When a DearEditor.com reader asked about post-apocalyptic novels and the degree of darkness necessary for a true “dystopia,” I immediately thought of author Jeff Hirsch. Not because Jeff is a dark, brooding fellow. In fact, he’s very much the opposite. But with Jeff’s debut novel The Eleventh Plague being a highly-anticipated post-apocalyptic tale and his […]

Barrie Summy may have a successful middle grade mystery series to keep her typing fingers busy, but she still has time to share the secrets of writing a good mystery. Today, she puts on the Guest Editor hat at DearEditor.com and answers a writer’s question about the wisdom of using red herrings in mysteries for […]

Hey, San Diego writers! Wondering about copyright and other related legal issues? My friend, Randy Morrison, a lawyer who is also an author, will present the basic concepts of copyright, give examples, and answer questions at the Dove Library in Carlsbad on March 26, 2011, 10:30-noon. The event is being hosted by Publishers & Writers […]

I love reading, and I love the kids in my sons’ kindergarten class. Today I enjoyed both at the same time as part of the Read Across America activities at our school. I read one of my favorite picture books of all time, If You Find a Rock by Peggy Christian, and I brought in […]

Hey, Grown-ups! Grab a book, grab a kid, and grab a seat, because it’s STORY TIME!

With my book Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies pubbing in a few months, I’ve been considering the best way to launch it. In the online world, it’s called a “virtual book launch.” Then I get a question from a writer at DearEditor.com that asks about this very topic: Dear Editor . . . I’m […]

I’m looking ahead at my weekend calendar, and I do believe I see a few planes swirling around the numbers. Saturday, February 12, is the kickoff for the Centennial of Naval Aviation with a big air show at NAS North Island on Coronado, which is just a lovely bridge-ride over the bay from Downtown San […]

Perhaps it’s the editor in me, but I love revising. Filling up a blank page is tough . . . and sometimes startlingly ugly (both the process and the product). But that stage is behind me. Now, with Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies, I’m in Stage 2: Revisions. Today, about three minutes from now, […]

I did it. I turned in the first draft of Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies last week. I celebrated with chocolate. I celebrated with a contest on DearEditor.com. I celebrated with a thorough house reorganization, top to bottom, closet to closet, dust bunny to dust bunny. And I celebrated with an uninterrupted weekend of […]

I’m having one of those odd but divine weeks where a lot of neat things seem to be happening at once, with me merely sitting on my couch receiving them. For instance, each time I open my email, there’s a message from someone with good news. Invitations to speak at upcoming events, possible inclusion in […]