Russell F. HirschOct 25, 20232 minDescriptive Language that SparklesKill your darlings! Get to the point! Plot over prose! How many times have you heard advice about simplifying your writing for middle...
Russell F. HirschOct 11, 20231 minSIWC - Simply Inspiring Writers' ConferenceWe all know the feeling of finding our tribe. Whether we were kids discovering new friends on the playground, teens navigating a new...
Russell F. HirschJan 11, 2019REVIEW: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu MandannaToday on Storythreads, the worlds of Indian mythology and space opera collide in Sangu Mandanna’s YA novel, A Spark of White Fire, the...
Russell F. HirschJun 17, 2018Graced with Epic-ness: Kristin Cashore’s Series StructureIn this post, I finish my examination of Kristin Cashore’s excellent Graceling Realms series. (Part one here!) The title of the post may...
Russell F. HirschMar 27, 2018Review: Pullman’s Book of *FAIRY* DustReleased last October, La Belle Sauvage, is essentially a prequel (or as Pullman calls it, an “equel”) that takes place a decade before...
Russell F. HirschNov 10, 2017Pullman vs. Lewis: the Fantastical FrenemiesLast month, master storyteller Philip Pullman, published The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, marking a return to the world of His Dark...