Had motherhood ruined my favorite childhood stories?

My essay, “Had motherhood ruined my favorite childhood stories?” is featured in Modern Parent this week.

As I snuggled in with my husband and my then-first-grader to watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I looked forward to sharing my childhood memories of Rankin and Bass’ claymation classic.

Within five minutes of pressing play, though, all I could think was, “Why is everyone being so mean?”

Read more here.

But seriously, muskoxen are awesome

Puzzled by the president’s recent interest in purchasing Greenland? Yeah, me too. Fortunately, the internet is a veritable treasure trove of inaccurate unreliable poorly-sourced easy-to-find information, and it was but the work of a few minutes and one too many blue raspberry Eegees to track down the top reasons Donald Trump wants to buy Greenland.
  1. It’s the largest country on the map in the Situation Room.
  2. Not enough muskoxen at Mar-a-Lago.
  3. If he doesn’t act now, those damn liberals might amend the Constitution to prohibit buying and selling people.
  4. Sea ice futures. They’re a thing.
  5. The Flores settlement only applies to holding families in detention, not to abandoning them on Arctic islands.
  6. Obama never tried to buy an autonomous Danish territory, now, did he?
  7. No one on the moon will return the president’s calls.
  8. He called dibs, so there.

Doing What You Love: Practical inspiration for writers

doingwhatyoulovecover-medium Doing What You Love: Practical Strategies for Living a Creative Life is now out in paperback! This chapbook draws on my quarter-century of writing experience to share insights and inspiration previously only available by attending one of my talks or, more recently, downloading an ebook. It makes a great gift for any writer in your life who could use a bit of a pep talk. (Including you!) ['Taking risks, rather than being an impractical and foolhardy act, might be  one of the most practical and business-savvy things we can do.'] Available wherever books are sold: – Amazon (bundle with the ebook for 99 cents more) – IndieBoundBarnes & Noble Or visit your favorite local bookstore and ask them to order you a copy!

Doing What You Love: An Ebook

I’m thrilled to announce the release of the second book in my Writing Life series, Doing What You Love. Based on one of my most popular talks, this inspiring ebook takes a look at the things I’ve learned through the years about living a creative life. While the focus is writing, it also applies to other creative fields. Here are the details!
Write More and Worry Less Write more and worry less! Move your writing and your passion from the edges to the center of your life as you discover: • Why writing isn’t all about “talent” • The value of taking creative risks • How to embrace imperfection • Ways to manage doubts and put setbacks in perspective • Reasons to let your fear—and your joy—take the lead • The myth of that one big break • How to choose which advice to listen to—and which to discard • The power of writing without apologies • Why following your creative passion may be the most practical thing you can do Acclaimed author Janni Lee Simner has spent the past quarter century writing books, short stories, interactive fiction, and nonfiction for teens, children, and adults. In Doing What You Love she shares down-to-earth strategies for how to get started—and how to keep going—living a creative life. Doing What You Love is available wherever ebooks are sold! Order your copy now from:

Kobo and their independent bookstore partnersBarnes and NobleAmazonAppleSmashwords


New to the Writing Life Series? Order Doing What You Love and Finding Your Sense of Place together and I’ll send you a free e-copy of my creepy short story “Drawing the Moon!” Just forward a screenshot or copy of your receipt to janni@simner.com before the end of July.

Finding Your Sense of Place—emotion, description, and setting

I’m happy to announce Finding Your Sense of Place, a new ebook based on my talks on emotion, description, and setting. Finding Your Sense of Place shares some of the early insights that helped me uncover what was missing from my work, allowing me to begin producing professional work more consistently, as well as providing other tools for bringing settings and their characters to life. To order your copy, go here—or see below for more details.
senseofplacecover300x450Find Your Sense of Place Use setting and description to bring your characters to life and increase the emotional impact of your stories. Setting is about much more than providing a few scene-setting details and moving on. Discover why the descriptions that seem to get in the way of your stories are actually the most powerful tools you have to bring characters to life and make readers care about their stories. Two decades ago, acclaimed novelist Janni Lee Simner took her writing to the next level and began selling her work when she realized that emotion and description are, ultimately, the same thing. In Finding Your Sense of Place she shares insights and techniques to help you: • Understand why different characters see the same places differently—even if they walk side by side • Craft descriptions that help readers connect with your characters on a deeper level • Make room for descriptive passages that won’t bog your story down • Select the most powerful scene-enhancing metaphors • Research your story’s setting—whether your story is set close to home or far away, in the present day or a thousand years ago • Choose the descriptive details that best convey that setting to readers Finding Your Sense of Voice is available wherever ebooks are sold. Order your copy from:Kobo and their independent bookstore partnersBarnes and NobleAmazonSmashwords