By Stephanie Bearce
Welcome, writers, to Nonfiction Fest!
If you’re here, it means you love true stories—the kind that
inform, inspire, surprise, and spark curiosity in young readers. For the entire
month of February, you’re invited into a generous, knowledge-packed celebration
of writing nonfiction for children, led by some of the most accomplished and
respected voices in kidlit.
Here’s something important to know right from the start:
Every single guest blogger at Nonfiction Fest is
volunteering their time and expertise.
They are not paid.
They are not promoting a product.
They are here because they believe deeply in this writing community and want to
lift other writers up.
That kind of generosity is no small thing.
These authors—award winners, seasoned professionals,
teachers, mentors—are sharing what they’ve learned through years of writing,
researching, revising, failing, succeeding, and trying again. And they’re doing
it with the hope that something they share will help you take your next step as
a writer.
Throughout February, you’ll find posts that dig into:
• craft and structure
• research strategies
• picture books, middle grade, and YA
• narrative nonfiction and informational text
• market considerations
• voice, POV, emotion, and purpose
This year’s Nonfiction Fest lineup:
February
1 – Cynthia Levinson – Making the Hard Stuff (Look) Easy
February 2 – Darcy Pattison – Fact Checking
February 3 – Marissa Moss – Putting the Story Back into History
February 4 – Amy Houts – Assignment vs. Freelance: Which One Wins?
February 5 – Henry Herz – Writing Nonfiction
February 6 – Lindsay H. Metcalf – PB, MG, or YA?
February 7 – Nancy Churnin – How to Write Picture Books Inspired by Headlines
February 8 – Joyce P. Upglow – The IT Factor in Picture Books
February 9 – Sue Bradford Edwards – Writing for the School Library Market
February 10 – Louise M. Aamodt – Teachers’ Pet: Supplemental Guides
February 11 – Danna Zeiger – Writing About a Living Subject
February 12 – Elizabeth Shreeve – Joyriding Into Image Research
February 13 – Stephanie Bearce – The Hook Factor
February 14 – Sarah Aronson – Finding My Why
February 15 – Chana Stiefel – You Rock! Playing with POV
February 16 – Donna Janell Bowman – Weaving Through Lines into Narrative
Nonfiction
February 17 – Judy Bryan – From Lyrical Poem to Nonfiction Debut Picture Book
February 18 – Nell Cross Beckerman – How I Use Mentor Texts for Craft
February 19 – Traci Huahn – Using Scholarly Journals in Your Research
February 20 – Nicki Jacobsmeyer – Work Smarter, Not Harder
February 21 – Kathy Kacer – The Power of Creative Nonfiction
February 22 – Julie Winterbottom – Einstein for Six-Year-Olds
February 23 – Vivian Kirkfield – Picture Book Bios
February 24 – Stacy Nockowitz – In the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
February 25 – Mira Riseberg – Considering Your Reader: Emotion in NF
February 26 – Debra Shumaker – Finding Story Arc & Structure
February 27 – Lisa Amstutz - Writing Nonfiction for Kids
February 28 – Lauren H. Kerstein – When the Research Doesn’t Match Your Vision
HOW YOU CAN SAY THANK YOU
• Leave a comment on their post
• Buy their books or request them from your library
• Leave a review wherever books are sold
Those small acts matter more than you might think. They
support careers, encourage generosity, and keep communities like this thriving.
Welcome to Nonfiction Fest—a full month of learning,
sharing, and celebrating the power of true stories for young readers.