Author Archives: Kell McKinney

Three Things I Learned at a Writing Workshop

Writer friends, I know you. Some of you are on the fence about investing anything other than your time and imagination in your writing future. I know this because that’s where I was. Full of doubt. Overflowing with insecurity. As long as I didn’t take this “writing thing” too seriously, I hadn’t risked embarrassment or […]

Adjectivery

I recently participated in my first-ever Instagram author’s challenge. You’d think that someone who’d been a marketing manager – as in, paid real money to develop and activate marketing strategies for a living – would be aaalll over the marketing for her own writing work. You’d think that, and you’d be right to snicker a […]

Three Content Issues to Consider for Middle Grade Readers

Know your audience. That’s one of the first things they teach you in journalism school. What they don’t teach you is that this rule applies to writing pretty much anything else. Especially children’s fiction. But there’s a catch. When you’re writing for middle grade readers – or children of any age – you’re actually writing […]

What happened when I started a diet: A cautionary tale.

I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but this year I’m staring down the barrel of (at least) one family member’s wedding, a multi-decade high school reunion, and a cruise. Not only do I need to boost my stamina and endurance for these exciting events, I would love to feel comfortable in something other than sweatpants […]