Two Terrific Facebook Craft Study Groups by Kathy Halsey
May has bloomed, summer's a peekin' around the corner, and your meager funds for writing classes/workshops are all designated. What to do? Join two wonderful Facebook groups, Debut PB Study Group and Word by Word Book Club.
Study for free with these two active, closed FB groups! Meg Miller is the administrator for Word by Word and group founder Margaret Chiu Greanias Joanne Sher, Debbie Bernstein LaCroix, Julianna Lee, and Rene Traxel head up administration at Debut PB.
Word by Word boasts 209 members and was created to study books like Ann Whitford Paul's book WRITING PICTURE BOOKS. Meg notes how much easier it is to push through these wonderful resources with others in tow. Under the group's banner you'll find past Q & A with Linda Ashman and Nancy I. Sanders, and in the "files" section is a list of early chapter books we recommend along with Ann Whitford Paul's Q & A. Yes, the authors of these seminal craft books come aboard and graciously answer our burning questions as we study the books. Thursdays new chapter summaries are posted by group members and we all chime in with observations and resources to share. Volunteer to lead a chapter and you'll learn even more!
Currently we're discussing Nancy I. Sander's YES, YOU CAN LEARN HOW TO WRITE BEGINNING READERS AND CHAPTER BOOKS. Hope over to Nancy's blog, too, where she is teaching about chapter books to compliment our study!
Over at Debut PB study, you'll join 304 members as we analyze the newest books and also ask questions of the debut authors. The key here is we only review "author-only books," NOT author-illustrators for story structure, page turns, rules broken, showing v. telling, sentence structure, and more!
Recent studies include MADDIE'S FRIDGE by Lois Brandt, BACKHOE JOE by Lori Alexander, and SOPHIE'S SQUASH by Pat Zietlow Miller. Next up is LITTLE MELBA AND HER BIG TROMBONE by Katheryn Russel-Brown.
What I love best about these groups is this:
1. Bite-sized chunks of information to study
2. Others to motivate me to read on and really study
3. Connecting with the authors who share oodles of great info
4. Resources shared by other members.
Enjoy the upcoming summer and I hope to see you at Debut PB and Word by Word!
Wonderful write-up Kathy! Thanks for the shout-out for Debut PB Study Group. Even before I became one of the administrators, I always said this is the best way to study new picture books in a group.
ReplyDeleteI so appreciate you reading the post, Juliana! I think the debut book is so important we we pre-pub folks can learn so much form them.
DeleteYes, Kathy, I have learned so much from these groups! In addition to the 4 benefits you listed, I appreciate the discussion and bouncing of ideas. The input of others helps me see things in new ways. In Debut PB, I appreciate the benefit of studying what is being published NOW and being able to get behind the scenes with the author chats. Thanks to everyone who facilitates these groups!
ReplyDeleteTY, Jane, for stopping by. I value the chats and the way others in the group see things I don't!
DeleteGreat write-up, Kathy. If I had time and all those new picture books, I'd join.
ReplyDeleteI usually get none from the library, Tina, but I don't have kiddos at home. Hugs.
DeleteMeg Miller, Joanne Sher, Debbie Bernstein LaCroix, Juliana Lee, and Rene Traxel are outstanding members of the writing community. Thank you ladies for sharing the love of literacy.
ReplyDelete~Suzy
This is such a great group!
DeleteAha! A new group I hadn't known about! Thanks for the heads up! Off to request to join....
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathy, you introduced me to a new group I didn't know about.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I love and enjoy all of your posts! Thanks for sharing the news about Debut PB Study, it sounds fab!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been enjoying Word by Word, but I hadn't heard of Debut PB...until now! Thanks for pointing out another great resource for picture book writers.
ReplyDeleteI've been loving the Word By Word study with Nancy's book. I need to get back over to the Debut PB study, too. So much to learn in the publishing business. What a great job you did, Kathy, with this write up! :)
ReplyDeleteThey both sound nourishing & it's so like you Kathy to share these bountiful resources.
ReplyDelete