I’m often asked why I write books for kids and teens instead of grown up books, and my answer is always this: I write for kids and teens because the books we read when we’re young begin to shape and define not only our reading tastes, but our very selves. Rarely do the books we [...]

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I love bookstores. But some days, if I enter a bookstore at just the wrong time (i.e. when Ron is on duty), the mere sight of shelves and shelves of books fills me with despair and hopelessness. Ron (the mean-voiced doubter who sits in the back of my head and whispers nasties in my ear) [...]

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If you ever need one or a thousand writing ideas, drive across the country. Seriously. I can tell you it works, because as you read this, I’m on the road—quite literally. In fact, I just finished a 4000-mile road trip, and I’m sitting in a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean, on the opposite coast from [...]

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Here in Australia it’s coming up to Winter Solstice: time for reflection, time to take stock. The cold days make me want to snuggle down wrapped in woollies, with a dog or two on either side, and immerse myself in a good book. Midwinter is time for us to let our minds rest and regroup [...]

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Today’s guest is Joseph Burgo, Ph.D., psychotherapist, fiction writer, blogger and author of numerous books. Joe’s personal blog, After Psychotherapy, draws over 50,000 visits per month. He writes for Psychology Today and is a regular contributor to The Atlantic. Joe’s most recent title is Cinderella: A Tale of Narcissism and Self-Harm, a novella-length retelling of the [...]

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I’ve decided that I have a new quest as a writer. And I think it could help any other writers who dare to join me in this quest. Like any good quest, it has a mission statement: Say no to woe. (Pretty cool, huh? It even rhymes! Hey, I’m a writer, so the whole making-magic-with-words [...]

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Ever since I can remember, I’ve loved fairy tales, myths, legends, and fantasy. It’s something I responded to instinctively as a young reader, and something I took to easily as a young writer, too. In my imagination and my dreams, journeying to those magical worlds seemed to me as natural as breathing. Of course I [...]

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First, a caveat: this is a post about the craft of fiction, and I don’t have the first clue about how to teach the craft of fiction. From my years as a high school English teacher, I could teach you how to write an essay on the symbolism found in The Great Gatsby. I could teach [...]

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As those of you who follow my work know, I’m dead keen on process. I think it’s important for writers not just to write, but to watch themselves writing and observe their evolving approach to their craft. That, I believe, is how a writer goes about growing. So with every new novel I write, I [...]

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I have been noticing lately that the word, “work ethic” has been coming up a lot among writers, all of whom seem to be pursuing the vast pots of wealth seemingly just on the other side of a completed manuscript. No longer do you even need a contract to hit the big time—just look! Every [...]

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You know those red dots on directories of shopping malls and airports? The red dot that’s labeled YOU ARE HERE? Well, “Here” is where I am: waiting for an editor to make an offer on my first book. My brilliant agent has carefully selected specific editors, then pitched my manuscript in a way that accurately [...]

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There have been numerous WU posts about how we begin our books, but I think the topic is worthy of repeated exploration, because beginnings are crucial. Your book’s beginning is the first impression you make on your readers, and you’ve got a very limited time in which to try to make that a good impression. [...]

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