This month, I read the boys two Judy Blume books: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Superfudge. These were two of my favorite kid book series growing up. I successfully glossed over the part where a secret about a certain holiday character is revealed, and the boys asked for more books about Peter and… Read more »
General writing
Bad Soup Analogy for Bad Books
Should we let kids read bad books? Quick blog post today, readers, about the quality of kids reading materials. Lots of parents just want their kids to read. I’m lucky that my kids are hearty readers and devour most books without any fuss. In fact, taking away reading time is one of their dreaded consequences…. Read more »
Writing a Novel (Tips & Tools)
I use a few tools when writing a novel. I do a long outline of the story. I write the shorter synopsis. I write a bunch of taglines to see what story idea sounds really catchy. I use the alphabet trick when determining and deciding character names. I draw maps of the novel neighborhood. I use… Read more »
Six Word Stories Part 2
Who doesn’t love good six word stories? They are short and sweet. I am so lucky to be able to visit classrooms and hang out with kids. As a writer, there’s nothing more valuable than learning from and listening to your target audience. So when I had a chance to go into my son’s sixth… Read more »
No Time to Write
Some days I have no time to write. Some days I have hours to write and can lay down over 2,000 words. Or I can read and heavily revise two or more chapters. I really lose myself in the story and just let it flow. But other days are busy and it seems I have… Read more »
Writing Prompt: The Lost Potato
Do you see that? There on the ground? It’s a potato. It’s just sitting there, all by itself, on the sidewalk. How did it get there? This lost potato is the perfect writing prompt. I can think of lots of stories about how that potato ended up there. Send me your stories about the Lost… Read more »
Room for Improvement
Running has a finish line, but with stories, there’s always room for improvement. Virginia Wolf wrote that it’s essential for women to have a room of one’s own, and I don’t disagree. But there’s another room that’s also essential. Room for Improvement. I don’t usually write stories for specific contests, but I will revise them…. Read more »
Wild About Reading Books
We love reading books in this house. We also love reading books outside, on the bus, while we’re walking, and even in the parked minivan in the garage. Graphic Novels The book that has captured the attention of this van reader is a graphic novel in the Amulet series. He got book 4 in his… Read more »
New Publication: Highlights for Children, March 2017
I’m so excited to share the news about my new piece in Highlights for Children! Just take a look on the inside cover of the March 2017 issue. It’s a small piece, but the topic is really appropriate for today and I think, is a fun way to get to know more about the people… Read more »
Sixth, a Graphic Novel
Here’s the next installment of my foray into the realm of graphic novels. They are super popular in my house and the reading community right now. I only wish I had the ability to convey the awkwardness, the angry, the hopes and plans. But these sketches will have to do. There’s not a lot of… Read more »