After a few decades of unblemished health, in recent years, I have become a copperhead-bitten, emergency-appendectomied, metal-hipped, celiac-diseased, breast cancer survivor. You might say that bad luck and I are more than just passing acquaintances. Still, every once in a great while, I manage—somehow—to completely, utterly win at life. These are the epic sagas of those grand occasions along with some collages I made. And some posts about my writing journey, as I pursue my obsession with middle grade fiction.
So…long time no blog! I’ve been scrawling some messy, terrible poems and revising a manuscript I finished like a year ago and, also, unfortunately, doing a lot of Not Writing. But an exciting email landed in my inbox this week, and it reanimated my long-dead urge to blog. If you happen to be a writer … More Don’t read this if you can’t keep a secret
I recently sent my fourth middle grade novel to my agent, and I’m really happy with how it turned out. Even if it never evolves into anything beyond a collection of pixels on my laptop, I’m amazed it exists. But now I’m in a book hole, debating which of several different writing projects to dive … More Cutting and Pasting the In-Between
The air’s getting crisp, the cicadas have fallen silent, the pumpkin spice is flowing freely. All the signs and omens point to one thing: it’s Pitch Wars season! The submission window opens soon, and I can feel the vicarious excitement all the way over here on the other side of the Pitch Wars experience. What … More Pitch Wars Advice
[No one]: I wonder if Maria will ever make a new blog post. [me]: I’m so glad you asked! [Literally everyone in the universe]: [me]: I can feel your anticipation and enthusiasm. It’s electric! [Literally everyone in the universe]: [me]: For today is the day I shall post to this poor, neglected blog! Friends, a … More Pitch Wars Life
Growing up in North Myrtle Beach, I knew a number of kids whose parents owned small businesses—beachfront motels, seafood restaurants, even miniature golf courses—and I always thought it must be neat to be part of a family business. As I got older, it occurred to me that I was kind of part of one too, … More Secret Family Recipe
Maria Linn 