Russell Hirsch

Last post, I dove into an investigation of Middle Grade fantasy word counts using a random selection of novels from my own shelf. The...

If you’re an over-writer like me, you probably agonize over word counts. If you’re an under-writer, you probably also agonize over word...

Great books begin with great openings. It’s our first taste of a story that will excite, move, and enthrall us. And endings are just as...

Great writing has two main components: The “storytelling” component — big, structural things, like an exciting plot, good pacing, and...

We’ve all heard of writers grappling with the blank white page. But sometimes, writers leave readers grappling with a frustrating...

Today, we continue to unravel that most dreaded of all fantasy writing phenomena… EXPOSITION! Oh, so messy… Writers know that getting...

Exposition. Few words strike more fear into writers. Not exposition! Noooooo! Exposition is the explanatory stuff within a story. The...

With 100 published books (and counting!) Gordon Korman has delighted generations of readers with his signature blend of humor, adventure,...

Come with me and delve into the deep, dark woods of William Ritter‘s magical middle grade fantasy, The Oddmire, Book I: Changeling....

This week, Storythreads takes to the stars with a review of Joshua S. Levy‘s funny, fast-paced middle grade sci-fi adventure, Seventh...

Today, it’s my pleasure to shine a light on Harper and the Fire Star, a charming middle grade fantasy and the fourth book in Cerrie...

Twelve-year-old Molly Pepper and her mother Cassandra Pepper have inventions that could change the world! Except the World’s Fair won’t...