About Kim

Kim Purcell is a novelist, writing teacher, and creativity coach with more than 25 years of experience helping writers of all ages turn their ideas into finished books. She is the author of Write a Novel in 100 Days: The Busy Writer's Guide to Finishing Your Book Fast, as well as the critically acclaimed young adult novels Trafficked and This Is Not a Love Letter.

Her novels have been recognized by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, Bank Street College, and other major reviewers and reading organizations. This Is Not a Love Letter was named one of NPR's Best Books of 2018, and her books have appeared on numerous state and national reading lists.

Kim began teaching creative writing more than 25 years ago and was the first curriculum director of WriteGirl, the nationally recognized Los Angeles writing and mentoring organization for teen girls. She went on to build an international writing platform devoted to helping children, teens, and adults develop their craft, find their voices, and actually finish their books.

Through Kim Purcell's Story Studio and Purcell Publishing, she has taught and mentored thousands of writers around the world. Her students have completed novels, published books, won writing awards, earned scholarships, and used their writing accomplishments to help gain admission to colleges and creative writing programs.

Her teaching focuses on the practical skills that turn aspiring writers into working writers: developing compelling story ideas, creating memorable characters, understanding plot and structure, strengthening scenes, building a sustainable writing practice, and finishing a draft.

Kim holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA in International Relations and English from the University of British Columbia.

Write a Novel in 100 Days brings together the techniques, exercises, and writing practices Kim has developed over decades of teaching novelists. Her approach is practical, encouraging, and built around a simple belief: you do not need endless free time to write a book. You need a story, a plan, and a writing practice you can actually sustain.