In my 1999 young adult science fiction novel Andy Nebula: Interstellar Rock Star, I postulated a future in which the hit-making machinery of the music industry has become a science, where computers are able to determine what songs, and what singers, are sure to be the next big thing. In the book, a kid names …
Tag: teenagers
High-school writers’ magazine I edited now online
windScript, the magazine of writing by Saskatchewan high school writers that I edited for the Saskatchewan Writers Guild this year, is now online in PDF format. Check out the whole thing, but here’s what I wrote as the introduction: Writing is an act of courage. It takes courage to try to turn your thoughts and …
My favorite email of the year…
…came from a teacher in a school I visited not too long ago. The book of mine in question is Marseguro: Your books have become the absolute fascination of a young boy in Grade 10 who is self-proclaimed to be a non-reader! (He) exclaims about his novel, your novel, every day in English class. He …
Hope for the future
One more post about my time as writer-in-residence at Michael A. Riffel High School. I was thrilled, after I gave my usual presentation in an advanced placement English class, to be asked by a student, “So, which of the Big Three is your favorite?” And, yes, he meant Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke, all of which …
Advice for young writers
I bid farewell to the hallowed halls of Michael A. Riffel High School yesterday as I wrapped up my writer-in-residency there with some final meetings with individual students. As I work with young writers more and more, I find that my writing advice, as far as technique goes, keeps boiling down to the same few …
Yes, I’m still alive…
…I just haven’t been blogging. Busy, busy busy busy, is why. And what have I primarily been busy with? Well, I’m currently the writer-in-residence at Michael A. Riffel High School here in Regina. This is a program sponsored by the Saskatchewan Writers Guild, and it’s been an interesting experience. I’ve primarily been doing classroom presentations–more …
The aforementioned chapbook
Further to yesterday’s post about the workshop and reading that wrapped up the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild’s Online Youth Mentorship program last night, here’s what the chapbook looked like (well, here’s what one chapbook looked like, one of the ones I assembled: every one was a bit different, depending on who made it). The image on …
We came, we saw, we chapbooked
Today was the final day of the 2008 Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild‘s Online Youth Mentorship Program, and a fine day it was. The twelve teens who have been taking part in the program and the four mentors (of whom I was one) met this morning at St. James’s Anglican Church in Saskatoon and, with the guidance …
Photo of Last Week: The Sage Hill Teen Writing Experience
Courtesy of Taylor Bendig, here’s a photo of the group of terrific students I worked with last week at the Sage Hill Teen Writing Experience: Back row, left to right: Kiera Mitchell, Christine Howell, me, Stuart Beatch, Sandi Pitura. Front row, left to right: Kimberley Christianson, Melissa Tholl, Emily Garland, Krista Kaufman, Taylor Bendig, Mackenzie …
Justine Larbalestier on beginning writers
A follow-up to John Scalzi’s comments on teen writers from Justine Larbalestier, who some time ago wrote her own piece called “Too Young to Publish.” She writes: Neither Scalzi nor I have any interest in stopping teenagers from writing. Au contraire. We both wrote then and got a hell of a lot out of it, …
More from John Scalzi on teen writers
Sometime last year John Scalzi wrote a post at Whatever called “10 Things Teenage Writers Should Know About Writing”. I agreed with pretty much all of it (although Scalzi’s default writing style is more…well, I don’t think even he would disagree with the description “snarky”…than mine). In fact, I agreed with it so much that …
The angel and the devil on the shoulders of your teen
While I am still some seven years away from having a teenager of my own, I well remember being a teenager, and being occasionally asked by an exasperated parent, “What were you thinking?” To which, as often as not, I replied, “I don’t know.” This was seldom seen as an acceptable answer. Had I but …
My latest live walk and vlog
Buy Autographed Books
Most Recent Episodes
-
Episode 148: Christopher Rowe
