When she was just seven years old Erin Dionne knew she wanted to be an author.  She took all the right steps - she majored in English at Boston College, she earned a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Emerson College in Boston, and set her sights on writing the great American novel.  But a chance opportunity to take a class in children’s literature ignited a new creative spark. Today, Erin is a successful author who has written 7 books for tweens, children's picture books, and recently, a nonfiction book about writing.  She also writes mystery novels –for grownups– under a pen name.  

Erin talks with us about launching herself into the creative process, how she has learned to receive and accept feedback, and the generous community of writers she has found to share her experiences and challenges with. Erin confesses that she’s not one of those writers who writes every single day. She’s a busy mom and a professor of creative writing at Montserrat College. But, she finds at least 15 minutes every day to work on something related to her writing. 

At a time when it’s harder and harder to get our kids to put their devices down, we talk to Erin about the importance of reading and storytelling and the connection between reading and learning empathy. 

Episode Links and Resources

Erin Dionne

Montserrat College of Art 

Books by Erin:

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking - A 14 Day Mystery 

Models Don’t Each Chocolate Cookies

The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet

Bad Choices Make Good Stories

Lights, Camera Disaster

Books Erin Recommends:

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft (A Memoir of the Craft), Stephen King

Bird by Bird: Som