Guest Contributor 2/5/25 Guest Contributor 2/5/25

Writing Engaging Young Adult Mysteries That Tackle Emotional Health Issues

“Mysteries are natural places to explore issues of emotional health, because the behavior of people who harm others can generally be traced back to their own emotional problems and issues, and of course their actions have a huge impact on the protagonists of our stories.”

Guest Contributor 10/11/24 Guest Contributor 10/11/24

The challenge of depicting positive friendships in middle grade books

Three of the top sources of depression and anxiety are loneliness, feelings of isolation and a lack of connection. I also learned that increased screen time combined with separation during the pandemic made it harder for kids to know how to interact with others in person. That cemented my decision to show how friendships can hold together even when interests change.

Guest Contributor 8/23/24 Guest Contributor 8/23/24

Weaving Details and Carving Icebergs: Revising a Novel

The story that I hadn’t been ready to tell for the first edition, became my guide for the second. The question was, where to begin? The first edition was like a locked house—I needed to find a way in, rearrange the furniture, and tear down some walls without burning the house down.

Guest Contributor 7/4/24 Guest Contributor 7/4/24

Are Critique Groups Right for You? Tips From Gennifer Choldenko

I have been in critique groups on and off for most of my career. I’m here to tell you that they can be wildly helpful and bracingly unhelpful–the trick is how to make them work for you.

Guest Contributor 8/31/23 Guest Contributor 8/31/23

Pushing it One Step Further - Humor Techniques in Simon Sort of Says

Simon Sort of Says is my new favorite middle grade novel, a laugh-aloud story about the sole survivor of a mass school shooting. Did I just put the words laugh aloud and school shooting in the same sentence? I did. And I meant it. This isn’t just a book with a kid with a snarky tone. Or a great voice. This is a book that’s so funny I snorted. Humor and warmth are the undercurrent of this book. Simon and his family deal with events with humor. Simon connects with new friends through jokes and laughter. Ultimately, their connections and their ability to keep laughing helps them in the healing process.

Guest Contributor 7/20/23 Guest Contributor 7/20/23

Walking with Lennon: How to Find Inspiration and Shape a Story

Novels are amalgams. Your experiences. Your friends’ memories. Stuff you’ve read. Stuff you’ve heard about. Be open to it all. Mash up the different elements. The real secret of the secret sauce of novel-writing is that no one knows what goes into it.

Guest Contributor 7/6/23 Guest Contributor 7/6/23

Keeping Things Real: Writing Authentic Realistic Fiction for Middle Graders

But engaging middle school readers requires more than an interesting plot—the characters and their experiences must feel authentic to and reflective of the complicated world in which the readers live.

Guest Contributor 5/4/23 Guest Contributor 5/4/23

Writing Enticing Middle-Grade Fiction with the Classroom in Mind

For me, story comes first, unbounded by requirements that might inhibit my creative process. I write my first draft, and in revision I assess if it has possible classroom connections.

Guest Contributor 5/12/22 Guest Contributor 5/12/22

Co-Authoring Interfaith and Intercultural Stories, with Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams, authors of The Button Box

Our focus today is on co-authorship, and specifically on how two authors can write interfaith or intercultural stories together--a great way to make sure that the books our children read are based on a rich variety of authentic, lived experience.

Guest Contributor 3/25/21 Guest Contributor 3/25/21

Making Every Character Integral to the Story, Even Pets! Syd in Kate Messner’s Chirp

The more characters there are, the harder it is for the reader to connect with the important ones. As authors, we want to make sure every character serves a purpose.