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Writing The Old-Fashioned Way
I wrote my first novel longhand. No, I’m not that old that I didn’t have a laptop, but I didn’t have the sleek light-weight versions we do today. You’re probably wondering why I would do such a thing when I had a laptop and desktop in my apartment. Let me take you back a ways. […]
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Confessions of a Serial Writer
No, I don’t write comedies or soap operas. I write series. While the tag “serial” may have hooked you here, let me be frank, I loooooooooove to prolong a good storyline (and word, evidently). As a reader I enjoy a series of books whether it be three or twelve (thank you, John Jakes). Why? Well, once…
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Girls (and Everyone) Just Want to Have Fun.
Hey, don’t we all just want to have a little fun now and again? Don’t we deserve it? My point? Reading is one of the greatest luxuries in life and yet, it truly does provide a path to fun. But sometimes the respite of reading brings a little guilt. You’re trading time with family, friends,…
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The Distracted Writer
Each writer has their unique approach. Time for writing, style of writing, approach to writing, location for writing, and of course content of writing. The diversity of authors and stories is growing like never before. It’s exciting. It’s applauded. But what about the diversity in “how” people write? I’m a writer wondering if there’s anyone out…
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To Blog or Not To Blog
Recently, I read a blog about why authors shouldn’t blog. Huh? The creator, also an author who blogs, made some valid points; albeit in their blog which breaks their rule of not blogging. But I digress. Alongside how blogging takes away valuable time from writing books and can habituate poor writing, they made a very…
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Cast Your Characters
I attended a writer’s weekend where the group leader challenged attendees to cast their characters in their current manuscript. We dug in, flipping through magazines and printouts, searching for celebrities or models who visually represented the fictional characters in our books. The workshop leaders even challenged us to take it one step further and write…
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The Story of My Settings
They say you should write what you know. Many of us writers start with something we know. Then we take it to the next level. For example, I doubt that J. K. Rowling has ever met a wizard (one could hope), but she’s been down on her luck, like her protagonist Harry. She may even…
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My Eat, Pray, Love, Year of Writing Fiction
I recently spoke with a friend of mine about my decision to quit my job and step into the writing world full-time. When I told him that I’ve finally found the space in which I belong, I quickly followed it with an apology. Jokingly, I’d admitted that now that I’m fully entrenched in the writing…
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My James Patterson Encounter
I wish I were writing to tell you about my recent sit down with the New York Times Bestseller, but unfortunately, I’m not. I don’t get the chance to rub elbows with celebrities that much. Still, I am going to share a story that has stuck with me until this very day. Years ago, when…
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Eleanor & Harry: Award-Winning Short Story
I’d like to believe that I’m more than a friend and not just a caregiver but perhaps a bit more. This is what I strive for each day while I visit my clients. They have the unerring ability to give me so very much, if only I could somehow return the favor. The television was…