Every culture has superstitious beliefs. As a child, I was encouraged not to step on sidewalk cracks lest I break my mother's back, to throw spilled salt over my shoulder, and not let black cats cross my path. While researching my book Aloha Spirit, I learned about Hawaiian superstitions because one of my characters is... Continue Reading →
Creative Expression
I have always had the need to express myself creatively. I drew and colored and wrote stories, and later tried every art or craft I could. It was more than fun. My very soul demanded creative expression. I even remember making up stories in middle school and passing them off as truth--like how my mother... Continue Reading →
Background in Historical Fiction
One of the hardest things in writing historical fiction is to describe the world fully enough for the modern reader to imagine it while at the same time not having the character exclaim over, or even notice, items that are common to them. In our everyday lives, for example, we pass by buildings in our... Continue Reading →
Creative Nonfiction
One of the writing genres we teach in sixth grade is personal narrative. A narrative is a story, or fiction, but a personal narrative is based on a real event. The struggle is getting students to write good stories about an event in their lives. Now personal essay, or memoir, is supposedly a different genre.... Continue Reading →
Writing Exercise
This week in a writing class, we have a fun assignment. Try it yourself! *It needs to be one paragraph, exactly seven sentences. No dialogue. *It should be the first paragraph or the last paragraph of a Young Adult novel, meaning the main character should be a teenager. *It can be in first person, but... Continue Reading →
Writing Successfully
I love to write. That doesn't mean I sit down eagerly at the computer every day and write thousands of words. Even with something I love to do, I have to come up with motivation and perseverance. I'm sure it's true for my students, too, especially those who hate to write. My hope today is... Continue Reading →
Foreshadowing – a writing device sometimes misused
Another guest post! Today I'm reblogging a post by one of my fellow horse story writers. So exciting that she mentions my own books in her article! Thanks, Connie! Reading and Writing Devices - Foreshadowing. by Connie Peck A while back I was involved with a fairly tough critique partner who wrote in a vastly... Continue Reading →
Historical Fiction
Today Sarah Johnson's blog, Reading the Past features an article I wrote. It details the preparation and writing of Under the Almond Trees. It explores the question all historical fiction writers face--how much fact and how much fiction do I include? Click on the picture to the right to read my article. Please leave a... Continue Reading →
Teaching Writing in Elementary School
Children enter kindergarten loving school. They eagerly begin learning their alphabet and look forward to writing their name. By the time they reach sixth grade, they groan when the teacher says, "Take out your pencil and three pieces of binder paper." Somewhere along the line, writing has become a dreaded chore. Something has killed the... Continue Reading →