by msk | Sep 21, 2023 | Shifter Fantasy
When designing fantastical beasts for YA fantasy novels, one technique authors use is basing their made-up creatures on attributes of real animals. Gifting your imagination with the extraordinary blueprints of our natural world can help you dream up monsters,...
by msk | Sep 18, 2023 | Tropes & Worldbuilding
Love ’em or hate ’em, YA tropes are here to stay. As a hardcore YA fiction fan, I have a complicated relationship with these common themes and devices that show up again and again in young adult books. On one hand, there’s a comfort in the...
by msk | Sep 12, 2023 | Book Recommendations
I recently dived into Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying, and let me just say—wow, what a ride. I’ve heard some buzz about McManus’s talent for juggling a crew of protagonists, and yep, she totally delivered. More than Just One Voice You know...
by msk | Sep 9, 2023 | Tropes & Worldbuilding
Remember how I mentioned I recently reread The Catcher in the Rye? Well, I’ve got a few thoughts about it I’d love to share. First off, if there’s a quintessential YA (Young Adult) novel out there, this has to be it. J.D. Salinger’s masterpiece has always been a...
by msk | Sep 6, 2023 | Fantasy Deep Dives
Sometimes, life as an author feels a lot like standing at the center of a three-ring circus, trying to keep an eye on every act and hoping none of the performers take a tumble. That’s right where I find myself now: knee-deep in three exciting projects that I hope will...
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