Susan Johnston Taylor (she/her)

I’m proud to donate a 1:1 Virtual Tutorial on Canva for Authors to a benefit auction for the @ndkidlit.bsky.social Scholarship at @highlightsfound.bsky.social! Bidding runs throughout the April 30. Details here: ndkidlit.org/product/11-v... #kidlit

🎨 Fundraising Auction spotlight

@sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social is offering a virtual tutorial on #canva !

Auction is live 4/15-4/30. Proceeds fund our #neurodiverse #kidlit @highlightsfound.bsky.social scholarship

👀 champ.ly/xSRrqf-V

#autism #mentalhealth #writingcommunity #adhd #ptsd #anxiety

Who else loves books AND musicals? ✨ I’m hosting a show tune open mic night at Birdhouse Books & Gifts in Austin on March 25, so it got me thinking about all the great musicals inspired by books. Do you have a favorite? What would you add?

Text on a typewriter: “We are not interested in science fiction which deals with negative utopias. They do not sell.” -Donald A. Wollheim at Ace Books to Stephen King in response to Carrie Even Stephen King faced rejection! Join me for a webinar on perseverance.

Writers, friendly reminder that even Stephen King faced rejections for CARRIE, which went on to become a NYT bestseller! I'm leading a webinar tonight with SCBWI MD/DE/WV all about persevering through the passes. Join me! www.scbwi.org/events/MDDEW... #AmQuerying

Persevering Past Rejection: Tools & Tips to Save Your Sanity Every would-be author or illustrator has faced rejection in their quest to find a literary agent and/or land a book deal. Those passes can tear you down or propel you towards achieving your goals. Aut...

Writers, if you're in the query trenches struggling to land an agent, I know how hard it can be! That's why I'm presenting a webinar on Persevering Past Rejection: Tools & Tips to Save Your Sanity for the MD/DE/WV chapter of @scbwi.bsky.social. Register here: www.scbwi.org/events/MDDEW... #querying

#ATX friends, I'm debuting my solo cabaret Unsung: Celebrating Female Musical Theatre Writers on March 30 in Mozart's Loft & I'd love to see you there! www.showclix.com/tickets/unsu...

Writers, I donated a 1-hour Canva tutorial on Zoom to this auction to support LA Wildfire Relief! You can bid on it here: www.32auctions.com/organization... Also check out the 350+ other items available including editor & agent critiques, signed books & more. #kidlit #amwriting

a man in a patriotic costume holds up his finger in front of a sign that says ' this ' ALT: a man in a patriotic costume holds up his finger in front of a sign that says ' this '

Takeaway from a performance workshop I attended yesterday that feels applicable to anything creative: "CONNECTION OVER PERFECTION." Yes!

This quote from Demi Moore at the Golden Globes last night really resonated with me as a creative: "You will never be enough, but you can understand the value of your work if you just put down the measuring stick."

Glass via of pills for writer's block displayed against a shelf with other pills.

On a recent visit to London, I stopped by the @poetrypharmacy.bsky.social and bought this vial of "pills" for writer's block. (It has slips of paper with inspirational quotes & lines of poetry inside.) What emotional ailment would you treat with poetry? #Poetry4All

This BEAUTIFUL #stem book by @sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social is both lyrical and informative. Great Christmas gift for the inquisitive child in your life! #PictureBook #KidLit

Thanks for including my Q&A for Stanford GSB in your year end roundup, @studyhall.bsky.social!

Congratulations to @gloriaamescua.bsky.social, @sjohnstontaylor.bsky.social, Lisa Gunsberg, and Nick Solis on getting to sign the party porch! 🎉

This WB tradition celebrates students who have had their books published, and we’re so excited to have celebrated them at the Barn recently.

Thanks SO MUCH, Carolyn!

