Blurbs
March 4, 2025
No Comments
BLURB: “A short laudatory phrase — or even a word — that praises a piece of creative work.”
Blog
When Nominated for an Edgar Award
February 25, 2025
1 Comment
In 1975, to my great surprise, No More Magic was nominated for the “Best Juvenile Mystery of the Year,” by the Mystery Writers of America. Back then, new to the world of children’s books, I had never heard of the award or the organization.
Revisions: AI or Not?
February 18, 2025
5 Comments
If I have learned anything in my career it is that nobody — nobody — writes anything very well in one go.
Tales of Wonder
February 11, 2025
No Comments
To my eyes, Tales of Wonder by James Gilroy is a wonderful work of art, brilliantly animated with life. In the style of the time, it contains a wealth of information — almost a narrative.
The Untold Story of Books
February 4, 2025
2 Comments
If anyone is interested in the world of writing and publishing, let me highly recommend, indeed urge upon you, The Untold Story of Books, by Michael Castleman.
Memories
January 28, 2025
No Comments
One of the key tools a writer has is memory. In particular, it’s not unusual for those who write for young people to have engaging — and meaningful — memories of their own childhood.
Simultaneously Objective and Subjective
January 21, 2025
1 Comment
From 1983 until 2011 — twenty-eight years — I worked with the late Richard Jackson as my editor. If I count correctly, I believe we created some twenty-five books together.
Full Stop!
January 14, 2025
2 Comments
Commas and periods weren’t always present in written texts. The practice of using them evolved to make reading easier.
They Engaged My Odd Attention
January 7, 2025
2 Comments
In my writing process, I don’t specifically seek out ideas, so much as I come upon them, serendipitously. But once I come upon the germ of an idea I do my research, mostly exploratory reading.
A Walk on New Year’s Eve
December 31, 2024
5 Comments
The coming of the new year always brings me a renewed sense of time, of moving forward. But there was a moment — one New Year’s Eve — when I experienced being lost in time.