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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The 2021 Writers’ Rumpus Review

December 28, 2021 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Before you turn the page on 2021, please join me in reviewing a sample of the wonderful posts that were offered this past year.

Happy Holidays from Writers’ Rumpus!

December 24, 2021 Marianne Knowles

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, we hope you enjoy this video! The librarians at University College, Dublin, Ireland, make a Christmas tree of books.

Top 10 Books Picture Books for 2021

December 21, 2021 Kirsti Call

I just finished reading several hundred picture books for my Cybils Award judging. Here are ten of my very favorites–perfect for gift giving and reading

Feeling Fatigue this Holiday Season? It Might Be Time to Embrace the Idea of Wintering…

December 17, 2021 Rebecca Moody

Winter can be an invigorating time for us writer folk–we look forward to long months where the cold and dark give us the perfect excuse to spend hours upon hours curled up inside, happily plunking away at our manuscripts.

Meet debut #kidlit author, Adria Karlsson

December 14, 2021 Carol Gordon Ekster

Carol Gordon Ekster: Adria, welcome to Writers’ Rumpus! Your debut picture book My Sister, Daisy, illustrated by Linus Curci, Capstone, 2021 came out in September.