Dev Petty is a bestselling picture book author. She delivered an outstanding webinar on dialogue in picture books to the 12 x 12 membership earlier this year. In this episode, we talk a little bit about dialogue and a whole lot about the writing life.

If writing dialogue is your jam, we highly recommend picking up lifetime access to Dev's webinar for 25% off at the link below!

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• Dev's take on using speech bubbles in your manuscript
• How Dev gets back into writing after a break
• The importance of an idea file
• How she chooses what to work on next
• How much of the story she knows before she starts writing
• Why are so many of her books dialogue-forward
• Why most of what you write won't get published
• How she knows when to pursue an idea and when to let it go
• How many drafts Dev usually writes before sending a manuscript to her agent
• Her advice for new picture book writers
• How picture books have changed since today's writers were children
• Why it's imperative for writers to read current picture books
• Why writers need to play

Books mentioned in this episode:

• I Don't Want to be a Frog by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt
• Elmore the Christmas Moose by Dev Petty and Mike Boldt
• Monty and the Mushrooms by Dev Petty and Jared Chapman
• The Night the Buildings Switched Places by Devorah Petty and Brian Biggs (Available 6/15/2027. Preorders open now.)
• The Book of Various Children by Dev Petty and Keiko Hayner (Available in 2028)
• The Spider in the Well by Jess Hannigan
• The Phantom Tollbooth written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Jules Feiffer

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Get 25% off Dev Petty's presentation "What's That You Say? Dialogue in Picture Books" with code PODCAST

Check out the video for this episode on our YouTube channel! If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!

Every November, we accept applications for 12 x 12 Scholarships. Scholarships are awarded in the categories of Diversity and Financial Need and completely funded by our current membership! We love our community for making these scholarships possible. Now that we have a podcast, we are able to share firsthand the positive effects that the 12 x 12 Scholarship can have on someone's writing career.

Today's guests are past winners Aimee Lee, Jennifer Tarr, and Laura De La Cruz. They won the scholarship in different years and are at different spots on their writing journey. Let's dive in and hear about their experiences and what advice they have for writers submitting to their scholarship application this year.

Scholarship applications are accepted November 1-30. Click here to see if you qualify!

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• How does the 12 x 12 Scholarship work?
• What's included in the 12 x 12 Scholarship?
• Why did each writer apply for the Scholarship?
• How did they decide what to include in their application?
• How did they decide which manuscript to submit?
• What's the usual route to getting a GOLD membership?
• What did it feel like when they found out they won?
• What was their scholarship year like? Where has it led on their writing journey?
• Who has a book deal? Who has an agent? Who has a published book?
• What has helped them get through times when they've been discouraged in their writing?
• What's their advice for people who are getting ready to submit their applications?
• Kelli's tips for applying for a 12 x 12 Scholarship
• Apply for a 12 x 12 Scholarship HERE between November 1 - 30.

Books mentioned in this episode:

• The Girl, The Village, and The Terrible Thunder by Aimee Yealim Lee and Hyewon Yum (Available 4/27/2027)
• Lowrider For Sale by Laura De La Cruz and Vanessa Morales
• How to Wear a Sari by Darshana Khiani and Joanne Lew-Vriethoff
• Raja's Pet Camel by Anita Amin and Parwinder Singh (Spanish version available here.)
• Waiting is Not Easy by Mo Willems

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Find out if you qualify for a 12 x 12 Scholarship HERE.
• If you don't qualify but still want to join 12 x 12, sign up for our wait list HERE.

Check out the video for this episode on our YouTube channel!

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!

12 x 12 member Amanda Davis has written fiction and nonfiction picture books on topics that run the gamut of experiences and feelings. No matter what she writes (or illustrates), she does it in a way that's relatable to her young readers. Discover how Amanda finds that balance in today's episode.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• What inspired her latest book Chasing the Light
• As an illustrator, who or what determines if she illustrates her story or if someone else does.
• Why the publisher asked Amanda to change the ending of her book.
• How being an art educator influences her illustration style
• What story she submitted to a publisher herself instead of her agent submitting
• How she made a story about a parent with alcohol-use disorder kid-relatable
• How and why Amanda and her publisher had experts and psychologists read Sometimes Stormy before it was published
• Why she decided not to give up on her book
• How Amanda decides if she's going to submit a dummy with a project or not
• Why she hasn't illustrated anyone else's work—yet
• The importance of accuracy in illustrations
• How she shifts from writing touch topics to lighter topics
• How she prepares for book talks with tough topic books
• Why she writes fiction and nonfiction and how she shifts between the two
• Her advice for writers who aspire to illustrate
• The importance of lifelong learning
• What picture book does Amanda wish she had written

