I gave up on my debut novel sometime over the summer. I’d written, re-written, queried agents, gotten requests for fulls, but no offers of representation, only scant comments alluding to how nicely it was written (Then, why don’t you want it? Arrrghhh!) and brief, sometimes confusing, allusions to what wasn’t working. I cut scenes I […]
Still Crazy
Last night, I was at a party with some people I hadn’t seen in awhile, which means I had to answer the oft-repeated question, “How’s the book coming?” This question isn’t so easy to answer anymore. First of all, which book? The one I thought was “finished”? The one I just started? The one I have […]
Happy New Year…in August!
It’s August, and my preschooler is suddenly concerned with all things Christmas. She’s checking out books about Santa at the library and requesting a nightly viewing of “Frosty the Snowman.” This prompted me to bemoan the fact that we struggle every year to send out Christmas cards. My husband’s reply: “We should do them in the summer when […]
The Romantics
So, I’m proud to say that in the past week, I’ve actually created a new folder on my laptop with the title of my work-in-progress. I then proceeded to type “Chapter One” and wrote an opening paragraph that I am totally in love with, plus a pretty decent first scene introducing my protagonist (and a […]
Trusting Your Gut
So, I’m still writing in my closet and convinced that this is definitely the place for me. This summer, when I have more time, I plan to turn this space into something fabulous. Even now, with badly scuffed walls, diaper boxes on the floor, and my husband’s shirts hanging over my shoulder, this space is […]
Claiming the Closet
I’m writing this morning with my laptop balanced on a nightstand stolen from my daughter’s room. A chair hauled up from the kitchen fits in front of it, with just half an inch to spare. The nightstand is so wide, I have to straddle it. My back is against the wall. My husband’s clothes are brushing […]
And the Book Club Winners Are…
The 10 ladies in my book club collectively nominated 22 books for our reading list this year. Here’s what we voted in: “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith “Big Girls Don’t Cry: The Election That Changed Everything for American Women” by Rebecca Traister “Room” by Emma Donoghue “The Furnace of Affliction” by Jennifer Graber “Number the […]
I’m a Writer. Any questions?
I surprised myself last weekend. I met someone new who asked what I did, and I said, with no hesitation, “I’m a writer.” She said “Wow!” and our conversation continued down other paths. Normally, there would be follow-up questions, such as: “Who do you write for? What do you write? Might I have read any […]