Never forget. Twenty years later and their stories still make me cry. I haven’t looked at these old copies of The Kansas City Star, The New York Times, and The New Yorker since the day James …

It is time once again to make with the funny. This year, intrepid Chuckle Challenge organizers April Berry, Julie Hauswirth, Kris DeCaro, Bri Lawyer have put together a slate of hilarity-inducing character names and objects for us to do with as we will in under 200 words. Don't mind if I do. The submission window opens this Thursday, Sept. 10 and runs through Sunday, Sept.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities that support writers, illustrators, and translators throug...

When I began this traditional publishing journey in November 2023, I secretly thought I'd be the exception to the rule. The first agent I queried would fall in love with my novel and offer me representation inside of two weeks. Okay, maybe not the FIRST one, but surely by summer of 2024, I'd have an agent. Ha. Fast forward two and a half years and 103 queries.

I've been sitting on this news for several months, waiting for the August issue of Novellum Magazine to release. But I'm thrilled to announce my short story "Five Finger Discount," about two girls from the 80s on a shop-lifting spree, is now available for purchase in issue #008! I even got paid and everything, wow! They also interviewed me on YouTube, double-wow!

Sorry, dear readers, for the long absence! It has been a whirlwind couple of months of wins and losses. Mostly losses, but hey, you can't win if you don't enter! I spent a good deal of April preparing my most polished picture book for PB Party, in which picture book writers and illustrators compete for coveted slots to be featured in a showcase of talent, and participating editors and agents can invite would-be-authors to send them their lovely picture books.

emilymatheisauthor on May 4, 2026: "We always remember the villain. The villains we can’t forget are built on four bones: a goal, a dose of vulnerability, a moment of humanity, and a conviction that d...

PB Rising Stars is a mentorship program that my picture book friends have raved about for years. I've never felt strong enough as a PB writer to try for it... ...until now. Regretfully, this will be the first time--and the last time--I can enter. Intrepid founders Kailei Pew and Ebony Mudd have decided this fifth year will be their final. The program is run completely by volunteers, and I am eternally grateful they made it this far before deciding to end it.

Hurray! It’s time for the #50PreciousWords 2026 International Writing Contest! And THIS is the OFFICIAL contest post. If you are participating, please read through the guidelines and then pos…

The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators provides the resources, professional networking, and community-building opportunities that support writers, illustrators, and translators throug...

When Susanna Hill O'The Kid Lit Contests revealed that, in honor of Friday falling on the thirteenth, the theme for this year's Valentiny would be SUPERSTITIONS, I was stumped. I noodled on several ideas for a couple of weeks, but nothing sparked. And then, as so often happens, I floated an idea with my dear little Violet, and when she laughed at the end, I knew it had potential.

Once again, coincidences abounded at the Annual SCBWI Winter conference. Last year, it was a chance encounter with my friend's editor Wendy Loggia from Delacorte. (Incidentally, I ran into her again at the VIP party, and we talked about how excited we both are for Christyne's next release in February.) This year, I'd been listening to my favorite podcast, Middle Grade Matters with Shannon Balloon…

One thing I've learned on this writing journey is how important it is to put your work out there. This can mean querying agents (or in most cases, querying ENDLESSLY), but it can also mean entering contests and submitting short stories for publication. Sure, with the latter you must weather even more rejection -- after months of submissions I've got…

I'm a little late this year posting, but I wanted to share my honorable-mention-winning entry for Susanna Hill's Halloweensie 2025 contest. I've really been leaning into humor, and while I didn't make the finalists this year, I got a ton of support from amused readers. Raspberry Cream (99 words) By Amanda Fletcher On a breath of billowy fog, Mildred takes flight as the Florida swamp awakens this humid Halloween.

That's right, folks, I can consider myself a bonafide author now. My short story CHOOSE YOUR OWN FRIGHT has been published in an anthology! The anthology is called "Where the Mountains Speak" and is the first publication from Gilmer Arts, a non-profit creative arts organization located in Elijay, GA. I saw the call for entries in the Atlanta Writer's Club newsletter asking for local authors with stories about Georgia, and I remembered the horror piece I'd written for the Writer's Night of Fright event last year at my public library.