MORE 'WRITING' POSTS
Middle grade may not have been in my initial career plans as an author, but now I can’t imagine writing without it.
To write this story I interviewed social workers and read work by social scientists and scholars of American child welfare. I learned three lessons that I believe are critical for writers, librarians, and other members of the book community.
We adults can offer prompts, reading suggestions, and support, but that what’s most important is that young writers own their work, discover their own processes, experience encouragement but not too much intrusion from adults.
One afternoon when my fifth-grade class was at the library for our weekly visit, my friend Jessica handed me a purple paperback book. “I just finished this,” she said. “It’s SO good. You have to read it.”
When we write, research, and even read about things that truly excite us, the job is suddenly fun. In fact, it’s no longer a job. It is a joy.
With a mother who grew up in Istanbul and a father who grew up in Montana, I spent much of my childhood traveling between those settings, figuring out how to exist in both, and grappling with questions of identity and belonging.
When I think of a writer’s toolbox, I get a picture of Batman’s utility belt. No matter what situation Batman is facing at the time he has exactly what he needs in his utility belt.
I want to tell you about one of Hungry Bones' ancestors. A spirit that haunts her pages.
The Unfinished is all about finding the bravery to face uncertainty in many ways – in one’s relationships, identity and creepy monsters that haunt the forest.
As we prepare for the launch of our new series, Westfallen, we get asked one question more than any other: “What was it like writing a novel with your sister/brother?”
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