by kristinoakley | Mar 26, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
Laurie Scheer, the powerhouse who made UW-Madison’s Writers’ Institute a must-attend event for thousands of writers throughout the Midwest, is offering new opportunities for writers. In this interview, Laurie and I discuss Nature Writing and her latest...
by kristinoakley | Mar 19, 2021 | Homeschooling, Unschooling
I vividly remember when my daughter Caitlin learned to read. One morning when she about six years old, Caitlin stormed into the kitchen with a library picture book in her hand. It wasn’t a favorite book, in fact, it was the first time we’d taken it out. I...
by kristinoakley | Mar 12, 2021 | Creativity & Craft, Newsletter
When I was seven or eight, I asked my mom, “Do you want to meet everyone in the world?” She looked at me in surprise and said, “No.” Her answer surprised me. I thought everyone wanted to meet everyone else. And I had been feeling anxious,...
by kristinoakley | Mar 5, 2021 | Homeschooling, Unschooling
In 2008, I wrote “Top 5 Reasons to Homeschool” for the July-August edition of Home Education Magazine which I’m passing along to you. Things have changed dramatically since then, so, for 2021, I’ll add a few more: no mandatory virtual schooling...
by kristinoakley | Feb 26, 2021 | Fictional Research, Newsletter
When I wrote God on Mayhem Street, I created Frank Townsend’s family farm even though I didn’t know a thing about farming. As part of my research, I toured a friend’s farm and recruited Veterinarian Bill Stork to read my manuscript. His feedback gave...
by kristinoakley | Feb 19, 2021 | Homeschooling, Unschooling
To give you some insight into what an unschooling community is like, I’m passing along my article “Talent Show” which was published in Home Education Magazine’s May/June 2009 edition. It’s one of my favorite memories of unschooling. Talent Show ...
by kristinoakley | Feb 12, 2021 | Newsletter, Writing Life
I’m on the fence — should I sign with a literary agent and traditionally publish my young adult series The Devil Particle or publish it myself? Both paths to publishing have advantages and disadvantages. My friend and colleague, Valerie Biel, is taking...
by kristinoakley | Feb 5, 2021 | Homeschooling, Unschooling
During the summer of 2007, I listened to Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 while I driving around in my car. It made me wonder why novelists tend to create dystopian futures. I thought, why don’t I write a book with a better future, a better society?...
