#amwriting Archives - Shelley Blanton-Stroud

What happened?

Shelley Admin2025-06-07T23:34:15+00:00#amwriting, 2025, Akashic Books, An Unlikely Prospect|

My toddler grandson has a favorite question. He asks it about nearly everything: “What happened?” While I was visiting recently [...]

Art Behind the Art–Ryan Coogler Style

Shelley Admin2025-06-07T23:29:57+00:00#amwriting, advice, Craft, sinners|

From Austin Kleon's book, Show Your Work. There's a moment in creative work when the process can seem as compelling [...]

It’s a two-festival weekend!

Shelley Admin2025-05-26T23:21:24+00:00#amwriting, An Unlikely Prospect, AUTHOR, Bay Area Book Festival, Best mysteries, Book Event, Book signing, Catriona McPherson, historical fiction, History, Sacramento Book Festival|

We are warming up to book festival season. Next week will be a two-festival weekend for me. Saturday, May 31, [...]

Constant vibration of violence and precariousness

Shelley Admin2025-03-04T17:44:06+00:00#amwriting, Akashic Books, Book Event, Book launch, CapLit, Craft, Fact and fiction, feminist noir, Sacramento Noir|

"The best crime stories, the most relatable—and this applies for noir, too—involve people driven to do things because of understandable [...]

Sacramento Noir at CapLit

Shelley Admin2025-02-25T21:26:31+00:00#amwriting, Akashic Books, AUTHOR, book club, Book Event, CapLit, Sacramento Noir|

So excited to have my story, "Take as Needed," in Sacramento Noir, the latest offering from Akashic Books’ popular Noir [...]

Shelley Admin2025-02-10T17:06:46+00:00#amwriting, An Unlikely Prospect, AUTHOR, Book Event, parents|

What does it mean to write (or paint or sing or crochet) in times of profound change? Join me and [...]

How to Make an Audiobook, by April Doty

Shelley Admin2025-01-22T16:45:50+00:00#amwriting, advice, audiobook, AUTHOR, Craft, Distribution, Paths to publication|

Today I'm sharing How To Make an Audiobook, a very helpful short piece from my amazing audiobook narrator/producer, April Doty, [...]

Chop Wood, Carry Water

Shelley Admin2024-11-12T21:58:54+00:00#amwriting, advice, AUTHOR, Book Event, creativity, eneagram|

I have been down this week, so I’m trying to do positive things, in the present, worrying less about the [...]

It helps to write (with others)

Shelley Admin2024-11-08T14:46:03+00:00#amwriting, AUTHOR, nanowrimo|

A Seat at the Table Books is hosting Finish Your Damn Novel Writing Sprints every Sunday in November. I'll join [...]

Upstairs, downstairs

Shelley Admin2024-10-03T15:43:57+00:00#amwriting, AUTHOR, Fact and fiction, historical fiction, History|

I’ve just returned from ten days spent generously tucked into a fascinating group of people from Anchorage/Washington DC/San Francisco/Paris, all [...]