I’ve been thinking recently about how much writing has helped me cope during the pandemic, when so much feels out of control. Putting thoughts on paper, where I can see them, makes them feel more manageable. When they stay in my head too long, colliding with other thoughts, I start to go a little batty. — Read More
Category: Writers on Writing
Why We Write: Pandemic Edition
A few weeks ago, I did something very strange. I started writing a new novel. I say “strange” because we are in the midst of a pandemic and I have felt completely consumed by working a full-time job (now from home), managing the stress of hearing my husband’s booming voice on his work calls every — Read More
Careful, or you’ll end up in my novel
You’ve probably seen this meme before. And apparently there is merchandise too! I’ve always laughed at this, but it became somewhat of a more serious discussion in my life recently when two friends expressed their concerns that I would write about them (wait, does the fact that I’m writing this blog post mean I’m writing about — Read More
Writer’s block–is it really a thing?
Whenever I do an event and talk about my writing process, I get a question about how I deal with writer’s block. And I never know what to say. I tend to agree with Sarah Ruhl, who wrote in Poets & Writers magazine, “Writer’s block, I have always maintained, is not real. It is an — Read More
The writer’s plight
One of my best friends sent me this screenshot the other day and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately. It’s not that I have writer’s block (I don’t really believe in “writer’s block”–a post on this coming soon); it’s that I have so — Read More
What’s Next
Now that TINY is out in the world, I’m looking ahead to what’s next. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in novel-writing mode. All 3 of my published books were written before 2017. I had my daughter in October 2017 and, since then, I’ve been adjusting to motherhood, working full-time (at an ad — Read More
Throwback Thursday: The AAUW Literary Luncheon
On March 10, I had the honor of speaking at the AAUW Literary Luncheon in Laguna Beach. I’m always a big ball of anxiety leading up to these events, even though I end up having a great time. I never learn. My fellow authors included Elizabeth Letts, New York Times bestselling author of The Eighty-Dollar — Read More
When the muse drops by and you’re like, “I’m busy”
Most creative types know that a visit from the ever-elusive muse is a welcome and wonderful thing. You can’t always control when inspiration strikes. It comes and you take advantage of it because you don’t know when it will come again. Unless you’re busy. Then it might not be realistic to strike while the proverbial — Read More
The beat goes on
The little one is napping, so here I am. One of the most humbling things about motherhood (and there are lots of humbling things) is admitting that I have so much less control over my schedule. I used to pride myself on my productivity. I would wake up with a specific to-do list and if I — Read More
While you were sleeping: A letter to my daughter
Dear Mya, You’re napping in your swing, finally. Usually by the time we get you to nap, you need to eat again. I have 10 minutes to write this before the inevitable hunger cry commences. It’s been a rough few days. We’ve all had a cold. I got my first round of edits for Cherry — Read More