My Cybils Reading by the Numbers: In Appreciation of Libraries
An appreciation of the public libraries that allowed me to read 128 books in the past two and a half months for the Cybils, and advice for ending your novel.
Cybils Update: The Osmosis Strategy of Writing
An update on my work as a first-round panelist for the 2014 Cybils YA Fiction category and what I have learned for my own writing.
What Makes a Book Fun to Write?
The arrival of my ARCs of Surviving Santiago from my publisher, Running Press Kids, leads me to think about what made that novel so much fun to write.
Historical Fact and Fiction at the Children’s Literature New England Conference
A report on the CLNE conference, "Writing the Past: Yesterday Was Once Today," held November 14-16, 2014 at Vermont College of Fine Arts.
Engaging Readers of Young Adult Fiction: Agent Regina Brooks Weighs In
In a guest post, literary agent Regina L. Brooks offers five general rules for writing young adult fiction that both teens and adults will want to read.
Feed Spammers, Content, and Creativity
I draw a parallel between feed spammers on Instagram and publishers' emphasis on branding, with authors bringing out multiple books per year.
Like Shooting Fish in a Barrel…And Missing
Lessons about photography, art and life that I learned from coming in last place in a Lego photo competition.
Grown-Up Things: On Adults and YA Fiction
A defense of adult readers of YA fiction along with a call for more diverse, rule-breaking, and intellectually challenging writing and subject matter.
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.
How to Make Friends with the New Kid: Advice for Kiara from the New Kids
My presentation to ELL students at Manchester, CT's high school and middle school explored insights gained from being a newcomer from a different culture.