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.

Hello? Sheesh! This is some FOG! I can’t see a thing! Is there anybody out there?

Hello there, my lovelies! Welcome to today’s edition of Tuesday Debut! In case you’ve managed to miss it somehow, TOMORROW is the opening day of Halloweensie 2025!!! The 15th Annual!!! …

I came...I saw...I won! Here I am with old friends and new at the Atlanta Writers Conference a couple of weeks ago. Those with certificates in hand were lucky enough to impress the agents and editors with their pitches or opening pages. I pitched my picture book this year, and holy smokes, it was a winner! After receiving my award for Best Pitch, I sent in my full manuscript.

Don’t miss the chance to learn from two of our multi-published PAL members. Katrina Moore and Chris Negron are SCBWI Southern Breeze members with loads of knowledge to share about how to sculpt storie...

Adder’s fork and wool of bat! It’s time for. . . The 15th Annual Halloweensie Writing Contest!!! ~ for children’s writers ~

Our hands begin to twitch -our thoughts, to pitchand suddenly ideas flywithout a hitch.A ghost? A witch?A mummy with an itch?Our Halloweensie storiesflow without a glitch.And oh, what happens then …

Are you writing or illustrating a book for children? Join us for an insightful and interactive Q&A panel with kidlit authors and illustrators!

Thanks to organizers Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis for hosting the annual Fall Writing Frenzy again this year. I was fortunate enough to garner an Honorable Mention for my entry last year, and I'm hoping I will fare as well this year. Entries are due by midnight Friday, October 3, so there is still time to enter! Check out all the details…