Author, Theatre Artist, and Educator
I'm excited to report that I recently received my first round of edits from my publisher for my debut Young Adult novel. While I’m no different than anyone else who feels a lot of pressure when it comes to revision, my background in theatre and new play development has taught me to see the feedback... Continue Reading →
Spring at Philadelphia Young Playwrights always means one thing: our students are asking fantastic questions about storytelling as they complete their first drafts and begin the revision process. Popular questions I’m hearing this year are, “How do I tell a story without revealing everything in the beginning?” as well as “How do I create complex... Continue Reading →
I recently had an amazing time visiting Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens with my Philadelphia Young Playwrights Ed Staff, where we were inspired by the work and process of creator Isaiah Zagar. On our guided tour (which I highly recommend), we learned that when Zagar creates his mural mosaics, he pulls tiles out of his bucket at... Continue Reading →
If you’ve ever had a writing teacher, you’ve most likely heard the phrase “kill your darlings” when it comes to revision. In respect to this, one of my theatre professors gave the following advice to my class years ago, “I always tell playwrights to turn to their favorite part of their play, and cut it.... Continue Reading →
On the Making Learning Connected hangout tonight, the conversation about hacking games, as well as Kim Douillard’s story about an amazing Monopoly remix, reminded me of one of the oldest improv games I know. I’m sure it goes by many different names, but I learned it as The Status Game. Thanks to the structure provided... Continue Reading →
Thanks to the great fun and greater conversation going on at Making Learning Connected, this week I’ve had memes on the brain. Ever since I made my first-ever memes to compliment my last post, I’ve been convinced there’s a writing game in there somewhere. Well, I’m excited to say that I’ve come up with not... 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 →
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 →
Mae Early 