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Structure.

If ever there was a word to terrify me as a writer, it’s structure. If you know me at all personally, you know that I’m not exactly the poster child for organization and planning. It’s never been something I’ve been particularly adept at and I’ve never seen much use for it personally. So you can imagine how much of a struggle it was for me as a new writer to get bombarded with advice on structure, organization, planning, and everything in between. The number one fear-inducing, planning related concept? Outlining.

“A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.”

- Thomas Mann

In writing and releasing my first children’s book, I’ve had the opportunity for some fantastic conversations with people about the writing process. I’ve met and talked with a lot of people who would love to publish a book, but like me at the start, they have no idea where to begin. Which is fair! It’s a daunting process and one that you can’t undertake without a little help! Over the next few weeks, I’m going to take you through my entire book process, from original idea to final release and marketing, in the hopes that you might learn something about what’s required and what options you have to pursue it.

It was C.S. Lewis who said, “You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me.”. What a true statement. I’m always on the hunt for new books and if you’re anything like me, you are too. So what about some recommendations? My favorite genre far and away is children’s fiction (small wonder that’s what I write) so without further ado, here are my top ten recommendations for children’s books.

I won’t mince my words here. Everyone suffers. If you haven’t ever felt like you were downright suffering, just wait. You’ll get your turn too. No one gets away from it. It will look different for everyone, but if you start swapping stories of suffering with your fellow humans, you will find a huge tapestry of uniquely painful experiences that have left lasting marks. We can’t hide from it.

Cheerful stuff, huh? I say all that because I don’t want to spend time today on if we’ll suffer or not and what it might look like.