A lot of well-worn advice gets passed around a writing workshop, things like “Show, Don’t Tell,” and “Write What You Know.” Students learn all sorts of “rules” about writing in their introductory classes, and then they get to ADVANCED WORKSHOP where they learn to forget the rules and trust their instincts, but the problem is, […]
Can You Say Ombrѐ? Major Bathroom Transformation on a Dime!
Hi, friends. Today I bring you the happy nice time DIY story of my recent bathroom renovation. As always, this was done on the cheap. And so, the “renovation” did not include any sledgehammers. In fact, the only things removed, and replaced, from the original space were a towel bar, a toilet seat and a light […]
I am so proud of my protagonist!
I’m revising. It is messy. If you’re a regular old reader who simply enjoys books, and really cares not one whit how they get made, then avert your eyes. You are about to enter the sausage-making factory and NO ONE wants to see that! Still here, eh? Okay, here’s where I’m at. First draft […]
This side table DIY is the perfect price…free!
I do love a pretty transformation that costs none of the dollars (unless you count my labor, and as a DIY-er, creative writer, parent and general layabout, no one’s really paying much for that). Even better than the cost, this was an easy project, too. Of course you know that the first step in an […]
Falling in Love, Again, With Your Book
So, you may have read in a previous post that I finished a first draft of a novel. After I typed THE END, I had a glass of wine and then I shoved the book into the proverbial drawer, meaning I closed my computer file and pinky-swore, with myself, not to open it for 2-4 […]
My Book, My Baby
I’ve often heard writers refer to their books as their babies. I used to think that was just a wee bit precious, until I had a couple babies…and wrote a couple books. I wrote “Happy, Indiana” in just over 9 months (Coincidence??? Uh, yeah, actually) but I planned the book, reading background materials and meticulously […]
Write More, Write Better: The Writing Resolution to End All Writing Resolutions!
My birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and oh boy, there’s a lot of pressure there, double the pressure I might say, to examine a whole year’s worth of accomplishments and shortcomings and look onward with either the rosy glasses of optimism or the very, very dark glasses of pessimism, depending on how many champagne […]
Selfie Finishing a Novel
Why don’t more writers take selfies? Ah, because this is what we look like. You’ll only see writer-selfies at awards ceremonies. If I set my computer to take automatic pictures of me while I’m working, you would see a whole bunch of photos of me frowning at the screen. Sometimes, my brow might have a […]