General writing

Reading (It’s what I do)

This year I set myself a reading goal to finish 100 books. And I got it done! Goodreads was nice enough to provide a little graphical overview of my reading history. I wanted to read 100 books and I finished off the year with 107! That’s a nice total. Still Reading I had hoped to finish… Read more »

My Christmas Story

  What is your favorite Christmas story? Personally, I am not a fan of the Grinch. I get the appeal, but it just doesn’t hit me in the heart. And while I laugh hysterically at the movie “A Christmas Story,” my real favorite is O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. I love the self-sacrifice… Read more »

Winning NaNoWriMo 2015

I did it! I won NaNoWriMo 2015! I wrote the first draft of my novel, The First Step, in a touch over 50,000 words. Here’s the day-by-day progression of my word count. My boys really enjoyed seeing the word counts grow and as you can see, they also enjoyed writing the updates themselves. At the… Read more »

Highlights Foundation Workshop

In October, I was made the decision to take the big leap and attend my first Highlights Foundation workshop. The workshop I chose was called “Creating Page-Turning Non-fiction for Middle Grade Readers and Up.” I’ve had a fair number of non-fiction pieces published in really great children’s magazines and I would love to also create… Read more »

Naughty and Nice List for Writers

We all know it’s time for the Naughty and Nice List. And no one wants to be on the Naughty List this time of year. We all want to be on the Nice. But I think there’s a lot to be gained by looking at that Naughty List. The characters that end up there are… Read more »

12×12 Picture Book Writing

It’s November and like many writers, I’m at the early stages of NaNoWriMo. I love NaNoWriMo because it helps me produce one big project, a 50,000 word novel in a specific period of time. But I’m not only writing novels. I write magazine articles throughout the year and try my hand at short stories here… Read more »

Make a Picture Book Draft

I’ve been trying to make a picture book draft once a month, every month, this year. I’m a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 and the focus on productivity and creativity – the art of creating – has been really useful. I know I can come up with an idea once a month and it doesn’t… Read more »

Highlights Foundation Workshop, Day 1 

  I’m here in Cabin 10 in Boyds Mills at my first ever Highlights Foundation Workshop. First thing I notice: it’s quiet. So, so quiet. It’s creeping me out! I’m used to working and writing surrounded by the constant noise of happy and unhappy children. Also, I don’t hear any cars. Or birds yet, but it… Read more »

Writing Outside of My Comfort Zone

This excellent quote was sent to me by a very fun, encouraging agent. It totally fits for the manuscript I just finished and for how I try to live. It’s also a great way to approach the craft of writing and the topics I (or you) choose to write. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the… Read more »