Kids Lit
Something Old is New Again!
On July 1, New York and most of publishing hang out a sign: See you in September! And many…
June 11, 2025-
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Writing for YAInterview with YA Author Miriam Thor Part One: Writing About a Character with Hearing Loss
I’m talking today with Miriam Thor, author of the contemporary young adult novel Listening to the Rain. DJS: Why…
May 27, 2025 -
Kids Lit
Online Helps Out: Paid Writers’ Groups
In any genre, there are dozens of opportunities to get involved with online writing groups. Most of these groups…
May 15, 2025 -
Kids Lit
What do you do with GOOD NEWS?
Write, revise. Critique, revise. Submit, revise. And then one day: submit, interest, offer, contract! For every five years of…
April 8, 2025 -
Writing for YA
Becoming a Productive Writer Interview with YA Author Melody Personette
I’ve been following YA author Melody Personette for a while, and admire her tenacity and ability to keep producing.…
March 28, 2025 -
Kids Lit
7 FREE Ways to Keep Gifting into the New Year!
Here’s 2025 all fresh and shiny, full of hope and all the little calendar boxes ready to fill! While…
March 6, 2025 -
Writing for YA
Fairy Tale Retellings: Interview with YA Author Rachel Kovaciny
Young adult author Rachel Kovaciny recently released her eighth book, A Nobel Companion, a retelling of the ugly duckling…
February 26, 2025 -
Writing RomanceDON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART
Romance readers’ expectations: Finding the best setbacks and obstacles for my couple to overcome is one of my greatest…
February 23, 2025 -
Magazine, Freelance, and CopywritingCreative Roadmap for Aspiring Authors: Practical Tips for Crafting and Funding Your Writing Journey
While many might try to dissuade you from embarking on a journey to becoming an author, sticking with it…
February 13, 2025 -
Kids Lit
Books to Read BEFORE You Write
Mentor books are those an author studies before they do any writing. For a retreat last week, I had…
February 8, 2025 -
Writing for YA
Evaluating Your Writing Year: What Success Looks Like
How do you feel about end-of-year evaluations? Confession time: Shiny new planners excite me, but when we near the…
January 28, 2025 -
Romancing Your Story
Knowing (and Meeting) Reader Expectations
All fiction readers come to their chosen stories with certain expectations. A mystery reader expects a puzzle to solve.…
November 23, 2024 -
History in the MakingBehind the Doors of the Grocery Store: INEVITABLE CHANGE Part 2
CHANGE —A Spark for Writers Seeking an Innovative Angle for Their stories. Change can bring new life or dread…
November 20, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Writing is a Group Activity!
I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I…
November 8, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Jumpstart Evocative Writing During the Holidays
Does your prose suffer from overly mechanical writing? Your story gets there, but the scenery is somewhat bland? Or…
October 27, 2024 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
How to Start Writing Professionally: Essential steps for Aspiring Authors
Landing your first professional writing gig can feel like an uphill task if you’re an aspiring author. Things can…
October 15, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Writing is a Group Activity!
I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I…
October 9, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Tips for the Spotlight Shy Author: Written INterviews
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight. I’m completely comfortable speaking in…
September 28, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Our Most Important Sentence
Once the dream book is finally contracted, the most important writing starts. Essentially what we write in preparation for…
September 8, 2024 -
Writing for YA
Avoiding Burnout: Interview with YA Author Gillian Bronte Adams
Burnout. It’s a consequence of producing books that authors don’t always consider. Today’s authors must juggle multiple roles, and…
August 27, 2024 -
Romancing Your Story
A Trope with a Twist
Readers, particularly romance readers, love stories that feel familiar—shorthand for they use tropes—but also seem new and bring a…
August 23, 2024 -
History in the Making
Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era
For writers, opportunities wait behind the doors of the grocery store! A plethora of plots. Character reveals. Centuries of…
August 20, 2024 -
Kids Lit
Is That True??!!
I heard comments/complaints in a writer’s group recently that “it is impossible to get your book into the library”…
August 8, 2024 -
Uncategorized, Writing for YA
Setting the Stage for Historical YA
It can be tricky to grab a reader and plunge them into a different world, and even more so…
July 27, 2024 -
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting
The Power of Networking: Building Meaningful Connections in the Writing Community
Writing can feel like a solitary career at times. After all, it’s just you, the keyboard, and your ideas…
July 16, 2024
