Blog

Looking for the Perfect Holiday Gift?

11/29/2020

Looking for the perfect gift for a creative friend or relative? Or maybe you’re wondering what to ask Santa to bring you this year?

Consider a two-week online Master Class (six classes, $360). Our next Zoom class runs from January 4 to 15, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We’re also launching a series of single-session Master Classes (90 minutes, $95) for anyone looking to jumpstart a creative project in 2021.

Our classes attract participants from all over the world who want to write fiction, non-fiction, picture books, novels, memoirs, even self-help books. You bring the ideas. We’ll help you put them into words and images.

If you’re ordering a class for a friend, let us know and we’ll email a gift certificate on the day of your choosing. We plan to offer another two-week session in February and more single-session classes in 2021. Let us know if you’d like us to save you a spot!

Sign up for our two-week January Master Class (January 4-15) here.
Sign up for our first single-session 90-minute Master Class (January 11) here.

How Do You Mend a Broken Heart? Ask a Librarian

11/12/2020

Thanks to the Children's Book Council for asking Sarah and me to share our library love in the November/December issue of Knowledge magazine. Here's the link.

Want to Make a Book? Join Us Online!

7/28/2020

We're taking applications for our next Master Class! More information right here. If you have any questions or want to talk to former students, just let us know.

We've lost count of how many classes we've done now. Is it seven or eight? This much is clear: We're having an absolute blast watching students (age 8 to 77) write and illustrate books about everything from arrogant peacocks to swimming cats to a little girl who doesn't want to practice the piano.

If you have an idea for a book (and we know you do), please join us. We'll help you get started, work through the muddy middle, and bring it all together with art, design, and an Aha-moment for both you and your reader. (Note: Class size is limited so we can provide valuable one-on-one feedback to everyone.)

Now Accepting Applications for our July Master Class!

6/14/2020

Want to write a book in July? Want to illustrate it, too?
If you're between the ages of 8 and 108, you're invited to join our July Master Class.
Details right here.

Announcing Our Very First Master Class for Kids!

4/17/2020

Once upon a time there were a lot of kids who were stuck inside all summer because of a nasty virus. Rather than feel bored or cranky, these kids decided to be creative and productive. They signed up for a three-week online master class with award-winning author Kate Klise and her illustrator sister Sarah Klise.
With the Klise sisters' help and encouragement, the kids wrote picture books. They illustrated them, too!
The classes weren’t easy. In fact, they were downright challenging. Kate insisted the kids work like real authors. They had to think, write, rethink, rewrite, edit, and polish their stories. Sarah helped the kids bring their stories to life with art and design. She showed them how to sketch, draw, shadow, and create compelling visuals with characters and text.
Sound like fun? We think so, too. Here are the details:

The JUNIOR MASTER CLASS (ages 6-8) will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 2-18, 2020 (six classes).

The SENIOR MASTER CLASS (ages 9-13) will meet on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, June 1-19, 2020 (nine classes).

A Publishing Day Party will be held via Zoom on Saturday, June 20. Attendance is optional, but we’d love to celebrate our young authors and illustrators in style with an open mic-style launch party.

All classes will be conducted via Zoom. Apply right here. Participation is limited. Send in your application now to guarantee a spot. Questions about the classes? Contact Kate Klise. Questions about applying or payment? Contact Sarah Klise. More classes coming in July and August. (Maybe one for adults. Interested? Let us know!)

Row, Row, Row Your Boat (And Your Book)

4/15/2020

That's me (Kate) embracing my new hobby during this strange and surreal time. Don't worry. There was only one other person on the river and he was six feet away. In other news: A belated (but enthusiastic!) thank you to South Dakota readers for putting STAY: A Girl, a Dog, a Bucket List on the South Dakota Prairie Bud Reading List for 2019-2020. We hear voting has been extended till May. Carry on!

Nevertheless, She Persisted

2/20/2020

Someone recently told me there's a common thread in all of my books: strong female characters who won't take no for an answer.
Well, guess what? I wrote a documentary about a real woman, not a fictional character, and she doesn't much like the word no, either. Her name was Blanche Ames. The film is premiering Saturday night, just outside Boston. Please come if you're in the neighborhood! We'll be rolling out the red carpet for Blanche.
You can read more about the documentary here and see a review of the film here.

Quote of the Day

2/1/2020

"Be regular and orderly in your life, so that you may be violent and original in your work." -Gustave Flaubert

*He looks a little bit like Wally Russ, doesn't he?

This Is A Weird Picture of Us

1/27/2020

This is a weird picture of us, but I'm sharing it here because how many times in our lives are we going to be presenting to the American Library Association on two huge jumbotron monitors with an ASL interpreter? What a thrill! Thanks to the ALA for inviting us to share some thoughts about why *we* love all librarians at the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony in Philadelphia this weekend. Our newest book was inspired by one of the winners, Cathy Evans, a school librarian in Memphis, Tennessee. It was so much fun to hear Cathy's remarks and all the other winners. Truly inspiring!

Postcard from Paris

1/11/2020

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