A Writer's Moment: Helping 'make a little more sense to teens'

A Writer's Moment: Helping 'make a little more sense to teens':   “If I can write a book that will help the world make a little more sense to a teen, then that's why I was put on the planet.” – Lauri...

Helping 'make a little more sense to teens'

 

“If I can write a book that will help the world make a little more sense to a teen, then that's why I was put on the planet.” – Laurie Halse Anderson

 

Born in Potsdam, NY on this date in 1961, Anderson is a multiple award-winning journalist and Young Adult novelist catapulted to fame with her first novel Speak, a National Book Award finalist and major motion picture.    Recipient of Sweden’s  Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the richest prize in children’s literature, she also was presented the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association for her ongoing contributions to Young Adult literature. 

 

 

Published in 1999, Speak is the story of a 13-year-old sexual assault victim who loses her ability to speak after the attack.   In addition to being a National Book Award finalist, it also won the Golden Kite award, the Edgar Allan Poe Award, and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and been translated into 16 languages.

 

Anderson has written more than 30 YA and Children’s books including Fever 1793, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a Junior Library Guild selection, and Chains, a National Book Award finalist and first in her “Seeds of America” series.  That book also won the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.  Her most recent is 2025’s Rebellion. 

 

Lauded for creating characters teens can identify with, she noted, “That can be the most painstaking aspect of being a teen, figuring out what the world really looks like.  If you find someone in a book, you know you're not alone and that's what's so comforting about books.”

A Writer's Moment: 'A daunting, but rewarding endeavor'

A Writer's Moment: 'A daunting, but rewarding endeavor':   “Completing any writing project, particularly a novel, is a daunting prospect. Many people become frozen by the prospect. Others keep wait...

'A daunting, but rewarding endeavor'

 

“Completing any writing project, particularly a novel, is a daunting prospect. Many people become frozen by the prospect. Others keep waiting for the right time. Some wait for the spark of inspiration. Even experienced writers find it is easier to do anything other than actually write. – Bob Mayer 

  

Born in The Bronx, New York on Oct. 21, 1959, Mayer is a prolific author of more than 60 novels in multiple genres.  And, when I say “multiple genres,” that includes Romance where he holds the distinction of being the only male author on the Romance Writers of America Honor Roll.    

 

He began his writing career in 1991 with the bestselling Green Beret novel Eyes of the Hammer and has never looked back.  His latest, in the “Wil Kane series” is 2024’s Shelter From The Storm.

 

A graduate of West Point and former Green Beret himself, he encompasses both his military experience and his fascination for history, legends and mythology in his writing.    And, collaborating with Romance writer Jennifer Cruise, he did a series of military-themed romance novels starting with Don’t Look Down and the New York Times number one bestseller Agnes and the Hitman.

 

While getting the work done hasn’t seemed to be a problem for Mayer, he notes that for most writers it can become a long process. 

 

“It takes hundreds of days to get to 'The End.'  As a writer, you have to be ready to put in those hundreds of days.”

A Writer's Moment: 'The message is clear'

A Writer's Moment: 'The message is clear':   “The message is clear: libraries matter. Their solid presence at the heart of our towns sends the proud signal that everyone - whoever the...

'The message is clear'

 

“The message is clear: libraries matter. Their solid presence at the heart of our towns sends the proud signal that everyone - whoever they are, whatever their educational background, whatever their age or their needs - is welcome.” –  Kate Mosse

  

Born in Chichester, England on Oct. 20, 1961 Mosse is both a champion of libraries and award-winning writer of fiction and nonfiction books, numerous short stories, essays and journalistic pieces.   Her best-known novel is the archaeological mystery Labyrinth, translated into more than 37 languages and made into a television miniseries.

 

Although known for her adventure and ghost fiction, inspired by real history, Mosse's first two works were non-fiction: Becoming A Mother, published in 1993 and The House: Behind the Scenes at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, published to accompany the BBC2 show The House.   She has authored 13 novels – the latest being 2024’s The Map of Bones – 5 nonfiction books, and 3 plays.

  

Mosse has contributed essays and stories to a number of anthologies and collections, and her journalistic pieces appear in a wide range of newspapers and magazines, including The Times of London.   She is a co-founder/creator of Great Britain’s Women’s Prize for Fiction, which has spawned a sister award, The Women's Prize for Nonfiction.   In 2024, she was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to literature, women and charity.  

 

A stickler for detail and accuracy in historical writing, she noted, “I am not a fan of historical fiction that is sloppy in its research or is dishonest about the real history.”

A Writer's Moment: Is it 'procrastination' or 'detailed creation?'

A Writer's Moment: Is it 'procrastination' or 'detailed creation?':   “I love research so much that I do an enormous amount; it helps put off the moment of starting to write the story.” – Alan Garner   Bo...