For many years, I couldn’t tell people where my parents worked. I could only say, “the department of defense.” Now, I can tell people they worked for the National Security Agency. That’s why I feel such a special connection to this new book, Elizebeth Friedman: Expert Codebreaker of World War II. Elizebeth’s story was secret for… Read more »
Writing
Books and Board Games – For Flower Lovers
Celebrate spring with this colorful pairing of books and board games all about flowers! Yes, I am featuring another game designed by the incredible Elizabeth Hargrave. Her games are always about things I love. Tussie Mussie is a quick and easy card game with gorgeous art is also about the historic language of flowers! Once… Read more »
Super helpful suggestions from my critique partners!
I am so grateful for the super helpful suggestions I get from my critique partners. It can be so hard to find a great critique group. At a creativity meeting back in March, a friend said to me that they tried out a new group and felt a little frustrated that people were too nice… Read more »
The Most Useful Critique Comments I’ve Gotten This Month
It can be scary to get your story critiqued. I remember some of my first critiques on some of the first stories I ever wrote – brutal. It was hard, but I told myself to trust the process and take the comments the same way I took advice from my running coach. This will help… Read more »
New Book: Birds Have a Lot to Say!
I am thrilled to share the cover for my new book Birds Have a Lot to Say, because we are right at the beginning of spring migration. I loved working on this book with my wonderful editor Taryn at Kiwi Crate and the art that Kayla Stark created makes my heart soar! This book will… Read more »
The Best Critique Comments I’ve Gotten This Month
I’m so lucky I have amazing critique partners. They are generous with their time and expertise and so honest about what parts of the story need work. They are also really, really interested in helping me make my work better. And they never forget to leave a kind comment! I participate in webinars and group… Read more »
My Life as a Writer, or a Writer’s World of Work
This little sketch of the Earth with tiny satellites orbiting it is a model of my life as a writer. Well, it’s the model my husband suggested to me. We were at breakfast and I was telling him about the projects I had sent to my agent, the one I was working on now,… Read more »
Organizing Your Thoughts As a Writer
I had a great time presenting at the Outdoor Discovery Center at Crooked Creek in February. I spoke to an audience of both teens and parents, and I think it was a really interesting mix of perspectives. The teens had a lot of questions about writing and animals, and the adults even had some questions… Read more »
Tech Tips for Writers: Historical Weather and a Research Challenge
When you’re writing a story, setting is key. And weather is a part of the story. It’s valuable in nonfiction, historical fiction, or any story. When I write about the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, it’s important for me to note it was snowing in April. But how do I know that? How… Read more »
Take the Quiz! What Kind of Wildlife Scientist Are You?
What kind of wildlife scientist would YOU want to be? Take the quiz and find out! Loading…