Cynsations is celebrating its 20th anniversary by switching to a quarterly publishing schedule, featuring in-depth interviews and articles. Thank you for your ongoing support and enthusiasm!
Today we welcome authors Kekla Magoon and Cynthia Leitich Smith to Cynsations to discuss their collaboration on a new middle grade graphic novel series,
By Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley
Lindsay: Thanks to Cynsations for inviting us to discuss the collaboration process for our latest picture-book poetry anthology, No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change, co-edited by Keila V. Dawson, Jeanette Bradley,
Today I am excited to introduce our Cynsations readers to Maureen Charles and Ashley Walker who recently collaborated on a nonfiction project for older readers. Their book Music Mavens from Chicago Review Press comes out this fall as part of their Women of Power series.
My most recent release, Soraya and the Mermaid, illustrated by Jen Naalchigar and Atieh Sohrabi (Reycraft, 2020), is the first in a series. The second book, Soraya and the Dragon, releases this spring.
Working on a series means constant collaboration and communication with an editor.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Salima Alikhan & Editor Sarah Brian Discuss Collaboration »
By Amy Alznauer
Discovering a New Magic at the Heart of the Creative Life
As artists, we spend most of our time alone in a room writing or drawing. On our bad days, we wonder if our efforts are nothing more than a narcissistic pursuit of a private vision.
I spent many days like this as I worked for over a decade – pre-agent,
Continue Reading Guest Post: Author Amy Alznauer on Artistic Collaboration »
Today I’m excited to interview two fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts graduates, Tami Lewis Brown and Debbie Loren Dunn about their new nonfiction picture book, Instructions Not Included, illustrated by Chelsea Beck (Disney-Hyperion, 2019).
Congratulations on Instructions Not Included! It’s a fun and inspiring book.
Continue Reading Co-Authors Interview: Tami Lewis Brown & Debbie Loren Dunn »
By Traci Sorell
Rarely do we see biographies of Native people post-1900, so the biography of Elizabeth Peratrovich, Fighter in Velvet Gloves (University of Alaska Press, 2019), by Annie Boochever with Roy Peratrovich, Jr. (Tlingit) is a welcome addition in children’s literature.
By Traci Sorell
Spring is in the air. Time for planting seeds and stories. Today’s spotlight is on a new picture book author duo, Miranda and Baptiste Paul. While separately they’ve published picture books, their first co-creations were recently published.
This month they’ll begin a U.S.
Continue Reading Co-Creators Miranda Paul & Baptiste Paul on Picture Book Collaboration »
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 »
By Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick
Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick
“Writing is a solitary occupation and one of its hazards is loneliness.” – Joyce Carol Oates
“The writing life is essentially one of solitary confinement.” – Will Self
“Writing is an antisocial act.” – Martha Grimes
Writing.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick on Co-Writing Picture Books »
