Linda K Sienkiewicz

Writing life, line by line

What, Why, How: Multi-genre YA Author A.L. Sirois

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What:  I write in several genres: science fiction, mainstream fiction, fantasy, historical, YA, Middle Grade, mystery, horror, comic book scripts. Historical and contemporary settings, as well as some in the future. I made my first story sale in 1974, shortly followed by another. My first book was, oddly enough, a children’s book, Dinosaur Dress Up, published in 1992. Since … [Read more...]

Creative Brain vs. Numbers: A Love-Hate Math Story Problem

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In My Head, Math is a Doodle My brain glitches over whether to say hundreds or thousands. It's as if I can't associate the words with the numbers. It’s embarrassing. I feel like a child. The other day Don sat down at the table with a paper and pen, and we talked numbers. He wrote: 100 = This is one hundred. 1000 = This is a thousand.12,000 = This is twelve thousand. . . and so … [Read more...]

10 Character Tips Every Novelist Should Know

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Create compelling characters Understand that this takes time and work When I was drafting Love and Other Incurable Ailments, I had to determine why a woman would give up her life and her job and move to another state in pursuit of a man she didn't know--it wasn't enough that Serenity was simply unhappy or lonely. It had to make sense to the reader. I also wanted Serenity to be a … [Read more...]

Not Everyone is Going to Like You

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For the camera and beyond: When I was a girl, my father would often encourage me to clown around for the camera. We enjoyed being silly together, but I soon learned to enjoy acting out. In this picture of me with my Raggedy Ann doll, I distinctly remember my father telling me to act surprised about something. It strikes me as strangely unnatural, but he laughed. I'm sure he loved … [Read more...]

What, Why, How: Poet Karin Hoffecker on her poetry and family

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What: My poetry is grounded in both external and internal landscapes. I have always been fascinated with the visual arts and nature—they are often subjects that appear in my poems. The poetry I write, honoring my internal map, is the result of exploring deep emotions shaped by experiences of loss and grief. Losing my adult son to a sudden and unexpected pulmonary embolism and both my parents … [Read more...]