Author, Theatre Artist, and Educator
When I conference with writers, they often say they’re having trouble coming up with a satisfying ending. Instead of talking to them about their plot, I ask them to tell me about their intended impact: when their audience reaches the end, what do they want them to be feeling and thinking? Some writers are immediately... Continue Reading →
Revision is hard. The deeper we dive in, sifting through sentence by sentence, the easier it is for our writerly lens to look at our creative work minutely through a magnifying glass. While details are important, every draft also needs us to look at it through the widest lens possible. A healthy panoramic view helps... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year, writers! This post comes to you from the snowy grounds of Ragdale, where I have the good fortune to be one of twelve artists-in-residence for the month of January. I had grand plans to write a blog post a week while I was here, but the first two weeks of my stay... Continue Reading →
With the revision deadline for my young adult novel in the not-so-distant future, I spent last week wresting with a chapter of my book that needed major restructuring. In the midst of already having my work cut out for me, I found myself fed-up with my ‘First Draft Self’ because she had made some choices... 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 →
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 →
Mae Early 