These prompts are about a moment. Scribbles on a page. (I do mine really early in the morning, but if you’re a teen, you might do yours on the phone in the dark late at night.) These are…