I’ve learned something since I started this writing adventure: there are two very distinct types of fiction, and readers and writers are divided into one of these groups, whether they know it or not. Maybe they’re not 100% camped out on one side, but they definitely lean one way or the other. I kind of…
About a month ago, I joined an online critique group called Critique Circle. Here’s how it works: I earn credits by critiquing the work that others submit, and I use those credits to submit my own work for others to critique. Sounds pretty simple, huh? It is. Mostly. The process is simple. Receiving critiques, well……
I create posters with quotes for my mom’s author page on facebook. When she and I first started this venture, I told her that we shouldn’t use pictures that might detract from the message. Here’s an example of one of the posters. Notice how the brick background matches the brick theme of the message. Now,…
This is the post that I’ve been thinking about writing for some time, but it’s also the post I’ve been avoiding. The reason is simple: as a former classroom teacher and current certified tutor, the topic is a bit soul-crushing. This would be the exact opposite of the light, funny mood I usually try to…
I find myself in an awkward stage of life. I have a book under contract, and another is going through the ruthless hands of an online critique group while I try to figure out its fate. I’m working on another new book that will be finished in a few months, with any luck. So, I…
When I was in sixth grade, my classmates and I learned all about melodramas, those stories where an obvious hero saves an obvious damsel in distress from an obvious cackling, mustache-twisting villain. I remember having to create melodramas, which is funny to ponder now as an adult, knowing twelve-year-olds don’t need help creating drama. Maybe…
I never went to school to be a writer. I went to school to be a teacher, and only a small fraction of that time was devoted to being a writing teacher. Since I lack formal instruction, I’ve done my own research on the topics of what makes a good writer and what makes a…
In my professional life, I’m an Interventionist/Certified Tutor at a local elementary school. Part of my work day includes half an hour providing enrichment instruction to a group of above-average-reading second graders. Their teachers provided me with a list of skills they would like for me to teach to the kids to prepare them for…
About a week ago, I was talking to a dear friend of mine about how we perceive the world. She asked me something I wasn’t expecting her to ask: have you taken the Myers Briggs? I had, a long time ago, and the conversation that followed was an incredibly insightful exploration into why we each…
Let me start by saying this: I love all the owl gifts I’ve received in the past year or so. Really. If you’re inclined to give me something that’s graced with the image of an awesome owl, do it, because owls always brighten my day. My known affinity for owls began with a blog post about…
Allison Maruska 