Doesn’t that sound like the title of a “literary” novel?? Well, this has nothing to do with writing except that it’s interrupting my concentration. We have a stream-like fountain and small pond in our yard. A landscape guy cleaned our filter and put in some new plants and suggested some goldfish would help balance the…

Yikes. I’m not panicking yet, but getting close. Last night my critique group read chapter four and had some helpful things to say–mostly about the character’s voice. My last sentence in the chapter, while lovely prose, is not something a man would think. How can I still have such missteps this close to deadline? I’m…

Omigosh, now I’m nervous. How can there only be 18 days until my deadline?? The calendar’s right in front of me, but just like my character Laurel not realizing how long it’s been since her last period (!), I’ve lost track of the time–with less dire consequences than in Laurel’s case, I hope. I had…

That’s what happens when you burn the candle at both ends. I’ve been working later and later and getting up earlier and earlier. Ugh. But I’m also napping longer and longer, so you don’t need to feel too sorry for me. I wanted to get as much work as possible behind me this week so…

When I was a newbie writer, I took a class on writing the novel, and I remember the instructor telling us that we didn’t need to “explain everything” to the reader. A novice fiction writer often opens her book far too early in the story, thinking that she needs to start at the very beginning so that the reader understands…

Yesterday, I posted about one of the many reasons that I love writing fiction: It’s nice to have total control over something. Today was one of those days when I’m reminded I have no control over much of anything.   When I lived in San Diego many years ago, I was part of a small women’s…

John and I are leading a strange existence right now. I have a July 1 deadline for my novel, and he has a June 15th deadline for a film he’s producing for a corporate trade show. My office is upstairs (really the ground floor), and his is downstairs next to his photography studio. We have battened down…

I write about many, many things I haven’t experienced. I research until I feel comfortable with the subject and then I write about it from a character’s point of view. But today I got stuck revising the chapter in which a central character begins to drink. Hmm. First I have to explain that I’m a…

One of my characters in my work-in-progress drinks Coke and salted peanuts. Not having ever made this southern treat myself, I Googled it and found this video. I don’t think this guy is from the south, but he’s kinda cute. I swear, you can find anything on the Internet! Coke And Peanuts

I know I’m in countdown phase now because I am living, drinking and eating this story. I have pages in front of me at mealtime, it’s my before-sleep reading material, and I’ve set up permanent residence at the computer. Yesterday I was in front of the desktop from sun-up (slight exaggeration–I’m never anywhere at sun-up) until…