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Chasing the Light by Amanda Davis and Faryn Hughes
• Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr
• Sometimes Stormy written and illustrated by Amanda Davis
• 30,000 Stitches by Amanda Davis and Sally Wern Comport
• Moonlight Memories by Amanda Davis and Michelle Jing Chan
• The Elephants Come Home by Kim Tomsic and Hadley Hooper
• My Brother's Butt is Haunted by Dan Poblocki and James Rey Sanchez
• Mr. S written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Whispering Pines Writers' Retreat by NE-SCBWI

See the video of this episode on our YouTube channel!

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!

We invited first-year 12 x 12 member Indiia Wilmott onto the podcast to share what it's like when you join the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge for the first time. If you've ever wondered what kind of a difference 12 x 12 can make in the writing life of a new writer, this one's for you!

Registration for a new year of 12 x 12 opens in January, add yourself to the waiting list so you don't miss another year! Click here.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• How Indiia started writing picture books
• How she found out about 12 x 12
• Her first impression of 12 x 12
• What section of the member forum she used first
• How she decided where to focus her efforts
• Why she values creative communitiescreative
• How her theater skills inform her writing
• If Indiia wrote more or less as a 12 x 12 member
• What she's learned about revision since she joined
• Her take on critique groups and mentors
• Her advice to aspiring picture book writers
• The importance of celebrating success—at any stage
• How 12 x 12 can shorten the learning curve in the kidlit publishing space
• Her daughter's favorite picture book!

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Sulwe by Luputia Nyong'o and Vashti Harrison
• Mel Fell by Corey R. Tabor
• Simon and the Better Bone by Corey R. Tabor
• Ursula Upside Down by Corey R. Tabor
• Dragons Love Taco by Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri
• Bathe the Cat by Alice B. McGinty and David Roberts

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Be Bold! Be Brave! Charting Your Creative Journey with Purpose with Vashti Harrison (Use code PODCAST for 30% off!)
• Services for Writers - where Indiia found her mentor, Kristi Mahoney!

See the video of this episode on our YouTube channel!

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!

So far, most of our podcast episodes have been interviews with published writers, illustrators, and other industry professionals. But, what about the writers putting in the work who haven't seen their name on a book cover yet?

Today, we get to showcase one of those picture book writers—Caitlin Binder-Markey

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

• How Caitlin fell in love with picture books
• Why she started writing picture books
• Which board game is most comparable to writing
• The main reason Caitlin joined the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge
• How 12 x 12 helped her find her critique group and connect with other writers
• What she loves about 12 x 12 now that she's member
• Her path to winning the Ann Whitford Paul Most Promising Picture Book Award
• What story inspired her award-winning manuscript
• What happens when you win that award
• What keeps Caitlin going on her writing journey
• How her family feels about her writing
• What the query trenches are like
• The definition of a champagne rejection
• The importance of making mistakes
• How connections help define her career
• What book Caitlin wished she had written

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul
• The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

Resource mentioned in this episode:

• Write for Kids with Joely Stuckley

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!

Agent Karly Dizon of Fuse Literary joins Julie Hedlund and Kelli Panique to chat about her love for picture books and kidlit, and why she comes back year after year to critique pitches and first pages from 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge members.

• How Karly became an agent after starting as an author
• Her passion for representing writers
• How Karly developed her skills for editing and critiquing children's stories
• How she developed her picture book evaluation skills
• Why picture books are "sneaky difficult" to write
• Tips for expanding your writing toolbox
• The importance of being a lifelong learner
• How reading helps you write
• What makes a stand-out picture book
• How Karly connects with editors and keeps up with the publishing industry
• The most important question to ask when you have The Call with an agent
• What Karly must know before signing a new client
• What it means when a certain topic is on an agent's manuscript wish list
• What she's looking for in submissions
• Why an agent may have topics or genres on their "do-not-submit" submission list
• What is Karly seeing and loving in the kidlit market
• What editors are buying vs. what readers are buying
• Why Karly likes to work with 12 x 12 and our members

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Fuse Literary Website
• 25% off Karly's webinar: What Agents Want You to Know About Submissions Today

If you enjoy the podcast, please like, subscribe, and review so other kidlit writers can find us!

Have questions for us or ideas for future episodes? Leave us a quick voicemail here.

Thank you for listening!