The Writing Life
“So, What Are You Working On?”
The two most common questions fiction writers get asked are: “Where do you get your ideas?” and “What’s your story about?” With each new release, I make a point of doing my best to respond, explaining what gave me the idea for the novel, as well as describing the plot. For DEADLY SETUP, for example,…
Read MoreStrap On Your Seatbelt: The Ups and Downs of the Writing Life
Monday didn’t start out well. Sitting in my email box was a rejection from the SOKY Book Festival. I’ve received plenty of rejections as a writer, but this one stung, probably because it was unexpected. DEADLY SETUP, my recent release, had already been awarded a silver medal by the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards, and LEISHA’S…
Read MoreSeinfeld Revisited
To this day, I’m a huge fan of the classic TV sitcom Seinfeld. One of my favorite episodes is when Jerry discovers that although he reserved a rental car, when he arrives to pick it up, it’s not there. “It’s not enough to take a reservation,” Jerry says. “You have to keep the reservation.” I…
Read MoreOutside My Comfort Zone
“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” L. Doctorow I’ve always enjoyed Doctorow’s simile, but up until recently, I never thought it applied to me. When it comes to plotting my novels, I’ve been…
Read MoreWriting Schedule Interruptis
My sister Marty, a fantastic grant writer and development professional, recently retired and has embarked on writing a memoir (which I can’t wait to read!). Recently, she asked me questions about my life as a working writer: Do I put myself on a writing schedule? Yes Do I have a preferred time of day to…
Read MoreOn the Road Again
Next week, I leave to spend four days in Franklin, Tennessee at Killer Nashville, which ranks as one of my all-time favorite writers’ conferences. It’s small enough to be intimate, and its founder and director, Clay Stafford, is committed to making it an encouraging, supportive experience for writers at every level. Last year, I had…
Read MoreWriting May Be a Solitary Activity, but…
DEADLY SETUP came out on July 5, and I wasted no time ordering a box of books. I still get a thrill holding a copy of a new book I’ve written. And now I had 20 shiny new copies, both to send as thank you gifts to angels who helped me along the way and…
Read More“Are All Your Stories About People in the Arts?”
We were in the middle of a critique session when a fellow writer turned to me and asked, “Are all your stories about people in the arts?” I nodded and gave her the usual explanation, “Well, that’s the world I know.” But digging deeper, running throughout much of my work is the idea that the…
Read MoreThinking About Imposter Syndrome
The term imposter syndrome was originally coined by the psychologists Suzanna Imes and Pauline Rose in the 1970s. They believed that the syndrome applied mostly to high-achieving women. Further research, however, showed that its periodic sufferers can be just about anyone, especially those thrust into a new role, such as beginning college or getting a…
Read MoreIt’s That Time! Asking for Blurbs
With Deadly Setup coming out on July 5, it’s that time to redo my website featuring the new novel. Part of that is soliciting blurbs from authors willing to read my work and if they like it, to write a short blurb endorsing the novel. I admit it. I would make a terrible salesperson! I…
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