by Jill Williamson | Aug 19, 2020 | Creativity, Encouragement, Guest Posts, Learning from Other Authors, Story Beginnings, Story Ideas, Writing
Do you worry that your stories might not be original enough to stand out to agents and editors? Are you afraid to retell that fairy tale you love so much, or to write about a certain setting, time period or type of character, because it feels like too many authors...
by Shannon Dittemore | Aug 14, 2020 | Creativity, Reading, The Craft of Writing, Writing, Writing Life, Writing Voice
I have a thing for real life history that plays out like fiction. Lately, I’ve been reading up on Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames. Two men, one from the FBI and one from the CIA, who sold American secrets to the Russian and Soviet intelligence services during and...
by Stephanie Morrill | Jul 27, 2020 | Creativity, Writing Life
I’m away for a couple of weeks, so I’ve pulled a few posts from the archives for you to enjoy in the meantime! I had never read Arthur books until McKenna started elementary school and brought them home from the library. When she pulled Arthur Writes A...
by Jill Williamson | Jul 22, 2020 | Author Life, Creativity, Encouragement, The Craft of Writing, Writing Life
I recently visited Mount Rushmore in South Dakota with my family. While there, we toured the sculptor’s studio, where Gutzon Borglum and his team of 400 artists worked when not on the mountain. It took Mr. Borglum and his team fourteen years to carve Mount...
by Shannon Dittemore | Jul 10, 2020 | Author Life, Creativity, Encouragement, Getting Published, Writing, Writing Life
There’s a question I get asked a lot. The question can take many forms, of course: What’s your favorite part of writing a book? What do you love about this job? Why do you choose to do this to yourself? Lots of incarnations, but really, the same question....
by Shannon Dittemore | May 22, 2020 | Creativity, Plot, The Craft of Writing, Writing
It’s Friday, beautiful friends! And today, we’re talking about surprising our readers. I have been elated by all the mystery books appearing on the YA shelves these past few years. It’s not a new trend, by any means. Nancy Drew has been solving...
