It was back in the summer of 1997, in a Pennsylvania Writing and Literature Project (PAWLP*) class, when I first heard the term "voice" used in connection with writing. Teacher as Writer, that was the class, and it was also the first time I viewed myself as an actual writer. I remember the ten-or-so teachers in the class with me discussing and struggling to define what voice is and how to explain it to our students. It's quite elusive. In true PAWLP style, the teacher suggest

I'm 3/4 of the way through reading a book. I'm liking it...I'm actually liking the main character. He is snarky and brilliant and endearing and really funny. But I am not ripping through the book in my normal fashion, as a matter of fact it's been over a week since I started and for me that's unheard of. It got me thinking. Why wasn't I finishing this book? I loved the MC. I loved everything about him. As I read another loooooooong inner dialogue part from this MC, it hit me.

Some writers say their writing is like their child. It is that personal. An extension of you, if you will. And you know how any parent worth their salt goes into, "Oh no you didn't just wrong my child" mode when their offspring is harmed? And there may be protective claws that come out? Well. Sometimes a critique of what you’ve written feels like that. "Oh no you didn't just rip my BookBaby apart!" But wait, didn't I title this post The Power of Critique???? Oh yes, I did. Yo

Today I'd like to talk about the "G" word. Grammar. Grrrrrammar (emphasis on the "grrrrr"). When I was in elementary school diagramming sentences was all the rage. The lines had to be perfectly drawn with a ruler. And then said lines had to be filled with precise grammar terms: proper noun, linking verb or dangling participle. What the heck is a dangling participle anyway? Back to "grrrrrammar." Now some people have brains wired for grammar. The exactness of it. The absoluten

LASSBERRY REMONADE is a heartfelt and sharply funny contemporary middle grade told in alternating points of view, one a grief-stricken girl desperate to hold on to the home she’s lost, and the basketball-obsessed newcomer who moves in. Their unlikely bond begins at the edge of a pond they both believe belongs to them. Sold to Jaynie Royal at Regal House Publishing. Publication planned for summer 2028. LASSBERRY REMONADE will be my first middle grade novel released into the wo

Here are five things I wish I'd known before sending my first query letter: 1. I wish I knew about the query critique on Evil Editor. Let me warn you: NOT for the faint of heart. But, if all you want to hear is how great your query is, then you may not be ready to query. I didn't find out about this site until well into my query journey. And my ass was handed to me each time I posted - but my query got stronger and stronger and stronger. I often wonder how much shorter my que

I wrote my first picture book manuscript back in 1993. It remains unpublished. Luckily, I’ve learned a few important things along my publishing journey, and in an effort to pay it forward, I'd like to share. My TOP 5 THINGS I WISH I’D KNOWN BACK IN 1993: 5. Read a lot, especially what you like to write, like obscene amounts. Read so much that your television gets dusty. Why this is so important: It keeps your writing fresh and relevant and on point, genre wise. It's like a fr

Possibilities excite me. They always have. I’d even call myself a full devotee to “will it happen?” energy. The Land of Unknown is where my goals/dreams push past the doubt monster, leave his tortuous skepticism behind, and materialize from the fog. It’s where they solidify and take up residence in my brain. My dreams motivate me. My lofty goals are what makes me do the work. I don’t need convincing to roll up my sleeves. The work is simply part of my process because dreams d

Any writer, regardless of where they are on their journey towards publication, gets asked this question: how do you get your ideas for writing? It matters not what the writer writes. It matters not if they are school-aged or adult. The question is universal. For me, my ideas come from life. For example, back in 2011 I spent a considerable amount of time in a hospice just before my father-in-law passed. As I sat there in the quiet, watching him breathe, a new story began to ta

As we all know by now, I'm a writer. Lucky for anyone reading this today, my 8th grade diary is alive and well and a personal treasure. Sometimes I read it to see if I can feel a wisp of that innocence. Other times I pick it up to time warp back to when my parents were alive and death felt like something that only happened to characters in a book. But mostly I read it for laughs. Behold. December 21, 1980 Dear Diary, Oh boy! Our "group" went out Christmas caroling tonight and