Without plot, a piece of writing is not a story—it is a static description. Plot is what gives the story locomotion. And stories must move or they are not stories at all.

What editors want -- my conference report from the 2008 SCBWI SpringMingle conference in Atlanta.

A look at the three most common points of view in children's fiction.

The second in the "How to Write Great Children's Books" series. Learn from the pros. Copy the work of others. No, I don't mean plagiarize. I mean learn from them about pacing, dialogue, and rhythm.

POV stands for point of view. Who is telling the story? Whose eyes are we looking through? Who is interpreting events for us?

Deadly sin #1--Characters with such heavy scene agendas that they don't have time to react to the action around them

Writing a short story or a book is not easy. It costs. We have to invest our money and our time if we want to write anything worth reading.

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Using homegrown metaphors to build a believable story world.

How to teach in children´s books without being preachy.