Coaching KidLit
A podcast about writing and publishing good KidLit, hosted by Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach Sharon Skinner.
Talking about the craft of writing children‘s books.
A NOTE TO OUR LISTENERS:
Christy Yaros, co-founder of the Coaching KidLit podcast, has stepped away to focus her time and energy on other exciting opportunities. I’m deeply grateful for the insight, heart, and dedication she brought to building this podcast and supporting the KidLit community.
As we move forward, I’ll be continuing the podcast solo—welcoming a range of guests to share their expertise and inspiration for writers creating stories for kids and teens. I’m excited to carry on the mission we started together and to keep supporting you on your KidLit journey.
—Sharon Skinner
Sharon Skinner is a book coach, editor, and author who helps writers craft stories that connect deeply with readers. With a passion for both story structure and heart, she brings decades of experience to coaching writers across genres and age categories, from picture books to adult. As the host of the Coaching KidLit podcast, Sharon continues its mission to inform, inspire, and support KidLit creators at every stage of the journey.
At Coaching KidLit, we’re committed to inclusion.
We believe stories are richer and more resonant when they reflect a wide range of lived experiences. That includes voices from the LGBTQIA+ community, Native and Indigenous peoples, people of color, people with disabilities, neurodivergent creators, and those from diverse cultural, religious, and gender backgrounds.
We also understand disability through a broad lens, and we align with the social model of disability, which focuses on removing barriers—not "fixing" individuals.
Bottom line? Everyone deserves to be seen and heard. And we're here to support stories that make that happen.
Listen on:
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Wednesday Oct 05, 2022
Christy and Sharon talk about plot, different forms of plot/subplot, some of the plotting tools that are available, and dig into plot in KidLit.
Darcy Pattison's Shrunken Manuscript Revision Method: https://www.darcypattison.com/writing/revision/shrunken-manuscript-watch-webinar/
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
Wednesday Sep 07, 2022
Cindy L. Rodriguez returns to chat with Christy and Sharon about the value of hiring a book coach, whether you're just starting out, still aspiring, or a multi-published author.
Cindy’s debut picture book, Three Pockets Full, came out from Cardinal Rule Press on September 1.
Jump to:
[3:04] The Backstory of the Story
[8:02] Critique Group vs. Coach
[11:08] The Manuscript Evaluation
[13:16] On Feedback from Your Book Coach/Editor
[19:29] The Story You Think You're Telling vs What's on the Page
[24:36] Working with a Coach When You Already Have a Contract
[26:58] Why We Love "Why?"
[30:29] Book Coaching as an Investment in You
[32:20] Actionable Items
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Wednesday Aug 03, 2022
Christy and Sharon dive into Coaching KidLit, what exactly this book coaching thing is, which is not a very simple answer, but nonetheless an interesting one, because at its essence, it's all about helping you write, edit, and polish your manuscript so it's the best it can be.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Sharon and Christy discuss source material, challenges with adhering too close to facts, and ways you can put some distance between you and the "way things really happened" in order to tell a compelling and emotionally resonant story.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Join Sharon and Christy as they welcome their first guest, KidLit author Cindy L. Rodriguez, to talk about her journey to KidLit through journalism and teaching middle school. Cindy's debut picture book, THREE POCKETS FULL: A Story of Love, Family, and Tradition, illustrated by Begoña Fernández Corbalán, comes out July 1 from Cardinal Rule Press.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday May 04, 2022
Wednesday May 04, 2022
What drives a story is not only what happens to the protagonist, but what it means to them, their choices and the consequences of those choices, and what they choose to do after that. The character journey is what the story really is about. This is especially true in KidLit.
Join Christy and Sharon as they deep dive into character development and discuss ways that KidLit characters differ from adult characters.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
Wednesday Apr 06, 2022
The most engaging stories are those that contain emotional truth.
So, what is emotional truth? And how can you get it onto the page?
Christy and Sharon explore what it means to write emotional truth, and how, when you write from a place that is emotionally true, the reader will truly connect to that, even if you’re writing about something they have not personally experienced.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Tuesday Mar 01, 2022
Tuesday Mar 01, 2022
“Why?” As book coaches, we like to start with why because the answer is like a mission statement for your book and the engine for doing the work. Why write this story? Why this book? Why are you the person to write this story? Why does it matter? It's an important question, because if you don't know why you're doing something, then it's hard to stick the landing. So, in this episode, we dive into the question of “Why?”
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
Tuesday Feb 01, 2022
In this episode, Christy and Sharon dig into why it’s not enough to say, “I'm writing for kids. That's my target audience.”
When it comes to writing for kids, there's a huge range from early literacy through Young Adult. There are a lot of differences between the needs and interests of little ones who are ready for board books and concept books, and those kids and teens who are reading on their own.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
Tuesday Jan 04, 2022
In this episode we address some common questions about writing for kids and share some of the most common pitfalls, including those we have made ourselves, and offer tips on how to avoid them.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @CoachingKidLit
For more information about Sharon Skinner, visit bookcoachingbysharon.com.
For more information about Christy Yaros, visit christyyaros.com.