Guest Blog by Cathy Ballou Mealey

The books I have authored about smores, sloths, and squirrels sit squarely on the fiction shelf, but now my debut nonfiction picture book biography will be published. How did I pivot from talking animals to writing about Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, an influential journalist, spokesperson and ambassador for Maine’s wilderness and wildlife? It may not be as big a leap as you think. Here are some encouraging suggestions to nudge you into exploring narrative nonfiction topics using writing skills you have already developed. ​

​Use Mentor Texts
When I started learning how to write picture books circa 2012, nonfiction biographies were popping up everywhere. Fresh, creative, and kid-friendly, these terrific tales relied upon the same fundamentals as picture book fiction: story arc with a challenge or conflict, high stakes, emotional resonance and a satisfying resolution. Studying nonfiction mentor texts will help you identify elements familiar from your favorite fiction such as lyrical language, sensory details, and engaging settings and scenes that build story tension. To convey Cornelia’s lifelong passion for the lush beauty of Maine’s woods and waters I studied mentor texts about naturalists and wilderness explorers such as The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever (Beach Lane Books, 2013) by H. Joseph Hopkins, illustrated by Jill McElmurry. 
​

​Revise, Revise, Revise
As you research your topic or subject, you will dive deep into primary sources and uncover many incredible details. The urge to include as much as possible in your story is powerful! Even after fact-checking and verifying key points, creating and continually revising an outline will help you focus on what to keep and what to cut so that the heart of your story really sings. As your manuscript develops, critique partners will be invaluable in discovering what resonates, what may need further clarification, and how the story ‘hooks’ new readers emotionally. I tried several approaches to telling Cornelia’s life story before deciding that a chronological structure would best emphasize the steady, enduring nature of her legacy.

Practice Patience and Persistence
When Cornelia’s story was finally polished and complete, editors said the picture book biography market was over-saturated. After failing to get to, or through acquisitions, I tucked the manuscript away. However, during my research I had created a Google alert for “Fly Rod” Crosby. My email continued to Ping! with news when Cornelia was posthumously inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame, a hiking trail was named for her, a folk song was released, and a life-size statue was carved, painted and installed in Augusta. As “Fly Rod’s” legend and relevance continued to grow, I updated my manuscript and became more passionate about pitching her story. While patience and persistence are essential to any writer who wants to be published, staying aware of timely topics through a Google alert might help you pitch your work at just the right moment.​

​Studying mentor texts, revising regularly, and practicing patience and persistence are nothing new to writers exercising their fundamental storytelling skills. Applying those steps to a narrative nonfiction topic can be a really satisfying way to stretch your repertoire, and expand your shelf of stories, possibly right into libraries and bookstores!

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 published author. Now, I am not saying jobs and families and houses aren’t wonderful, but they naturally come with commitments that put them at the top of our priority list. 

And our writing? 
At the very bottom. 

So how do you do it? How do you have everything while striving to make your publishing hopes a reality? I don’t pretend to be an expert, but I can share what has worked for me. The steps below have helped me balance being a good partner, parenting three young kids, and teaching full time, all while having three book releases in the same year and producing four more on the way. 

Four Steps to Do Everything

1. Make a Schedule and Prioritize
 If for nothing more than the illusion of organization, make a schedule. Open a blank document, take out a clean sheet of paper, or tap on that calendar on your phone. Take some time to write out all of the things you want and have to do. Work meetings, the dishes, kid’s activities, exercise, and oh yeah, that whole writing thing. Armed with this mighty and probably overwhelming list, you can now start to plug in those have tos, because let's be honest, whether we like it or not, they are have tos. 

BUT, what if we made our writing a have to as well? Unfortunately we lack the magical powers to create more time, but perhaps in looking at your schedule you will see little pockets of time you didn’t notice before. Half of the battle is choosing that your writing is as equally deserving to be on your schedule as all of your other priorities. 

2. Acceptance and Grace 
Armed with this glorious schedule that clearly shows how everything is possible, be ready to accept that you aren't going to do everything well or get to everything all the time. You might get sick. Work deadlines will interfere. And are you serious, those kids want to eat again? Didn’t I feed them yesterday? 

