In May, my daughter and I spent a day in downtown Portland, OR, testing out the light rail system and seeing what we could see on foot and via public transportation. My article about this day, with photos, is in the latest issue of the Columbia River Reader. You can read the article and the… Continue reading Portland Day-tripping
Author: tiffanydickinson
I write fiction and nonfiction stories for kids and kidults. I am a member of the Society of Children's Book Writer's and Illustrators (SCBWI). I have several works in progress, including picture books, a middle grade novel, articles, and poetry. Thanks for visiting and may we meet on the written page again soon!
A Starry Night
Last night while walking to the camp restroom, I looked up. Guess what I saw. Yes, stars. More stars than I’ve ever seen before. The longer I looked up, the more stars became visible to me. It was as if there were shy ones, waiting to see if I’d pay attention long enough to make… Continue reading A Starry Night
The True Story Behind GHOST CAT by Kevan Atteberry Will Move You
Hello Readers,
After losing our 10-month-old pug last week, this story particularly speaks to me.
I’ve heard Kevan Atteberry read. He is a sweet man and a talented artist.
-Tiffany
GHOST CAT all began because, well, I have a ghost cat in my house. I never really see it—just darts and blurs out of my peripheral vision. There may be any number of logical explanations for this phenomena but I’m going with the ghost cat explanation.
We had a cat, a black cat, that showed up at our house years and years ago. It just appeared on our porch for several days in a row and eventually my wife, Teri, stated feeding it. I warned her if she fed it it would stick around. And she did, and it did. It came to us as an outdoor cat but eventually became an indoor/outdoor cat. If it had other places to be he was free to go there. He didn’t, preferring to live with us. And he did for about a dozen years. One day I hadn’t seen…
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TO RETREAT OR NOT TO RETREAT In November, I attended my first writing retreat. Weekend on the Water Retreat on Bainbridge Island was offered through the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The retreat was held at Islandwood, an immense, wooded park equipped with cabins, an education building, a dining hall, and several cabins.… Continue reading
The Real Meaning of Success
Hello – I’ve been busily writing, but slooow to blog again. This little article really lifted me.
If you are moving forward, then you are a success.
Cheers!
I’ve spent the last several months with my head deep in a dictionary, editing THE WHIZBANG WORDBOOK, so excuse me if I’m a little definition-sensitive these days. But hear me out. This is important stuff.
How many of you have done this—set arbitrary goals that signal, in your mind, that you’ve become a success?
If I get a literary agent, then I’m a success.
If I get one book deal, then I’m a success.
And then you hit those goals, and suddenly, that definition of success gets tossed out the window.
No, one book deal isn’t successful! Two book deals would be!
And then you get those two deals. But again, it’s not enough to be deemed a success in your eyes.
So you compile an entire list of criteria for success.
A lead title!
A starred review!
Two starred reviews! Three! Four!
An Indies NEXT selection!
A Junior…
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Song Sisters
Dear Readers, you can access my most recent article, "Song Sisters: The Threshold Choir", in the Columbia River Reader (p. 9) by clicking on this: Columbia River Reader, April 15, 2019 Issue Happy reading!
Follow Your Genius
Genius: “1. An exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in art, music, science, etc… 4. Natural ability or capacity, strong inclination.” – Random House College Dictionary, 1975 I just read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Christopher, the main character in this… Continue reading Follow Your Genius
