Kidlit Author Activities

Imagine, Create, Engage, Revise, Edit, Publish.

Check out vallerie Bolling’s Latest Picture Book Here!

February 2026

Wrote 1 decent quality book review for a brand new title
Participated in Story Storm
Wrote 100+ Jokes (That wasn’t in the plan!)
Drafted a Valentiny piece
Submitted a poem to a contest
Wrote another poem
Revised an older title—again
Rewrote the pitch for the revised title
Invested in 2 craft books
Redesigned a banner for social media
Connected with a professional for a springtime interview for a magazine article (Finally!)
Took my rejection lumps as necessary —NEXT!

Craft books for below zero days.

Both titles were recommended by 12×12 Elf, Katelyn Aronson.

Top 10 To-Do In 2026
Take joy in writing
Attend a live conference
Connect with & support other writers
Keep reading new works
Keep requesting new titles for the library
Double the number of book reviews for others
Improve my craft
Finish novel
Make a place for poetry
Slowly, but Steadily, Send out quality submissions

January 2026!

Writing Related Stuff I did This Week Instead of Getting My Queries Done

December Week Two

Drafted a Graphic Format manuscript
revised it
Recommended a new holiday book to friend who ordered for grandkids
Connected with author of aforementioned Book about potential market region
researched more agents
Attended Weekly critique Group meeting
Listened to 2 podcast episodes
Spotted these titles where I cross-country skied last weekend

December Week One

While I wait for furnace parts two weeks after the “bat-in-the-furnace” incident, I’m participating in the Season’s Readings event offered by Heather Macht & Lynn Marie. Typing in fingerless gloves. “How very Charles Dickens!”

I wrote my first board book. This shorter piece seemed like a good choice for Christmas card month. I also revised a story using suggestions I was fortunate to receive via a Rate Your Story Speed Pass. The pass was a perk from the October Seasons of Kidlit event. Next, I need to draft one more picture book to meet my 12-book goal for 2025! Then what? Submit work. Finish the novel. HA-HA-HA-Heh. Yeah, actually. SUBMIT work. Try another board book. Find the right conference. Write the next manuscript. Revise. Revise. Revise.

November

Saw it. Clicked on it. Got in. Phew. I heard works that humbled me and received amazingly helpful feedback from an editor from my home city! That was cool!

November involved a lot of revisions and organization before the next round of submissions, as well as Attending NE SCBWI Agent/Editor Day. Revisions. Lists. Revisions. Lists. Revisions. Color-coded spreadsheets: a glorified list!

Writing Memory of the Month: Evening critique partner presubmission phone call turns into a consultation of another sort.

Me: “Guess what was in my furnace? A bat!” Hours after one bat was removed, the furnace continued to need more… well… revisions! Thump! Bang! Shudder!

Alicia: (critique partner and author of a nonfiction bat book) “What if they roosted in there?” Alicia made her deadline no thanks to me. Bat? Dead. Furnace? Almost dead.

One more contest before October runs out of real estate! This brings me to 4 this fall. Thus far, I’ve won a n AMA, a RYS Speed Pass, a free book, and an above the slush submission to an agent! Quite a haul!

Fall 2025

2025 Fall Writing Frenzy Entry

People think we’re wild about Halloween, because of this display in our yard. Our “miracle” — my little brother’s word for ‘marigold’ garden, is for our grandmother. I wasn’t a fan of a whole garden of marigolds, but every year, out came the seed packets, soil, trays, and grow lights.

“Why not roses, Abuelita?”

“Why not these, Nieta?”

“Roses smell better! Roses are bigger!”

“Roses have thorns, but marigolds have power! These flowers bring me home.”

“Like in Mexico, Abuelita?”

“Si. So much sun! Not like here.”

“But, why not plant something new, or lots of different flowers?”

“All together these are powerful like the sun. They call our ancestors to us with their scent and beauty. One day, I will be gone. Then you will know. Harvest the seeds to begin again. Plus, it’s cheap!”

That was my Abuelita! Papi said she died with a monkey on her back. I think the monkey was all those hospital bills! Even now, she tends her garden in spirit; her watering can in hand, as pure blue as the Mexican sky.

I entered and Ta-DAAA! Thanks all the professionals who donated their time and talents to host and and award participants!

I wonder who I will get paired with for my prize. What a great opportunity to connect with other writers and learn from them!

October

September

My critique group celebrated our first anniversary in August! We continue to write and help each other locate quality professional development to push our craft, help us navigate the world of publishing while not breaking the bank. Turns out there are lots of opportunities, if you know where to look. Here are three events I committed to for the month of September. My PB engine’s not firing, but I am about halfway through the first draft of a middle grade book. Will finish this one!