After a lifetime on a farm in southern Ontario, Janet traded crops for creativity and began cultivating words instead of soil. Her journey from rural life to published author began with poetry, when her poem Follow the River won a contest at Creative Writing Institute. The Institute’s CEO, Deborah Owen, recognized her talent and invited Janet to…
Author: steve
Everything You Need to Know About Book Publishing
Successful author Kevin Kelly has written the best guide to publishing I’ve ever read. It’s called Everything I Know About Publishing and Self-Publishing. Here are some of the best take-aways: “Traditional book publishers have lost their audience, which was bookstores, not readers. It’s very strange but New York book publishers do not have a database…
Animal Genders in Children’s Books
Children’s picture books are filled with talking animals—but did you know that these characters are overwhelmingly male? A recent data‑driven feature from The Pudding reveals that male animal characters are referenced twice as often as female ones in popular children’s books, with male pronouns (“he/him”) nearly three times more common in both books and reader‑submitted…
Writing Academy Celebrates 25 Years!
What started as just one class back in 2000 has turned into an array of classes, services and books offered worldwide. Writing Academy now offers five classes taught by Steve Alcorn through more than 1500 colleges, universities, and library systems worldwide. We also offer more than a dozen video classes at https://writingacademy.com And Steve and…
Plot vs. Story
Plot vs. Story: The Key to Writing a Compelling Novel Many writers, even seasoned ones, often confuse the terms plot and story, using them interchangeably. However, as I explain in How to Fix Your Novel, understanding the crucial difference between these two elements can significantly improve your writing. By keeping plot and story distinct, you…
Are Paperbacks Going Away?
In recent years, the publishing industry has witnessed a notable decline in paperback editions, particularly in adult nonfiction. Between 2019 and 2024, new adult nonfiction paperback titles decreased by 42%, dropping to just under 40,000. In contrast, hardcover titles experienced a more modest decline of 9% during the same period. Several factors contribute to this…
A Scientific Approach to Scene and Sequel
Author Ian Fanselow breaks down his methodical approach to writing with an example scene from his new novel “Worlds Apart” I am a very methodical person and planning is my strength. So when I learned about the idea of “Scene and Sequel” it immediately clicked for me, and I developed a system I used for…
Manuscript Evaluation Checklist
Writing “Penelope’s Big Dream”
Author Mónica Vidalón takes us through the process of writing and publishing her Children’s Book Even though my background is in business and advertising, I have always been passionate about writing and illustrating books for children. When my girls were little, I made a point to read to them very often not only to raise…
Hook Kids’ Attention With Your Writing
by Marcia T. Jones and Debbie Dadey Between the Internet, Nintendo and the TV remote how can “boring” books compete? Marcia T. Jones and Debbie Dadey explain what it takes to grab a kid’s attention and hold onto it from the beginning to “the end.” One chance. That’s all kids will give you before they toss…