Melanie J. Fishbane joins the Cynsations team as a reporter covering children’s-YA writing, illustration, publishing and other book news originating in Canada.
Melanie J. Fishbane holds an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts and an M.A.
Continue Reading New Cynsations Reporter: Melanie J. Fishbane »
Cynsations Note:
Happy Halloween!
Yesterday we heard from Gillian French about techniques for building suspense.
Today Helena Echlin shares her take on giving your readers goosebumps.
And if you looking for even more ways to scare your readers,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Helena Echlin on How to Write (& Rewrite) a Tale of Suspense »
Cynsations Note:
What scares you? Snakes? Spiders? Bigfoot? It’s different for everyone. Likewise, authors use different approaches for building suspense.
Our Halloween treat for you is a glimpse at techniques from two YA authors for upping the stakes.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Gillian French on Hooking Readers: How to Build Suspense »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith,
Gayleen Rabakukk & Robin Galbraith
Author Interviews
The Boy, the Boat, and the Beast by Samantha M. Clark from Watch. Connect. Read by Mr. Schu. Peek:
“Reading is how we learn, explore, experience,
By Sarah Albee
If you write for kids, chances are you are working on several things at the same time.
Most writers of books for kids don’t have the luxury of working on one project for years and years. We are short-order cooks, juggling multiple tasks at multiple stages.
So how do we shift gears between projects?
Continue Reading Guest Post: Sarah Albee on Brain Training: How Writers Must Learn to Shift Gears »
Brenda Randolph, founder and director of Africa Access, was raised in the segregated schools and libraries of Richmond, Virginia.
“I was an avid reader, but I never encountered crude racism in children’s books,” she said. “I remember being irritated by some comments, but I never came upon viciously racist sentiments or characters. Continue Reading Guest Post: Karen Leggett Salutes the Children’s Africana Book Awards »
In children’s-YA writing, maintaining an active publishing career is arguably an even bigger challenge than breaking into the field.
Reflecting on your personal journey (creatively, career-wise, and your writer’s heart), what bumps did you encounter and how have you managed
to defy the odds to achieve continued success?
Would-Be Kid Writer Robin
I tried to write my first story when I was in second grade. My family was gathered around the TV like every night. While “M*A*S*H” played in the background, I stared at my blank paper and dreamed up what I thought was a hilarious story of a girl who used every possible excuse to avoid going to bed—a subject I knew well.
Continue Reading Cynsations Intern: Robin Galbraith on Giving Yourself Permission to Write »
By Cynthia Leitich Smith & Gayleen Rabakukk
Author Interviews
We’ve Been Waiting in the Wings Forever: A Queer Theater Story by Amy Rose Capetta from CBC Diversity. Peek: “It’s no real secret that the theater world, from the professional stages in NYC to the drama clubs in most schools are havens for creative and hardworking LGBTQIAP folks.
Cynthia Levinson is co-author of Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, And the Flaws That Affect Us Today, also by Sanford Levinson (Peachtree, 2017). From the promotional copy:
Many of the political issues we struggle with today have their roots in the US Constitution. Continue Reading Author Interview: Cynthia Levinson on Fault Lines in the Constitution »
