#SophiaoftheBrightRedSneakers

Writing Middle-Grade Fiction | Handling Tragic Subjects

Susan Stoderl

May 19
3 min

Writing Middle-Grade Fiction | Handling Tragic Subjects

For marketing reasons, I wrote a prequel to Mission 1: All in a Day’s Work, the first book in my Sophia of the Bright Read Sneakers...

Writing Children’s Fiction Ages 8-12 | Letting Children Know They Are Not Alone

Susan Stoderl

Apr 18
1 min

Writing Children’s Fiction Ages 8-12 | Letting Children Know They Are Not Alone

Children want to know how to cope with situations that seem overwhelming, that they feel are beyond their years and ability to cope....

Middle-Grade Detective Book Excerpt | Mission 2: Unexpected Visitors

Susan Stoderl

Apr 14
2 min

Middle-Grade Detective Book Excerpt | Mission 2: Unexpected Visitors

Chapter 1. Apartment 4B—with a Capital “B” for Bo-o-oring! A cloud of doom hovered over the MacGregor household. Sophia propped her...

Mark Twain's “Mental Telegraphy,” and Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Series Agree

Susan Stoderl

Apr 11
2 min

Mark Twain's “Mental Telegraphy,” and Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Series Agree

My characters, Sophia MacGregor, Pedro Gonzalez, Wahoo the Raven, and Zelda Screech Cat, can all speak telepathically in Humanish,...

Middle-Grade Prequel to Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Excerpt

Susan Stoderl

Apr 7
2 min

Middle-Grade Prequel to Mission 1: All in a Day's Work | Excerpt

From Chapter 1: Boys, Dragons, and Golden Fleece In this excerpt, the classroom teacher, Bartholomew Smythe, lectures on Jason and Medea...

Sophia and Pedro Cook | Super-Sleuths Chili, a Middle-Grade Detective Recipe

Susan Stoderl

Mar 3
1 min

Sophia and Pedro Cook | Super-Sleuths Chili, a Middle-Grade Detective Recipe

As you know, Sophia and Pedro like to cook. Here is one of their "No Bunnies, Moo-Cows, or Chicks" recipes. 1 tbsp. olive oil 1 yellow...

Susan Stoderl

Dec 30, 2022
1 min

New Year's Eve Plans Go Awry

#sophiaofthebrightredsneakers, #middlegradebooks, #middlegradedetectiveseries, #newyearsevestory, #childrensfriendshipbooks

Susan Stoderl

Dec 23, 2022
1 min

New Christmas Story Just for You

Sophia and Pedro prepare for the perfect Christmas Eve celebration with Mr. O'D and Henry. Missing are Lionel, Henry's nephew, an NYPD...

Susan Stoderl

Dec 9, 2022
1 min

A Sophia and Pedro Short | A Trip to San Francisco with Their Pink-Haired Author Friend

@writer_susanstoderl, #middlegradedetectivebooks, #childrensfriendshipbooks, #travel, #sanfrancisco, #travelogue,...

Susan Stoderl

Oct 28, 2022
1 min

The Dreaded Finding

One of the nastiest words in the writing world has to be "typo." I discovered that today, but luckily it was me who found it and it's...

Sophia Autobiographic? Nah... Well Maybe a Little

Susan Stoderl

Sep 24, 2022
2 min

Sophia Autobiographic? Nah... Well Maybe a Little

Several weeks ago, I scribbled a brief article on an interview by Writers Cooperative with the author, Amy Tan. She spoke about the...

Susan Stoderl

Sep 22, 2022
1 min

Self-Publishing = Chaos

#selfpublishing, #indieauthor, #sophiaofthebrightredsneakers, #middlegradefiction, #middlegradeadventure

Susan Stoderl

Aug 19, 2022
1 min

Bad Guys | Mikhail and Dimitri

Today, we're going to start meeting the Bad Guys in the first book of Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Series | Mission 1: All in a...

Susan Stoderl

Aug 5, 2022
1 min

Meet Sean O'Donohue (Mr. O’D)

Sean O'Donohue was Sophia’s grandmother, Elspeth MacGregor's soul mate and best friend. When Sophia came to live with Nana as an orphan...

Susan Stoderl

Jul 27, 2022
1 min

A Family by Choice — Not Blood

One of the major themes of Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers series is the creation of her own unique family as an orphan. This would...

Susan Stoderl

Jul 22, 2022
1 min

Meet Zelda Screech Cat

Susan Stoderl

Jul 15, 2022
1 min

Today Meet Wahoo the Raven, a very Dapper Dude

From Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers Series | Mission 1: All in a Day's Work He looked around his home with pride. “My, my, my, I have...

Susan Stoderl

Jul 8, 2022
1 min

Introducing the Cru Crew

From Sophia and the Bright Red Sneakers, Mission 1: All in a Day's Work. Meet Ella Cru "As if to remind Sophia of her status, standing in...

Susan Stoderl

Jul 1, 2022
2 min

Meet Pedro Gonzalez

Pedro Gonzalez is Sophia’s best friend and co-conspirator in sleuthing and improving the world one mission at a time. He is ten years...

Susan Stoderl

Jun 24, 2022
2 min

Meet Sophia of the Bright Red Sneakers

Sophia MacGregor, a.k.a., Boss-In-Chief, is a precocious ten-year-old who is in the eighth-grade honors class at the posh James Samuel...

Scribbles & Thoughts

For shorter entries, see
Poetry | Quote Project

© Susan Stoderl, 2022

Susan@SusanStoderl.net

Scribbles & Thoughts

For shorter entries, see Poetry | Quote Project

For shorter entries, see
Poetry | Quote Project