A couple of weeks ago I wrote a review of a charming, middle-grade book called Gleam: Semma and the Secret of Stuffmore by new author Kurt Christiansen. Today, I have an interview with Kurt. He has some tips and inspiration … Continue reading →
Or, in the words of Virginia Woolf, a room of one’s own. What sort of space do you need to be creative, to take a breath without judgment or observation or guilt? Some people have elaborate spaces. We’ve all seen … Continue reading →
There’s a song called “Geronimo!” by Sheppard from the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie (2014) that had escaped my attention until now. Cute song, but that’s not the point. It made me wonder about the word Geronimo, which should always … Continue reading →
A new writer, Kurt Christiansen, popped up on Facebook recently in a group I follow (Middle Grade Fiction Writers). What caught my eye, besides the cover of his book, was this, “13 years in the making, a hundred drafts and … Continue reading →
Everyone has one. I know someone whose superpower is the ability to work diligently at something until it’s just right to his ears and his soul. Someone else’s superpower—and I’m not sure she even knows this—is finding rainbows in the … Continue reading →
Kate DiCamillo is not a 12-year-old girl. Nor is she a pig, a puppet or a magician. Hannah Gold is not a polar bear. Erin Bow is not a boy. Sara Pennypacker is not an African American young man intent … Continue reading →
Hello. Did you find inspiration in last week’s solar eclipse? Did you actually see the solar eclipse? Some people in California were able to see a nibble that the moon took out of the sun. But it didn’t darken our … Continue reading →
Have you ever in your life heard of this national day? There are some very obscure celebrations on the calendar. For example, last Monday, April first, was not only April Fool’s Day, but it was also National Sourdough Day. That … Continue reading →
My daughter and I were chatting recently about writing. She wanted to know about my various writers’ groups and the (one) writing seminar I attended. I told her that I haven’t always wanted to be part of a writers’ group. … Continue reading →
Something has me feeling philosophical. Maybe it’s because I’ve finished the first draft of a novel I’ve been working on and have “shelved it” for a couple of weeks to marinate. In last week’s post, I wrote about a writer … Continue reading →
