2012

From Puzzles to Publication My path to publication was puzzling. No, really, it was. Literally. A kids’ puzzle book I created for a lodge here in Alaska earned me a scholarship to the Highlights Foundation Writers’ Workshop in Chautauqua. There, I met a children’s magazine editor who wasn’t too keen on my novel manuscript but […]

“We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world.” ~ Helen Keller The youngest writers have no problem with conflict. Ask six-year-old Billy to tell you a story, and he’ll dizzy you with an unflappable hero who prevails against bad guys at every turn. But then Billy’s

Kirsten Dixon, featured in tonight’s Reading and Craft Talk I did some holiday cooking this weekend, and my divinity flopped. Too late, I discovered I could have added powered sugar to save it. Better yet, I could have spared myself the pain by checking out Kirsten Dixon’s latest Alaska Dispatch post on how to make

One of the biggest misconceptions we occasionally hear, even from guest-bloggers themselves is, “Not many people read my post. I only got (0,1,2…) comments.” But comments don’t tell us about page views, and we know for sure that a regular readership plus a larger, stumble-upon readership visits often — and they favor some posts over

Thanks to Amorette for this post in a continuing two-month series from APU creative writing students. I write in order to be able to tell others what is on my mind. I write to share my adventures and experiences. I write to vent when I am having a bad day. I write when I am feeling

“The last thing one settles in writing a book is what one should put first.” ~ Pascal How to start? This isn’t a question of motivation or of how to get ideas on the page, though these are important considerations. It’s a matter of those essential first lines, the ones on which all your readers,

Recently released by VP&D House, Kris Farmen’s second novel Turn Again is set in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in the late 1800’s. Shortly after Seward’s Purchase, it’s a time when the Cook Inlet was the highway, and when Alaska’s indigenous people were battling to preserve their lifestyles after the Americans arrive, intent on taking over.  Author

We’re turning the corner into deep winter, and that means it’s time to be thankful for our wonderful audience and time to schedule our 2013 featured authors. Is it your turn to share thoughts about writing, reading, and Alaska life with our varied audience of fellow readers, writers, booksellers, and random web-surfers? Featured authors post