Sergio is on a quest to calm Luna down about his ability to climb trees. For the past couple days they’ve been hanging from the porch rail to give Luna a chance to get used to clinging to a wooden object. Today Sergio decided he should show Luna how safe it was for him to cling to the tree just … Read More
The Slippery Slope of Permission Slips
I recently read a Time article about a response to a school permission slip by Daniel Radosh, writer for the Daily Show. His son Milo had to obtain permission to read Ray Bradbury’s Farenheit 451 for his ELA book club. Daniel’s response raises the question of the permission slip being the first step along the road toward censorship, the issue … Read More
First Steps
Luna started having meltdowns and I was clueless as to what the problem was until Sergio helped out. Apparently she has developed a fear that because Sergio can climb trees and she’s afraid of heights that she won’t be able to go on any adventures with him. As usual when it comes to Luna, it is Sergio to the rescue. … Read More
Down in the Sewer
Before starting to work on any book, I usually figure out some topics I will need to research prior to starting. Oftentimes I do research for one book while working on another because it gives me time to think about the things I have learned and assimilate how the knowledge will impact my story. I don’t think I’ve made it … Read More
The Idea Whisperer
When I brought Sergio upstairs to my writing office the day he arrived, he immediately claimed the spot on the corner of my laptop as his place. From the moment he has been there, he has been whispering ideas to me. Let’s just say I will not be lacking for story fodder for The Adventures of Sergio and Luna. His … Read More
YWS: How Writers Write – Take 2
Previously, I spoke about being a plotter or a pantster and how I fall in the middle of the spectrum. I’d like to add that for me, every book is different. Some require much more detailed planning in advance of starting, others simply have to be written and forget the outline you dashed down because we’re going on Mr. Toad’s … Read More
Enough
While I recently posted about bullying and suicide in honor of National Bully Prevention month (October), when I ran across the story of Bethany Thompson I felt the need to talk about it. Any time bullying leads to suicide, my heart breaks for the person who has been tormented to the point of no longer believing life is worth living. … Read More
In Search of Nessie
For every writer, one of the necessary evils is research. I do say evil with a grain of salt because research always stimulates my mind and helps clarify the story … and I quite easily get lost in research as it is fascinating. My current research topic is the Loch Ness Monster. It is for a story that is in … Read More
The Unintentional Selfie
I need to carry my phone with me when I leave the room. Sergio gets curious about everything and today I noticed my phone had been moved after going to the kitchen to get some more tea. Sure enough, what do I find? A close up of Sergio. 😀 I asked him about it and he said he was trying … Read More
Devastating Results of Bullying
As National Bullying Month comes to a close, I thought I’d take a few moments to highlight one of the devastating results of unchecked bullying. Suicide. My heart is always so full of grief when I hear that someone young has taken their life. I mourn for the life cut short, of what is not going to be; I mourn … Read More
YWS: How Writers Write – Take 1
I’d like to share with you a little about the writing process. Of course, I can’t tell you how all authors write, but I can share my process as well as those of some authors I know. There is a popular theory that if you had a room of monkeys typing on a keyboard and infinite amount of time, they … Read More
Trip to the Pumpkin Patch
With Halloween upon us in a few short days, Sergio has become quite agitated about not having been to the pumpkin patch. He has been consuming Halloween lore and has decided that his holiday will be incomplete without the chance to commune with the great fruit of the season and getting to know everything he can about pumpkins. Sooooo … … Read More