Heart & Spirit: Carol Coven Grannick on Depth of Emotion in Writing Character

By Carol Coven Grannick

During the time I’ve been a Cynsations Reporter for “Heart and Spirit,” my now-debut middle grade novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn (Regal House, 2020), popped up in numerous Cynsations columns as a work-in-progress.

It’s been quite a journey for Reeni and me, with plenty of obstacles,

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Guest Post: Author Amy Alznauer on Artistic 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,

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Guest Post: Carol Coven Grannick: Submit! The Discovery of My First Year as a Full-Time Writer

By Carol Coven Grannick

One word permeated my first year as a full-time writer: “Submit!” I added an exclamation point because it deserves one. I’ll explain….

On June 3, 2018, I left my retirement job (having previously retired from my private practice as a Clinical Social Worker) at a beloved and extraordinary early childhood center to work for the first time in my life as a full-time writer.

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Author-Teacher Interview: Esther Hershenhorn

Author-Teacher Interview: Esther Hershenhorn

By Cynthia Leitich Smith

Esther, welcome back to Cynsations! What’s new in your writing-teacher life?

I’m happy to report: the teaching part of my teaching-author life is taking off in all sorts of new directions this year, literally and figuratively. I continue to teach writing for children workshops at both the University of Chicago’s Graham School’s Writer’s Studio and Chicago’s Newberry Library,

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2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Author-Writing Coach Esther Hershenhorn

2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Author-Writing Coach Esther Hershenhorn

By Elisabeth Norton
 

Esther Hershenhorn is an award-winning Chicago children’s book author.

She coaches children’s book writers and teaches Children’s Book Writing at the Writer’s Studio of the University of Chicago’s Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies and the Newberry Library.

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