-
I have a shiny first draft!!!!!
I have had it for awhile now, but what with the busyness of the holiday season (and the month of December in general, especially for parents and teachers), I haven’t had a chance to announce it. But… Taming the Beast, sequel to my forthcoming young adult historical fantasy novel Breaking the Silence, officially exists! It…
-
Writing When Sick :(
I’m on day 34 of a writing challenge, and I would be lying if I said it was smooth sailing the entire time. About 2/3 of the way through October, I came down with a nasty cold. These are my reflections on powering through writing when I felt like doing anything but. It is inevitable:…
-
Time for a Challenge!
It’s fall, and for a good portion of writers who grew up with the NaNoWriMo novel writing challenge, creativity is in the air. And to be honest, I’ve never been able to keep up a daily writing habit without a good, solid deadline. At this point I’ve been writing for decades, but it doesn’t matter…
-
I Love a Good Map
In this Breaking the Silence summer update, I muse about maps and what they can add to the experience of reading a novel. (Yes, there will be a map at the beginning of Breaking the Silence, and I’m really excited about it!) Geography and the Novel Geography is hard. Especially to the non-spatially inclined, figuring…
-
The Art of the Historical Note
I suppose I knew all along, but never gave much thought to, the fact that once I finished a book I would have to write a whole bunch more things before I could publish it. A whole bunch more things in other genres. One of those things is the jacket blurb, which you can view…
-
Announcing: Breaking the Silence
I’m excited to announce that I have officially signed a contract with Tree Shadow Press to publish my novel Breaking the Silence. In the coming weeks and months, look for a new page dedicated to Breaking the Silence, a cover reveal (I have seen the initial drawings, and I’m really excited!), and information about publication…
-
NaNoWriMo is Dead! Long Live NaNoWriMo!
NaNoWriMo officially* announced their dissolution on Monday, leaving many writers in mourning over the demise of a once-great institution. If this was news to you and you are still mourning, please close this tab. I don’t wish to subject anyone in mourning to my joy that nanowrimo dot org is dead and we can all…
-
Start ’em Young
This past week I made several interesting observations about the reading and writing habits of kids, which I’ve been reflecting on a lot as a middle-grade author (and also, not going to lie, as a parent and a teacher). Here are a few: I don’t have any profound conclusions to offer from these observations, but…
-
The View from My Classroom
It’s snowing today, and the snow is so beautiful that the blistering cold does not bother me as much (at least when I’m inside my cozy 67.5-degree classroom). Students are taking a test so I have most of the day to write in relative silence before the storm of grading hits. Today I’m working on…
Tiggy McLaughlin
writer . historian . teacher
Tiggy McLaughlin
Tiggy McLaughlin is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. A historian of the later Roman empire by training, she has published academic articles focusing on the fifth and sixth century in Gaul and the wider Mediterranean world. Her favorite type of music is pop music of all decades, but the dance pop from ca. 2010 whose lyrics reference dancing in the club will always hold a special place in her heart. She lives in Erie, Pennsylvania with her husband and three boys. Her home is very noisy, and she likes it that way.
Tiggy McLaughlin 