Every writer I know has periods where the words just aren’t flowing like they used to. Life gets busy. We get tired or discouraged. All that can make it hard to create. People call it writer’s block, but I don’t really like that expression. A block sounds like some immovable thing in my way that I don’t have any control over. How heavy is it? When will it move? I don’t love the idea of sitting around waiting for this giant obstacle to roll away.

I garden, so I prefer to think of dry spells in my creative life using that metaphor instead. The mature plant is like a finished story, but there’s lots of steps in between that and a seed. There’s planting, watering, and fertilizing. Just like in writing there’s the initial idea, drafting, and revising.

There’s also a time where nothing much seems to be happening. Periods of waiting while that initial seed is transformed into something greater than it was before. If you’re in a period of winter with your creativity and nothing much seems to be growing, don’t despair, just keep tending to the soil (writing) and trust that something good will grow from it when the season is right.

Many times, I’ve been amazed when a plant I thought was dead poked its head out of the dirt come warm weather. I’ve also been equally delighted when a story I’ve fought to keep alive, finally starts to grow and come to life at long last.

Here’s to new growth–in the garden and in your creative works!

There’s a certain glimmer around the edges of the world when my imagination comes to life. I love that feeling. It’s wonder and curiosity, and a sort of child-like hopefulness about what’s to come. As a writer, it’s a well that I dip into whenever I can. But the feeling is also like a temperamental houseplant––fragile and eager to shrivel up on itself with the slightest provocation. So, I hunt for ways to keep that tiny, trembling sparkle of wonder alive.

I often find help in books, music, and nature. Today, I’m sharing a few quotes that hold some of that wondrous sparkle for me. Maybe they will for you too.

“Look at that sea, girls–all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn’t enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.” Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

“It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass.” Samwise Gamgee, The Lord of the Rings

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. I wove my webs for you because I liked you. After all, what’s a life, anyway? We’re born, we live a little while, we die. A spider’s life can’t help being something of a mess, with all this trapping and eating flies. By helping you, perhaps I was trying to lift up my life a trifle. Heaven knows anyone’s life can stand a little of that.”
Charlotte the spider, Charlotte’s Web

I’d love to hear about the places you find bits of glittering joy and wonder.

When I do in-person or virtual school visits, I frequently meet aspiring young authors. Sometimes these creative young people have hit a roadblock in their writing and don’t know how to keep moving forward. As a published author of several middle grade novels, I’d like to offer some tips that have helped me complete my own manuscripts over the years. 

1. Don’t Worry about Grammar. I know what you’re thinking. If I tell my young writer not to care about commas, capitalization, or spelling, chaos will ensue! I’m not saying to forget about all of that forever. But there’s a time and a place to focus on the details, and that time isn’t usually when you’re drafting a story. The parts of our brain that are good at details, order, and tidiness aren’t necessarily the same ones that excel at creativity. When building a new world, interesting plots, and fresh characters, we need our imaginations unharnessed. Professional authors have rounds of revisions that focus on different story elements. We don’t try to fix everything at once and neither should young writers. There will be a time for fixing commas and spelling later. I promise.
   
2. Balance World Building with Story Creation. I’ve talked to lots of writers over the years, and they generally fall into two camps––Pantsters or Plotters. Pantsters like to fly by the seat of their pants and write their stories as quickly as the ideas come into their heads. Plotters prefer to outline everything––from detailed character bios, setting maps, to beat sheets and lore. Neither method is wrong, but I find it helpful to know which tendency you lean toward. If a young writer loves to spend time mapping out details, it might be helpful for them to take a step back from world-building and focus on adding a new chapter or a few pages every now and then. That way they don’t spend all their time planning without gaining momentum in the story itself. On the other hand, if a young writer loves jumping right in without any planning, they can sometimes find that they’ve written a lot of words but none of it is really coming together to form an actual story. For that writer, I recommend dedicating some time to thinking about how their characters and plot work together in the larger story. 
   
