Category Archives: Blog

2021 in Review… and Looking Forward to 2022!

At the end of the year, it’s nice to reflect on the past twelve months and then to look ahead. What successes have you had, and what was challenging? How did you learn and grow? What are you excited about in the year to come?
Here are my top five highlights of 2021, and three things I’m looking forward to in 2022!

Look At The Birds: Writing Inspired by Birdwatching

I love birds. I have for as long as I can remember. But in the past few years, I became a serious birdwatcher. There are a few ways to tell how passionate someone is about birdwatching, and I check off all the main criteria: I say “birding” and “birder” more than “birdwatching” and “birdwatcher.” IContinue reading “Look At The Birds: Writing Inspired by Birdwatching”

Learning from Classics: A Deeper Look into Children’s Fiction

This summer, I dove deep into reading middle-grade fiction—award winners, new releases, and books that have been out for a while that I hadn’t gotten to yet. I also read several classic and “timeless” books of children’s literature. Along the way, I looked for why those stories are still loved today and what lessons in writing I could learn from them.

Do Not Be Afraid and Barrier-Breaking Love: Unlocked Devotionals

I recently had two more devotionals published in Unlocked: “Do Not Be Afraid” and “Barrier Breaking Love.” One is a poem about fear, and the other is about the good news of God’s love, the gospel, for everyone.

Freedom From Unhealthy Standards: Love Is Moving Article

I recently read a quote from Jonathan Auxier, a Canadian children’s author, that gave me a new perspective on my role as a writer and a storyteller: “All artists, storytellers included, have one job: Tell the truth.” Jonathan Auxier All writing, even fiction, can hold a lot of deep truths. And since our work oftenContinue reading “Freedom From Unhealthy Standards: Love Is Moving Article”

Trouble Over Maldi: Unlocked Short Story!

Well, it happened: another milestone on the writing adventure. After many years of writing stories, I have my first one published! It’s a short story in Unlocked Daily Readings for Teens. The fact that it’s science fiction is especially exciting for me—the first novel I ever wrote was science fiction.

Perseverance and Perspective: Unlocked Devotionals

I recently had two more devotionals published in Unlocked that I’d love to share with you. The first is about perseverance, and the second is about perspective. The End in Sight May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts andContinue reading “Perseverance and Perspective: Unlocked Devotionals”

5 Tips for Writing Middle-Grade Fiction

What is Middle-Grade Fiction? If you’ve been thinking about diving into writing children’s literature, you may have heard the words ‘Middle-Grade Fiction.’ But what IS Middle-Grade Fiction?  Think of The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter, Charlotte’s Web. Even if you’ve never heard the term ‘Middle-Grade Fiction’ before, chances are you’ve read it—it’s one ofContinue reading “5 Tips for Writing Middle-Grade Fiction”