Emma Rosa Ugarelli’s Author Blog

Odd Writing Habits of Famous AuthorsCreativity doesn’t follow a single rule — and these famous authors prove it.
Jane Austen often wrote on tiny pieces of paper she could quickly hide when someone entered the room. She preferred writing in shared family spaces, showing that inspiration doesn’t always need complete silence.
Lewis Carroll believed in the power of play. Puzzles, word games, and long walks helped him stretch his imagination — a reminder that creativity flourishes when we allow ourselves to explore freely.
Agatha Christie crafted many of her famous mystery plots while washing dishes. Routine tasks gave her mind space to wander, letting ideas surface naturally.
Toni Morrison wrote early in the morning, before dawn, believing quiet hours allowed the deepest truths to emerge.
Reflection: There is no single way to write. Some authors hide pages, others play with words, and some find inspiration in the most ordinary routines. What they share is the courage to follow their own rhythm — and perhaps that is the greatest habit of all.
Writing is not just about words on a page; it is an act of listening — to the world, to imagination, and to oneself.

​Winter is not just a season outside—it lives within us. Just as the world slows, grows quiet, and seeks warmth, our hearts and minds also experience seasons.
There are times when we feel cold, heavy, or uncertain. Moments when life asks us to pause, reflect, and nurture ourselves. These inner winters are not signs of weakness—they are opportunities to gather strength, find hope, and prepare for brighter days.
This poem is a gentle reminder that every season, inside and out, shapes who we are. Slowing down, warming our souls, and caring for ourselves allows us to bloom again when the time is right.
— Emma Rosa Ugarelli

Literary Recognition – 2025
We are honored to share that literary critic Ricardo González Vigil, in Obras destacadas de 2025, has included La Ardilla Lola Perdió su Cola among his recommended titles for Children’s Literature 2025.
This meaningful recognition celebrates stories created with care, humor, and heart—values at the core of Lola’s adventures.
 Visit: www.eugarellibooks.com to explore my blog in Spanish.
Post: Libros valiosos contra viento y marea
Versión en Español (para tu blog)
Reconocimiento Literario – 2025
Nos llena de alegría compartir que el crítico literario Ricardo González Vigil, en Obras destacadas de 2025, ha mencionado La Ardilla Lola Perdió su Cola entre sus recomendaciones de Literatura Infantil 2025.
Un reconocimiento significativo que celebra la literatura infantil escrita con cariño, humor y corazón, esencia que acompaña cada una de las aventuras de Lola.
 Visita: www.eugarellibooks.com para leer mi blog en español.
​Post: Libros valiosos contra viento y marea

​How Classic Authors Still Inspire Modern Storytelling
Long before screens, algorithms, and fast content, classic authors were already exploring the deepest questions of human nature. Their stories were not written to chase trends, but to understand people—our fears, hopes, contradictions, and dreams. That is why their voices still echo today.
Writers like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Leo Tolstoy, and the Brontë sisters created characters who feel real because they are rooted in emotion, not time. Love, injustice, curiosity, courage, and imagination do not belong to one century. They belong to every generation.
Modern storytelling may look different on the surface—shorter formats, digital platforms, visual narratives—but its heart remains the same. When contemporary authors build complex characters, explore moral dilemmas, or invite readers to see the world through another’s eyes, they are continuing a tradition shaped by the classics.
Classic literature also reminds us of the power of language. Carefully chosen words, quiet observations, and meaningful pauses teach us that stories don’t need noise to be powerful. Sometimes, the most lasting impact comes from subtlety and truth.
For children especially, classic-inspired storytelling helps nurture empathy and critical thinking. It shows young readers that imagination is not an escape from reality, but a way to understand it better.
In a fast-moving world, classic authors invite us to slow down, listen closely, and remember that good stories—like good values—never go out of style.

