Category: All Posts

Building Writerly Resources: Putting Edelweiss to Work

By Susan Wroble (Note that a version of this post first appeared in RMC Kite Tales, Spring 2023) Have you ever noticed the disclaimers on some book reviews posted to book blogs or Goodreads?  “I received this book from the publisher via Edelweiss so I could provide an honest review. No compensation was given and all … Continue reading Building Writerly Resources: Putting Edelweiss to Work

Nonfiction Picture Books: Not to be Missed Nonfiction (RMC 2023)

By Susan Wroble The Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI is one of those truly great organizations, filled with people who willingly share their knowledge to support others. It was the reason I stepped in to volunteer for the chapter’s leadership team—I wanted to keep this organization going. In the nearly two years since then, one … Continue reading Nonfiction Picture Books: Not to be Missed Nonfiction (RMC 2023)

Building Writerly Resources: The Secret to Children’s Publishing? Persistence.

Psssst… Want to know the secret of children’s book publishing? At the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI’s panel at the CCIRA literacy conference in February, authors and illustrators shared some of the stories behind their stories. The answer? It’s simple and painful, both. Persistence. For some, persistence has meant staying focused over time. Author/Illustrator Kaz Windness is truly … Continue reading Building Writerly Resources: The Secret to Children’s Publishing? Persistence.

Building Writerly Resources: The Secret Agent Files

“Why,” asked a woman near me, “is it so very hard now to find agents who want to represent picture books? I can find plenty of agents for Middle Grade and YA, even for graphic novels and author/illustrator books. But finding one to come to our conference that represent author-only picture books is getting really … Continue reading Building Writerly Resources: The Secret Agent Files

In the Garden: Barbara Carroll Roberts’ book—A ROSE NAMED PEACE

September 2022. When we bought a house in Denver, it came with a garden, and a history. The home had belonged to Matt and Elaine Mateyka, and Matt had made a second career (according the neighbors, his first was in the CIA) as a television gardener. Matt had died two decades earlier, but the bones … Continue reading In the Garden: Barbara Carroll Roberts’ book—A ROSE NAMED PEACE

Building Writerly Resources: Lessons from the Booksellers

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to attend three different events hosted by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI that focused on relationships with booksellers. First, RMC’s Perfect Partners webinar featured a panel of five local Indie booksellers: Juli Guyer of BookBar and The Bookies Lauren Casey of Second Star to the Right Jerilyn Patterson of The Wandering Jellyfish  … Continue reading Building Writerly Resources: Lessons from the Booksellers

Exploring the Human-Animal bond: Hathaway—How Did She Know?

Summer, 2019 One Friday this summer, I was giving a presentation with Hathaway to the student researchers at the University of Colorado —  specifically, for those working at the Gary Pavilion, in the psychiatric unit. This is a completely separate building from the main Children’s Hospital, but the same parking lot. I was annoyed at … Continue reading Exploring the Human-Animal bond: Hathaway—How Did She Know?

Building Writerly Resources: Learning to Critique (there’s just one more thing…)

The goal: Critique without overwhelming. The problem? It’s really tricky. The solution: Just one more thing… With the talented author Judith Robbins Rose (Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco), I feel very fortunate to lead one of the Connect Groups for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI. Our Denver South Connect & Critique follows … Continue reading Building Writerly Resources: Learning to Critique (there’s just one more thing…)