The truth is, it is impossible to do it all, all of the time. I like to say I have three fulltime jobs: Parenting, teaching, and writing, and that I can only ever do two of them well at the same time. Accepting this was freeing. I had subconsciously placed an unobtainable goal to do everything, and every time I failed I felt worse about myself. Being able to accept my own limitations allowed me to feel motivated and proud every time I was able to make that shiny schedule work and make my writing a priority. 

3. Become a Thief
This is by far the strategy that kept my writing projects and productivity afloat during this extremely busy time of my life. I never traveled anywhere without my laptop or notebook and pen. I had works-in-progress printed and in my backpack along with my favorite editing pens. It was clear that large chunks of time were not a luxury I had, but what if I took all the little leftovers in my day and made the most of them. I turned my have tos into opportunities:
I have to bring my son to soccer practice. 
I have the opportunity to sit on the sideline and get some revising done. 
I have to wait for my car inspection to be done. 
I have the opportunity to brainstorm that new story in my notes app. 
​
Lunchbreaks, hockey rinks, sidelines, and my car all became places of productivity. The limited durations of times helped me break my tasks into smaller pieces that were obtainable. And word by word, stolen moment by stolen moment, I was able to make progress and produce new pieces of writing. ​

​4. Give Yourself a Break
Respect your own bandwidth. Going this full out can be exhausting and lead to burnout. It isn’t sustainable to do everything all the time, even if you have found a way to make it fit logistically into your schedule. So when I begin to feel overwhelmed, or when I feel like I am never going to accomplish x, y, and z, I take those cues and take a break. 

I learned that when I am stressed my creativity is the first thing to disappear. There is more to writing than writing; a hike in the woods, fishing with my kids, or the always elusive nap are some of the things I need more at those times than the need to to push through. Allowing myself a break sounds counterintuitive to accomplishing everything, but the short time away, doing activities that feed my soul, are often exactly what I need to move forward and avoid burnout 

It is not a perfect system. I am constantly adjusting and revising it to fit my current season of life. But it is through these strategies that I have been able to keep producing new stories while teaching, parenting, and promoting books. It is how I keep my sanity and my creative spirit alive when the have tos are never ending. 

I hope some piece of this resonates with you and is able to help you make space in your busy life for more writing!

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 submissions went nowhere, I decided I would try writing some sequels. Dozens of Doughnuts (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2020) and Don’t Hug Doug (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2021) had both found an audience, and I thought it would be easier to build on that success.

What I found was that writing a sequel was both easier AND more difficult. When writing an original story, you can venture anywhere your imagination takes you and change whatever you need to make the story a good one. With a sequel, many story elements are already determined. The process is a bit like packing the trunk of a slightly-too-small car for a two-week vacation. You have so much you want to fit in, but the parameters are already defined. Fans of the first book will want something familiar but also new. At the same time, the sequel also needs to satisfy those who haven’t read the original. It’s a tall order!

​Here are some questions I considered when writing the manuscript that became Plenty of Pancakes (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2026) the sequel to Dozens of Doughnuts.
​

​The new text calls back to the original but also puts a new twist on it. I did this in quite a few places throughout the manuscript.
​

Will all the original characters return, and in what roles?
​Readers expect to see at least some familiar characters in a new story. For me, that meant seven characters to somehow work into the plot. However, in the sequel Topsy the opossum becomes the new main character since LouAnn is still in hibernation mode. This made the story feel fresh. I also introduced new characters—two little pancake thieves.
​

What other elements or layers from the original can be worked into the new story?
In my case, that meant a new refrain that readers could say aloud to participate in the reading. In Dozens of Doughnuts, readers love saying the doorbell sound out loud—“Ding dong!” Plenty of Pancakes has a similar refrain, and kids can chime in when Topsy shouts, “Who’s there?” as well as when the thieves gobble the pancakes—“Munch, munch, munch!”

Dozens of Doughnuts, also has a subtle math element, as the batches of twelve doughnuts are divided by factors of 12—2, 3, 4, and 6. In Plenty of Pancakes, all of the pancakes are depicted in batches of 5, and Topsy briefly models counting by fives. 

