The best fictional characters are the ones we would be friends with if they weren’t so … you know … fictional.Not to say our favorite book-friends are perfect—their shortcomings are what make them intriguing. Their struggles become our struggles, as we hope, page after page, t … [Read more...]
Desperately Seeking Anne Tyler: Starting a Novel and Looking for Inspiration
I’m about to start writing a new novel and I’m slightly terrified.What makes it so gut-twisting scary? I really have no idea. I’ve done it before and survived without any noticeable scars. In fact, once I’d started it was rather pleasant. I love spinning a story, birthing the … [Read more...]
Writing from the Heart of My Discomfort Zone
I’m a huge baby about anything scary. I have no idea why people go to horror movies or read violent stories. Honestly, it’s like someone telling me they enjoy eating dirt and offering me a spoonful. Seriously? Whatever for?Clearly there is a part of the human psyche that enj … [Read more...]
A Book in The Drawer … Right Where It Should Be
I have a book in the drawer. Okay, it’s not in an actual drawer. It’s in a box with old tax documentation under my fax/scanner. I also have electronic copies stashed in several places. Not that it matters. It will never see the light of day.The Book in the Drawer is a phrase I … [Read more...]
Temporarily Kid-less, I Somehow Forget to Write
I’d fantasized about it for months: the week when all three of my boys, ages 16, 12 and 10, would be at overnight camp. My 18-year-old daughter would be home, but this barely counts, since she’s gainfully employed, self-sufficient, and has a busy social life. I love my kids, but l … [Read more...]
You Wrote a Novel … Now What?
In 2005 I wrote the last lines of my very first novel.“I finished,” I told my husband.“Honey, that’s great!”“Yeah … But what am I supposed to do now?”Honestly, I’d had doubts as to whether I could even complete the thing, so I was unprepared for taking the next ste … [Read more...]