the team-building site of middle grade author Jackie Yeager
Ready for an activity that will change your team’s trajectory? No seriously. This team-building challenge is the one you didn’t know you needed! Why? Because it will get your team talking. And brainstorming. And working together. It will frustrate them but it will also intrigue them and keep them engaged. Isn’t that what you want?… Continue reading FREE THE PAPER CLIPS Team Building Activity
Looking for a way to get your team in sync? Try this! I love team building activities that can be done with both large and small groups. Even better if they can be done outdoors or inside with minimal prep and very few materials. Flip the Sheet is an outstanding team-builder that fits that criterion.… Continue reading FLIP THE SHEET Team Building Activity
Swirling thoughts. Sparks of Inspiration. Change is good. I’m so glad you’re here because I have fun news! August is a big month for this website and I want to tell you all about it. In a few weeks, Swirl and Spark will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Ten! How is it possible that I… Continue reading Sparks of Change
Hey there! It's been awhile. Such a long while, in fact, that I'm a little late sharing my second quarter reading update. However, I have no illusions that you guys have been waiting on the edges of your seats for this so I'm not feeling too bad about it. I did make a promise to… Continue reading Second Quarter Reading Roundup
Can a writing spot perform magic? I think so! In May, I took a fun girls trip to Florida with my daughter. Relaxed & recharged, I couldn’t wait to get back home to start writing again, whip our gardens into shape, paint the inside casing of our new windows, and do all the summer things.… Continue reading Magic Writing Space
Writer’s block is a real thing. It doesn’t happen to me often, but when it does it’s usually because I’m sitting at my computer, trying too hard. Here’s what I do to combat that: Have a plan. When I have a general idea of what I’m writing about before I sit down at my computer,… Continue reading 4 Ways (and Walls) to Combat Writer’s Block
If you’re a big dreamer like I am, sometimes it’s hard to see small wins or milestones for what they are: a big deal. We sometimes get so hyper-focused on the end game—our ultimate, long-term goals, that we forget to see the in-between, smaller achievements as a huge deal too. I used to be like… Continue reading Celebrate the Middle
Hello from sunny Florida! I you’re having a great week. I’m spending mine on a mini vacation with my daughter. After a fantastic long weekend in South Florida with my sister-in-law and her kids, yesterday we took the train up to Orlando… Disney to be specific. But we’re not doing the traditional Disney thing. We’re… Continue reading Seeking Magical Inspiration
Since we’re well into Spring, I think we better talk about spring cleaning our manuscripts. Do you have Spring Fever too? Cleaning our manuscripts? Yes! It’s time to get rid of all those dirty words. You know the ones. Filler words. Words like: that, just, really, and very. They weaken your writing and bog down… Continue reading Spring Cleaning your Manuscript
Hi there! Thanks for stopping back for the final installment of Publishing Expectations vs Reality! In case you missed them, you can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. As always, please keep in mind these are my experiences, and those of many other authors, but certainly not indicative of every author’s experiences. Got it? Okay…… Continue reading Publishing Expectations vs Reality: Part 3