The first chapter of Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is titled, “Day 1,299 of My Captivity.” It is referenced by a sentient octopus, Marcellus. This timeline motif, which continues through Van Pelt’s REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, feels
Category: Writing Fiction
Writing fiction for adults, teens and kids. Topics include the building blocks of plot, character and setting. Next, tips on drafting, revision and editing. Also includes in-depth looks at verse novels, mysteries, and contemporary fiction.
Looking for story, story, story Looking for a story but only seeing air, Exasperation, frustration, Nothing real there. As spring begins, I find myself in a freelance work lull which means I cannot run away from
I was drinking my morning coffee and reading my book when… Midway through chapter 24, I felt it: the hand of plot. That sense that the author is driving to a point – squeezing in some
How Much Reading & Writing Have You Managed? 2022 has begun with… a bang and a whimper and a moan and a sigh. At least, that’s how it feels to me. The shift from pandemic to
Back to My Mountain and a Writing Resolution Like many others, I feel grateful to have made it to New Year’s Eve 2021 without (entirely) losing my mind. And I’ve decided to do something I usually
The internet waited for me through our second summer of the pandemic. But at last I’ve begun some virtual housekeeping. Renewing memberships, fixing broken links, adding dates to the shared family calendar. And writing my first
April is Autism Acceptance Month and National Poetry Month We’re coming to the end of a busy 30 days! Before April ends, let’s talk about that complex developmental condition know as Autism Spectrum Disorder. The World
Verse Novels by Jacqueline Woodson, Margarita Engle, and Sarah Crossan I read verse novels by these authors not because of their gender, race, religion, or politics. I read their work because their poetry does what true,
The relationship between theme and plot has been a major writing challenge during the pandemic. It’s been a year of lockdown, of protest, of raising very confused and saddened children, of angry debates and so much
I’m looking forward to moderating this cool (free!) virtual event for the King County Library System. As we pass the one-year mark of the pandemic, writers and creatives of all kinds are reflecting on what it