Thushanthi Ponweera's Blog

I’m so excited to present the gorgeous cover for I AM KAVI by the über talented Australian-Japanese illustrator Emilia Niwa A little bit about this cover’s journey: Once an author sells a book to the publisher, the publisher finds an artist to do the cover. As a debut, I am a firm believer in letting… Continue reading Cover reveal+ fun facts

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I got some good news last week! I am Kavi has been chosen as a JLG Gold Standard Selection title, which means they will send it out to their subscribers of librarians across the United States. Something I’m so grateful for, esp owing to my physical absence in the US and not having access to… Continue reading A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

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Look closely at this picture. It’s a photograph of my first EVER proper attempt at watercoloring. I was pregnant with my second and a friend asked me to join her for a “Sip & Dip” session where you pair a glass of wine (I had to have grape juice but oh well) with a session… Continue reading Husband Appreciation Post

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isn’t as hard as you may think. As long as you know what  you want to write about and why  you want to write about it in verse, the former slightly easier than the latter. Verse is best suited for  stories that are written in first person, have a strong character arc, lots of emotion,… Continue reading Writing a verse novel

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"Hurry up and wait" seems to be the publishing industry's tagline, or so I'm told. Hurry up, wait, and disintegrate while doing both seems to be more like it.

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The year was 2021 and it was a warm, sunny day just like all the other warm, sunny days before it… Just kidding. It was actually one whole year before that in 2020 and the pandemic was raging, so it was unlike ANY other day really. I had chosen this strange time to write my… Continue reading How I got my agent!

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Growth is to human existence what revision is to a writer. It makes us better. But not without a whole lot of suffering first. Look at Lord Buddha’s quest for enlightenment, for example. He had to spend years and years trying out extreme methods on both sides of the spectrum before finding the middle path,… Continue reading The pain of revision

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In the past, I’ve written about two wonderful critique groups I belong to. One is a picture book critique group that is smaller and operates more typically, and the other is a middle-grade group that is larger and takes on a more supportive role, offering beta reads and critiques as and when necessary. Both of… Continue reading #FreeWriterResources: Critique Groups

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One of the best things that happened to me as a writer was being invited to a critique group. I’m usually shy with new people (can you imagine?!) and having never lived out of Sri Lanka, I don’t have many foreign friends. I was apprehensive, and all those middle-grade feelings came up- will I fit… Continue reading It’s always better when we’re together: An inside look at a picture book critique group

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A few years before I got married the song ‘God bless the broken road’ by Rascall Flatts was really popular. I loved the song and lyrics so much that it was one of my top choices for my future first dance song. By the time I eventually got married, this song had been so overused… Continue reading On all roads leading to the same place

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