Guest Blog by Cedar Pruitt You know that feeling when a perfect story idea just drops into your lap? No? Me, neither! Usually the idea-into-lap phenomenon is just me writing notes like “Story about...

Review by Kelly Carey ​Hungry, alone and dreaming of the peach she tasted only once, young orphan Scilla scales the wall of the Earl’s garden hoping to find the delicious fruit. Caught and...

Guest Blog by Mary Wagley Copp ​​Last week, I submitted an early draft of a picture book to my critique group. It was delightful and humorous and a fun read. AND it fell flat. ​Yes, it had a...

~by Amanda Smith ​            For the last three years, I’ve had the incredible privilege of teaching literature to high school students. While studying a variety of literature in a range...

Guest blog by Janet Costa Bates ‘Kill your darlings,’ a phrase attributed to William Faulkner, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, even Stephen King, means to take out any bit of writing that is not...

Guest Blog by Nancy Tandon ​ Ask any teacher or librarian and they will tell you: most kids love scary stories! They cannot get enough. Supernatural ghost stories, haunted house mysteries, monster...

- Review by Kelly Carey Owls Make Terrible Teachers (Gnome Road, 2026), the hilarious follow up to Alpacas Make Terrible Librarians (Gnome Road, 2024) by Kristi Mahoney, features an owl substitute...

Guest blog by Andrew Hacket Get a job, they say. Have a family, they say. Buy a house, they say.  But what they don’t say is how hard all of the above make following your creative dream to be a...

Guest blog by Andrew Hacket Get a job, they say. Have a family, they say. Buy a house, they say.  But what they don’t say is how hard all of the above make following your creative dream to be a...

~ Review by Amanda Smith In Cat Nap (Greenwillow Books, 2025) written and illustrated by Caldecott Honor-winning artist Brain Lies, a sleepy kitten is disturbed from his comfy nap by a mouse. The...

By Guest Blogger Carrie Finison “It’s tough to sell a picture book in this market.” That’s something that I’ve been hearing since I started writing back in 2010. After several manuscript...

Ah, the luxury of winter breaks. This morning I sat, warm coffee mug in hand, and read poetry, and as Mary Oliver's exquisite word-art saturated me, this one in particular spoke to my heart: Lines...

Our 2025 guest bloggers have shared fascinating tips and wonderful practical advice all year long. But they aren't done! We've asked them to select the perfect items to put at the tipity-top of every....

Looking for that perfect something-to-read to wrap up your holiday gift shopping? Browse 24 Carrot Writing's Book Picks for 2025, as well as some of our Book Pick authors' personal favorites to...

Guest blog by Vicky Fang ​Having a main character that can drive multiple books is a key part of creating a chapter book series. But how do you create a series-worthy character?  ​​I’m...

Guest blog by Kirsten W. Larson ​The idea for my latest book, This Is How You Know: How Science Happens ( Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2025),   illustrated by Cornelia Li, a lyrical love...

Review by Kristi Mahony If you are looking for a book to help welcome in the fall season, Gather Grateful (Candlewick Press, September 2025) by author Megan Litwin and illustrator Alexandra Finkeldey....

Review by Kristi Mahony If you are looking for a book to help welcome in the fall season, Gather Grateful (Candlewick Press, September 2025) by author Megan Litwin and illustrator Alexandra Finkeldey....

​ Dear Fellow-writer in the Query Trenches or on Submission, ​ Hi there. I recognize you by your thin smile and guarded eyes when non-writers ask how your writing is going and tell you that they...

Like Samuel, you can serve God by obeying, being kind, and listening to His voice. Learn how Samuel faithfully followed God’s call from a young age.

~ by Annie Cronin Romano​ ​ I have been an associate agent for nearly four years and have participated in quite a few virtual conferences and pitch sessions. Last month, I had the privilege of...

by Kelly Carey I have let dozens of distractions knock me off my writing goals the past few months. Some have been fully necessary while others have been suspiciously less worthy. Regardless of the...

~ by Amanda Smith​ Before leaving on a revision retreat in the summer, I left my two boys with detailed instructions on cleaning their closets. One of the check boxes stated: Are you ready to get...

~ by Amanda Smith​ Before leaving on a revision retreat in the summer, I left my two boys with detailed instructions on cleaning their closets. One of the check boxes stated: Are you ready to get...

by Kelly Carey ​With a charming child narrator whose no-nonsense and humorous approach is equal parts endearing and funny, Like (Chronicle Books, 2022) by Annie Barrows and illustrated by Leo...