Kathy Hopper

As an educator, my family, community, and students are like my personal writing cheerleaders—minus the pom-poms and questionable dance moves. Each book I've authored and published, along with every post I've shared, springs from a deep conversation with someone I care about (or at least someone who pretends to care about my ramblings). I spend a lot of time researching how to best support those I love, which sometimes leads to me writing instead of just sending them another cat meme. This...

Having published five books, I've discovered that you always have an audience, even if it may not seem apparent at first. Each book, regardless of its genre, has the potential to resonate with a specific group of readers who share an interest in the themes, styles, or narratives you present. When writing for a particular genre, buyers and, hopefully, readers will be looking for a specific type of text that meets their expectations and aligns with their preferences. This is crucial because...

Do you ever experience the sensation that your mind is overwhelmed, analogous to an unruly child discarding all of its possessions (i.e., "ideas")? This process is what I term "lightening the load," and it constitutes the beginning of my writing day. This is not optional; it is a necessary, proactive measure to mitigate the risk of burnout. Given the frequency of my writing, my internal creative impulse occasionally becomes exhausted and departs on an unscheduled leave of absence to a state...