Remember that commercial from the 80s where some guy holds up an egg (“This is your brain.”) and then cracks it into a sizzling frying pan (“This is your brain on drugs.”)? That’s a writer’s brain after a round of developmental edits. I sent … [Continue reading]
Back to Basics
Posted on November 8, 2013 ·
Last week was scary. Not because a 6-foot tall Grim Reaper jumped from the shadows of my neighbor's porch and hissed at my children (that was actually pretty great), but because I experienced a serious case of writer's block. And I'm under … [Continue reading]
Bring It On
Posted on October 25, 2013 ·
Most writers work best when pushed to the wall. The deadline is definitely our friend. Which is good, because this week I got the email I’ve been waiting for: my editor has started reading (the novel formerly know as) The Fourth Wall. This will be … [Continue reading]
Making Time (For Other Things)
Posted on October 18, 2013 ·
On Tuesday afternoon I plopped down on a swivel chair at a vaguely familiar salon and smiled at my hairstylist. She smiled back and said it had been awhile. I agreed and, just so she wouldn't think I'd been disloyal, pointed out that she'd been the … [Continue reading]
Fall Break
Posted on October 11, 2013 ·
I'm taking a vacation from blogging this week--my kids are out for Fall Break, and we're enjoying the cooler weather (okay fine, we're also playing a lot of Super Mario Galaxy). :) I hope you're having a good October, and that you're getting ready … [Continue reading]
Just Enjoy It
Posted on October 4, 2013 ·
Last week I finished reading a book that left my head spinning. From the first line to the last, I was held captive by the author’s voice. Every sentence felt right. The story was unique, and the characters stayed true. You could tell this writer … [Continue reading]
Why So Serious?
Posted on September 27, 2013 ·
I admit it—my writing usually hovers on the Dark Side. I’ve written about a lonely old man caught in an earthquake, realizing he’s prepared to die, about a destitute single mother whose vision is so clouded by guilt she imagines her daughter’s … [Continue reading]
When Writing Hurts
Posted on September 20, 2013 ·
It doesn’t matter if you’re writing fiction or poetry, memoir or a diary—sometimes writing hurts. In fiction, a good writer does more than manufacture characters—he breathes life into them, he makes their hearts beat, he hears their voices when … [Continue reading]
800 Reasons to Submit Your Writing
Posted on September 13, 2013 ·
The writing part is hard enough. By the time you’ve crafted your essay, poem, or short story, you’ve been through countless revisions. Triumph and frustration. You’re exhausted, but ecstatic—because you’re done. Yay! Only, if your goal is to … [Continue reading]
Seeing Red? How to Respond to Your Editor
Posted on September 6, 2013 ·
First, breathe. It’s not easy being edited. When you first view your work with an editor's changes/comments/criticisms, there will be a moment when your heart freezes, and then it will start to burn. This is normal. Do not respond. Throughout … [Continue reading]
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