Are you a young writer or illustrator searching for guidance and inspiration? Or, do you know a young creative who is? Here are some programs that may help! They are arranged geographically, starting locally (where I live) and expanding internationally. Ottawa Public Library Awesome Authors Youth Contest – This free yearly contest is for Ottawa… Read more »
Writer’s Craft
Reflections on a finished draft
Friends, I know it has been a while since I posted some news. I have been intensely focusing all my creative energy on drafting a novel, and today I reached “THE END.” This is a huge deal for me. Sure, I drafted novels before, but that was 10 years ago in my MFA program. With… Read more »
Interview with Open Book
It was such a joy to be interviewed on Open Book about This is the Boat that Ben Built. Here’s a snippet from the introduction: “Today we’re speaking with Jen about This is the Boat That Ben Built as part of our Kids Club interview series. She tells us about where her love for cumulative stories comes… Read more »
Staying true to character: the place of adult anger in stories for children
This past week I attended a craft webinar hosted by The Writing Barn called, “Using Your Anger to Write Multi-Layered Realistic Fiction with Ann Braden & Nancy Paulsen.” Ann Braden is the author of middle grade novels The Benefits of Being an Octopus and most recently, Flight of the Puffin and she spoke about how… Read more »
Picture books, protagonists, and the wonder that is Kevin Henkes – Part 3
In parts 1 and 2, I shared the beginning of an essay about the apparent lapse Kevin Henkes had in keeping to the cardinal rule of letting the protagonist solve his or her own problem. I was perplexed by the emotional resonance of his stories, and wondered how this was achieved. Here’s the last part… Read more »
Picture books, protagonists, and the wonder that is Kevin Henkes – Part 2
In part 1 I introduced Chrysanthemum, Owen, and Sheila Rae – three of Henkes’ creations. It appears as though, in each of these stories, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of writing for children: that the protagonist should solve his or her own problem. But there is still emotional resonance in them – how… Read more »
Picture books, protagonists, and the wonder that is Kevin Henkes – Part 1
I’ve been looking at picture books again lately, and I dug up this essay I wrote while at VCFA. As it’s somewhat long, I thought it best to split it up into instalments posted throughout the week (I’ll provide references at the end). Part 1 looks at the way in which Henkes appears to break… Read more »
Engaging the Heart: Poetic Tools for Writing Emotion (Part 1)
Here is the first of 2 blog posts I wrote for Ingrid’s March Dystropian Madness series. These posts are based on material from my January 2013 graduate lecture at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Enjoy!
Reading like a Writer – Part 3
Here’s another example of reading like a writer. I was reading Quaking by Kathryn Erskine, and I got to a scene where there protagonist, Matt, cowers in the presence of a bully (“the Rat”): The quaking begins. I look down at my notes. World Civilization is trembling in my hands. Do not make eye contact!… Read more »
Reading like a Writer – Long Sentences and Juxtaposition
I am fascinated by the ways in which writers evoke emotion in their readers. I know from my own reading that I am unlikely to be deeply moved by a character who goes on and on about their sad plight, their glorious discovery, the enraging injustice that has befallen them. Or, worse yet, a narrator… Read more »