How will the established story structure work with the new topic?
Both books include a combination of narrative text and dialogue balloons, with a similar comic panel style of illustration. Both also use plenty of rhyme, which makes them fun to read aloud.

​I hope these examples help break down the process of writing a sequel. As you revisit worlds and characters you’ve created, the most important question to keep in mind is:
What did readers love about the first book, and how can I give that to them again in a new way?
​
Happy writing!

Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven: A Book About Sharing; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story (Running Press Kids, 2022); Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School (Random House Studio, 2022); Pigs Dig a Road (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2024); and Touch a Truck Day (Chronicle Books2026), a lift-the-flap board book. She lives in the Boston area. Visit her at www.carriefinison.com , or follow on social media @CarrieFinison.

by Kelly Carey

There is something tantalizing about the clean slate that January brings. It’s the kick-off to a wide-open year of possibility.

It’s a time to try something new. Something big. Something that might nudge you out of your comfort zone. Perhaps you’re a picture book writer but a novel has been kicking around in your head. Maybe a middle grade novel in verse has been tapping your shoulder.

If you have a project that feels daunting and requires a brave inhale - let January be your sword. January is powerful – she has potential and so do you.

This is the moment to Go Big January!

But, since we are 24 Carrot Writers, we will not be stumbling willy-nilly into this new endeavor. We need a plan! Let’s map out five best practices to make the most of Go Big January.

Step 1: State Your Intention
​
Make the whispering muse LOUD!

Write your Go Big January idea down—on your goal list, your calendar, and in an email to yourself (set to resend daily). Scribble it in excited—not angry—capital letters. Use a joyful, colorful pen. Not a pencil. This new endeavor deserves permanence.

Then share your intention with a trusted writer friend or your critique partners. Post your Go Big January project hopes in the 24 Carrot Writing Facebook group. Title it: Go Big January! The encouragement will pour in, I promise.

2. Grace Over Goals

Normally, 24 Carrot Writing encourages measurable goals. But this endeavor is different. It’s unfamiliar territory and you don’t yet know your stamina. One hundred words a day? Maybe. A chapter a week? Possible.
​
For this out of your comfort zone project let word counts and chapter targets rest. This month is about grace, not goals. Give yourself space to figure out how the work flows. There will be time for goals later. 
​

3. Be a Mad Scientist  

Remember middle-school brainstorming sessions? Get in that frame of mind. Try everything.

Be a mad scientist with this new project. You might blow something up. Who cares? It’s only January. You’ve got time to pull out the fire extinguisher, sweep up the burnt debris, and try again.

Let every crazy idea out. That self-editing monster? Lock it in a drawer. Shove a granola bar in its mouth (fine  - leave it a water bottle too), but do not let it out.
​
You’re going to mess up. That’s the idea. Tip over. Fail. Then learn, reset, and keep going. 

4. Embrace the Discomfort

You’re trying something new which means it will be hard, and you will feel awkward. It would be easy to reach for what feels familiar. But Go Big January is not a time for relaxing into comfort - that’s what July beach days with their sunglasses and fruity drinks are for. January is about hearty foraging through snow drifts, crackling fires, and brave mugs of cocoa.

Do not fall back to your more comfortable projects. If you primarily write picture books, but your Go Big January project is a YA novel – don’t retreat to picture books this month. If you’re working, you’re working on your Go Big January project and only that work.

Those other projects have eleven other months to intrude. Not this month. This is Go Big January. 
​

5. Take the Full Month (or More)

Don’t change course until you’ve given your Go Big January project the whole month. Only at the end of January should you take stock and reflect. Don’t scrap the project or second-guess your big plans until you have devoted a solid 30 days of effort. 

​Maybe Go Big January will spill over into February or better yet March. Wahoo you crazy mad scientist you! Afterall, you still have an enormous chunk of the year ahead, so you have time to experiment, be adventurous, and let this project gain traction.
​
That’s what January—and a fresh year—is all about.

