The school year has started. Long gone are those endless days of summer where thousands of words flow out of me at my leisure. Being
Author: Alison Potoma
Alison Potoma writes quirky sci fi, fantasy and lgbtq+ books for readers of all ages. She is a middle school art teacher and drama director, amateur gardener and card game enthusiast. Alison lives in Derry, NH with her wife, son, and husky dog Koda.
Instagram for Writers
I’m a little late to the party, but, Instagram might be my new favorite thing on the internet. I’m often flummoxed about what to tweet
Plotting a Novel with Sticky Notes
This pantser has gone plotter, and for one particular reason: Speed. My first attempt at a novel took me two years. I wrote it by
Five reasons getting a rejection letter isn’t the end of the world
Over the past month, I have been sending out query letters to agents for my middle grade science fiction manuscript. Writing the query letter took much
Book Reviews: Samurai Santa, Gingerbread Pirates and Zombelina
The best part of being an auntie is sitting down with my nephews and nieces and reading a good book together before bedtime. I have
Why I Write Science Fiction and Fantasy
I’ve Been Reflecting As a kid, I loved science fiction. We were a Star Trek household. My father was a science teacher, and he loved any
100 Children’s Books to Read in a Lifetime
A Bit of End of Summer Fun If you have ever been on Facebook, you have probably seen posts like, ‘Which Harry Potter Character Are You?’,
Common Core for Writers
This week I have been grueling at my computer, writing curriculum maps for Visual Arts Standards grades K-8. When I am done, it will be
Being a Writer is like Growing a Garden
Candide is an operetta written by Leonard Bernstein, based on the novel by Voltaire. The finale song has always made my spine tingle. I turn
Writing Out of the Comfort Zone
I consider my writing comfort zone to be chapter books in a series. This is not surprising to me. Ever since I was little, I have
How to Turn Your Novel into an Audiobook
Inspired by my many hours of listening to audiobooks on my daily commute (see Audiobooks as Leisure Time Part 1 and Part 2), I decided
Audiobooks as Leisure Time: Part II
In Part I of Audiobooks as Leisure Time, I discussed considering the hours I spend in the car commuting back and forth to work leisure time.
Audiobooks as Leisure Time: Part I
So I was listening to NPR and… Is there anybody else out there who finds themselves starting sentences this way? If you do, it is
The Writer Magazine: Fuel for the Aspiring Writer
While browsing through Barnes and Nobles, a magazine caught my eye. The Writer. Tag line: Imagine, Write, Publish. On the cover: Boiling down the bones:
WRITERS' RUMPUS 