Russell F. Hirsch
The Secret Genius of THE GIVER
THE GIVER is one of the most successful children’s novels of all time. Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, Lois Lowry’s tale still...
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 9, 2019
- 3 min
REVIEW: The Oddmire by William Ritter
Come with me and delve into the deep, dark woods of William Ritter‘s magical middle grade fantasy, The Oddmire, Book I: Changeling....
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Russell F. Hirsch
- Nov 18, 2018
The YAK Speaks: Messy Rough Drafts
The YAK features articles devoted to Education, Writing, Children’s Literature, and Speech Arts. It is published by The Bolton Academy of...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 12, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Supercharging the 2nd Act
The Second Act is the middle section of a novel and usually the biggest chunk of a book. It spans from when a character is first thrust...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 19, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Worldbuilding from the Inside-Out
Perhaps nothing simultaneously excites and intimidates a fantasy author as much as worldbuilding—crafting the geography, history,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 12, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Plotters, Pantsers, and Outlines—oh my!
Today, I continue “Lessons from a First Novel” by reflecting on the outlining process. In writer slang there are Plotters and Pantsers....
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 6, 2018
Lessons from a First Novel: Patterns and Parameters
Last winter, I finished a polished draft of my first novel manuscript. Of course, “finished” and “polished” are words that automatically...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jun 17, 2018
Graced with Epic-ness: Kristin Cashore’s Series Structure
In 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. Hirsch
- Jun 11, 2018
Graces and Ghosts: Kristin Cashore’s Elegiac Fantasy
***Onward, there be spoilers!*** Although the series is beloved first and foremost for its powerful and deep-feeling heroines, a central...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Apr 6, 2018
Writing Rewind! Tips from Recent Reads
Today, I break down a few skills (skillz?) on display in recent reads from the past month, specifically, books by Sayantani Dasgupta,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Sep 7, 2017
#TBT Interview with Kenneth Oppel
Today, the Canadian Children’s Book Centre announced its slate of fantastic finalists for the annual TD Canadian Children’s Literature...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Aug 27, 2017
Reflections on a Creative Writing Degree
Next month I finish my Master’s degree, so I thought it time to weigh in on a question many aspiring writers ask : should I get a degree...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jul 31, 2017
The Impossible and Inevitable Potter
Today is Harry Potter’s 37th birthday and in homage to the birthday boy-who-lived and the continuing summer festivities marking the 20th...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Mar 26, 2017
Indigenous Children’s Literature Resources
For March, I have the special pleasure of doing a guest post for the wonderful folks at The Book Wars, an awesome site devoted to...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 22, 2017
3 Wonderful Writing Resources
Well, we’ve turned the page on 2016 and are getting into the swing of the new year, but if you’re still seeking fresh inspirations for...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 8, 2017
Further Reading & Feminist Alternatives to the Hero’s Journey
Further Resources on the Hero’s Journey I hope you’ve found my summary of hero’s journey plot lines useful, but there is really no...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Jan 2, 2017
The Hero’s Journey – Resolution
Happy New Year to all! We have reached the 10th and final stage of a hero’s journey plot line and a fitting stage it is for January 1st...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Dec 20, 2016
The Hero’s Journey – Climax!
Huzzah! We have reached the Climax, the grand hurrah, the big shebang, a moment so exciting that only funny-sounding words can express...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Dec 11, 2016
The Hero’s Journey – Propelling Event
The beginning of THE END! We enter the third and final phase of a hero’s journey plot line. Act 3 Propelling Event Climax (aka Death &...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Dec 29, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Reward
The Hero’s Journey – Reward Well that last post on the Ordeal was so frightening, I almost couldn’t go on! But after a bit of a break,...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 21, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Ordeal
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger!” Quoting Nietzsche might seem a bit intense for a post on children’s stories but he...
Russell F. Hirsch
- Oct 3, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – The Approach
We really shouldn’t go in there—but we have to! We’re now well into the Middle Phase (Act 2) of a story. The characters have started to...
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