Everyone is dealing with an upended new reality what with the pandemic and all. I’ve lost gigs and income but on the whole, I count myself fortunate. And in the grand scheme of things I’ve decided to give back, do what I can to make life a bit more bearable. What can I give back? […]

I keep thinking of people I met along the way who were incredibly talented. They could tap into a child’s perspective with ease, writing from an innocent yet knowing angle that never talked down to the child reader. They could express a child’s deepest concerns in a beautiful way that was accessible to the child […]

I feel like a veritable veteran of writing these days. I’ve been writing for 30+ years and published for more than 20. It’s been an extremely tumultuous few weeks and I guess it’s all been too much for my immune system and I’m down with a nasty cold. But I thought I should get down […]

I’m really worried about this next generation of children. In response to serious abuse from some nefarious teachers (that absolutely had to be dealt with!) we’ve really undermined the whole system. As an author/storyteller, when I go into a school I’m fully aware that most of the children have no intention of following my line […]

Isn’t it ironic that my last post was about the risk of burn out and here, in the new year, I’m already feeling burned out? I keep hearing that Bee Gee’s song Words in my head: It’s only words And words are all I have To take your heart away… If you think about it, that’s […]

How do you maintain the interest in a project that has spanned several years? From the moment you first got the idea to all the permutations it goes through before the story actually works…how do you maintain your passion and interest in it? It’s not always easy! I was talking to a family member, telling […]

I know it sounds idyllic right? To go to some pristine wilderness, rent a cabin, lock yourself away from all distractions and just write write write? I remember when my son was just a baby and I took him to the doctors. When she found out I was a writer she said, “Oh I’ve always […]

In Islam we have a concept called sadaqa jaariya, which is a type of charity that continues giving exponentially even after you die. It can be in the form of donating to a masjid where people will remember the name of God and praise Him, long after you’ve passed away. It can be in the […]

I think it’s a good idea to do the organizing first. It might seem counter intuitive. You might think, no, but I need to get the creativity out! But actually the mundane act of organizing and cleaning up  your environment is an excellent way to prepare you for the writing process. It’s as simple as […]

A few days ago I went to one of my daughter’s houses for dinner and the grandkids ran up to me and asked me, of course, to read them stories. It’s always been what we do. So we went up to their rooms, and they each chose a book. The oldest chose Rosie Revere Engineer, […]