Here’s another tech tip for writers! Setting is so important to story. Are you writing a book set in a place far from home? Are you not sure what monuments or buildings look like as your character walks down the street? Apple Maps has a new update that gives you a 3D look at places, mostly… Read more »
Writing
You’re Invited to my Book Launch Party!
I’m so excited to announce I’m having a book launch party for my new book Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife Research (Chicago Review Press). The party is on May 21, 2022 from 1-3pm at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. The address is 614 Dorseyville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. We’ll talk about wildlife, science, books… Read more »
Tech Tricks for Writers: VRBO
Time for another tech trick for writers. Where does your character live? What does their house, apartment, or room look like? There are lots of ways to get interior design ideas from Pinterest or Wayfair or Houzz. But what about VRBO? VRBO is an app that lets you look at the interior of a house… Read more »
2021 Year of Writing in Review
2021 Wrap Up 2021 is almost done. I like to take a look at the past year and acknowledge the highs, the lows, and all of the “I don’t knows.” I have kept a tracking sheet of my writing pretty regularly since 2013. I use Numbers, but I also use a little book. Yes, I… Read more »
I’ve Written a Children’s Book. Now What? Part 2
Congratulations! You’ve written a children’s book! You love reading children’s books so much you have dedicated yourself to learning the craft and written one yourself. And you’ve done the homework from Part 1, right? No? OK take a minute and go read that post and then do the homework. Then come back here. Done now?… Read more »
I’ve Written a Children’s Book. Now What? Part 1
I see this question a lot on social media sites and forums about writing. People ask, “I’ve written a children’s book. Now what?” I love talking with people about writing for children, so I’m always tempted to answer. But the answer I want to give is not the answer people want to hear. They want… Read more »
What is NaNoWriMo?
NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It’s a great event for writers who love deadlines and external accountability. The challenge is to write a novel about 50,000 words long in one month. I made some great friends through NaNoWriMo in the past. I’ve “won” the event, or reached 50,000 words, a few times. So I… Read more »
Is #PitMad Worth It?
Is #PitMad worth it? Did you have any luck at the most recent #PitMad? I think a lot of people think that unless they get a book contract sent via DM that day, they failed. But I say you need a broad definition of success. Here’s how it worked for me, and why I think… Read more »
Help for Writers who are Parents and Parents who are Writers
In 2016, I was picking my kids up from art camp when I received a phone call from a New York phone number. Since this was the summer of 2016 (and the election had not yet happened) I was just still a naive, optimistic person. I answered the phone. It turns out I had won… Read more »
Finding a Mentor or Inspiration – Alhazen and Leonardo da Vinci
When I wrote my book The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the things that really captivated me was how Leonardo learned a lot from an early scholar and scientist, Alhazen. I’d never heard of Alhazen before, but he did a lot of exciting work. It turns out Alhazen is the Latinized… Read more »