Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. Anchor Books. 237 pages. As a writer, and as a writing teacher, I am always looking for books that teach writing. And there are lots of them out there. Like life, it seems like everyone has advice to give (including myself; my book … More Review: “Bird by Bird” By Anne Lamott
There was a time when I used to study for classes in front of the TV, music playing in the background, often while speaking on the phone. I could even do it with other people in the room doing their own thing, often loudly. Not any longer. I was young then, and for some reason, … More Distracted
I am currently writing what I consider the worst book I have ever written. But on the other hand, I am writing it. After all, according to Anne Lamott, writers have to give themselves permission to write a “shitty first draft” (her words, not mine). Because if you don’t give yourself that permission, in many … More Dealing with Ugly Stepchildren and Other Realities of Writing Life
Today, is November 30, the last day of National Novel Writing Month. I’m supposed to be completing my 50,000-word novel today, but I probably have 14,000 words written on Tesla’s Ghost this month. Instead, I am philosophical about it. I decided to participate in NaNoWriMo, not because I had anything to prove–I’ve won five times … More Grateful
I don’t write romance novels, nor do I read them, although some of my books do include romance elements in them. For the most part, I write suspense novels, Christian suspense to be exact, but I try to include a little bit of everything in there. I always try to balance out suspense with humor, … More Why Good Relationships Are A Bad Thing
Well, not literally. But essentially, my latest project has me writing what equates to two books at once. And it’s not easy. In Tesla’s Ghost, I tell the story of a secret notebook kept by Fritz Lowenstein, the assistant of Nikola Tesla recording strange goings on that happen as the famous inventor and his team … More The Challenge of Writing Two Books at Once
I had one of my prodigies writing a blog recently in anticipation of National Novel Writing Month, stressing over the rule of writing a 50,000-word novel during the 30-day month of November. She finally came to the conclusion that she should use it to help her finish projects she already had started and wanted to … More By Hook Or By Crook OR… Git ‘er Done
This weekend I finished reading a great little book called “A Curious Mind” by Brian Grazer and Charles Fishman. It’s told from the perspective of Grazer, who is a well-known and successful producer associated with director Ron Howard and Imagine Entertainment. He attributes all of his successes to the simple fact of being curious, and … More A Thousand Paths to NO
The longer I write, the more time I seem to take before I actually start putting words on paper. That time is spent running through the storyline time and again, trying to get what happens straight in my head. It’s important for me. Some writers talk about sitting down the day after the finish their … More The Bare Bones of Storytelling
I find myself watching “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy again, from beginning to end. I’ve watched it countless times, and before they were films, I counted myself among the thousands of fans of the books. For me, the Trilogy stands as one of greatest set of books ever written, especially considering that it really … More The Call of the Master Craftsman
The Great Adventure 