Recent Articles
How to do excellent work
This summer a collection of my sons banded together to start a lawn business. For some of them, it was a steep learning curve. On the first few jobs my husband served as the lawn inspector, to make sure they did good work. He had to call them back a few times; they...
The very slow (but necessary) process of growth as a writer
This summer my kids have been trying to learn cool yoyo tricks. They watch YouTube videos, then try to do the tricks on their own—some more successful than others. Some are great at taking their time learning. They’ll laugh at their mistakes and keep trying, at least...
Writing about YOU: How to find YOUR stories
Some writers stay far away from personal experience when crafting stories. Me? I like to toe the line. Most of my stories contain very specific pieces of my life. My first traditionally published book, The Colors of the Rain, included grandparents and an uncle and a...
Want to know the truth? Writers rarely know what they’re doing
The first book I wrote I didn’t brainstorm. I flew by the seat of my pants. The second book was the same. Both took months of revision to get them in submission shape. After those first two books I created a brainstorm document for myself. I thought I could use it for...
Should you write for love or for money?
When I visit schools to talk to elementary and middle school students, one of the most frequently asked questions I get from them is “How much money do you make?” I get some interesting variations—“Are you rich?” “Do you live in a big house?” And at the most recent...
Why you should write your passion
Writing anything takes a long time. When I visit schools and talk about my writing process, eyes glaze over if I mention revising. I suspect a lot of us feel our eyes glaze over when we consider how much revision a piece of writing requires. It would be nice to be...
Why paying it forward is a writer’s gift
One of the most surprising and beautiful things I have learned about the kid-lit community is it is filled with kind and generous writers. There is an unspoken belief among my fellow writers: We need each other. Sometimes, when we’re immersed in the writing world, it...
Write a GREAT Book Even When Your Time is Limited
