New Picture Book Project

Nothing makes an author more happy than having one or more of their children following in their footsteps. My son, who is graduating this year, wrote a picture in 3rd grade as a class project. The teacher had it published and family members bought the book. I hoped he would follow in my love of writing and sharing stories with others...he didn't. Instead he fell in love with art, computer games and political science.

My middle child however surprised me over this summer. My daughter has been supportive of my writing and loves reading, but she never seemed interested beyond this. She has been my girlie girl, who loves going to plays, watching movies, painting and playing dress-up. Don't get me wrong, she is also the only one who plays a sport (soccer), even though she hates running and P.E. in school.

So what was the surprise? She dropped a few pieces of paper on my writing desk while I was out one day and on it was a short story about a lonely fish. At first, I did what most parents would do...I found her and asked if everything was okay with her friends. "Everything is fine mom," she told me. I raised my eyebrow in that parently look we all get when we think our kids are trying to make light of what they are really feeling.

"Are you sure nothing is wrong?" Concern coursing through me.

"I just wanted to share the story I wrote. Do you like?"

" Love it and think together we can make this a publishable story. Would you like that?"

The joy on my daughter's face was priceless. She threw her arms around my middle, looked up at me with her chin on my belly and said. "I would like that a lot."

I'm excited to say that my 8 year old daughter Ashley and I will be co-authoring some picture books together. I had planned on only writing one or two more picture books starring SugarPaw from my award-winning picture "Babysitting SugarPaw" and then moving my writing efforts into Middle Grade, YA and New Adult works. I still plan to do that, but also plan to help my daughter with her writing as her co-author.

The Comeback of 2D Animation: Why We’re Craving Realness Again

There’s something happening in animation right now that’s worth paying attention to—not because it’s simply nostalgic, but because it’s deeply human. As someone who works in the mental health and creative storytelling space, I can’t help but see these conversations about art, AI, and hand-drawn storytelling as part of a bigger theme: our collective hunger for authenticity. We live in a time where AI-generated content is everywhere—convenient, efficient, and often soulless. It’s not surprising that artists and audiences alike are looking back toward something that feels more tactile, more imperfect, more human. That brings us to 2D animation, an art form that has shaped generations and now, it seems, might just be making a comeback. Here’s what Language of the Soul podcast host, Dominick Domingo, had to say on this trend: There’s been a lot of industry talk lately speculating about 2D/traditional ANIMATION making a comeback. Recent articles confirm that although Disney has not greenlit...

Interview Friday with multi-talented author, Cheryl Malandrinos

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor from Western Massachusetts . A regular contributor to Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children , Ms. Malandrinos is also the Editor-in-Chief of the group's quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens . Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion , a book reviewer, and blogger. Guardian Angel Publishing will release her first children’s book, The Little Shepherd Boy, in 2010. VS: Cheryl, I want to thank you for being my guest here on The Writing Mama today. I know being a parent and writer can be hard and I find myself asking if I am giving my three children enough attention throughout the day. I am sure you have been in my shoes from time to time. So to start here is the first question, how many children do you have and what are their ages? Cheryl: Thanks for having me at The Writing Mama, Virginia. I’m thril...

Five Tips for a More Marketable Children’s Picture Book Manuscript by Mayra Calvani

The world of children’s picture book publishing is extremely competitive. If you’re an aspiring children’s author, you need to make sure your manuscript is in excellent shape and has all the elements editors and agents look for before you begin the submission process. Here are five tips to make your picture book manuscript more marketable: Start right with the problem. Many times beginner writers begin a picture book with back-story. It’s okay to have this back-story in the first draft, but be sure to get rid of it when you edit. Back-story is unnecessary 90% of the time and it only serves to slow down the beginning of a story, making it weaker. You want to grab the reader right from the start. So don’t be afraid to begin your story at the heart of the problem. It’s okay to set the stage with a sentence or two—but no more! Have a protagonist readers can relate to. Generally, children like to listen to stories about other children or animals with children’s characteristics. ...

VS Grenier ~ Award-Winning Author, Speaker & Podcaster

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