In all honesty, I didn't love reading when I was a kid. I'd rather be running around in the woods or doing my best to scare the pants off all the children in the neighborhood by pretending my house was haunted or making them play Bloody Mary in the bathroom. Jennifer McMahon bathroombloodychild share on social
Some people say, 'Write what you know.' My thing is, 'Write what scares you.' Jennifer McMahon peoplescarething Change image and share on social
I have a friend who calls me the queen of the nightmares because I've always had really bad nightmares. I keep a notebook by the side of my bed, so I'll wake up in the night from a bad dream, and my heart's pounding, and I'm really scared, but I write it down, and sometimes I get ideas for books that way. Jennifer McMahon badbedbook share on social
Do me a favor - right now, today, start a list of all your crazy obsessions, the things that get your heart pumping, that wake you up in the middle of the night. Put it above your desk and use it to guide you, to jumpstart your writing each and every day. Jennifer McMahon crazydaydesk share on social
I wrote my first short story in third grade. Jennifer McMahon gradeshortstory Change image and share on social
I studied poetry in college and for a year in an MFA program. As time went on, my poems got more and more complicated. What I was really trying to do was tell stories. Jennifer McMahon collegecomplicatemfa Change image and share on social
I found many treasures in the woods over the years: shotgun shells, empty Colt 45 bottles, old railroad spikes, orange and black beetles eating a dead mouse, pebbles that looked just like teeth, old stone walls and cellar holes, a rusted out frying pan, the skull of a cat. Jennifer McMahon beetleblackbottle share on social
Poetry taught me a great deal about language and images, but when it came to plotting, I was stumped. It's been very much a learn-by-doing thing for me. Jennifer McMahon dealgreatimage Change image and share on social
You can have the greatest characters in the world and write beautifully, but if nothing's happening, the story falls on its face pretty quickly. Jennifer McMahon beautifullycharacterface Change image and share on social
Some things, I think, like fairy books and secret doors, are only meant to be found by children. Jennifer McMahon bookchilddoor Change image and share on social