Author
Use Quotes from Reading for Writing Prompts I’ve come to think that some of the best writing prompts are the things we underline in the books we read. I’ve decided to periodically post some of my underlining here. The nice … Continued
Multiple Horrors We didn’t begin with Shirley Jackson or the Haunting of Hill House this week. My sons and I started our email conversation about an article in the LA Review of Books on how authors are reimagining H. P. … Continued
The film The Miseducation of Cameron Post based on the YA novel of the same name won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Festival. I’m naive enough about the judgment of critics to think that this meant they would all … Continued
Because I am something of a media moron, I just found out that Tim Winton’s short novel Breath has been made into a movie directed by Simon Baker and was released on June 1. In an interview for FilmInk Magazine, … Continued
Bad Dates and Fiction What does a bad date look like in a work of fiction? I’m thinking about this because I’ve written a novel in which the protagonist is sexually abused as a small child. As a teen, she … Continued
Creative Fire Blocks As I discussed in my last post, I don’t think that there is any special condition we can label writer’s block; however, this year I have come to believe in ‘life block.’ Not only have I had … Continued
Writer’s Block or Life Block? I don’t believe in writer’s block because, generally speaking, there is no muse hanging out. In fact, I’m not entirely sure what writer’s block is supposed to be. I get a few ideas a day … Continued
Lud-in-the-Mist is wonderful. Today, would an agent read past page one? Last month, a book I’d never heard of found its way into my consciousness twice in one week. I’m not one to assign supernatural sources to serendipitous events (after … Continued
A Slow Learner All things come to me slowly. I wish it weren’t so. I love stories of epiphany, of lightning bolt inspiration. But my consciousness river is turbulent with questions of creativity, of ethics, of purpose. What is heavy … Continued
Happy New Year! I just want to remind teens that the submission deadline for Inlandia: A Literary Journey is coming up on February 15. The new year is a great time to commit to getting your favorite pieces of … Continued