News & Events

Registration is open for the Writers’ Retreat: Mining the Story at Shake Rag Alley, an enriching three day event (April 26-28, 2019) packed with workshops, panel events and creative activities. Set in the picturesque old mining town of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, there is an artistic community right on the doorstep to explore too. I’ll be on the Pathway to Publication Panel and will give manuscript consultations alongside faculty Patricia Ann McNair, Philip Hartigan, Judith Sutcliffe, Shawn Shiflett and Christine Maul Rice. Click here to find out more. We’d love to see you!

For my latest reviews for the Awfully Big Blog Adventure, I chose two picture books that play with the gutter (that is, the inner margin of a bound book) to add another dimension to storytelling. Click here to see what I thought.

The space is set and ready to go… Last night I had fun delivering a workshop on generating story ideas at The Book Market in Glenview. We talked about the nature of inspiration, the conditions for nurturing and encouraging creativity, and we channelled our inner child/teen to uncover some new story ideas.  Thanks to all who braved the cold to join me.

Murderers were on the loose in my recent Story Builder Workshop. Reality started to twist and change. Superheroes and hippies and rappers and homeless people found their voices. It was a great evening of storytelling. Only one more class to go in this workshop series. I’ve had fun with the students. I’ll be sad when it ends.

Are you in the mood for a lyrical picture book that reads like a poem? You might like this one. Click here to read my review.

I did not know much about graphic novels until recently although they are hugely popular at the moment, and so I chose to review Roller Girl for the Awfully Big Blog Adventure. Want to know what I thought? Click here to find out.

My lovely Story Explorers invented some brilliant new worlds and characters last week. I wish I always had that much fun when I create stories.

Story Explorers is a four part class that I devised for first and second graders. We roll up our sleeves and explore stories from many different angles and perspectives. We read picture books. We tell stories, orally and on paper using pictures and words. We investigate themes, ideas and inspiration from our readings with interactive exercises, games, art, craft, and play. And we have fun. Lots of fun.

Spent a happy two weeks marinating story ideas, generating characters and developing plots with some talented 7th and 8th graders. Here are some of the (many) books we discussed.

What would you do in your last 8 minutes 20 seconds on Earth after the sun exploded? Click on the link to my competitions page to read the winning entry by Ella Happel who wrote an excellent, tense, tight story about what happened in her world. I have celebrated the excellent submissions by the ribbon winning students, too. A truly talented bunch of storytellers.

Interested in reading my latest review for the Awfully Big Blog Adventure? Click here to find out what I thought about Mary’s Monster by Lita Judge. (Hint: I liked it. A lot).