I’m not going to actually murder anyone–but many lovely words are going to die.
writing
Show Me the Belly
You know when you find a frightened dog—maybe at a shelter, or maybe on the street—and you spend a long, slow time getting it to trust you? You have to crouch down and speak softly, holding out scraps of food while you pray in your head that it will give you its heart. You don’t […]
“The End” is just the beginning…
There’s always a surge of excitement when I type “the end” on a manuscript. It’s a feeling of completion, plus pride in the ability to finish what I started. Those two little words mean a lot, because stick-to-it-iveness is a big factor in a writer’s success. So if you’re an aspiring writer who’s finished the […]
CrackerJack Mechanic
Our mechanic is so determined to find the mouse, we’re afraid she’ll dismantle the engine!
Decisions, Decisions.
The sausage-maker should never, ever think about how the sausage is made!
Believe Yourself
If you’re a woman, and something feels wrong, don’t let anyone dismiss you. Find a doctor who listens to you, and believes you, and get the help you need.
Howdy, Pardner.
When I write fiction, I’m not the only one telling the story. I write in partnership with every reader, who interprets my words and brings them to vivid life in her mind.
A Writer’s Hideaway
“If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” –H.D. Thoreau
Plot Devices
For some reason, I can’t keep track of my plot without something physical to look at. Normally, it’s sticky notes, but since I moved out of our town house, where my attic office had a slanty ceiling, that doesn’t work too well. The walls here are textured. I tried index cards, but that seemed kind […]
Murder She Wrote
I murdered a nice old man today.
Howdy, Pardner!
“Partner up, and everybody goes to work.” – rodeo photographer Dan Hubbell
The Wrangling Begins
I have a clean desk, a cover, and a plot all worked out on an inch-high stack of index cards. Let the wrangling begin!
Phew!
I don’t know about other writers, but for me the most stressful time in my writing life is the time between the submission of a manuscript and the response from my editor. I know she’s reading it, and I’m dying to know what she thinks, but I can’t do anything but wait to hear from […]
Meet Allison Brennan!
Win a copy of Allison Brennan’s “Kiss Me, Kill Me” at Chiseled in Rock!
Art and Endings
Eventually, you have to declare a book done and move on.