Blog: Behind the Page

Waiting for the Good Word

Being in the trenches of querying is a tough go. Feelings change by the minute. One minute, I’m certain I’ve written something special—a middle grade story I would proudly hand to my students, something an agent, a parent, a publisher might be excited to share. The next minute, I’m convinced it’s all rubbish. Who am […]

When the Music Lands

When the Music Lands A week ago, my sister and I took a sisterly detour to Atlanta. It was my spring break; she had a few free days, so she flew in from Kansas City. I’d been struggling with a new writing project—my first adult novel—and felt oddly disconnected from it, like I was circling […]

Stepping Up to the Plate

On Saturday, March 28th, I’ll be attending my very first writers’ conference. (Technically, it starts Friday, March 27th—but I’ll be at work, doing responsible adult things, so I’ll be joining bright and early Saturday.) This conference is hosted by SCBWI—an organization I recently decided to join—and it includes a full day of sessions focused on […]

Why Stories Matter More Than Ever

Stories have always been one of the most powerful ways humans connect with each other. Long before technology—before screens, notifications, and passwords we can’t quite remember—people gathered around fires to share stories. Those stories weren’t just entertainment. They were memory. Meaning. Survival. They were spoken. They were sung. Epic heroes rose and fell through the […]

The Courage to Start

The Courage to Find Your Voice Sometimes the bravest thing we can do isn’t something loud or dramatic. Sometimes bravery is simply choosing to speak when silence feels safer. Bravery is often imagined as something big and bold — a heroic moment where someone stands up without fear. But in reality, courage often appears in […]