Children tend to inherently believe that skin color has nothing to do with a person’s value. It’s 2014 and many of us would like to believe that race isn’t the issue it once was. We’ve had a black president and
Read MoreGood writing engages the reader at all possible moments. I’ve been doing some editing lately, and I’ve been focusing on adding more engagement into the prose. Lets look at an example. David panicked when he saw the angry mob. This
Read MoreI had the really good fortune to interview author, Jonathan Gould, the other day. He hails from Melbourne, Australia, where he spent his youth overindulging in Mad Magazine, Monty Python, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In addition to
Read MoreChildhood obesity is a growing problem in America. In the past 30 years, obesity rates in children have more than doubled and adolescent rates have quadrupled. While some forms of obesity have genetic contributors, behavioral and environmental factors play a
Read MoreAuthors get to choose the perspective of their narrations. There are a few different perspectives to select from, but I’ll mention the three most useful here: first person (I say), third person omniscient (he says and the narrator knows everything),
Read MoreWhether you are trying to change your diet, exercise routine, or parenting practices, willpower is often thought to be the most important element. If willpower is all it takes then why do many of us fall into old habits so
Read MoreWell-written dialogue is critical for any finely crafted novel. It should entertain, impart vital information, and move a story along. It’s hard to think of a good book that doesn’t have compelling dialogue. Some novels like the Game of Thrones series seem
Read MoreGreat characters, like interesting fun people, must be multifaceted. It is important that protagonists have some positive traits—maybe they are smart or physically gifted, but those same heroes must also have faults. Perhaps they are overconfident, too trusting, insanely stubborn
Read More“It’s best to be honest with your kids, but first assess how much information they need to know.” Parents and adults are often reluctant to discuss certain topics with children. Death and divorce, for example, are challenging subjects. Do we
Read MoreI hope to use this space to print interviews with published writers to bring other voices to the issues we are discussing. I’m very excited that my first interview is with D. Robert Pease. He writes science fiction and fantasy
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