Author, Speaker
Song-and-Dance Man
Dear Writer Guy, I often get feedback that my characters sound the same (voice). What process do you recommend to build distinctions in each character’s voice? Thanks,Judy Dear Judy, At the root of it, this is first a matter of getting out of YOUR head and getting into your characters’ heads. Early on, all our characters …
Ever feel like everyone else has a “writing voice” but you? Like theirs showed up center stage fully formed, dripping with metaphors and sparkling turns of phrase, while yours is still hiding in the wings? (No? Maybe it’s just me.) Voice is one of the most powerful tools a writer can develop. And learning to …
What if there’s other intelligent life in the universe? And what if it likes pizza? (Duh. If it’s intelligent, of course it does.) This intriguing idea sparked the creation of my newest series, The Outer Space Mystery Pizza Club. As a long-time sci-fi fan, I was excited to dive into a story involving aliens, distant …
I had no idea what to expect when I was invited to Altoona, Pennsylvania, for a series of school visits. But I liked the name (“Altoona!”), and I liked Pennsylvania. So I agreed. I just wasn’t prepared for the warm welcome I received there from readers young and old. Thanks to a grant from the …
Like the striking screenwriters out there on the picket lines, I’ve been concerned about the use of Artificial Intelligence in the world of writing. Could it really replace human novelists? I mean, it’s hard enough to write a book and then compete with other human writers to get it published. But adding AI-created books to …
YA fiction by Wesley Chu Measuring up to the first book of a series can be a daunting task, but Wesley Chu avoids the sophomore slump with The Art of Destiny, the second tale in his War Arts saga. When the story picks up, Wen Jian, the prophesied hero, has been training in secret with …
Wow, that was one busy spring! After the pandemic put a halt to in-person author visits back in 2020, I wondered when (and if) they would ever start up again. Now I wonder no more. Why? Well, it seemed like this past spring, every elementary school simultaneously woke up from its pandemic-induced slumber and said, …
YA fiction by Angeline Boulley Angeline Boulley’s debut novel, Firekeeper’s Daughter, was one of the best books I’ve read in recent years, so I came to read Warrior Girl Unearthed with high expectations. When the story was a little slow getting started, I thought, Ah, well. It’s common for a sophomore effort not to measure …
Middle-grade fiction by Stacey Lee This lively tween tale dips deftly into Chinese mythology while remaining completely modern. Twelve-year-old Winston Chu has a loving mom, an older and younger sister, and a tight circle of friends who support him, but the loss of his father in a war-related accident still shadows his life. His mom …
YA fiction By Daniel Jose Older All 16-year-old Mateo Matisse wants is to be able to make his music, be heard and not seen, and maybe someday play backup for his musical idol, Gerval. But events in his Brooklyn neighborhood of Little Madrigal don’t make that dream easy. Little Madrigal houses most of the people …
If you’d like to see Chet Gecko, Prince of Underwhere, Class Pets, Switched, or the Big Bad Detective Agency as a TV series or movie, you can help us!
