Successful Picture Books

Nine traits that make a picture book great.
http://tmarchini.wordpress.com/2011/02/14/9-factors-that-make-a-picture-book-successful/

Kill Your Darlings

Nine great hints to help you cut, cut, cut.
http://storytellersunplugged.com/blog/2011/03/09/the-delete-key-the-published-writer%E2%80%99s-best-friend/

Dialect

Should you use regional dialects in your manuscript?
http://letthewordsflow.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/accents/

Timing from Contract to Book

Why does it take so long after the contract is signed before a book is published?
http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2011/02/how-slow-can-you-go.html

Overused Phrases

Here's a handy tool to see if there are any overused, multi-word phrases in your manuscript.
http://www.writewords.org.uk/phrase_count.asp

Conference Tips

How to get the most out of a writers' conference.
http://donnabowmanbratton.blogspot.com/2011/02/dos-donts-and-stuff-of-attending.html

Grounding Your Reader

As soon as your readers get confused, you've lost them.
http://kidlit.com/2010/08/04/grounding-the-reader/

Thrashing

Are your revisions making your manuscript better or just different (and maybe even worse)?
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2011/02/thrashing.html

Onomatopoeia

This extensive list of sound words includes the date first used.
http://www.examples-of-onomatopoeia.com/examples/onomatopoeia.php?a=1

Writing Humor

Author Lenore Look shares what works for her.
http://scbwiconference.blogspot.com/2011/01/lenore-look-look-whos-laughing.html