Over at Write Up Our Alley I blog about how I keep archives of my work on paper, and why. You can read the post here.

Over at Write Up Our Alley I blogged about where I got the ideas for my books. You can read the post here.

Why did it take me 14 pages to describe 10 pages of a graphic novel? I explain over at Write Up Our Alley.

Over at Write Up Our Alley I’ve answered another writing process FAQ, whether I use outlines when I write a novel. The answer: not initially. You can read the entire post here.

In the last year I have been asked a lot of questions about my writing process. I have decided to start a sometimes-series on my blog to answer the most frequently asked questions.

The first question is: why do I still write with pen and paper and don’t usually compose on my computer? You can read my answer here.

My plan is to eventually create a FAQs page on this website which will gather all my answers in one place.

If you have any questions about my writing process, you can ask me them in the comments section of my blog, on my Facebook page, or by contacting me directly. I will try to answer as many as I can.

Last night I attended the 11th annual award celebration for the New Voices in Children’s Literature: Tassy Walden Awards at the beautiful Blackstone Library in Branford, Connecticut. We were treated to a warm welcome by our master of ceremonies, Doe Boyle; inspiring speeches by agent Julie Just, with Janklow & Nesbit, and by author Cat Urbain; and excerpts of the winning entries read by their authors.

My favorite words of wisdom for the evening came from Ms. Just. She told us to cultivate that thing inside of us that is original, that is ourselves. It is worth standing above the fray and not being just like everyone else. That’s what people look for. And as Cat Urbain emphasized, don’t give up: the world will eventually recognize true spark and embrace it.

My hearty congratulations go to:

• this year’s winners: Anne Kubitsky (illustrated picture book), Betsy Devany MacLeod (middle grade novel), and Steve Parlato (young adult novel);
  
• this year’s honorable mentions: Justin Van Deursen (illustrator’s portfolio); and Faith Hough (young adult novel);
• this year’s finalists: Jordan Fenster, Maribel Girnius, Paula Wilson (picture book text); Jennifer Edwards, Natalie Fifer, Katherine Kopcha (illustrated picture book); Karen Lindeborg, Kate Lynch, Traci Grigg, Heather DiLorenzo (middle grade novel); and Leslie Cahill-Milford (young adult novel).

I look forward to seeing all of your names on bookshelves.

Barnes & Noble was hopping–two weekends before Christmas, it isn’t surprising. The kind staff who set me up and kept me hydrated were wonderful. They even apologized for not having me in front. ("It’s just too much traffic today.") No worries. I had two lovely tables in the children’s section, and I met lots of readers and spoke to wonderful people.

The highlight for me were the looks of pure pleasure I received when I wrote dedications to several kids, tailored just for them. "You’re the first author she’s ever met," a mother of a nine-year-old told me. It made me feel unbelievably special and lucky. Her daughter read a page and looked up at her mom. "This is really good!" And it reminded me why I write books to start with.

Thank you!

Kate Narita who hosts the blog Classroom Book of the Week, asked me a bunch of questions about my writing process for Come Fall. The questions were really interesting and made me think hard about how I went about writing the book. She posted my responses yesterday, and you can read them here.

Thank you Kate for the thoughtful interview.

John Scalzi kindly allowed me to blather on (at length) about how I came about the ideas that led me to writing Come Fall. You can find my essay here, as part of his ongoing The Big Idea columns.

I also posted a much shorter piece for Write Up Our Alley about book birthdays — what they are and aren’t.

I’ve recently updated my website to include resources for writers who are seeking information on how to get their works published. The list is a work in progress, and I’ll be updating it from time to time. You can find the current version here.