How Sharing Stories Helps Kids (To Help Other Kids)
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: storybooth: How Sharing Stories Helps Kids (To Help Other Kids) Seventh-grade student Carissa carried a painful memory around with her, but it wasn’t a secret. There were plenty of kids who witnessed (her now ex) boyfriend humiliate and verbally abuse her in the hallway at school. While the […]
High and Mighty Low: An interview with the band
I was asked today why music plays such a big role in my fiction writing, and I remembered an interview I did for Mixtape Methodology with the band High and Mighty Low while researching and writing my debut novel RADIO HEAD. The band covered The Beatles’ iconic song Blackbird, and it got me thinking about how a single song can […]
Five ways Parents can Help Prevent Cyberbullying
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: Five ways Parents can Help Prevent Cyberbullying It’s difficult for parents to know if their teen is a victim of cyberbullying. Many teens choose not to tell, worried their device will be taken away. Instead, your daughter might complain of “drama at school.” Or maybe your son feels […]
Teens, Music & The Sober Curious Movement
Please read my latest article on Huffington Post: Is the Sober Curious Movement the End of Teen Binge Drinking? Created by JAVI_INDY – Freepik.com For many teens, social activities never stop. With a smart device in hand, texts, posts, likes and shares are vital components of modern peer interaction. Parents often complain of adolescents glued to […]
Worried About Your Teen Getting Into College? Consider Music Lessons
Secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs)
Teens can Improve Creativity, Relieve Anxiety by Meditating
Please read my latest contribution to Huffington Post! Teens can Improve Creativity, Relieve Anxiety by Meditating creative thinking with our neocortex, the part of the brain that is concerned with problem solving, visioning, hypothesizing, and strategizing. Meditation can have profound effects on the neocortex. Blogger Branain Radcliffe shows how meditation boosts your creativity and focus in seven specific […]
Stepping into the spotlight – Interview with Victoria Theodore
I’m excited to announce that Mixtape Methodology published my interview with musician Victoria Theodore, featured in 20 Feet from Stardom. Here is an excerpt: When Victoria Theodore began taking piano lessons just before her twelfth birthday, one of the first songs she learned was “Overjoyed,” the 1985 R&B single by Stevie Wonder. The song came naturally […]
Writers: Who to Query First, Why and How
Once upon a time, completing your manuscript was the hard part. Eventually, “The End” is behind you; with the thoughtful critique of your circle of writing partners, it is buffed and shammied to a high sheen, primped to enter a tournament of queries. The ultimate prize: publication. Literary agent Jennifer Laughran recently spelled out some […]
Critiquing Other People’s Writing: 7 Tips for Making Manuscripts Better
When you make friends with the red pen pointing out weak story points, redundancy or grammar errors, you give yourself the opportunity to grow as a writer and refine your final product. But is the job of the red pen wielder easier than that of the writer?
The Biggest Mistakes Writers Make When Querying Literary Agents
Generally, I try to spare you overly lengthy blog posts. Most writers work from home and already have enough temptation to procrastinate from our craft with lame excuses such as folding laundry or taking the cat to the vet. This post is worth a sit-down. That is, if you’re serious about writing an excellent query […]