The Inquisitive Inkpot
Exploring Tales and the Art of Telling
Category: Writing Insights
Illustrations that Breathe a Children’s Book to Life
I will never forget the first pictures I saw of my children’s book—pictures I didn’t draw. Oh, I’d storyboarded and thrown together some third-grade quality sketches, but I had yet to meet my own character face-to-face on a page. Or should I say, face-to-foot?… Continue Reading “Illustrations that Breathe a Children’s Book to Life”
Storyboarding a Children’s Book
When was the last time you picked up a children’s book to study the pictures? I’ll admit, I hadn’t even touched a children’s book for a long time when I decided to write one of my own. This meant I had a lot to… Continue Reading “Storyboarding a Children’s Book”
The First Audience for a Children’s Book
When it comes to writing a children’s book, feedback is priceless. Most projects turn out better when they’ve been critiqued, but this is especially true of stories. Even more so of stories that are meant to be read aloud—which is precisely the purpose of… Continue Reading “The First Audience for a Children’s Book”
Choosing the Words for a Children’s Book
Every writer knows that word choice is essential—but this holds especially true when writing a children’s book. Before The Misadventures of Melvin the Missing Sock, I had never written a children’s book. In fact, I don’t even have that many kids in my life… Continue Reading “Choosing the Words for a Children’s Book”
Writing a Children’s Book: What no one told me
When I sat down to write my first-ever children’s book, I was actually a bit scared. Anyone who’s ever tried something completely new knows this anxiety. And anyone who’s ever written something for publication knows the self-conscious dread… What if it doesn’t turn out… Continue Reading “Writing a Children’s Book: What no one told me”
Children’s Stories: the Unexpected (Mis)Adventure
There’s a reason they say to try new things—I never thought I would author a children’s book, yet here we are. How did that happen? Well, let me tell you… Once upon a time, there was a young woman who wrote stories. But not… Continue Reading “Children’s Stories: the Unexpected (Mis)Adventure”
A Comedy of Subtitles
Unless you’re used to watching foreign films or you have a hearing impairment, you probably don’t find much use for subtitles. Neither do I—unless, of course, I’m watching a historical drama set in 1800s lower-class England, where everyone has a thick Cockney accent. Then… Continue Reading “A Comedy of Subtitles”
The Power of Short Stories
For all the bite-sized TV dramas, music videos, and social media posts out there, it seems people often overlook the common thread that these share: they are all short stories. And while plenty of psychologists and social scientists argue that our attention span is… Continue Reading “The Power of Short Stories”
The Exile: The Story behind the Story
Recently a contact from my alma mater reached out to interview me about The Exile, my first published novel. Fellow Hillsdale College alumna Gianna Marchese, the Editor in Chief of the Student Stories Blog and the college’s Social Media Coordinator, took the time to… Continue Reading “The Exile: The Story behind the Story”
The Secret Recipe to Great Blog Posts
WARNING: If you have no palate for satire, read no further. What you are about to read is a collection of the four unspoken, yet ubiquitous, components that are essential for writing unrivaled, mind-blowing blog posts. As someone who has been blogging for a… Continue Reading “The Secret Recipe to Great Blog Posts”
