Every now and then, I’ll meet someone who comes to a full stop when I tell them I’m a novelist. “What?” they’ll say. “A novelist,” I’ll say, and then, because I’m super helpful I add, “I write fiction.” “Wow,” they’ll say, “Really?” “Really,” I say, trying to will the tics from … [Read more...]
Writer’s Log, May 16th: Artistry and Athleticism
Artists and athletes are rarely grouped together. It’s hard to see the similarities between, say, Tom Brady and Toni Morrison. Heck, it’s hard to even wrap your mind around the fact that Simon Biles and Truman Capote are of the same species. But the things artists could learn … [Read more...]
Writer’s Log, May 9th: Colic and Creativity
When my delightful older son was an infant, he was sort of a colicky hot mess. He was big and beautiful and loud and sweaty and hungry and tired and spitting up and screaming about 80% of the time. As new parents with no infant experience, my husband and I found this ever so … [Read more...]
Writer’s Log, May 2: Watch Your Language
I wish I could use this phrase more often. Actually, I do, when I’m alone and talking to myself. Which is fairly often. How else do you think I became a writer? But I wish I could encourage other to use it, too, because I find it to be one of the most useful pieces of writing … [Read more...]
Writer’s Log, April 24th: Maybe It’s Just a Misunderstanding
We all want to blame the writing. When it’s not going well, we scowl at our creations, muttering horrible things about them under our breath and indulging in violent fantasies that involve the delete key and/or the shredder. And indeed, any kind of writing that goes beyond … [Read more...]
Grammar Police and Word Nerds
Lately, on my weekly runs (aka meditative jogs), I’ve been listening to a podcast called “The History of English.” I have to confess that my first thought when coming across the ninety-plus episode podcast on iTunes went something along the lines of, WTF? Who can a) talk that … [Read more...]
Living with Fear
I’m pretty sure that you’d have to be living under a rock if you haven’t felt a significant increase in fear over the past several months. Actually, I think even those of you under those rocks are feeling a bit insecure these days, peeking out at the rest of us running around … [Read more...]
Distractions
As I sit here writing this, my husband is on the phone talking to his dad about retirement, my fourteen-year-old is cursing his math teacher under his breath while loudly sniffling from the cold he insists he doesn’t have, and my twelve-year-old daughter is making motions I don’t … [Read more...]
Efficiency Is Not Your Friend
Thanks to a five-week jury service and a series of colorful ailments that my children have been generously sharing with each other, yesterday was the first time I returned to my novel-in-progress in a few months. And while I’m a huge fan of letting the fields go fallow every now … [Read more...]
Mistakes Will Be Made
When I was a little kid, there was this great little ditty on Sesame Street that went something like this: “Everyone makes mistakes, oh yes they do! Your mother and your brother and your dad and sister, too, woo! Big people, little people, everyone makes mistakes! Everyone makes … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- …
- 15
- Next Page »