December 30, 2020
I’ve always known I was shy. As a child and well into my thirties, I always felt “less than,” uncomfortable in my own skin, so hyper […]
August 15, 2019
I would argue that every protagonist in fiction needs a major character flaw. Part of the satisfaction of reading comes from finding out how a character […]
July 14, 2019
I’m a member of SCBWI, which stands for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. This international organization holds regional conferences throughout the year where […]
April 10, 2019
I want to write about something that’s uncomfortable—something that’s been a source of shame for most of my life, something I’ve kept secret. When I was […]
February 8, 2019
As a novelist for young adults, I spend a lot of time trying to recapture the emotions I had in high school. For me, there wasn’t […]
November 16, 2018
Sometimes it feels like my creativity is drying up—or that I never had much creativity to begin with. Where do story ideas come from? Why aren’t […]
August 23, 2018
I recently finished a complete draft of my latest novel, which, for me, is a big deal, especially because I’ve spent the last four years tangled […]
July 12, 2018
I write for teens, so it’s important that I stay in touch with my teenage self. Now that my son is a teenager, I catch myself […]
September 29, 2017
My muse likes to hide from me. Sometimes she jumps out and surprises me, but most of the time she makes me chase her. It’s hard […]