Since I’m the one who used to live in Brooklyn, I was the guide on a recent trip to NYC with my husband. When it was time for dinner, I led us by subway to Union Square and then meandered toward the East Village. I had no idea what to eat, but was just meandering. [...]

One of the main characters in the novel I’m working on is an avid teen hunter. The story is set in Vermont. So, I need to know about hunting. In Vermont. Even though I graduated from high school in VT, what I know isn’t worth much: -Our goats were in danger of being mistaken for [...]

Just last week, my second book, Blue Chicken, was published. I’m excited, to be sure, but I finished the art for this book over nine months ago, and quickly moved on to writing another. Since four long years passed between my first book, Scribble, and this one, I now find myself in a situation that [...]

My writing philosophy is something like: If that’s what it takes, that’s what it takes. Whatever it takes to find the sweet spot of my writing soul. I court this space. Very much like The Little Prince taming his fox. The fox told him everything he needed to know: Come every day, come at the [...]

 “Hello? Is this Kathleen K’-ah-mumble??” The voice on the phone is often elderly and always insecure. “Yes,” I chuckle (warmly, I hope.) “This is Kathleen Kudlinski.” “Are you the Naturalist?” they ask, if they’ve been reading my newspaper column. The question “Are you the author?” means they’re a teacher, librarian, or child who has read [...]

“To be a writer you must _____” That’s how I start all my beginner classes. I write that sentence on the board and wait until somebody comes up with the missing word. (It’s “write.”) The point: You don’t get to be a writer by hoping or earning degrees or reading about writing. You have to [...]