I love birding. I love being out in nature, listening to bird song, spotting a feathered friend in the leaves and branches. I love keeping track of birds from year to year. January 1 is so exciting because I get to count familiar birds all over again! I’ve some wonderful birding moments this year and… Read more »
Inspiration
Is #PitMad Worth It?
Is #PitMad worth it? Did you have any luck at the most recent #PitMad? I think a lot of people think that unless they get a book contract sent via DM that day, they failed. But I say you need a broad definition of success. Here’s how it worked for me, and why I think… Read more »
Help for Writers who are Parents and Parents who are Writers
In 2016, I was picking my kids up from art camp when I received a phone call from a New York phone number. Since this was the summer of 2016 (and the election had not yet happened) I was just still a naive, optimistic person. I answered the phone. It turns out I had won… Read more »
Fall Migration 2021 Has Begun!
It’s so thrilling to know the birds are on their way south! Follow along with the raptor migration over Hawk Mountain here! If you can get up early and look and listen in your own backyard, it’s worth it. Get real time bird migration maps at BirdCast!
Finding a Mentor or Inspiration – Alhazen and Leonardo da Vinci
When I wrote my book The Science and Technology of Leonardo da Vinci, one of the things that really captivated me was how Leonardo learned a lot from an early scholar and scientist, Alhazen. I’d never heard of Alhazen before, but he did a lot of exciting work. It turns out Alhazen is the Latinized… Read more »
What’s the name for learning something connected to your main topic?
What’s the word for when you’re learning about one topic, you need to learn about several other things to help you understand the main topic? I’m learning a lot about birding. This means I also have to learn the names of local trees and plants so I can better understand what birds are in a… Read more »
Ideas for Bored Kids
Need some ideas for bored kids? Many years ago, I sold an essay to Family Fun magazine about a “what to do” idea cube. My kids took an old box and covered it with construction paper. They wrote six ideas, one of each side of the cube. They rolled the cube and voila, they did… Read more »
Writing Stories is Like Ice Cream
Some days, writing stories is like ice cream, the hard kind you scoop out of a container and it is still so frozen it bends your spoon. It can be a lot of work to get that story out. Usually it’s amazing after you’re done. You feel like you earned it. Other days, writing stories… Read more »
Writing Puns is Fun
I love writing puns and I love writing with puns. Over Thanksgiving, I brought a new game to play with my family called Punderdome. I found this game at Riverstone Books, my favorite local bookstore. I’m very lucky that the family was willing to give it a try, even my 13 year old son got… Read more »
Twelve Days of Writing or Keep Writing Over the Holidays
It’s so busy right now. You might let your writing take a back seat to the demands of the season, but I encourage you to stay strong and find some time to work on your craft. Here’s a little something I whipped up for the young writer that I am coaching. The Twelve Days of… Read more »