I’m reading The Hunger Games right now, having waited to see the movie first.* Tempted as I am to talk about it in terms of craft and structure, I saw something on television last night that brought a different concern … Continue reading →
I’m due to graduate in August. I have one manuscript under my belt, and I’m working on the next. I’m reaching this stage at an exciting time. Writers have more options than ever before. There are the Big Six publishing … Continue reading →
I have friends who only want to write novels. They have no interest in writing poetry or essays beyond whatever classwork might be assigned. Left to their own devices, they would devote all of their writing time to novels. I … Continue reading →
Newsflash: My story “Bedfellow” is in the current issue of KNOCK. It’s a fairy tale of three CEOs trying to win the favor of a mighty senator. —– So, with my thesis comfortably (more or less) in the hands of … Continue reading →
It was a marvelous residency, but I’ll talk about that in another post. Right now I’m thinking about my thesis novel. My thesis is in the hands of my second reader. Its fate is outside my control, and will be … Continue reading →
So, if all goes well, sometime in the next few weeks, my thesis novel will be approved by my thesis advisor and second reader. When that time comes, I will have a manuscript that is about as finished as it … Continue reading →
In the last day or so, I have turned in my final poetry essay and what I hope will be the final revision of my thesis. This semester is coming to a close, and I’m having trouble accepting it. I’ve … Continue reading →
Much has been made of the importance of getting to know your characters, with suggested tools such as questionnaires (what three things would your character bring to a deserted island?), histories (and then in kindergarten, she. . .), profiles (his … Continue reading →
Newsflash! I’ve changed to a new web host! This one offers more flexibility and better support for WordPress, so much more of my website works now. For example, my contact page now works, as does the comment system, and more. … Continue reading →
Much has been said in writing circles about the internal editor, that little voice inside you that critiques every word you write, often while you are writing. Working with the internal editor is a process that every writer must understand … Continue reading →