Abby Murphy

  • The Kindness of Strangers

    Thank you for all your kind thoughts and wishes about my previous post. I’m thrilled to be moving on to the next stage in my writing adventure. After I finalized things with Laura, I took one last swing through revision-land… Continue reading

    The Kindness of Strangers
  • I Have an Agent!

    Fantastic news, friends: I have an agent! I am so utterly pleased to share that I’m now represented by Laura Crockett and Uwe Stender of TriadaUS Literary Agency. Let me back up to share the full story. In college, while passionately Googling… Continue reading

  • Plain Encounter

    Last year, my parents bought 40 acres of forested land in Hiram, Ohio, so my dad can expand his maple sugaring operation. When I visited them last week, they were deep in the process of having the land surveyed so… Continue reading

    Plain Encounter
  • Slowing Down

    Like many people, I have a tendency to rush around trying to pack things in, one after the other. A typical weekday might include a full day of teaching, an hour of work on a freelance assignment, a trip to… Continue reading

    Slowing Down
  • Responsibility in Writing Historical Fantasy

    In keeping with my study of historical fantasy, I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s The Rithmatist, on Josh’s suggestion. He’s a huge Brandon Sanderson fan, and this YA novel sounded right up my alley. It was a lot of fun, with an… Continue reading

    Responsibility in Writing Historical Fantasy
  • Remembrance of Records Past

    Proust had his madeleines. Me? I have Fiddler on the Roof. Specifically, the original film soundtrack on vinyl, which I put on last week just for fun, only to be emotionally transported back to high school at Tevye’s first words. See, I was… Continue reading

    Remembrance of Records Past
  • Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History

    About a month ago I posted about some of the mentor texts I’ve been reading in preparation for a YA historical fantasy I want to write. I’ve tried to read a wide range of books, as I figure out exactly how much fantasy… Continue reading

    Mentor Texts: Steampunk and Alternate History
  • Both Past and Present

    What would it be like to live in two eras at once? Last week I read a beautiful and thought-provoking piece about working at a living history museum, by the blogger and historic gastronomist Sarah Lohman. “Living My Best 1848 Life,” posted… Continue reading

    Both Past and Present
  • Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy

    This fall I’ve been mulling over an idea for a YA historical fantasy and doing some research (my favorite) in between working on my current WIP. I’ve also been reading a bucketload of mentor texts to help me hone my vision… Continue reading

    Mentor Texts: Historical Fantasy
  • Remembrance

    Veterans’ Day is one of those holidays that are easy to forget. Josh and I have the day off from school today, and as we were driving to a local coffee shop for a leisurely breakfast, we reflected on our… Continue reading

    Remembrance