Inspired by our visit to the beautiful 1903 pressed tin toilets at the Chiltern Open Air Museum, we’ve been learning about the absence of women’s public toilets in Victorian times and hence the ‘urinary leash’ -wonderful term!

When you’re travelling to consolidate the geographical background to a new book, and you find exactly the place you imagined. But better.

Check out Wendy Orr's latest novel, Out of the Valley of Horses, on this list of SLJ Starred #middlegrade books!

Author Wendy Orr is back to judge for World History Encyclopedia's #InkOfAges Fiction Prize! We couldn't be more delighted! One of Wendy's top writing tips: "If your story's stuck, ask your protagonist!" Details at fictionprize.worldhistory.org #WritingCommunity #Mythology #HistFic #ShortStories

Oh that first draft shift in tenses! I'm trying to be patient - I know the right one will be obvious soon (eventually?) and also know the whole thing will be rewritten many times before I show my publisher, so I'm using what seems right for each scene and letting the story decide

"Taking part in this competition has been such a fantastic experience ... I would encourage anyone who loves history and has a story in them to enter this competition. Thank you so much, World History Encyclopedia!" Sallyann Halstead. Winning stories here fictionprize.worldhistory.org/2024-results

Started to write my newsletter and got sidetracked into an essay on the responsibilities of the trust children give us as authors, eg the stories they share in letters or as they leave after a talk or workshop. I'll give the newsletter another try tomorrow.

When a glass of red wine gets tipped over the book you’re halfway through…

Why do we immediately want to make a cup of tea when the power goes out?

Spent all afternoon playing with first paragraph of the new book. Don’t know how many drafts that brings it up to, but may finally be on the right track. As Pamela Freeman and Christine Balint both commented recently, it made me realise how happy I am when I’m actually writing

No, we will not consider any art or writing that was created with the assistance of AI. Ever. We hope that's clear.

Love hearing about my books being in libraries in towns that I've never visited - a bit of vicarious world travelling! Today's google alert tells me that Out of the Valley of Horses is a new addition to the Jacksonville Public Library in Florida. Hello, Jacksonville!