Today I’m excited to launch a new series called BookTalk: Reviews by Young Readers. Join me on Wednesdays and each week we’ll have a new young reader weighing in on what they’ve been reading and their thoughts. We’ll be reviewing chapter books and middle grade and young adult novels. Here’s another opportunity to hear what our readers […]
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Author Interview Tricia Springstubb & Giveaway
Tricia Springstubb has been writing for over thirty years. She lives in Cleveland Heights, Ohio with her husband and two funny cats, Habibi and Billy. She has three grown daughters and she’s an active SCBWI member. As a matter of fact, she’ll be giving two workshops this September at the Northern Ohio SCBWI Conference. She […]
Contests
Contests are great for so many reasons! It forces you to put your work out there especially if you’re a beginner and shy. Make a little money. Possibly win a publishing contract. Build confidence. Get feedback. Work to a deadline. I’m thrilled today as my student entered her first writing contest and placed as a […]
Austin SCBWI Critique Workshop
You’ve just typed the last line in your novel. Now what? You know you should let it sit awhile before you gaze at your brilliance. But you can’t. You pick it up and decide that it’s ready to send out. Children everywhere should have your story on their shelves. Editors and publishing houses will fight […]
Me and My Dragon
After reading Me and My Dragon by David Biedrzycki (Charlesbridge, 2011) my son and I whole heartily agree behind the premise of this book — a dragon would make an excellent pet. Bierdrzycki uses cause and effect masterfully and his wry ironic humor will illicit chuckles and giggles from adults and children. We especially liked the bath scene. The […]
Interview with Author/Illustrator Alex T. Smith
Unfortunately, Alex and I encountered a few communication glitches, lost emails floating out in the cyber world, and it delayed our interview. My apologies. In trading emails, Alex and I commented on how exciting it is to meet and talk about craft and books and art with like-minded individuals from so far away! It truly […]
Writing Advice
Some of the best writing advice I’ve ever heard or read came in today’s post at Cynsations. Award winning and New York Times Bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith interviewed Egmont USA Publisher Elizabeth Law and Author Allen Zadoff. Allen’s latest novel My Life, The Theatre, and Other Tragedies (Egmont, 2011) is now available but you may remember his novel Food, Girls, and Other Things I […]
Life Makes the Writing Life Hard
So it’s been a little crazy at our house lately. Actually a lot lately. It really hasn’t slowed down since the beginning of 2011. Husband’s work has been out-of-control busy like on-call 24/7. He’s always on-call 24/7 but in the past it hasn’t really been that bad. There have been sporadic busy times when things […]
Crack a Smile
I’ve been told by my critique partners that the novel I’m working on right now has great humor in it. “This line cracked me up.” One partner said. And another one said “I couldn’t stop chuckling in several places. I had a smile on my face throughout the entire chapter.” Yay! Don’t we love to […]
Word After Word After Word
I just finished reading Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia Maclachlan’s Word After Word After Word (Katherine Tegan Books, 2010). Twice. The first time I read it, I was swept away by the story. The second time I read it intentionally with a writer’s eye. It was hard not to get swept away again. I stopped several times. […]