Meredith Sue Willis facts for kids

Meredith Sue Willis is an American writer born in 1946 in Clarksburg, West Virginia. She writes many kinds of books, including exciting novels for young people, short stories, and helpful guides about how to write your own stories.

Growing Up and Education

Meredith Sue Willis went to Barnard College and graduated in 1969. Later, she earned a special degree called an MFA from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 1972.

About Her Writing and Teaching

Meredith Sue Willis is well-known for her books and for teaching others how to write. She has written many novels for adults, like A Space Apart and Higher Ground. She also has collections of short stories, such as In the Mountains of America. Critics have praised her work in famous newspapers and magazines.

She has won important awards for her writing. These include special fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. She also won the PEN Syndicated Fiction Award. Another honor was the West Virginia Library Association Award in 1980. She also received the Chaffin Award for her fiction.

Meredith Sue Willis worked early on with Teachers & Writers Collaborative. This group helps writers teach in schools. She used her experiences to write books for teachers and young writers. These include Personal Fiction Writing and Blazing Pencils. She also wrote three novels especially for children. These fun books are The Secret Super Powers of Marco, Marco's Monster, and Billie of Fish House Lane. She also wrote a very helpful guide called Ten Strategies to Write Your Novel.

She was also recognized as a Distinguished Teaching Artist. This award came from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Books by Meredith Sue Willis

Novels for Young Readers

Meredith Sue Willis has written several exciting novels for children and young adults.

• The Secret Super Powers of Marco (1994, 1995, 2001)
• Marco's Monster (1996, 2001)
• Billie of Fish House Lane (2006)
• Meli's Way (2015)

Helpful Books About Writing

She has also written non-fiction books to help people learn how to write.

• Personal Fiction Writing: A Guide to Writing from Real Life for Teachers, Students, and Writers (1984, 2000)
• Blazing Pencils: A Guide to Writing Fiction and Essays (1990, 2000)
• Deep Revision: A Guide for Teachers, Students, and Other Writers (1993)
• Ten Strategies to Write Your Novel (2010)

Novels for Adults

Here are some of the novels Meredith Sue Willis has written for adult readers.

• A Space Apart (1979, 2005, 2013)
• Higher Ground (1981, 1998)
• Only Great Changes (1985, 1998)
• Trespassers (1997)
• Oradell at Sea (2002)
• The City Built of Starships (2005)
• Love Palace (2014)
• Oradell at Sea (2014)
• Their Houses (2018)

Collections of Short Stories

These books are collections of shorter stories written by Meredith Sue Willis.

• In the Mountains of America (1994)
• Dwight's House and Other Stories (2004)
• Out of the Mountains (2010)
• Re-Visions: Stories from Stories (2011)