Pacing: Why You Should be Glad You Don’t Live in a Novel
I may have mentioned I’m working on edits for the Panacea novel now (still untitled, but I’m deciding this week—I swear!). I’ve always goggled at the writers who say they love revising, that it’s the reward they get for slogging through the first draft. Nothing could be farther from my own (admittedly limited) experience. There are certainly challenging moments, times when I’m not sure how to move forward, but overall the first draft is what I live for—that feeling of discovery, the moment a character or plot twist surprises even me, the elation when I’m in the flow and my Read more…
Not That Stockbridge: Setting in the Latest Sydney Brennan Installment
The title of my latest novella, Secrets in Stockbridge, refers to the small town in Upstate New York where the bulk of the story takes place. But is it a real place? It feels real enough in my mind, for whatever that’s worth. You may find it on a map. Since it’s the holiday season, perhaps you’ve even heard it immortalized in song. Yesterday my husband returned from a morning drive bursting with the realization that Alice’s Restaurant, of Arlo Guthrie Thanksgiving fame, is in Stockbridge. (Apologies if I just planted an ear worm; if I didn’t, you’ve obviously never heard Read more…
Hitting the Pause Button (If It’s Good Enough for Pele…)
Things have settled down a bit here in lower Puna. We still have the 6:30 a.m. low-flying helicopter wake-up call, but, for the moment at least, Pele has paused in her advance toward Pahoa, or anywhere else. In other words, there’s not much happening at the surface. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean there’s not much happening. But for some people, it’s a bit of a respite and more time to make plans (or at least plan to make them). On the other hand, it’s been very hot this week (our 75-pound dog spends the afternoons hiding in a cool Read more…
Dealing with the First Bad Review (Or, Suck it Up, Girly-Woman!)
I hope everyone (the Americans with decent jobs who got the day off, at least) enjoyed their Labor Day holiday. In the morning, when I usually write, my husband and I worked on our house in the hopes of avoiding the heat. (We were unsuccessful: it was much cooler later in the day, and we were dripping with sweat by early afternoon.) Afterward, I finished and uploaded my paperback revisions. (Yay!) When my focus started to unravel, I found myself at Goodreads. I’ve started an author account there, but don’t have a sense of how often I should check in or what I Read more…
Distractions versus Butt Glue, in the Battle to Get Things Done
I don’t know about you, but my week has seen a fair number of distractions. Many, like the current political situation in—oh, let’s just say everywhere—are of immense scope and importance, and yet have no immediate and discernible direct effect on me on any given day. (Is that enough qualifiers? Sorry—lawyer flashback.) Others, like the beetley roach (that’s what I call the smaller non-palmetto bug roaches because it decreases my likelihood of shrieking) making his sporadic journey around the room right now, have a small scope and very little Importance, but a direct effect on me. (And once on our Read more…
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