profile

Kirsten W. Larson

Last chance for my January Inked Voices PB workshop + weaving wonder via research trips (podcast)

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

Hello friends!

I hope you are building some time to rest and recharge into your December. I'll be off for almost three weeks, and I can't wait.

In the meantime, I've been soaking in the season with lots of live performances, holiday movies, and a quick trip to Disneyland. Disney's holiday decorations are one of my favorite things (especially Cinderella's Castle and Small World). We go almost every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Things I'm loving right now

  • Only Murders in the Building on Hulu. We binged while my parents were here for Thanksgiving. I love that the latest season was back at the Arconia where it all began.
  • Die Hard, Elf, and Home Alone (1 and 2). I love watching holiday movies and shows. Those three are my gold standards. I also rewatched Hawkeye on Disney, which is set at Christmastime in NYC. Perfect! Do you have a favorite holiday movie or show? Email me so I can watch it!
  • Jimmy Fallon's Holiday Seasonings Radio on Sirius XM (Channel 15). A mix of classics old and new. I listen all day long.

Wishing you all a joyous holiday season!

Kirsten

Join my Inked Voices PB Workshop (now open to all applicants)

What past students are saying:

“I had read Kirsten's excellent book on revising NFPBs before taking this workshop, so my expectations were high, but Kirsten managed to exceed them. She took care to understand each writer's intentions, guided the group on providing the most helpful feedback, and offered insightful comments that helped us all take our manuscripts to the next level. She is particularly articulate at explaining craft, and you can tell she really loves mentoring. Plus, the group had a really warm and friendly vibe. Highly recommended.”- Kim Woolcock, Winter 2025

​Learn more and apply here (now open to non Inked Voices members)

Podcast: Planning and Conducting Research Trips

​

Check out the latest episode with Sandhya Acharya (Living Bridges) as she offers advice on planning and conducting research trips.

Tune into the Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations podcast (on Youtube as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) Are you enjoying the podcast?

Prefer to read your content? I post summaries after each episode airs on my blog.

Reminder: Changes to course offerings for 2026

In 2026 almost all my own teaching will be done within my Reimagining Insiders paid community (only $5 per month; learn more here). Here are some other additions to the Reimagine Insiders Community for 2026:

  • I'm already planning a couple of pop up sessions in the new year on Scrivener (January) and OneNote (February), which will be free and open only to community members (recorded).
  • Next year, we'll work through the process of writing and revising a nonfiction project in 12 months. We start in January with finding and testing story ideas using my six questions framework. That will be the focus of our live office hours for January, so bring your ideas, and let's test them.
  • Want to join us? It's a wonderful and supportive group! You can cancel any time. Here's the link.

Books make magical gifts

Why not give the gift of reading this holiday season? I offer autographed copies of all my books through Once Upon a Time, an independent LA-area bookstore. Click here to learn more.​

My books

Kirsten W. Larson

Let's Reimagine Nonfiction!

Think nonfiction kids' books are boring? Think again! I'm a writer, teacher, and writing coach dedicated to helping students reimagine their true stories, turning them into captivating reads. Subscribe to my newsletter for tips, new releases, and more.

Read more from Kirsten W. Larson
This image shows the California Young Reader medal nominees for nonfiction including Mystery of the Monarchs, The Fire of Stars, and Ancestory.

Hello friends! Whelp, I am just back from a long weekend in New Mexico followed by ABLA's Big Sur Children's Writers Workshop where I served as critique group mentor for two fabulous picture book groups. Photos below. Hiking in NM (on a broken ankle), Santa Fe!, at Big Sur with mentees The photo at left is just after I stepped off a large rock and fractured my ankle (the fibula, NOT the weight-bearing bone), but continued to hike on it. And then walk 3+ miles around Santa Fe including the...

23 days ago • 3 min read
This is a picture of Kirsten Larson holding her next book, Telling It True.

Hello friends! Big news! My next book is out now--Telling It True: Writing Nonfiction Kids (and Teens) Want to Read. Telling It True is both a prequel and companion to Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book. While Reimagining zooms in on revising nonfiction picture books, Telling It True zooms out. It walks you through the full process of finding strong nonfiction ideas, researching effectively, and drafting engaging, fact-based books, no matter the format, from picture books through YA,...

about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Kirsten and Nils Larson in front of the NASA X-59

Hello friends! First, a bit of fun family news. On Oct. 28th, my husband made the historic first flight of the X-59, a prototype experimental aircraft designed to test whether we can make future aircraft quieter so we can (someday) fly supersonic across the U.S. I got to sit next to the control room and hear and watch everything. It was so cool! Check out the NASA video below. Post flight! Attending educators conferences From left to right: In the Little, Brown book at NCTE, signing books for...

4 months ago • 3 min read