The Magic of Friendship
I’m working on revising one novel and pre-writing another, and one thing keeps coming up with both projects: friendship. I have two teen daughters, and I can tell you that EVERYTHING revolves around friends. And I remember that from my own teenage years – friendships were all-consuming, intense, up and down, and central to my daily life. So as I’ve worked on these two projects, … Continue reading The Magic of Friendship
Windows & Mirrors: Grandma’s Purse
Welcome to Windows & Mirrors where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we’re featuring Grandma’s Purse authored and illustrated by the amazing Vanessa Brantley-Newton. I fell in love with Vanessa Brantley-Newton’s art the first time I laid eyes on it. Her illustrations are always bustling with energy and … Continue reading Windows & Mirrors: Grandma’s Purse
Get Ready for WriteOnCon!
WriteOnCon is near and dear to our hearts at the Winged Pen because it’s where a lot of us first connected. I’ll be attending this year and I hope you will be too! If you haven’t before, here’s some tips on making the most of it. What is WriteOnCon? WriteOnCon is an online writing conference. No pricey registration fees. No hotel rooms required. No extended … Continue reading Get Ready for WriteOnCon!
February Four on 400 Contest!
Q: What is Four on 400? A monthly contest that provides ONE LUCKY MG or YA WRITER with feedback on their opening 400 WORDS! As part of our ongoing mission to support writers, we’ll give a MG or YA writer feedback on their work from four of The Winged Pen’s contributors. Q: Sounds exciting! How do I enter? To enter, simply comment at the bottom of this post! At 4pm (EST) … Continue reading February Four on 400 Contest!
Windows & Mirrors: Betty Before X
Welcome to Windows & Mirrors where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we’re celebrating Betty Before X by Ilyasah Shabazz and Renée Watson! Ilyasah Shabazz is the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz. She’s the author of several books about her revolutionary family, including the critically-acclaimed adult memoir … Continue reading Windows & Mirrors: Betty Before X
Introducing Windows & Mirrors
The phrase “windows and mirrors” has become a catch-phrase of the movement for more inclusivity in children’s literature. Borrowed from a scholarly paper written more than twenty-five years ago by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the words remind us why children need to see themselves, and others who are not like them, in books: Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be real … Continue reading Introducing Windows & Mirrors
Dear Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
I’ve been writing love letters to books that shaped me, as a person and as a writer, and for this month, it’s Karen Foxlee’s Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy. I so enjoyed this book, a dreamy and beautiful retelling of the Snow Queen. What I want to talk about today, though, is how it influenced my writing. I write contemporary fantasies, and love to come … Continue reading Dear Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy
Book Birthday: THE UNICORN QUEST by Kamilla Benko
Today we’re celebrating the publication of THE UNICORN QUEST, a middle grade novel that Bloomsbury describes as, “An enchanting, exciting fantasy about a real-world girl searching for her sister in a land full of magic and strange creatures, blending the timeless feel of The Last Unicorn and Wildwood with Frozen‘s powerful themes of identity, enchantment, and sisterhood.” Those of you who follow me through Pitch Wars know that I have a … Continue reading Book Birthday: THE UNICORN QUEST by Kamilla Benko
Road Trip!
We spend a lot of time writing our own thoughts here at The Winged Pen. But there are a ton of other blogs and sites we visit for inspiration. So we wanted to give a shout-out to some of the informative, motivating and moving articles we’ve read in the last few weeks. Join us on our first-ever blogosphere road trip! On Craft Tips on writing … Continue reading Road Trip!
Indie Bookstores (The Lifeblood of Our Communities), Jumping Into Black Holes, and New Picture Books
Back in July, just before my daughters headed back to school, I decided to try something new. A position had opened up at our local independent book store for a part-time bookseller. What booklover hasn’t dreamed of working at an indie bookstore, at least for a day? My expectations for being hired were low. I hadn’t held a “real” job since I’d stopped working as … Continue reading Indie Bookstores (The Lifeblood of Our Communities), Jumping Into Black Holes, and New Picture Books
ICYMI: Winged Pen Highlights from 2017
The other day, several of us Pennies realized that it is now, in fact, 2018. Where did 2017 go?!? If you’re also wondering just what happened to 2017, welcome to our club! And to help you reorient yourself, we thought we’d revisit some of the Winged Pen 2017 highlights. If you missed a post last year, this one’s for you. (And feel free to sign … Continue reading ICYMI: Winged Pen Highlights from 2017
Learning to Love Audiobooks
We do a lot of book recommendations here on The Winged Pen because between the lot of us, we read all. the. books. From MG fantasy modern classics to hot new releases to Native American literature for young readers. But recently, a fairly intense Mom Taxi schedule left me considering something new: audiobooks. I never got into audiobooks because I mistakenly imagined myself fidgeting while I … Continue reading Learning to Love Audiobooks