I wrote Part I (not knowing it would have a Part II) in February of 2013. Meaning, I’ve been f-ing busy for over a year. A crazy work schedule, family stuff, weekend trips, wedding planning, honeymoon planning, and a couple half marathons (with the requisite weeks of training) has made it difficult to find any — Read More
Writers and their dogs
I’ve done a couple posts with photos of writers and their cats (here and here). I suppose I’m partial to cats, by the slimmest of margins. I grew up with dogs too. And now I love my fiancé’s doggie like he’s my own. This is Vinny: While he doesn’t sit on my lap as I — Read More
Running and writing
I never used to be a runner. In fact, I used to think runners were crazy. As in, certifiably insane. I wanted to attend races with a sign that read, in big red letters, “WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING FROM?” So, I state sheepishly that I have become a runner. It started with 5Ks. That 3-mile — Read More
On time
In this epically long phase of editing my novel, my biggest stumbling block has been figuring out how to deal with time in my book. Yes, time. My story takes place over several decades and, obviously, I’m not going to show every moment of those decades. I’m not even going to show a snippet of — Read More
In memory of my kitty
My beloved kitty, Roxy, left this world last week. I wrote this little tribute to her on Facebook (because that’s where people write tributes these days; I have mixed feelings about this): Roxy. I got you when I was just 18. I saw a sign for free kittens on the side of the road and — Read More
Can you just…quit?
Trust me, I’ve considered it many times. I’ve been frustrated with an agent, the publishing process in general, my characters, the feedback I get from the kind readers of my first drafts. I’ve wanted to throw in the proverbial towel. And, frankly, I have. I’ve gone months without writing a single line of fiction. I — Read More
Words of wisdom from Neil Gaiman
Need some inspiration on a Monday? Try this: Two of my favorite excerpts: …”a life in the arts is sometimes like putting messages in bottles, on a desert island, and hoping that someone will find one of your bottles and open it and read it, and put something in a bottle that will wash its — Read More
On demons
There’s this quote in the “Salinger” documentary that has been sticking with me for weeks: Part of me wants to argue with Mr. Orwell and say that writing is not horrible at all. It’s fun and joyous. And, that’s true–sometimes. After all, I started writing as a wee kid for pure entertainment. I remind myself — Read More
What I read in 2013
I had this crazy notion that I would read 100 books this past year. I have no idea what I was thinking. Who do I think I am? In reality, I read only 24 books, which is about 1 book every couple weeks. Life is busy. What can I say? Here are the books I — Read More
Rules (and resolutions) for writing
Have you seen Elmore Leonard’s 10 rules of writing? It’s a good, practical list. I highly recommend checking it out. Some gems: Never use a verb other than ‘said’ to carry dialogue Never use an adverb to modify the verb ‘said’ Keep exclamation marks under control Avoid detailed descriptions of characters Don’t go into great — Read More