3. Read the Genre You Write. Every genre has its tropes—these are the things readers expect to have happen in the story. For example, if someone wrote a mystery but there was no detective and in the end the case wasn’t solved, readers would likely be disappointed. Reading the types of stories you’d like to write helps you meet reader expectations. It also helps polish a writer’s language skills, gets creative juices flowing, and offers a good idea of what kinds of stories are popular with readers.
   
4. Tell Your Inner Critic to Get Lost. If we’re not careful we can be so critical of our ideas and work that we end up not writing at all. That’s why it’s important for young writers to not let their inner critic take over. There’s a common sentiment among professional authors: all first drafts stink. So feel free to stink it up. You’re in good company. Revision is the time to perfect your story. Don’t let that nagging voice in your head bring you down. Keep going. You’ll never know what your story might become if you quit. If you still don’t love your project when you’re finished, no big deal. It wasn’t a waste. It was good practice for whatever you create next.
   
5. Enjoy the Process. I’ve talked to young writers who feel stressed about their stories and the pressure to create. They worry that they’re not talented enough or that they’re too young to succeed. All these fears take away from what should be a joyful outlet. It’s easy to get hung up on the what ifs and the game of comparing ourselves to others. But what if we took a step back and remembered why we wanted to write in the first place? Isn’t it about the thrill of creating new characters and worlds? Creativity isn’t a competition or a race. We can all win. Let’s focus on the joy our stories bring us and our readers, and keep on writing!

I recently had a fantastic visit with Seth Adam Smith, the host of the podcast A Literal Journey. We had a great time chatting about books, writing, and finding our purpose. Check out this clip where I share a bit of the inspiration for my first novel, The Mutant Mushroom Takeover.

You can watch the whole interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ7PoOB2eR0

I loved writing this whimsical middle grade fantasy filled with adventure, peril, and budding heroes. In just three days The Legend of Greyhallow will arrive in bookstores and mailboxes across the country!

Curious to know what early readers are saying about The Legend of Greyhallow? Check out a few reviews below! 

“A delightful, engaging otherworldly adventure sure to charm.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Readers who like Lord of the Rings type tales will wish that they, too, could meet characters like Quaglim, a brilliant gnome inventor, Zander, the shepherd boy, or the enchantress Kalandra.” – Ms. Yingling Reads

“Nefarious creatures, glorious scenes, and sturdy heroes…” Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Exuberant adventure…” – Publishers Weekly

There’s still time to pre-order your copy of The Legend of Greyhallow before it officially releases on Tuesday, July 18!

Best of Books
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

P.S. If you love listening to books while on the go, you’ll be glad to know The Legend of Greyhallow is also available as an audiobook!

I’ve got several book signing events coming up this summer and I’d love to see you at one (or all) of them!

On June 24 at 10 a.m., I’ll be teaching a writing workshop geared toward tweens and teens at the Freedom to Answer the Call homeschool conference in Moore, Oklahoma. I’ll also have a booth at the conference where I’ll be signing copies of my first two books.

At the beginning of July, I’ll be in Round Rock, TX for the Great Homeschool Convention. You can find me at the Family Friendly Fiction booth with a couple of children’s book authors, so be sure to come by and see us!

My first release party for The Legend of Greyhallow will be at Best of Books in Edmond, OK at 6 p.m. on July 18. There will be treats and swag!!

I’ll also have another launch party at Barnes & Noble in Denton, TX at 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 22.

On July 28, I’ll be at the Denton North Branch Library from 10 to 11:30 a.m. for their End of Summer Reading Program. I’ll have books to sign, plus there’ll be fun crafts and activities.

Finally, I’m planning to visit Monkey & Dog Books in Ft. Worth, TX on Saturday, July 29 (more details to come).

And, remember, you can pre-order your copy of The Legend of Greyhallow, coming July 18, anywhere books are sold––including Best of Books, Barnes & Noble, and Monkey and Dog Books!

The Legend of Greyhallow recently received a nice review from Publishers Weekly.

“In this exuberant adventure, Short (Attack of the Killer Komodos) blends ordinary interpersonal issues between Ainsley and her best friend Charlotte with classic portal fantasy tropes and properties to flesh out a wish-fulfilling jaunt couched in the theme of a metafictional desire to visit a beloved fandom’s world.

