At this salon, Girls Write Now mentor and author Megan Reid, along with her literary agent Wendi Gu, shared the magic of writing for elementary school kids as an adult, and the process of transforming research into writing kids will care about! We learned about the importance of style, understanding our audience, and working with an illustrator to turn words into imagery. Plus, we got insider tips on how to break into publishing and pave the way for a new generation of writers.
The video recording will be available soon!
WRITING PROMPT
Find a research or news article and then write the story specifically for kids.
After receiving her M.A. in English Literature, Megan Reid acquired and edited several bestselling and award-winning books as an editor at Simon and Schuster’s Touchstone and Emily Bestler Books imprints. In 2017, she joined FX Networks as a development and literary executive working on drama, comedy, animated, and limited series, with a specialty in adaptation. A graduate of Northern Arizona University and The Ohio State University, she’s written for The Believer, BuzzFeed, Bustle, and FastCompany, among others. She published her first picture book biography in 2020, and has followed it with non-fiction for adults, middle-graders, and another picture book title. She lives with her (tiny, very silly) dog, Luna, and a collection of wilted houseplants.
Wendi Gu is privileged to represent a talented range of award-winning and bestselling children’s books authors and illustrators. For all children’s books categories, from picture books to young adult, Wendi values emotional stories filled with lyricism and heart. She is drawn toward books that help dismantle stereotypes about mental health, ability and race. As the daughter of immigrants, she sees special importance in stories about migration and displacement, especially as they relate to friendship and family. She grew up in the Chicago suburbs and spent many of her summers with her grandparents in China. She attended Northwestern University where she studied Creative Writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her spouse and dog named Beanie Gu.