Jun 1, 20213 minWriting Sports and Action Scenes, Part 2Welcome to the second installment of the craft series on writing sports and action scenes. Today we’re picking up where we left off last...
May 11, 20215 minWriting Sports and Action Scenes, Part 1Hello from 2021! It’s been almost seven months since my last blog post, a craft series on writing Lower Middle Grade fiction you can...
Oct 21, 20204 minWriting Lower Middle Grade Fiction, Part 4Hello and welcome to the fourth and final installment on writing lower middle grade fiction! Today we cover ensemble casts and subplots...
Sep 16, 20205 minWriting Lower Middle Grade Fiction, Part 3Hello and happy September! I’m delighted to be celebrating the release of The Derby Daredevils: Shelly Struggles to Shine this month! The...
Aug 12, 20206 minWriting Lower Middle Grade Fiction, Part 2Hello friends! Welcome to the second installment of blog posts on writing craft: Lower Middle Grade fiction! Last month, we covered the...
Jul 13, 20206 minWriting Lower Middle Grade Fiction, Part 1In interviews, a writer is often asked whether they are a plotter, a pantser, or—thanks to some writers refusing to claim one category or...
Apr 3, 20206 minDebuting Within a Pandemic I haven’t composed a blog post in a long time. It’s easier to post fun things like cover reveals and quizzes and games. Not because those...
Feb 12, 20204 minCover Reveal for THE DERBY DAREDEVILS: SHELLY STRUGGLES TO SHINEHello hello! I am pleased as punch to be hosting my own cover reveal for The Derby Daredevils: Shelly Struggles to Shine! Book 2 has...
Jan 7, 20206 minWhat to “Expect” When You’re Debuting2017 was a strange year. It began with me wandering through the cold, seemingly-solitary halls of being between agents. I worked...
Dec 3, 20195 minChoosing to do a Preorder CampaignI don’t mean to brag, but I am absolutely fantastic at second-guessing every decision I’ve ever made. No, really. I have a knack for...
Nov 12, 20197 minWhat to do on a Writing Retreat“Everyone attack!” “Retreat!” “Attack!” “Retreat!” “What are you doing, Lee? Get back on your feet!” -Stay Alive, Hamilton I’ve always...
Oct 16, 20194 minBecoming an Expert Through Children’s BooksIn my ongoing struggle to sit down and be productive as a writer who works from home, I fully admit to being one of those people who...
Sep 11, 20195 min Pitch Wars Wishlist!Hello there! We are middle grade authors Kit Rosewater and Ash Van Otterloo, and together we make up the MG Pitch Wars mentor duo,...
Sep 10, 20195 minWhat We KeepThree years ago, I was just starting my journey as a Pitch Wars mentee. For those unfamiliar, Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where...
Aug 8, 20194 minJudging My BookA few weeks ago, my friend forwarded me this tweet. It was posted by authors Brendan Reichs and Daniel José Older and was making the...
Jul 8, 20196 minGetting Back on the Horse Confession time: I’m one of those writers who sees an article title like “My Ups and Downs of Writing” or “My Long, Long, Loooooooooong...
Jun 4, 20195 min“Are We There Yet?”: A Publishing Reality Check Being a writer is a difficult thing. Any job can be difficult, of course. When I was a teacher, a stage director, a textbook translator,...
May 7, 20194 minGiving a Book a Heart Transplant This story starts with a wedding. In mid-March, I was returning from a friend’s nuptials in Brooklyn, NY. I had watched a couple stare...
Apr 16, 20197 minBuilding Story from Pitch (The following content was originally presented at the SCBWI New Mexico April Shop Talk on 4.09.19) When I started querying in 2011, I...