I didn’t know about Glogster.com back when I was teaching in Houston in 2004. Actually, I bet that it didn’t yet exist. But anyway, this online poster-making tool just screams “extra-credit.” I’m guessing that the poster for What Can’t Wait … Read more

Today, check out this “Author’s Corner” interview with the National Writing Project. Back in 2005, I spent a transformative summer with the Greater Houston Area Writing Project. The NWP helped me learn how to write with my students, which paved … Read more

Two truths about handling criticism:

Truth #1: One of the BEST things you can do as a writer is to heed criticism from others.

Truth #2: One of the WORST things you can do as a writer is to heed … Read more

Full disclosure: I’m one of those people who obsessively looks up every little reference in a novel. In the old days, this meant (gasp) looking at the footnotes and using actual reference books. The Internet has made this much, much … Read more

This is a page from my writer’s notebook back before the story for What Can’t Wait even existed, back when I was just doing exploratory writing to find my way into the characters. 

People often ask me, “how much of … Read more

What I’m about to say is going to make some people uncomfortable, so I might as well get it over with: teenagers are sexual beings.

Now, I’m not saying that teenagers are ready to have sex or should have sex. … Read more

This post is for all my loved ones who’ve asked, “What can I do to help spread the word about What Can’t Wait?” So from here on out, I will assume that (a) you’ve read What Can’t Wait (yay!), … Read more

So Saturday’s launch party was officially a success, thanks to the hard work and support of Bloomington folks! This post is all about pictures: get a look inside the amazing Boxcar Books, check out Arnie’s BIG-ASS poster (which I … Read more

By now I’ve probably said this in a dozen different places, but here goes again: I wrote What Can’t Wait for my students in Houston. Last weekend, they came out in full force for my booksigning. They rocked my world … Read more

Yay, yay! It’s a book! And a party! Come on out Saturday, March 26, from 7-10 p.m. at Boxcar Books in Bloomington, Indiana, for a book signing and celebration of What Can’t Wait‘s publication. Delicious vittles will be provided … Read more