You can read the full review here: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781665918879

You can pre-order your copy of The Legend of Greyhallow anywhere books are sold and have it arrive at your door on release day, July 18! Also, keep an eye out for upcoming in person events where you can get your copy signed!

The Legend of Greyhallow releases July 18, 2023 from Simon & Schuster! That means it’s pre-order giveaway time! Since the premise of the book involves the kids entering into a blockbuster movie (and bringing all sorts of fantastical characters into their quaint mountain town), I thought a movie-themed giveaway would be fun!

Starting now, everyone who pre-orders The Legend of Greyhallow will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a movie ticket. The ticket will be delivered digitally to your email from Fandango and available to use at theaters everywhere. Each pre-order will also receive a signed bookplate (to add to your hardcover copy of The Legend of Greyhallow when it arrives on July 18), and two fun book-themed stickers!

To enter the giveaway: Pre-order The Legend of Greyhallow (available for pre-order anywhere books are sold), then fill out this super quick and easy form.

That’s all! Thank you so much for pre-ordering your copies!! If you’re curious why pre-orders are so important to authors, here’s an informative article from Book Riot.

More about The Legend of Greyhallow:

Twelve-year-old Ainsley Galloway and her ten-year-old brother, Tobin, have just moved to the small, picturesque mountain town of Lowry. The town is famously the setting for the blockbuster Legend of Greyhallow trilogy and there are traces of the films wherever they go. Ainsley’s parents even bought the film director’s former home, which they dream of turning into an inn that caters to fans eager to check out the local Greyhallow Movie Festival. 

But when Ainsley and Tobin are goofing off in the attic of their new home, Ainsley unleashes something. Something she doesn’t quite understand. And suddenly, purple mist is flooding the town, she’s receiving cryptic messages from strangers in medieval garb. Oddest of all, the enigmatic director of the Greyhallow movies, who’s been missing for years, has a message for them.

Ainsley and Tobin have opened a passage between the very real magical world of the movies and their own. In a swirl of shifting loyalties, capricious creatures, and movie trivia, Ainsley and Tobin have to figure out what to do—and who to trust—in order to save them all.

February 1 is World Read Aloud Day and this will be my third year to participate. It’s always so fun to virtually visit classrooms all over the country (and sometimes world). I love reading to students and answering their questions about my books and the path to becoming an author. The kids always impress me with their originality and insight.

I’ll be speaking to schools around Texas, Washington, Massachusetts, Illinois, Michigan, and New York! I’m excited to connect with so many young readers and hopefully spur on their love of books.

My advanced reader copies of The Legend of Greyhallow have arrived! I’m so excited to share this story with readers.

If you’re a librarian, bookseller, or book reviewer, reach out to me about getting an ARC (supplies are limited but I’ll do my best!) An e-ARC is also currently available on Edelweiss and should be coming soon to NetGalley.

The Legend of Greyhallow officially releases from Simon & Schuster on July 18, 2023. You can pre-order your copy now and also add it on Goodreads.

More about the book: “Disney’s Enchanted gets a Lord of the Rings twist in this fantastical middle grade adventure about two siblings who must close the portal to a magical realm that inspired a popular movie franchise before their own world is conquered by emerging foes.

Twelve-year-old Ainsley Galloway and her ten-year-old brother, Tobin, have just moved to the small, picturesque mountain town of Lowry. The town is famously the setting for the blockbuster Legend of Greyhallow trilogy and there are traces of the films wherever they go. Ainsley’s parents even bought the film director’s former home, which they dream of turning into an inn that caters to fans eager to check out the local Greyhallow Movie Festival. 

But when Ainsley and Tobin are scoping out the attic of their new home, Ainsley unleashes something. Something she doesn’t quite understand. And suddenly, purple mist is flooding the town, she’s receiving cryptic messages from strangers in medieval garb. Oddest of all, the enigmatic director of the Greyhallow movies, who’s been missing for years, has a message for them.

Ainsley and Tobin have opened a passage between the very real magical world of the movies and their own. In a swirl of shifting loyalties, capricious creatures, and movie trivia, Ainsley and Tobin have to figure out what to do—and who to trust—in order to save them all.”