WRITERS' RUMPUS

HOW TO MIDDLE GRADE

July 21, 2026 Alumni & Guests

Hi! My name’s James Ponti, and I write Middle Grade book series such as City Spies and The Sherlock Society. I’m excited to share some pointers with you, but only with a major caveat. I know a bunch of writers and we all do it differently. I’m not talking plotting vs. pantsing, but radically different approaches.

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SKIPSHOCK by Caroline O’Donoghue: A Master Class in World Building

July 14, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

For writers of fantasy, science fiction, and romance, this genre-blending novel is a master class in how to create details and imagery that pull readers into the plot and keep them riveted from first page to last, and importantly, leave them eager for more.

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Writing Side by Side: Adriana Mather and James Bird on Books, Family, and Finding the Magic

July 7, 2026 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

Writing is often described as a solitary pursuit. Most of us spend our days alone with our thoughts, our characters, and a blinking cursor. Yet

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Celebrating America’s Birthday with a talented author/illustrator team!

July 3, 2026 Marcia Strykowski

We’re just in time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with Roxanne Troup and Jennifer Doehring. They have a beautiful new picture book, Happy Birthday America,

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Grace Lin and the Story That Heals

February 3, 2017 Joyce Audy Zarins

Grace Lin may not know it yet, but she can heal a tortured heart. This is a power that the best creators of books for

Me? A Mentor for Writing with the Stars?

January 31, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Paul Czajak Ever since my first SCBWI conference I have touted the importance of attending these functions to every writer who asks me how

ReFoReMo 2017 Presenters Revealed

January 27, 2017 Kirsti Call

Reading for Research 2017 Challege!

Want to Know Your Characters? Try a Character Sketch.

January 24, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Dana Nuenighoff One of the hardest aspects of writing a novel, a good novel, is creating characters that are relatable. Whether you’re writing a

The Making-Of the NESCBWI17 Logo

January 20, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Sarah Lynne Reul Last summer, I was honored to be selected as the illustrator for the NESCBWI17 logo. The logo is used as a

3 Ways to Keep Writing Resolutions

January 17, 2017 Kirsti Call

I’ve written resolutions on New Year’s Day faithfully since I was 8 year old. And somehow writing resolutions have almost always appeared. Some years I needed the writing resolutions more than others. Until I got married, I hardly needed them…I have 65 filled journals to prove my writing was free and unfettered!