Comic: A Resolution Not To Make New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions For Writers

Free, print-ready template: Insert for iPhone XS Max case with clear back

I recently started printing out and/or drawing on custom inserts for my iPhone XS Max case; I'm currently using an Otterbox Traction Series case with a clear back. In case anyone else wants to experiment with these as well, here's a free, print-ready template (3 per page). ***I strongly advise printing out a test on cheap paper first and doing a test cutout to see how the template fits your case. You will also need to do a bit of trimming here and there.

Ideas for authors and illustrators: design an insert with characters from your upcoming book, or book covers. For a recent event, I printed out an insert with my name, Twitter and Instagram accounts - that way whenever I took a photo of people at the event, they could see who I am (if they didn't know already) as well as where they could find my livetweets/posts.

Idea for illustrators: print out the template on nice paper and then fill the paper with art. Make sure you don't draw with anything that might leave marks on the back of your iPhone! And again, do a test printout/cutout with cheap paper before starting to draw, to see how the template will fit your case.

You can find more free, print-ready templates and activities at DebbieOhi.com/printready. I've collected so many templates, posters, activity sheets etc. that this coming year, my plan is to reorganize into different pages to make my Free, Print-Ready Archive easier to navigate. I'll be posting updates as well as special bonus offers in my email newsletter (which I also plan to update more regularly :-)).

Need a gift for a book lover, writer or illustrator but have a small budget? Give them some TIME.

Looking for a meaningful gift for a friend but don't have the cash? Consider giving them TIME to read, write or illustrate. Click the image above for a print-ready PDF or download the "Gift Of Time" gift certificate here.

Depending on your relationship with the recipient, you could offer to do dishes for a week, pick up the kids from school, x number of hours of running, grocery shopping, babysitting and so on. If your friend complains about not having time to read, combine this certificate with a book.

Some suggestions for presenting the gift:

- Slip the certificate into a white envelope and then decorate the envelope with holiday stickers, sparkles, doodles, etc.

- Roll up the certificate and tie a color ribbon around it. Present it as is, or wrapped in gold tissue paper.

- Combine the certificate with themed gift, like with some packaged soothing chamomile or mint tea, chocolates in a mug, or other "it's time to spoil yourself" items.

- Combine the certificate with one of your favorite books.

Enjoy!

For more free, print-ready goodies, see Debbie's Print-Ready Archives.

Comic: Best Holiday Season Dream

Comic: Santa Writer

THE SWAN RIDERS by Erin Bow (sequel to THE SCORPION RULES, Simon & Schuster)

For more info about Erin Bow's Prisoner Of Peace series, see this Simon & Schuster page.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

Comic: Writer and Santa

MY BEAUTIFUL BIRDS by Suzanne Del Rizzo (Pajama Press)

Yay, my copy of MY BEAUTIFUL BIRDS by Suzanne Del Rizzo (Pajama Press) now has a signed bookplate! Thanks, Suzanne. :-) This book about a young boy's refugee experience in the Syrian Civil War has received many accolades, and deservedly so.

From the New York Times: “If you’ve been wondering how to present the refugee crisis to children without losing faith in humanity, take a look at this graceful, even uplifting book.”

Find out more about Suzanne's book on the Pajama Press website.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

Advice For Young Writers, Quotes That Inspire, Why Picture Books Are Important, Advice For Young Writers - Three Questions With Author/Educator Frank Murphy

Frank Murphy is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He spends most days at Holland Elementary School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania teaching 6th graders. I first came across Frank via Twitter, when I was impressed by his positive energy and joyous enthusiasm for teaching and children's books. You can find out more about Frank and his work at FrankMurphyBooks.com, Instagram and Twitter.

Click to read more ...

HEDGEHOG NEEDS A HUG by Jen Betton (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers)

Click the above image for a bigger version of my #BookADay collage for HEDGEHOG NEEDS A HUG by Jen Betton (G.P. Putnam's Sons Books For Young Readers). Jen's debut solo picture book launched earlier this year, and I adore it.

Also check out my interview with Jen Betton earlier this year to find out her SCBWI success story, get a peek into her creative process (with sketches!) and her advice for young writers and illustrators.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

COUNTING BIRDS by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Clover Robin (Seagrass Press)

Above: My #BookADay post about COUNTING BIRDS: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends, written by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and illustrated by Clover Robin (Seagrass Press, 2018). I was inspired to add some fan art!

**BOOK GIVEAWAY!** The publisher is giving away a copy of this book! Just retweet my post; a randomly picked winner will receive the book from the publisher (open worldwide).

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

ENGINERDS by Jarrett Lerner (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster)

Click on the above image for a bigger version.

If you're looking for a gift for a budding young scientist or engineer, I highly recommend Jarrett Lerner's debut middle grade, ENGINERDS (Aladdine/Simon & Schuster, 2017). The first in a series, ENGINERDS is a such fun read. With short chapters and lots of mystery-solving adventure, this action-packed story is sure to engage young readers. Geared toward 8-12-year-olds.

More about Enginerds on the Simon & Schuster site. Next in the series, REVENGE OF THE ENGINERDS, launches on February 19, 2019!

Also see Jarrett's excellent advice for young writers in a post on Inkygirl.com earlier this year.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

WEAVE A CIRCLE ROUND by Kari Maaren (Tor, 2017)

Click on the image above to see a bigger version of my#BookADay collage review of Kari Maaren's WEAVE A CIRCLE ROUND. For more info about Kari and her books, visit KariMaaren.com.

Also see Kari's wonderful advice for young writers in an interview on Inkygirl.com earlier this year and listen to some of her music in another Inkygirl post.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).

HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, 2018)

Catching up with some of my favourite #BookAday reads over the past few months, starting with HEARTS UNBROKEN by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Oct. 2018). Side note: if you're not already, you need to follow Cynthia's wonderful blog, Cynsations.

You can find out more about HEARTS UNBROKEN here.

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More info: Donalyn Miller's #BookADay Challenge - My #BookADay Archives (also see my visual #BookADay archive on Padlet, Flickr and Pinterest).