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 […]
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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 […]
The $10 Dresser DIY
What could you do with a few bucks, a cast-off dresser and a whole lot of swearing?* Why, you could create a fabulous DIY project! So, a friend of mine took off and moved to Texas, and I’ll never forgive her, but as a lovely parting gift, she gave me her daughter’s dresser because, you know, when you’re […]
Super Seuss-Themed Reading Chair
So, there I was helping to decorate our neighborhood public elementary school for a Dr. Seuss-themed Right to Read Week, when someone pulls out a cell phone and starts trolling for “ideas” and sees that someone once painted Dr. Seuss quotes and whatnot on a chair (damn you, Internets!), and I’m all like, “I can […]
The DIY Writing Residency
I’ve just returned to Ohio from wonderful Austin, Texas, where I completed a five-day “writing residency” at the house of friends. While there, I managed to draft the first chapter of my new novel, as well as spend much quality time with old buddies, eat empanadas from a food truck, buy a local author’s book from the […]
Guest Blogging My Sweet Tooth
Hi Friends,Just a heads up that I’ll be guest-blogging over at the site of best-selling author and psychologist Dr. Susan Albers (www.eatq.com/blog) for the entire month of February. It’s all part of her Mindful Eating Chocolate Challenge. Did you know yours truly has a HUGE sweet tooth? ‘Tis true. Dr. Albers has given me a […]