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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Pause, Read, Repeat: A Few Craft Books to Enhance Your Writing Life

August 19, 2022 Rebecca Moody

Personally, after a few loooong years spent virtually indoors, this summer has proven the perfect time to take a break from the keyboard and FINALLY

Laura Hatosy Talks about Self-Publishing DRAWN FROM MEMORY, her Debut YA Novel

August 16, 2022 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Not only is Laura an immensely talented YA author, she’s also a mother, avid reader, member of SCBWI critique groups, and social justice activist. She

INTERVIEW WITH PICTURE BOOK AUTHOR ELISA BOXER

August 12, 2022 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

One of my favorite things to do here on Writers’ Rumpus is interview kidlit authors. Because creative people are fascinating, aren’t they? Sometimes an author’s

Meet #kidlit debut author, Rebecca Gardyn Levington

August 9, 2022 Carol Gordon Ekster

CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Rebecca through a #kidlit group we were both part of. She’s a talented writer and a lovely lady and I

Hope Is an Arrow: The Story of Lebanese American Poet Kahlil Gibran

August 5, 2022 Joyce Audy Zarins

“There once was a boy shot from a bow like an arrow. / Strong and straight, he flew across the world, connecting many people with

THE PEAR AFFAIR

August 2, 2022 Marti Johnson

A crafty, light-hearted Middle-Grade caper! Walker Books, a division of Candlewick Press, released the first US edition of this international adventure in April 2022. I