This month I visited Alaska’s Denali National Park—not in person, but in prose—when I read Hannah Moderow‘s debut novel Lily’s…
I love talking craft—character development, plot, point of view, pacing, setting, dialogue. But hey, when a reader can’t get into…
I’m a girl who struggles to write girl characters, so what’s the deal, huh? I’ve asked this question for a…
Writers have to merge what they don’t know (what they imagine) with what they do know (tastes, textures, smells, sounds, images).
This month I read a YA novel that defies literary convention. It’s a mystery, but not a mystery. There’s a…
Tapping into your own truth helps you write fully human, complex, and authentic characters.
Agents and editors want a synopsis that gives away the ending.
What a wonderful new book for middle grade readers! Leah Henderson’s debut novel One Shadow on the Wall took me…
Mary Lou Hall‘s debut novel Wirewalker came out in September 2016, introducing YA readers to 14 year-old Clarence Feather, a…
Today I want to sing the praises of Richmond, Virginia’s writing community! I’m fortunate to be surrounded by poets, novelists,…