writing

Writing Prompt Wednesday #5

This year I have a personal goal to do more writing “play”, and so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself which I’ll also share online, in case you’d like to join me. Teachers, you’re welcome to have your classes write with me too! I’m calling this practice Writing Prompt Wednesday and will post the prompts on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack. ♥ ♥ ♥ When I was a kid, I had this book I loved called The Mixed-Up Family: A Mix-and-Match Book. The book instructed you to cut the pages into thirds (Cutting a book?! So scandalous!). After the pages were cut, you could flip the top, middle, and bottom sections to create new character scenarios.… Read the rest

Writing Prompt Wednesday #2

This year I want to do more writing “play,” and so I’m creating weekly prompts for myself which I’ll share online, in case you want to try them out for yourself, or with students if you’re a teacher. I’m calling it Writing Prompt Wednesday and the prompts will be posted on my website, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Substack. I’ll also be sharing my own response and additional thoughts on Substack later in the week. (Here is my response for Prompt #1, if you’d like to read it.) I hope you’ll join me, and if you do, I’d love to hear how the prompt worked for you.… Read the rest

A Peek at the Creative Space of Shallee McArthur

Joining us today for Creative Spaces is YA author Shallee McArthur. Shallee’s debut novel, The Unhappening of Genesis Lee, was published last fall by Sky Pony Press:  Seventeen-year-old Genesis Lee has never forgotten anything. As one of the Mementi—a small group of genetically-enhanced humans—Gena remembers everything with the help of her Link bracelets, which preserve memories perfectly. But Links can be stolen, and six people have already lost their lives to a memory thief, including Gena’s best friend.Anyone could be next.Which is why Gena is less than pleased to meet a strange but charming boy named Kalan who claims that they’ve not only met, but that Gena knows who the thief is.The… Read the rest

A Peek at the Creative Space of Mary Quattlebaum

A dog is a great muse!I always get many ideas while walking the family dogs. Ahoy and avast, ye mateys! If there’s a wee pirate enthusiast in your life, have I got a book recommendation for you: Pirate vs. Pirate by Mary Quattlebaum and illustrated by Alexandra Boiger. Bad Bart is the biggest, burliest pirate this side of the Atlantic, and Mean Mo the maddest, mightiest pirate that side of the Pacific. When Bart and Mo decide they won’t settle for just one measly ocean, they want to conquer the world, they meet their competitor in the middle and have one of my favorite exchanges of the book: “Rogue, am I?”… Read the rest

Catching Up: A Three-Part Series

In which I cover three book- and/or writing-related things that have been keeping me busy since I last posted. Part Two: Sara Gruen. My husband gave me tickets to the Denver Pen and Podium series, and Sara Gruen was the author I was most excited to see. I love her book Water for Elephants. She wrote a great article for Writer magazine about the research she did in preparation for writing Water for Elephants. And she’s an animal lover, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy hearing her speak. She was initially scheduled to speak in November, but had to postpone until February due to illness.… Read the rest