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 Written in the Days of Glowing Darkness
Every year we have been
witness to it: how the
world descends

into a rich mash, on order that
it may resume.
And therefore
who would cry out

to the petals on the ground
to stay,
knowing as we must,
 how the vivacity of what was is married

to the vitality or what will be?
I don't say 
it's easy, but
what else will do

if the love one claims to have for the world
be true?

So let us go on, cheerfully enough,
 this and every crisping day,

though the sun be swinging east,
 and the ponds be cold and black,
and the sweets of the year be doomed.
(Mary Oliver 2012)

This is our 24 Carrot wish for you this year, dear fellow-writer:
That you will know,
despite of whatever the last year held,
how the "vivacity of what was is married
to the vitality of what will be"
and that you will "go on, cheerfully enough"
knowing that the trees will bud in the spring
​and the sunflowers will bloom in the summer.

Season's Greetings
and bright bookish wishes
for the New Year!
​
The 24 Carrot Crew
​

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 writer's holiday wish list. Peruse their selections to find the best writerly tools to improve your writing space, catapult your creativity, and make your 2026 writing activities sparkle.   

Amanda Smith is a co-founder of 24 Carrot Writing. Her poems can be found in Bless the Earth (Convergent Books, 2024) and the Writer's Loft Anthologies, Gnomes and Ungnomes: Poems of Hidden Creatures (2023) and Friends and Anemones: Ocean Poems for Children (2020) To learn more about Amanda, visit here.

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 sharing my process in creating the Ava Lin character and series in hopes it will provide fellow writers with strategies to make a chapter book character hold up across multiple books 

CREATING A GREAT CHARACTER
When I approach characters, or teach others to create characters, I like to start with a basic template that includes:

• What is the character (human, animal, object, etc.)
• Adjectives to describe the character
• What they want

​When I first started writing Ava Lin, I wrote down things like “curious,” “loves treasure,” “makes mistakes,” “wants a friend.”

It can be helpful to pick one aspect of your character and exaggerate it. For Ava Lin, I chose her earnestness. This earnestness results in many of her essential qualities: curiosity, optimism, resilience, frustration, etc. By choosing something that gave me a clear sense of how she would react to many different situations, I gave myself a character that would easily scale to many different stories.

In general, characters that are relatable and proactive will be easier to build a series around. But there are many different ways to do this! A character might be relatable because they explore one emotion that we’ve all felt—maybe it’s fear, or shyness, or recklessness, or hope. A character might be innately proactive, or they might be driven to action by external factors. Find the story that fits your character, and shape your character to fit your story. They both need to work together.

GO FORTH AND WRITE!​

Guest blog by Pam Vaughan 

When people hear the word tenacious, they often imagine someone scaling a mountain or running a marathon against all odds. But for children’s book writers, tenacity often shows up in quieter, humble ways like rewriting a story for the tenth (or hundredth) time, sending one more query after a string of rejections, or asking for feedback even when it stings.

When I worked on my latest picture book, Tenacious Won’t Give Up (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2025), I lived its title every step of the way. There were endless drafts, puzzling plot points, and moments I wondered if the story would ever click or if I should just move on. But how could I write a book called Tenacious and give up?

What kept me going was the story’s potential and the encouragement of my writing partners - picture book writing isn't a solo climb after all. They reminded me that persistence isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Sometimes tenacity is a whisper of inspiration or a nod of encouragement.

After some passes from editors, one editor responded this way:
“Hmm, this one’s tricky! I really love the title and the core of what it’s going after. The story isn’t quite special enough yet. Perhaps a lighter touch on the message might do it? If Pam rethinks it, I’d be happy to take another look.”

At first, I saw it as a pass. But then three phrases jumped out:

• I really love the title and the core.
• A lighter touch on the message.
• Happy to take another look.

That wasn’t rejection—it was an opportunity!
​

I studied all of the editor’s other books, searching for what I was missing. Then I rethought, revised, and refined the manuscript with fresh perspective and trusted feedback. When we resubmitted, the editor said yes.
​
That experience taught me that tenacity isn’t just about trying harder…it’s about trying smarter. Sometimes pushing through isn’t the answer. Listening is. Adjusting is.
​
As children’s authors, we hope our readers keep learning, growing, and believing in themselves. Our own creative journeys mirror that same message. Tenacity isn’t all grit and grind. It’s also patience, openness, and trust.

