Launch Day for TORCH and a Second Star!
Today is a long-awaited day -- the launch of my YA historical novel Torch. It's especially long-awaited because the novel went out on submission at the beginning of August 2019,…
Starting Little Brick Township Underground
Setting up a underground world for the new buildings of Little Brick Township because Lego expands faster than my space does.
Agent Revisions, Editor Revisions
Comparing an agent's revision suggestions to those of a realtor presenting a house for sale.
Strategies for Persistence: The Next Book
Do you give up on a manuscript and move on after a pile of rejections, or do you revise to take feedback into account? Arguments for sticking with a story.
What I Learned from the Pneuma Creative Workshop
What I learned about myself, the writing process, and my two current projects at the Pneuma Creative retreat last week at the beautiful Highlights campus.
My Workshop for the VCFA Young Writers Network, Part 2
Last week I reported on the first week that I led a workshop for middle school writers at New Voices School as part of the VCFA Young Writers Network. That…
Killing Your Darlings, and Bringing Them Back to Life
My bonus content for the YA Scavenger Hunt, a deleted scene that leads to my comments on the importance of "killing your darlings" in revision.
Harper and the Machine
Reflections on the publication of Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman and the controversy surrounding this early draft of a classic novel.
The Value of Workshops
Writing workshops can be especially useful in identifying flaws in a manuscript or getting unstuck, as I found with Surviving Santiago.