An hour-long chat with Christopher Rowe, Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy (and others) shortlisted author of the critically acclaimed novellas The Navigating Fox and These Prisoning Hills, as well as the story collection Telling the Map. Websitechristopherrowe.net Facebook Instagram@cvrowe1234 Twitter/X@ChristopherRowe Bluesky@christopherrowe Christopher Rowe’s Amazon Page The Introduction Christopher Rowe is the author of the critically acclaimed… -
Episode 147: Kerstin Stanford
An hour-long chat with Kerstin Stanford, author of the middle-grade fantasy novel Escape from Portaliege: A Sam Harte Adventure. Websitekerstinstanford.com Facebook@kerstin.stanforddorren Twitter/X@StanfordDorren Instagram@stanforddorren TikTok@kerstinstanford Kerstin Stanford’s Amazon page The Introduction Kerstin Stanford is a California-based author, marketing professional, and event construction enthusiast. Her debut novel, Escape From Portaliege: A Sam Harte Adventure, follows 12-year-old Sam… -
Episode 146: L. Jagi Lamplighter
An hour-long chat with L. Jagi Lamplighter, author of the YA fantasy series The Books of Unexpected Enlightenment and the Prospero’s Children series. Websiteljagilamplighter.com SuperversiveSF Blog Fantastic Schools and Where to Find Them X/Twitter@lampwright4 L. Jagi Lamplighter’s Amazon Page The Introduction L. Jagi Lamplighter is the author of the young-adult fantasy series The Books of Unexpected… -
Episode 145: Omari Richards
An hour-long chat with Omari Richards, “lifetime blerd” and author of the new The Kimoni Legacy fantasy series, as well as the Tales of Nahawalla short stories. Websiteomari-richards.com Facebook Instagram@omari_a_richards Omari Richards’s Amazon Page Omari Richards was born to Dominican immigrants in America and grew up in a household filled with laughter, music, fellowship, and… -
Episode 144: Nick Stitle
A 45-minute chat with Nick Stitle, the 17-year-old author of the epic fantasy Stormless. Websitenickstitle.com Facebook@nickstitleauthor Instagram@nickstitle_author Twitter/X@nickstitle Nick Stitle’s Amazon Page The Introduction Injuries forced Nicklas Stitle to stop playing tennis after his freshman year of high school, and he realized that was an opportunity to begin working on the story he had been… -
Episode 143: Genevieve Gornichec
A long chat with Genevieve Gornichec, author of the historical fantasies The Witch’s Heart and The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Websitegenevievegornichec.com Facebook@gengornichec Twitter/X@gengornichec Instagram@gengornichec Genevieve Gornichec’s Amazon Page The Introduction Genevieve Gornichec earned her degree in history from Ohio State University, but she got as close to majoring in Vikings as she possibly could, and her… -
Episode 142: M.J. Kuhn
An hour-long chat with fantasy writer M.J. Kuhn, author of the internationally bestselling Among Thieves and its new sequel, Thick as Thieves. Websitemjkuhn.com X (Twitter)@mjkuhnbooks Instagram@mjkuhnbooks TikTok@mjkuhnbooks Facebook@mjkuhnbooks The Introduction M.J. Kuhn, author of the internationally bestselling Among Thieves and its new sequel, Thick as Thieves, is a fantasy writer by night and a mild-mannered… -
Episode 141: Hayden Trenholm
An hour-long conversation with Hayden Trenholm, award-winning playwright, novelist, and short-story writer and member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association Hall of Fame. Websitehaydentrenholm.com X@HaydenTrenholm Hayden Trenholm’s Amazon Page The Introduction Hayden Trenholm is an award-winning playwright, novelist, and short story writer. He has also been a public servant, an actor, a bartender,… -
Episode 140: Edo van Belkom
An hour-long chat with award-winning Canadian horror writer Edo van Belkom, author of the Wolf Pack YA books, now a Paramount+ TV series. Websiteedovanbelkom.com Twitter@edovanbelkom Instgram@edovanbelkom Facebook@edo.vanbelkom Edo van Belkom’s Amazon Page The Introduction Edo van Belkom is an award-winning Canadian author who began his career as a reporter for newspapers in and around Toronto, mainly… -
Episode 139: Natalie Wright
An hour-long chat with Natalie Wright, author of the new fantasy novel Season of the Dragon, as well as the H.A.L.F. series and the Akasha Chronicles. Websitenataliewrightauthor.com Facebook@nataliewright.author Twitter@nataliewright_ Instagram@nataliewrightauthor Natalie Wright’s Amazon Page The Introduction Natalie Wright writes fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories. She’s the author of the award-winning H.A.L.F. series…
Facebook
LinkedIn
GoodReads
RSS
Twitter
Email
Youtube