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hope

Why Writing Matters

Two toddlers with bubble wandsRecently, I was invited to join the Writers Council of the National Writing Project, and for this I was asked to state why I believe writing is important. It’s a worthy question, and I chewed it over.

As I see it, three facets of writing matter: the original act of getting down a first draft, the revising puzzle, and the chance that a final result might move a reader. They’re intertwined, of course, but the real power lies in those first two stages. When we create and deepen our… Continue reading

Revisiting Tiburon

Eleven years ago, when my family was on sabbatical in Tiburon, California, I wrote Birthmarked, my first young adult novel. I would often take walks in the afternoon while my children were at school, and my path led me into the grassy hills, past Old St. Hilary’s and copious poppies. Sometimes, when I was stuck in a plot snag, the walking would loosen up a new idea for me to try, and to this day, I feel grateful to those hills.

Anchor and PoppiesI returned to the same trail for… Continue reading

Where to Turn Next

IMG_6631If you seek understanding, comfort, or inspiration, slip into someone else’s shoes as Scout did in To Kill a Mockingbird. Here’s a list of 10 recent books that take me deep into the human heart where we bank our love and hope like embers.

When I Was The Greatest by Jason Reynolds

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman

Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

Out of my… Continue reading