Like pretty much everyone, I’ve been in a bit of a funk, and the end of the year means heaps of melancholy, hooray! On that note, I’d say the absolute best Christmas song is “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” because it pokes at that holiday sadness and acknowledges loss, which we’ve experienced so much […]
The Closet Creative Blog
Scissors, Markers, and a New Book
With my first middle-grade novel ready to come out in the spring (RULE OF THREES! May 2021! From Chronicle!), I’m focusing on Novel #2 with a process that requires scissors, markers, and a retreat into my attic. Writers often get asked about our “process.” Every writer has a different one, and writers might have different […]
Rearranged
During these past couple weeks, I’ve made huge progress on my next middle-grade novel and also put a collage of photos up in our newly painted stairwell. Seemingly very different projects, no? I actually found many similarities, which really spoke to my love of finding patterns. The stairwell collage is something I’ve wanted to do […]
Writing at Turtle-Speed
One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn in the publishing business is patience. I’m not a patient person by nature, and I wasn’t prepared for how slooooowly things move in this industry. For example, if I sold a picture book manuscript today, you wouldn’t see it on the shelves for two or three […]
Adrian Simcox Wins the Huckepack Prize!
I’m so thrilled to announce that the German edition of “Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse,” has won the Huckepack Prize! From the award announcement: “HUCKEPACK (which means piggyback) focuses on picture books that build a special bridge from the grown-up reader to the child being read to, “piggyback” here standing as a symbol […]
Stepping Back
For Mother’s Day, I received two things I wanted very badly: coconut cream pie, and time alone. My husband took our kids on a bike ride for the afternoon, and I puttered around the house enjoying the silence, something we haven’t had much of these last two months. Adding to the external noise is all […]
Obligatory Deep-Thought Stay-at-Home Post
I honestly wish I could write about anything else. I tried. But anything else seems trite right now when everything we do is impacted by this virus. I promised myself that I’d write a blog post once a month, even if no one reads it but my dog, so I’m giving it a try. People […]
Just for Fun-Kid’s Bedroom DIY
Listen, there are all sorts of ways to procrastinate when you’re supposed to be writing. Yesterday, for example, I took an extra long trip to Aldi, cruising slowly down the aisles to pick up the things the kids need in their lunches that my husband forgot to buy when he helpfully did the shopping on […]