Amanda MacGregor

My problem with the word, ‘talent’ is it suggests something elusive that we have no control over, an innate trait that we either have or don’t have, that we’re born with or we’re not - and we don’t really use that word in non-creative sphere’s.

The post How to be an Author: The myth of talent and importance of failure, a guest post by Rebecca Elliott appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

A story about Superheroes? Really? I have to confess I know almost nothing about superheroes, or at least I didn’t before starting to write HOW TO SAVE A SUPERHERO. But this is how it happened.

The post Making the Impossible Possible, a guest post by Ruth Freeman appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Mercedes Lackey, author of more than 50 novels, talks about what it may take to be able to write as a full-time job (and make a living doing so!).

The post Writing for a Living, a guest post by Mercedes Lackey appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Being [fill in the blank] enough becomes a game many play to remain a part of a circle or to find comfort. We all should be mindful of helping teens find a way to feel that they are enough, by ridding their world of boxes.

The post The other Other: Smashing Identity Boxes, a guest post by Paula Chase appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Sometimes strength is called for in life, sometimes vulnerability makes us stronger. What’s important is that we allow for a full range of human emotions and individualized reactions. That we acknowledge that risking mistakes is one of the strongest things we can do.

The post Girls Who Can are Girls Who Can Pivot, a guest post by Jennifer Richard Jacobson appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

SALT MAGIC began when I ripped up some plywood flooring in my old house and found a 1927 newspaper article underneath. A few years later I stumbled onto the newspaper article in my files, did a little research, and became totally freaking obsessed.

The post Raiding the Junk Drawer, a guest post by Hope Larson appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

So, yeah, I wrote about grief again. Sam’s and mine. Maybe yours. And yet…Our Way Back to Always is absolutely that swoony, tropey love story I always hoped to write. Because life—even in the terrible years––can be really funny like that.

The post Falling in Love with the Terrible Years, a guest post by Nina Moreno appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

How unsatisfactory theater roles helped lead to writing the story of a runaway heiress discovering her strength under pressure, and relying on her wits and technical prowess in deadly situations.

The post Different Roles, a guest post by Claire Winn appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

A smart story about control, rebellion, story itself, and the fearsome power of girls allowed to be themselves. A great book for girls who can't follow the rules and, better yet, don't want to.

The post Book Review: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by Anne Ursu appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.