Author, Theatre Artist, and Educator
As I mentioned in my last post, I had the absolute pleasure and honor of directing a play by an amazing young playwright for the How I Learned to Write Festival, a program created by Philadelphia Young Playwrights. During the weeklong process, I can only hope this talented young writer learned as much from me... Continue Reading →
Fresh off an amazing week of new play development for the How I Learned to Write Festival with Philadelphia Young Playwrights, I’ve been thinking a lot about the creative process and the creative mindset. So when I signed up today for the Making Learning Connected project and saw the first Make Cycle had a “How... Continue Reading →
I’m the first to admit that when I’m loading up Facebook, more often than not I’m looking for distraction. Thanks to one such moment today, I was reminded that even in our distractions we can find inspiration…and opportunity. This beautiful image is the unexpected opportunity I found today. When I came upon it, I realized... Continue Reading →
The other night, thanks to the magic of the internet, I inadvertently stumbled on this article about incredible homes. My first thought was, “Squee!” because I would happily live in any of these places, but my second (and likely far more useful) thought was that any of these homes would be a fabulous start for... Continue Reading →
When people hear about the Young Adult series I currently have in the works, one of the first questions I’m asked is, “How did you come up with a world like that?” or, “What was your inspiration for creating that world?” Today, I dig down inside myself to find the courage to share with you... Continue Reading →
During my days as Artistic Director of a theatre company focused on new work and emerging artists, we used to host an annual Lock-In: five teams comprised of a playwright, director, and two actors each creating, rehearsing and performing a play in 24 hours. Every year, the first challenge given to the teams was a... Continue Reading →
It’s not like I don’t get any writing done at home. After all, I’m sitting here at home as I write this right now! But when I’m home, I’m surrounded by things that all have the potential to pull my focus away. It might be the pets, it might be a dirty kitchen, it might... Continue Reading →
For me, writer’s block is a funny thing. Back before I started teaching, when I got writer’s block I just…well, I just dealt with it, wallowed in it, avoided it by not writing, it depended on my mood. After I started teaching and I watched my students come up against it, however, my attitude toward... Continue Reading →
One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write a form poem a week, using the guidance and challenges that writing a form poem can bring as a way to shake off my 2013 writer's rust and get back in the saddle. It was this charge to myself that lead to my discovery of an... Continue Reading →
I am excited to share my first writing prompt with you! Whenever I post an activity, prompt, or guiding writing exercise in the Support For Writers section of my site, I will always write a blog post about the activity as well. That way, if you follow my blog you’ll always know when new exercises... Continue Reading →
Mae Early 