Molly, is that you?

by | Sep 5, 2008 | Daily Writings

Note: I’m moving this back up to the top of the blog because I can’t stand for it to disappear into the archives already! I know you’ve all read it, but indulge me! I met Molly, a character from my book! Click to read about one of the many extremely cool things...

The nearly complete archives

by | Sep 4, 2008 | Uncategorized

Here are the archives of nearly all my posts. I left out the ones that were irrelevant from early on, but for the most part, everything is here. They are from most recent back to the beginning. Enjoy! Well, duh! A look at cutting myself some slack Front Page News...

Molly? Is that you????

by | Sep 4, 2008 | Uncategorized

I know of writers who find photos and use them for inspiration while creating characters. I’ve also heard of people coming across a photo of a person and thinking, “Yeah…that’s how I imagined my MC looking” and clipping it. And I even...

Well, duh!

by | Sep 3, 2008 | Daily Writings

So yesterday I was telling my friend Eileen that maybe I wasn’t writing much this year because I was losing interest. I said it all casual-like, but in a way, it sort of scared me. Because you know, losing interest right now is not exactly a good thing since I...

THE RULE OF WON by Stefan Petrucha

by | Sep 2, 2008 | Need to Read

My policy on Need To Read is to only write about books I love. In the past, I have turned down offers of free books because I was afraid an author might send me their book and I would hate it. I’d either have to lie (not an option) or I wouldn’t post about it and then...

Front Page News

by | Sep 1, 2008 | Daily Writings

Photo: Bruce Mason While our local newspaper does cover “the issues”, it only comes out once a week, so the articles are usually more along the lines of what’s going on, what’s coming up, and human interest, and “breaking news” is...

Sometimes Quitting is Good

by | Aug 29, 2008 | Daily Writings

No one ever says, “Oh, don’t be a quitter.” when you lay down the smokes, do they? Or what about if you’re bankrupt in Monopoly? Or drinking five beers a day isn’t working for you anymore. No. People really only tell you not to be a...

Does plotting while I walk count as writing?

by | Aug 27, 2008 | Daily Writings

This morning I walked to the dentist. On the way, I figured out how to fix my manuscript (I’m revising). In the chair, I solved another issue that had been bugging me (all while getting my pearly whites shined up nicely). The part I need to fix is in the last...

HP fix

by | Aug 26, 2008 | Need to Read

I know…I know…I’ve read them all, and listened to them on audio, and seen the movies…but I couldn’t help myself. I needed a fix and started reading the Harry Potter books again. I’ve never read all seven straight through before! I...

Lucky me!

by | Aug 26, 2008 | Daily Writings

So…I might live in the middle of nowhere, but extraordinary things happen to me all the time that you would expect to only happen if you lived in a bigger place. Like in the post below this one, for example. Or the fact that a friend that we’ve known for...

I have a plan

by | Aug 18, 2008 | Daily Writings

Earlier in the summer I abandoned my office. It’s really cute (see it on the bio page) and I love it, but it’s sort of cave-like in the natural light department, and it was too depressing to sit in there on gorgeous, sunny days. I wrote on the porch or in...

Friday Five – Less reading is more…

by | Aug 15, 2008 | Daily Writings

Five reasons I feel good about reading fewer books this year than I usually do: 5. I’ve always wanted to learn to do something sort of artistic, like sew. Sewing didn’t really work out, but I’ve learned to knit this year and I really love it. 4....

Don’t Tell Me What To Do!

by | Aug 14, 2008 | Daily Writings

When my new article was first published, it was called Red Hair Is Not As Uncommon As You Think. The version that just came out in The Writer Magazine is slightly revised and renamed Of Wicked Stepmoms and Dorky Heroines, but for the most part, the same piece....

Music and Writing – Part Two

by | Aug 13, 2008 | Uncategorized

As I mentioned yesterday in the post below this one, my husband just did a really fun music gig and a lot of it is on youtube. We have a friend visiting from the South and she sang a few songs with my husband. One of the songs they did was written by Victor’s...

SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr

by | Aug 13, 2008 | Need to Read

  We have a house guest which makes me totally guilty of neglect. I blame it on Zarr’s great writing! It is true that yesterday, I left the entertaining to my husband (and also made our guest fend for herself) while I read SWEETHEARTS straight through. I liked...

CASSIE WAS HERE by Caroline Hickey

by | Aug 12, 2008 | Need to Read

Wow! Another MG book that I love. Maybe I was just reading the wrong MGs before when I said I didn’t like MG that much. This one is really good. I think Caroline Hickey does a great job of tackling a subject that I haven’t come across before in a book (not...

Music and writing

by | Aug 11, 2008 | Uncategorized

I read a lot of writers’ blogs and many of them create playlists for their characters and listen to them while they write. I cannot listen to music while I’m working, but music is a huge part of all my writing. Before I met my husband, I owned seventeen...

New Archives

by | Aug 8, 2008 | Daily Writings

I am in the process of compiling a complete archive of Need To Read that will include all the original posts starting way back when it was a Live Journal. Since it might take a while (because my arm is already falling off from all the mouse clicking), I am posting it...

Need To Read Archives

by | Aug 8, 2008 | Uncategorized

The Essays & Lists: Need To Read – The beginning Candy – an essay about reading Fave Fifteen of 2007 Driven to Insanity – an essay about coincidence The Question of Age The book reviews start here: SWEETHEARTS by Sara Zarr CASSIE WAS HERE by...

Friday Five – A Countdown

by | Aug 8, 2008 | Daily Writings

  Half full? Half Empty? Five Reasons Why The Fact That I’ve Written Less This Year Than Ever Before Doesn’t Bother Me 5. More time to listen to the Cubbies baseball games 4. I’m in a lot better shape than when I snack  sit at my desk every day 3. ...