2016 had some dark spots. But despite the turmoil, some wonderful work was released by authors and publishers who are showing up and doing good work. Someone asked me what my favorite book I read this year was, and I
Hobbies that Inform or Improve my Writing
Notice: I did not say OTHER hobbies. Writing is no hobby. If you want other people to take your writing seriously, you have to take it seriously first. Writing is my job. It may not pay me very much right
10 Rules for Writers
Every writer has their own rules, right? These are mine. I hope they’re helpful!
You know what time it is…
So I’ve been pretty silent this October on You Know What, but it’s time to shatter the stillness. National Novel Writing Month is almost here! While I will be participating and MLing for Michigan: Elsewhere, I want to share that
Why all writing counts, even the stuff that will never be published
Guys, I made another video. It’s about practice books, why you need them, and how to get started publishing in high school. Tell me about the places you send your work and if you’ve had anything accepted!
County Roads
“Why did I listen to you? I was going to take the other road. You have no sense of direction.” (This is true.) “You weren’t listening to me, you were listening to the GPS. This is the road the GPS
Mentor Texts: How to use other books to help you write your novel
It’s a scary world out there, and we writers like to stay hidden behind the pages (monitors, screens, etc.) that display our words for us. Getting out there and talking to people? Making small talk? Exchanging pleasentries? Sometimes, even just
Forest for the Trees
For those of you who don’t know, I am the managing editor (and founder?) of a literary journal for exceptional writing by teens, for teens. It’s called Forest for the Trees, and I think it’s pretty awesome. We’re accepting submissions
“I Am Not An Environmentalist.”
When I was probably ten years old, I saved a young maple tree in my back yard. Possibly growing nature’s way, from a scattered seed rather than a planted bucket, the tree was tall and spindly. When we’d moved into
Good Childrens’ Nonfiction?
Another round up of mini-reviews, but this time focusing solely on nonfiction for kids! Nonfiction usually isn’t followed by a “!”. It’s usually thought of as dull, dry writing full of boring facts – and a lot of the time