Reimagine Insiders
Let's reimagine nonfiction!
Write and Finish Your Children's Nonfiction Project in 2026
With Structure, Support, and Accountability
By December 2026, you could have a submission-ready children's nonfiction manuscript in your hands—researched, drafted, and revised.
Or you could spend another year circling the same ideas, never quite knowing if you're ready to move forward.
Writing children's nonfiction isn't about finding the perfect idea or mastering a single craft trick. It's about learning what makes a project marketable, making thoughtful craft decisions, and staying with a project long enough to shape it into something publishable.
That's where most writers get stuck. Not because they lack talent, but because they're trying to do complex, long-term work alone.
Reimagine Insiders exists to change that.
What Reimagine Insiders Is
Reimagine Insiders is a paid community for children's nonfiction writers who want more than isolated tips or one-off classes.
In 2026, Insiders will be encouraged to work on one complete children's nonfiction project (magazine article, picture book, or book proposal) moving from initial idea through research, drafting, and revision to create a submission-ready (or publishable) manuscript.
This guided process gives you:
- Clear structure through each phase of research, writing, and revising
- Monthly craft lessons tailored to where you are in the process
- Group coaching calls where you learn from questions and conversations
- A supportive community working alongside you
- Accountability without pressure
You bring the project. We build the momentum—together.
Investment
$5/month or $55/year (save $5)
You can join any time and can catch up on past posts and group coaching sessions.
What We'll Do Together in 2026
Over the course of the year, Insiders will move through six distinct modules, each building on the last. You won't be doing all of this at once. You'll be doing it step by step, month by month.
Months 1-2: Finding and Testing Your Story
- Exploring the landscape of children's nonfiction
- Turning curiosity into viable story ideas
- Testing ideas with six essential questions
- Developing your pitch and identifying comp titles
- Setting up your research system
- Letting go of ideas that aren't ready—without guilt
Months 3-4: Research Fundamentals
- Mining libraries, databases, and digital archives for sources
- Working with primary sources and historical documents
- Conducting expert interviews
- Taking effective notes that support storytelling
Months 5-6: Story Structure and Drafting
- Understanding narrative and expository structure options
- Defining your story's heart and takeaway
- Crafting compelling beginnings and satisfying endings
- Writing scenes with sensory details
- Completing your first draft from beginning to end
- Celebrating the messy, imperfect work of creation
Months 7-8: Story Shaping and Deep Revision
- Reading your draft with fresh eyes
- Strengthening your hook and central argument
- Revising for structure, arc, and emotional resonance
- Ensuring your manuscript delivers on its promises
- Improving pacing and writing in scenes
- Preparing for outside feedback
Months 9-10: Writing Craft and Line Editing
- Exchanging manuscripts with critique partners
- Incorporating feedback strategically
- Tightening prose
- Strengthening sensory details and vivid language
- Maintaining consistent voice and tone
- Polishing every line until it earns its place
Months 11-12: Polish and Prepare for Submission (or Publication)
- Developing back matter (author's notes, timelines, bibliographies)
- Formatting your manuscript professionally
- Exploring publishing paths (trade vs. educational vs. self publishing)
- Crafting effective query letters
- Researching agents and editors who represent your work
- Setting up submission tracking systems
How the Community Works
Monthly Craft Posts
Each month, you'll receive a focused craft lesson aligned with the module we're in, like idea development, research techniques, drafting strategies, or revision approaches.
Monthly Group Coaching Calls (90 minutes, recorded)
We meet live once a month for group coaching and guided discussion. Every call is at noon Pacific / 3 p.m. Eastern on the first or second Friday of each month.
Can't make it live? Every call is recorded and available within 24 hours.
These calls are a space to:
- Ask questions about your specific project and challenges
- Hear how other writers are working through similar problems
- See how craft principles apply across different topics and age ranges
- Learn from the collective wisdom of the group
No pressure. You control your level of participation. You learn not just from your own questions, but from everyone's conversation as well.
