Tag: Anne Lamott

Author Interview

Author interview: Emma Tourtelot on motherhood, grief, and becoming a novelist

Mandy Webster

Emma Tourtelot brings a rare mix of cultural fluency, emotional candor, and lived experience to her work. In this interview, Tourtelot reflects on motherhood as a creative throughline, her early-morning writing life, and the surprising rewards of seeing readers truly live inside her words, as she discusses her debut novel, No One You Know.

Emma Tourtelot’s debut novel, No One You Know, released January 20, 2026.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I grew up one town over from Roald Dahl–in Buckinghamshire, England–so I got to meet him at our local library when I was a kid. He was just as weird and wonderful as his stories. And so tall! (I just looked it up: He was 6’6”.) I read his books over and over, and I loved hearing about his little writing shed in his back garden. That was the first time I really thought about who was behind the stories I loved. My favorite was always James and the Giant Peach.

Continue reading “Author interview: Emma Tourtelot on motherhood, grief, and becoming a novelist” →
Author Interview

Author interview with Becky Healy

Mandy Webster

From newspaper deadlines to creative freedom, writer Becky Healy has spent a lifetime chasing stories. Her nonfiction piece, The Bad Moon and Me, appears in Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling, where she blends the sharp instincts of a journalist with the reflective tone of a storyteller exploring new terrain. In this interview, Becky shares how childhood mysteries sparked her love of writing, what keeps her inspired today, and how her definition of success has evolved from Oscar dreams to the quiet satisfaction of connecting with readers.

Becky Healy’s work appears in the recently released Bad Moon on the Rise: An Anthology of the Unsettling.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: When I was in the fourth grade, I remember walking into my classroom one day and deciding I wanted to be a writer. I loved reading, especially the Nancy Drew mystery series, and the idea of creating these kinds of stories appealed to me. I didn’t know what kind of writing I wanted to do or how I would make it a career, but my decision to be a writer was born that day.

Continue reading “Author interview with Becky Healy” →
Composition I, Education, Essays, Writing Prompts

Tuesday Writing Prompt: School Lunches

Mandy Webster

Cover of "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions...
Today’s writing prompt was inspired by Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird. | Cover via Amazon

Today my English Composition I class is learning about description in preparation for the descriptive essay they will write for next week. Descriptive writing incorporates all five senses:

  1. Sight
  2. Sound
  3. Smell
  4. Taste
  5. Touch/feelings

I like to include “feelings” with number five, as it is often important to describe how something makes you “feel” in addition to how certain elements might “feel” to the touch. Just remember, it is equally essential to “show” how something makes you feel rather than “telling” your reader about it. So, try to avoid using the word, “feel” in your writing.

For today’s activities, I am borrowing a writing prompt from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird: Continue reading “Tuesday Writing Prompt: School Lunches” →

Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge

It’s time to wrap up our summer writing challenge!

Mandy Webster

a picture of an apple pie
As summer draws to a close, it’s time to start thinking about apple pies and second drafts. Time to harvest the fruits of our labor!

Today is the official last day of summer. The time has come to wrap up the Write Your Novel this Summer Challenge. I don’t know about you, but I am feeling *super* productive after completing this challenge.

For those of you who did not complete your first draft, that’s okay. Did you keep writing anyway? That’s the important thing. As long as you keep writing, you will get there eventually. Keep at it!

A few of you have contacted me to let me know when you did complete the first drafts of your novels. Congratulations on a job well finished!

If you are like me, Anne Lamott, Stephen King, and a myriad of lesser-known writers, your first draft is probably… WELL… “Shitty.” Continue reading “It’s time to wrap up our summer writing challenge!” →