The galleys for my next book, BIRDIE, arrived yesterday and I’m both excited and scared.  The story is written, it is really happening, and soon I’ll be able to tell if the effort was worthwhile.  I’ve heard other writers share similar thoughts.  It’s never easy to see your baby sent out into the world–warts and […]

I visited the 3rd and 4th graders at Eagleview Elementary today and met several aspiring novelists.  What creativity and enthusiasm!  Together we created Max, a ten-year-old boy and his friend, Sophie, and worked together to develop these characters.  One thing we discussed was the need to increase tension by adding trouble and conflict to the […]

I’m nervous.  OK, more than a little nervous.  Though I’ve spoken to adult groups across the region, I’ve been invited to speak to a third/fourth grade multi-age class about my writing experiences.  My plan is to use Cinderella’s story as a model for the group to come up with a short story of their own. […]

I’ve set aside  pressing duties to make room for another contest submission.  Dylan Days Creative Writing Contest out of Hibbing, MN, the home of the famous Bob Dylan, has a great annual contest with cash prizes and publication for winners.  My poem, Devil in the Details, took first place  in 2004.  What fun to read […]

Writing requires a lot of stubbornness.  It takes courage to write the words, one after another, without the guarantee that the finished product will ever see the light of publication.  It takes faith to believe that the writer’s story is worth the valiant effort needed to see it through to completion. My three novels, ABERCROMBIE […]