Recent Articles
How to train like a writing athlete
Some creative people think that creativity only happens when the “muse” strikes. That always sounded strange to me. Who was the muse? Am I not my own muse? In charge of my own creativity? If I had to depend on some nameless, invisible muse, who may or may not show up...
How to play the mental game of writing
The first year I ran track in middle school, I remember my coach telling us, “Running is about 90 percent mental.” I remember thinking, That’s ridiculous. I’m not running with my mind, I’m running with my body. And my body is too tired for this. And as soon as I...
Practice makes progress: write one sentence after another
There’s a myth out there that says the longer you write the better you get at it. Okay, that’s not a myth. Practice makes progress, after all. But where the myth shows its face is in the belief that as you get better at writing, it also gets easier. Uh…I’m sorry...
Collecting ideas part 2: Cultivating what’s inside you
Part of collecting ideas includes not just searching outside yourself but also searching inside. I suppose this could also be a step in the process of developing ideas. We all have unique experiences and backgrounds that have shaped us into unique people....
Where do you get your ideas? Part 1
Ideas are all around us. The problem is, sometimes we’re so focused on other things, our eyes fixed on just about everything else, that we miss them. When I visit schools or I do author panels or interviews, I’m frequently asked where I get my ideas. My answer is...
How many drafts do you need to write a story?
One of the most frequent questions I get from young writers and even seasoned writers is: How many drafts do you need to write a story? I have a super helpful answer: It depends. Let me explain. Some of my books only took four or so drafts. (Even saying “only four”...
How to write a book: little steps each day until it’s done
My first book, a middle grade novel in verse, was written in tiny fifteen- or twenty-minute windows, back when my kids were very young. I had a newborn, two 3-year-olds (twins—so double trouble), a 5-year-old, a 6-year-old, an 8-year-old, and not a lot of...
Write a GREAT Book Even When Your Time is Limited