Dog whistle is a metaphorical political and social communication tactic in which a message is heard clearly by some groups while remaining invisible to others. It is an unethical use of language in which certain words or phrases are deliberately chosen to reach and activate the emotional responses of a specific demographic.
The term began to be used in political and social commentary during the 1970s and 1980s, but today it is employed more frequently than ever, especially in politics and social narratives designed to provoke reactions rather than encourage understanding.
In public discourse, dog whistles allow speakers to communicate on two levels at once. What sounds like a neutral or ordinary part of a speech to the general audience functions, for certain groups, as a signal tied to deeply embedded emotional experiences. In psychology, this mechanism is closely related to conditioning—the repeated association of specific words with fear, threat, or belonging until the response becomes automatic.
These signals are not accidental. They are used with clear intent:
to divide groups, increase fear, foster alienation, and create distrust toward those who do not share the same beliefs or identity.
Phrases such as “law and order” illustrate this mechanism. Rather than presenting facts, dog whistles prime emotions—most often fear, resentment, nostalgia, or moral superiority. Common emotional triggers include:

• Threat: “They are taking something from you.”
  
• Loss: “We are losing our way of life.”
  
• Protection: “We must defend our values.”
  

By appealing to emotion instead of reason, dog whistles manipulate perception while preserving plausible deniability, making them both politically effective and ethically corrosive

This concept leads to a clear outcome: dog-whistle communication may be politically effective, but it is psychologically powerful and ethically corrosive. It undermines the very conditions that make democracy meaningful--trust, clarity, and responsibility.
Because dog whistles operate indirectly, they often activate fear, exclusion, prejudice, and moral panic while allowing both speaker and audience to deny responsibility. Harm becomes diffused and normalized, even as its consequences accumulate. What is left unsaid does not disappear; it settles into society, shaping attitudes, relationships, and policies.
The damage caused by this form of communication—past and present—is enormous and dangerous. It fractures social cohesion, erodes empathy, and replaces dialogue with suspicion. By turning identity into a weapon, dog whistles transform political participation into emotional reaction.
Niccolò Machiavelli famously argued that division could be used as a means to govern. Dog-whistle politics embodies this logic: divide to control, fragment to maintain power. But the question remains--at what price? A society governed through manipulation rather than transparency may function temporarily, but it does so at the cost of its moral foundation.
This is not the vision of democratic leadership; it is the vision of opportunism. It is not freedom of choice, but manipulation disguised as rhetoric. While effective in the short term, dog-whistle politics is deeply erosive to society in the long term, leaving behind distrust, polarization, and a weakened public conscience.
A democracy cannot survive on signals and shadows. It requires courage in language, responsibility in leadership, and citizens treated not as targets—but as thinking, moral participants.

​Writing is not just something I do—it is part of who I am.
My educational background is in Psychology.
My professional path has been shaped by Early Childhood Education.
And my deepest passion has always been writing.
Over time, these three parts of my life have become inseparable. They inform the way I observe the world, the questions I ask, and the stories I choose to tell. Whether I am writing for children or reflecting more directly on society through essays and opinion pieces for adults, my work is always rooted in human behavior, moral values, and the emotional landscapes we all navigate.
At this stage of my journey, I am working on several creative paths at once. I am writing reflective pieces for my blog, preparing material for my first adult book, and continuing to write stories for children—stories that invite curiosity, empathy, and thoughtful conversation.
Last year was especially meaningful. I completed three manuscripts, all of which will be finalized this year. One of them is Polly the Grumpy Elf, a story that explores emotions children often struggle to name. Alongside my English work, I continue to write in Spanish. My most recent published story, La Ardilla Lola Perdió su Cola, was presented in Lima, Peru, an experience that deeply reaffirmed my connection to language, culture, and storytelling.
With this post, I begin a new ongoing segment: Author Life & Milestones.
Here, I will share updates about my writing process, upcoming projects, reflections, and the moments—both big and small—that shape my work as an author.
Thank you for being here and for reading along.