On Writing

The Comeback of the American Bald Eagle

Telling me about a presentation she gave on eagles, my 9-year-old granddaughter asked: “Did you know Benjamin Franklin thought the turkey was better than the eagle?” From the tone of her voice, that was the stupidest suggestion to come out of one of America’s founding...

Where Do Writers Get Their Crazy Ideas?

My work is not autobiographical, but many of my ideas sprout from my memories and experiences. I like to take a pinch of personal experience and stretch it like taffy—to make a point or to bring a scene to life. For example, in Up There, heroine Ariel Lee moves to the...

“We Can’t Recycle Our Way Out of This Mess”

"Once upon a time there were trees and birds and polar bears. But that time is long gone." This is NOT how I want to start a story for my grandchildren. That is why in my last two books—Crow Calling and Up There—I have talked about the environment. In Crow Calling, I...

Perspective According to Andrew Wyeth and My Grandson

When you write a book about an extraordinary woman in an ordinary world, you think a lot about perspective. I think about perspective because of artist Andrew Wyeth, who is an expert in changing our perspectives, and my three-year-old grandson, who is an expert in...

Up There: Born with the Gift of Flight

"What I did on my summer vacation" has been replaced with "What I did during the pandemic." Some writers couldn't concentrate on their craft during the lockdowns, the shortages (I am still stockpiling toilet paper), and the warnings to mask. I, on the other hand,...