On The West Wing, one of my favorite TV shows, there’s a simple line they use to signal that the president or his staff is ready to move on to the next issue or problem. One of them says, “What’s next?” Well, “What’s next?” is what I’ve been wondering myself for the past couple of […]
10 Things I Learned Re-Writing My Novel
I’m happy I finished writing my novel. I really am. But the end of writing meant the beginning of the next part of the process: querying agents. Querying can be… unpleasant. Oh, the actual searching for agents, fine-tuning emails and sending pages is not so bad. But after that comes the waiting. The staring at […]
I Heart Scrivener
There are very few tools that a writer truly needs. A writing instrument, and her imagination. That is all. But… I hereby pledge true devotion to the writing tool known as Scrivener. I discovered Scrivener a couple of years ago, and, intrigued, bought myself the software for a low price of… well, I don’t remember now, […]
Big Question, Writing Prompt: Superpower
Happy Monday morning! As you begin your workweek, before you jump into the minutiae of everyday work and life, take a moment to step back and ask yourself a Big Question. This can be a writing prompt, or just a question to ponder during the day. If you had a superpower, what would it be?
A Moment In Time: American Dream
Today’s fifty(ish)-word story comes from a moment during my weekend at the Writer’s Digest conference. American Dream A man spoons a woman. They lie flush against a building, the curve of their spoons bowing into the sidewalk. They sleep as New Yorkers rush past, coffee cups in hand, eyes and thoughts focused elsewhere. I pass […]
2015 Writer’s Digest Conference Recap: DIY MFA love!
“I love this so much, I want to cry.” Those were the words running through my head all weekend, as I traversed the halls of the Roosevelt Hotel from conference session to keynote speech to networking event. Not the most poetic thought, maybe, but it echoed what was in my heart. I love writing, talking […]