then editing is a craft. For me, writing the initial draft of any work brings me a freedom to put anything, and I do...
Writing Style
Loving Our Bad Boys
Why is it that we fall in love with our bad boys? I don't mean in real life, although that was true once for me when I...
Getting Inside Your Character’s Heads
Any of you who have read my work know I love writing in the first person singular. Why? Because I can get deeply...
Writing as Catharsis
Over the past few weeks, I've had many conversations with readers about where writers find their ideas. Do we write...
Ampersands, A Happy Symbol
We've all seen the tee-shirt: "Let's eat Grandma. Let's eat, Grandma. Commas save lives." And every writer is familiar...
Paying Homage to Anne Lamott’s Shitty First Drafts
Anne Lamott will forever by memorialized (even though she is very much alive) for coining the phrase, “shitty first...
When a Publisher Goes Out of Business
When a publisher goes out of business it's more than a mere business decision. Publishers have authors, editors, book...
How I Found Mad Max
Perhaps the title should be "How Mad Max Found Me." I'm often asked by book clubs how I come up with my ideas. That's...
Another Opening of Another Book
Yes, I am working on two projects concurrently. The following three short paragraphs are the opening for Mad Max 2.Who...
First Paragraph
I decided to blow the cyberdust off a manuscript I wrote a few years ago. Like many consultants, I was laid off after...
James River Writers Conference, Post #2
One of the great things about going to a writers conference is the networking we do in the halls and bathroom lines....
The Wisdom of Confucius
Which piece of wisdom, you ask. "Be careful what you ask for. You may get it."I have completed a whydunit called...