Teachers, if you are considering having your students read graphic novels or create their own, check out these inspiring sites.

National Association of Comics Art Educators

Teaching Graphic Novels blog

Comic Creator

An Introduction to Graphic Novels podcast

For our latest installment in the Backstory series, we welcome Barb Johnson, author of More of This World or Maybe Another, her powerful debut collection of short stories revolving around Palmyra Street in New Orleans.  Continue reading...

After an extended hiatus, we are pleased to announce the return of the Backstory series, in which authors share the secrets that inspired their fiction. In this installment we welcome back Katharine Weber, previously featured in the Backstory series for her novel Triangle. Here Katharine tells the story behind her new novel, True Confections.  Continue reading...

Inspired by Elmore Leonard's "10 Rules of Writing," the Guardian asked noted authors for their own rules for writing. Everyone from Margaret Atwood to Zadie Smith chimes in. Read part one here and part two here.

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is just around the corner. As the website explains, "Participants begin writing November 1. The goal is to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved." Visit the NaNoWriMo website to learn more.

A Sweet, No-Bake Tale of Success

"You are a lover of words. One day, you will write a book."

That fortune, cracked free of a cookie after eating my favorite Chinese meal of chicken and broccoli (extra spicy), resonated with me. I did love words. I did want to write a book.  Continue reading...