Author Archives: kirstincm

I’m waiting right now. If you’re a writer, you’d better know how to wait. It’s not a good word. I’m waiting for people to say yes. I’m waiting for people to say no. I’m waiting for inspiration to strike. I’m … Continue reading →

One of my students (a high-school guy) said that to me: “Nobody ever gets shot on the Hallmark Channel.” Exactly! It’s not their audience. Knowing your audience is a key part in selling things, including writing. Granted, I don’t know … Continue reading →

Has anybody seen the “I heart boobies” bracelet that Zumiez sells? My child now has one, courtesy of a friend. He thinks it’s completely awesome, of course, because he’s just getting to the time in his life when boobies are … Continue reading →

You’ll never guess what I found in the Central Nowhere paper. I had to read it three times to make sure I had the genders correct: “Mark Edward Becker and Cody Bill Shafer McKiddie, both of Denver, Colorado, are pleased … Continue reading →

I know–long hiatus. Sorry. I love research. Why? It’s an awesome procrastination tool. But it’s also a smart thing to do. I just took a four-day research trip (and drove 1400 miles total, WOW, lots of gas), and it was … Continue reading →

I want to do more to talk up other writers. What are the interwebs about but networking? So I thought I’d start with agent siblings–or people you share an agent with. And I have some really cool agent siblings, way … Continue reading →

I wish this was a story about trampolines. A couple weeks ago, I was the guest speaker at a writing event for 3rd-12th graders. It was great. I even saw parents nodding along with my talk. One guy came up … Continue reading →

When you’re from Nebraska, you expect “small world” stories all the time. There’s one degree of separation between people–two, max–but sometimes the degree is so close and unexpected that it knocks you out. This morning I called my hometown to … Continue reading →

Gunn High School in Palo Alto CA had some serious tragedies: student suicides. People jumped in front of trains. And who showed up to help them in their grief, and to protest the fact that they’re a diverse, inclusive school? … Continue reading →

Friends! This is National Library Week! And who is on the banner from the American Library Association for National Library Week? Neil Gaiman, my literary crush (who, when I saw him last September, had bedhead and frayed cuffs on his … Continue reading →