About Me

When I was a really little kid, I used to tell people I wanted to be a circus ringmaster when I grew up. I had no idea what a ringmaster was, but I knew it performed in front of crowds, and I always had a flair for drama. Then when I was in third grade, my friend, Katie, coerced me into reading a book from the bestselling Baby-sitters Club series. I fell IN LOVE (with The Baby-sitters Club, not with Katie). And that’s when I threw away my circus dreams and decided I absolutely had to write for kids when I grew up—I wanted to create stories that had the potential to make children as excited as The Baby-sitters Club made me.

Fresh out of undergrad, I landed a gig directing high school plays. Not long after, I started writing plays for my students. My first play, A Family Reunion to Die For (co-written with my brother, Matt), was a hit with the school community and led to my first publishing deal. Since then, I’ve written seven more full-length plays, specifically for the school play and theater for young audiences markets. It’s tons of fun hearing from students all over the world who’ve performed in productions of my plays, and I love when they send me pictures and videos of their shows.
 
Not long ago, I came up with an idea for a new story—only it seemed better suited to work as a traditional book instead of as a piece for the stage. But I’d spent nearly a decade writing exclusively for young performers and audiences, and I wondered if I’d be able to shift my skills to a different format. Well... There was only one way to find out! I sat myself on the couch for many, many afternoons and drafted my first middle-grade novel (thankfully, all those Baby-sitters Club books had taught me the structure of middle-grade stories). I finished the first draft and then edited and edited and edited some more. Lucky draft #24 was accepted for publication by Creative James Media. My debut novel, Not Lucille, will be available on June 24, 2025. I’m excited for you to read the story!

You may be wondering what I do with my life besides go back and forth in an endless cycle of drafting and editing. I now work as an elementary school librarian (and, of course, I still help out with the school plays). My hobbies include going to the theater, hunting for geocaches, creating mixed-media collages, playing claw machines, and taking long walks that get me very lost but also help me discover cool places I’ve never seen before. I have two perfect cats named Karen and Sox who take turns sitting in my lap as I write. I also have a special affinity for bubble tea—the milk tea flavors, not the fruit tea flavors. And I recently moved from Brooklyn to the Jersey Shore, where I hope to attempt mudlarking one day soon.

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My first published play

I can write anywhere

I hop onstage any chance I get

F.A.Q. 

This section should really be titled A.Q., because I’m not nearly popular enough to get asked any question frequently (the only exception being the one question I hear multiple times a day from my own students: Can I use the restroom?). But below, you'll find some questions kids have emailed me in the past…
 

​Q: What’s your best advice for kids who want to be writers when they grow up?

A: Sit down and write. You can’t be a writer until you write. And once you write, you’re a writer. Really. Just do it. Start writing.


Q: What’s your writing process like?

A: I tend to start by thinking of a scenario that has the potential to lead to a full story (i.e. - Cinderella’s godmother has an adventure of her own while Cinderella is at the ball). I stew over the scenario for a while—sometimes years and usually as I lie in bed unable to fall asleep. Once I figure out how the story will begin (but not necessarily how it will end), I sit down and write the opening scene or chapter. This helps me establish traits for my main characters. Then I try to outline the full story. I like to know where I’m going with each new chapter or scene. At this point, I’m ready to write, write, write. …Oh! And in case you were wondering, that scenario featuring Cinderella’s godmother turned into my play I Wish…


Q: Do you write every day?

A: No. Well, if emails count, I write every day. But I don’t actively work on a creative writing piece every day. I tend to be productive in spurts. I might crank out a full-length work over the course of a few weeks and then not write anything substantial for several months. Deadlines help keep me writing. If I don’t have a deadline from an editor, I try to create a deadline for myself so I don’t get too lazy.


Q: Do you ever suffer from writer's block, and if so, how do you get past it?

A: I sometimes find myself stuck for ideas. If I’m in the middle of a story, I push through and force myself to write. I do my best to keep the story going, even if it’s not going where I want it to go. I can always delete what I’ve written later. But it's when I’m between stories that pushing through writer’s block is the hardest. In those instances, I take a break from writing. That gives me time to think. And eventually, I think of a new idea for a story.


Q: When was your first book published?

A: My debut middle-grade novel, Not Lucille, will be published by Creative James Media on June 24, 2025.


Q: When was your first play published?

A: A Family Reunion to Die For was published by Pioneer Drama Service in 2011.


Q: How many plays have you written?

A: I've written eight full length plays (some I co-wrote with other playwrights). My plays available for production are I Wish..., A Family Reunion to Die For, Prince of My Dreams, Offed at the Bake-Off, An All You Can Murder Buffet, Murderous Night at the Museum, Till Death Do Them Part, and an adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin. Click here to learn more about each play and to read free script samples.


Q: Did you always want to be a playwright?

A: I didn’t want to write plays in particular; I just knew I wanted to write stories that would make kids laugh. I fell into playwriting as I was directing school plays, and it certainly provided many opportunities to laugh with my students. If you’ve ever been involved in a school play, you know how much fun it is.
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Q: Some of your plays were written with other people. Who are these co-writers?

A: My brother, Matt, is often a part of my writing team. He's a professional actor and really brings an understanding of an actor's needs to the playwriting process. Some of my former students joined us as co-writers for a few plays, as well.


Q: Why are so many of your plays murder mystery comedies?

A: The first play I wrote for my students was a murder mystery, and it did well after it was published. This genre is very popular with high schools, so I wrote several others. Fractured fairytales tend to be popular with elementary schools, and I've written a few of those, as well.


Q: If you weren't a writer or a teacher, what would you do with your life?

A: I'd probably be unhappy. I guess I'd have to shift to working in some other art form—maybe film or television production. Finally joining the circus and working my way up to ringmaster is never out of the question, either.


Q: Can you write a play for my school or youth theater company?​

A: I'm located in New Jersey, but I'm happy to write for drama clubs or theater companies in other parts of the United States or across the world as long as you’re open to a remote developmental process. Feel free to contact me with your inquiry.