Author Archives: madelynruth@yahoo.com

First Day Hikes

I love any idea that will get people outside more. Just thought I’d share this post from Virginia State Parks. The initiative is nationwide. Hoping you get outside — not just Jan. 1 but all year!  

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New Year’s Resolutions from Authors and Illustrators

It’s a new year, and many of us are reflecting on how we want to approach it in our personal lives, our creative lives, and the intersection between the two. I won’t provide a Venn diagram here, but as you … Continue reading

Posted in art, holidaze, new year, resolutions | 1 Comment

Hamilton Vocabulary

I redid my office with the chalkboard paint that I’ve been wanting since my kids were preschoolers. Better late than never, right? My plan was to use the wall to explore different plot points while I was writing. But I … Continue reading

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Fuzzy: Introducing Paul Dellinger to the Kidlit Crowd

I worked with both  Tom Angleberger and Paul Dellinger at The Roanoke Times for many moons. But Paul’s tenure there eclipsed ours. It eclipsed everybody’s, really. For one thing, he was there a lot longer (44 years, people!) But even … Continue reading

Posted in author interview, genre jumpers, humor, journalism, kidlit, writing with a partner | 1 Comment

Dream Weaver: Summer Writing Prompt

Here’s a quick summer writing prompt inspired by Langston Hughes (with an added hat tip to Gary Wright’s Dream Weaver because how many songs do you know that have “astral plane” in it?) First, read Langston Hughes’ The Dream Keeper. … Continue reading

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