Here are a few ways to cultivate your own quiet tenacity:
1. Find Your Team
Children’s literature thrives on community. Join a critique group, trade pages, or share ideas with other writers. Feedback may sting, but it’s a gift that grows your resilience.

2. Redefine Success
Tenacity isn’t about never falling; it’s about getting up curious. Instead of asking, “Did I get published?” ask, “What did I learn from this draft or rejection?” Every insight is a step forward.

3. Celebrate Small Steps
Every revision, query, or idea scribbled in a notebook counts. These tiny acts of persistence build the foundation for stories that will one day connect deeply with readers.

If you’re revising, waiting, or doubting your story today know this: you’re not alone. Your persistence matters. Your words matter. And your tenacity, quiet, humble, and grounded in community can carry you through.

How has tenacity shown up in your writing journey?
​
Share your story in the comments so we can all cheer each other on!

In addition to Tenacious Won't Give Up, illustrated by Leanne Hatch, Pam is the author of Missy Wants a Mammoth (Pixel+Ink, 2024), illustrated by Ariel Landy. She is the director of the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and a co-assistant regional advisor for New England SCBWI and holds a Master’s degree in Business Management from the Heller School. Learn more about Pam here. 

Kirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA, but now writes books for curious kids. She is the acclaimed author of over 30 nonfiction books for young readers, including The Fire of Stars (Chronicle Books, 2023), an NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor book, as well as the craft book Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book: A step-by-step revision guide (Both/And, 2023),  praised as “a must-have for every nonfiction picture book writer’s bookshelf.” You can also find her hosting the Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations podcast, which takes a deep dive into the craft and business of children’s nonfiction.

Connect on Instagram: @kirstenwlarson
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kirstenwlarson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirstenLarsonWrites
Web: Kirstenwlarson.com

​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 know someone who had just (self-)published a book. Also, by your impressive thick skin and your duck-like quality of letting rejections run off your back like, well, water.

Also, and mostly this: I recognize you by your Gatsby-esque extraordinary gift for hope and the bravery by which you wear your heart on your sleeve.

And I want to write you a little note of encouragement, because this brave thing that you are doing, putting your heart out there time and time again, just to hear “it is not for me”, or “I didn’t connect to your work the way I would have liked to,” or the deafening silence of no response – this brave thing is really, really hard.

Oh, you pretend that it is not. You make light of it by playing rejection bingo, or comparing fastest rejection times, or celebrating “champagne” rejections. You tell yourself it is the industry and publishing is just really tough right now, and that might be true, but honestly, it was just as tough last year, or five years ago.

The truth is, it gets tiring carrying so many nos. It is challenging to keep believing in your stories and the quality of your work. I see you. I feel you.
I am you.

And so, I just want to say that it is okay to feel the heaviness of this process. Every rejection is someone saying no to your dream. That hurts.

But that does not mean your dream is worthless or unattainable.

So, wallow for a bit. Acknowledge the sting, but then take action:

1. Keep querying. Somewhere out there is a person who will get your vision and will be so excited about your project that they will go home and talk their partner’s ear off about it. So, yes, write for the DREAM!
2. Write something different: Remember when you wrote because you loved it? Poetry, short stories, slice-of-life essays, reflections. Write something silly, just for you. Write something meaningful to someone you love. I’ve started writing poems to my classes as end-of-year gifts. Write for JOY!
3. Look for Work-for-Hire opportunities. When you write for a website or organization you work with an editor who has a quick turn-around, and you will get meaningful feedback fast, which is super refreshing and will stretch your writing muscle in all kinds of fabulous ways. Write for GROWTH!
4. Look at old manuscripts that were rejected multiple times. You could mine it for its gold and rewrite. If the hook is solid and unique, maybe it needs to be in a different setting, or with different characters, or a new angle, or a change in narrator. That character you love? Put them in a different story. Nothing is too precious to change. Nothing is irreversible. So go for it. Play. Write for FUN!

 
And remember, fellow-writer. Your dreams, your words, your stories, YOU are worthy,
Write bravely,
Amanda