This is a photo of us climbing the last series of steps before reaching the peak of Diamond Head Crater in Hawaii. It was a tough hike for little Luke, but we kept telling him it was worth it. "The view, Luke! Wait until you see the view!"Writing is a little like...
Another insight Anne Sibley O’Brien shared with the Korea SCBWI chapter is to dig deep in our stories. She encouraged us to search our feelings on race issues and emotions that want to bury themselves deep down when living in another country/culture.Then she asked us...
Yeah! Yeah! And more yeahs! I've finally finished a complete second draft. I typed in my last words of a new scene and looked over at my husband and said "Let's celebrate!" My husband is off right now on his scooter to buy that imported Baskin Robbins (expensive but...
An artist friend, Sally, and I took a shopping trip to Hongdae (an area nearby). We stopped by Starbucks for lattes and scones and then wandered down a tiny narrow street where one of the largest art stores around hides. I was in search of some art supplies for my...
Don't you love the smell of fresh squeezed oranges? Chocolate chip cookies? How about baking bread? My critique group always is helpful to remind me to incorporate smells into my stories. And they are right. Smells really add a strong mood to a scene. In teaching,...
Oh it's been so long since I've blogged. I've been having way too much fun revising my paranormal lately. When did revising become fun? Maybe I'm becoming a revising geek? Uh oh.My class with Jill Santopolo has been AWESOME! She's been pushing me to work on deepening...
Wow. I can't believe it. I've just finished my first draft of my paranormal YA!!!!! I've been closeted up for the last two months working on it. Drinking too much coffee and eating too much chocolate. But it's good and it feels fabulous to have the draft there.It came...
Mysteries are so much fun, not only to read but to write. Yet to write a great mystery, you've got to plant your clues at the perfect time and the right place and this is trickier than it looks.As I began writing my tween mystery set in a French castle, I realized...
SCBWI now has a chapter in Korea! SCBWI stands for Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and it is an organization that supports writers and illustrators. I'm so excited about having a chance to meet up with other children writers here in Asia and make...
In honor of Valentine's Day coming soon, my topic is on love, specifically the love triangle in YA novels. Let it be known, I'm a sucker for a good romance, and even a bigger sucker when I can't figure out who will the main character will go with in the end.My...