2026 Call Schedule (All times 3 p.m. Eastern / Noon Pacific; schedule and topics are subject to to change based on group needs)
- January 9: Finding story ideas plus the landscape of children's nonfiction, story sparks, setting up your research notebook
- February 6: Six questions to help you test and strengthen your story idea
- March 6: Library Research and Digital Databases
- April 10: Primary Sources and Expert Interviews
- May 1: Understanding Story Structure
- June 12: Drafting Strategies and Scene Craft
- July 10: Manuscript Assessment and Structural Revision
- August 7: Hook, Arc and Takeaway Revision
- September 4: Critique Exchange and Line Editing
- October 2: Voice, Sensory Details and Tension
- November 6: Back Matter, Query Letters, and Publishing Paths
- December 4: Submission Strategy and Celebration
Ongoing Community Space
Between calls, Insiders connect inside a private community space to:
- Share progress and breakthroughs
- Reflect on monthly craft lessons
- Ask questions and troubleshoot challenges
- Stay accountable to your project
- Remember you're not doing this alone
The community is asynchronous, so you can participate when it fits your schedule.
Bonus: Just-in-Time Tool Sessions
Throughout the year, I'll host practical pop-up sessions on tools that reduce friction in your nonfiction workflow:
- Scrivener for organizing research, outlining, and drafting
- OneNote for organizing research
- MyBib.com for managing your bibliography
- Other research and writing tools Insiders are actually using
These aren't full tech courses, they're demonstrations of tools that help you work smarter, not harder.
What Insiders Are Saying
Who Reimagine Insiders Is For
Reimagine Insiders is for you if:
- You're writing (or want to write) children's nonfiction for any age level
- You have ideas but struggle to move one all the way through to completion
- You want structure and guidance without rigid deadlines
- You learn best through conversation, reflection, and community
- You're ready to commit to doing the work of bringing a manuscript to life
This community works best for writers who are:
- Curious about their subjects and the craft of nonfiction
- Seeking new tools and techniques for writing and revising
- Willing to revise and rethink their work
- Interested in long-term growth, not quick fixes or shortcuts
Who It's Not For
Reimagine Insiders may not be the right fit if:
- You're looking for fast results, formulas, or access to agents and editors
- You want intensive one-on-one coaching every session
- You're not ready to commit time and focus on at least one nonfiction project
That's not a judgment—it's about finding the right fit for your needs and working style.
Ready to Write Your Book or Article in 2026?
Reimagine Insiders is open for enrollment now.
If you're ready to:
- Stop circling ideas and start making real progress
- Write with expert guidance and accountability
- Finish 2026 with a submission-ready manuscript
- Build sustainable research and writing practices for future projects
Join us.
What Happens After You Join?
- You'll receive immediate access to the private community space so you can catch up on past posts, including our January 1 post on story ideas and the nonfiction landscape.
- Our first group coaching call is January 9, 2026 at 3 p.m. Eastern / Noon Pacific
Questions? Contact me here.
Write one nonfiction book or article. Not alone. Not all at once. But, as Ann Lamott says, "bird by bird."
Join anytime and start your journey. All craft posts and call recordings remain accessible to active members.
FAQs
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Perfect. Months 1-2 are dedicated to idea development and testing. You'll have support as you explore possibilities, test viability, and commit to an idea you had or pivot to something stronger.
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Life happens. All calls are recorded, craft posts remain accessible, and the community space is asynchronous. You can catch up whenever you're ready and rejoin the momentum. This is a year-long journey, not a race with hard deadlines.
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The program works for magazine articles, picture books, chapter books, graphic novels, middle-grade, and YA nonfiction. The craft principles—research, structure, narrative tension, revision—apply across all formats. You'll adapt the process to your specific project length and audience.
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Reimagine Insiders focuses on craft teaching, group coaching, and peer critique exchanges. It's not a manuscript critique service. If you need one-on-one developmental editing or critique, I offer separate critique services.
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Plan for 3-5 hours per month: one 90-minute group call + reading the monthly craft post + working on your project. Most Insiders find this fits naturally into their existing writing practice without overwhelming their schedule.
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You can cancel your monthly membership anytime with no penalty—you simply won't be charged the following month. Annual memberships are non-refundable.
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That depends on your starting point and the complexity of your project. The program is designed to take you from idea to submission-ready draft in 12 months. Some writers may need additional time for longer projects (like middle-grade or YA), while others working on picture books or magazine articles may finish sooner and begin a second project.