Thought of a few more #ADHDhacks:

✅Pack a sleep mask & noise-cancelling headphones
✅If you wear glasses, bring a backup pair just in case (I brought a cheap pair that I only wear in a pinch)

So true! I once fell asleep in a hotel lobby in Prague waiting for my room to be ready & left my phone on the coach. 🤦‍♀️ Fortunately, I didn't even realize it was missing until a kind employee delivered it to my room (it also had my ID so they were able to find me pretty easily).

Here are of my travel strategies:

✅Using a packing list (and keep it updated)
✅Carabiner clipping key items like my phone to the inside of my purse
✅Doctor's letter for traveling to other countries with ADHD meds (check that country's guidelines first; some flat out don't allow it)

#ADHDhacks

ADHDers, what are your favorite travel tips? Getting ready for my first big trip post-diagnosis & hoping my executive function doesn’t let me down! #ADHD

So grateful to be part of @thewritingbarn.bsky.social community! ✨ From 2016, when I started, to 2023, when I published my debut book & joined the Writing Barn staff, this community and founder Bethany Hegedus have been so supportive. Here I am (finally) signing the Party Porch! #WriterCommunity

This is going to be a good one!

a woman in a pink jacket is smiling in front of a microphone while sitting in front of a laptop computer . ALT: a woman in a pink jacket is smiling in front of a microphone while sitting in front of a laptop computer .

Neuro-sparkly friends, I'm writing a listicle of podcasts hosted by #ND people for ND people. I'm subscribed to several for ADHDers (ADHD Chatter, #ADHD for Smart Ass Women, etc.), but I'd love your recs for podcasts for/by people with other diagnosis like autism, dyspraxia, etc. What do you say?

a carrot cake with white frosting and carrots on it ALT: a carrot cake with white frosting and carrots on it

Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! (An unconventional choice but nevertheless my pick one year in my early teens, because with a vegetable in the name, my baby vegetarian self thought it was a more nutritious choice.)

two women are looking at a cell phone with a #schitts creek logo behind them ALT: two women are looking at a cell phone with a #schitts creek logo behind them

Decided I'm at that stage of my (very eclectic) career where I'm now longer limited to a single page resume. This girl is ready for new challenges in 2025!

(And yes, I already stopped including my college grad several years ago, although one can still find it on LinkedIn if you're determined.)

Here’s to the two-legged & four-legged muses: The pets who keep us company, the critique partners who help us view our work in a new light, the mentors who see our potential even when we don’t, and everyone else along for this creative journey!

Wishing you light, love, and inspiration. ✨ #AmWriting

December’s cold winds blow in the last class & events of 2024! 🌬️❄️

Rebekah Manley’s DIY Publicity Kit webinar on 12/7 teaches writers how to promote themselves and their work with eye-catching details. We also have an exciting month of events lined up for members of our Courage to Create program!

FEBRUARY 5, 2025 WORLD READ ALOUD DAY graphic has a lavendar background with cartoon animals celebrating - including a panda, elephant, giraffe, and bear. Presented by litworld.org

Teachers & librarians! Want to Zoom with an author for World Read Aloud Day? Here's all the information about how WRAD Zoom visits work, plus a list of over 300 author & illustrator volunteers! katemessner.com/zoom-with-an...

PS If you're in Austin & you'd like a signed copy of my debut #picturebook ANIMALS IN SURPRISING SHADES, @birdhousebooksatx.bsky.social on Burnet Road still has some in stock!

Books make great gifts! ✨ Whether you purchase one of my books or not, I hope you’ll consider supporting local authors & indie bookstores this holiday season.

What book(s) are you gifting this year? Leave a comment & let me know! 📚

#shopsmall #shopindie #bookstores #writercommunity

Rebekah is a friend & CP, so I know her Dec. 7th webinar on DIY Publicity is going to be full of actionable tips! #WriterCommunity

Spend $100, get $25! 🎉

This Black Friday, join in on our THANKFUL sale! And for exclusive deals year-round, sign up for our newsletter—those who sign up this weekend will get a discounted price on Rebekah Manley’s upcoming webinar.

Get a gift card here: courage.thewritingbarn.com/writing-barn...