For the first time since I started working on this novel 2+ years ago, I’ve printed it out and put it in a binder. Here it is, all 370 manuscript pages of it: Next comes the read-through, a very pleasant … Continue reading →

96, 835 words. 15, 780 more words than when I thought I was almost done, when I thought I’d add in, oh, maybe 5,000 more and that’s it. Guess I underestimated. 🙂 There’s a ridiculous amount of work still ahead, of course, but … Continue reading →

It’s a maxim as old as the quill: write about that with which you are familiar, knowledgable or experienced. Conventional, classic advice, but is it true? Please settle in while I offer you the Great Debate: Be it resolved that … Continue reading →

My husband’s birthday. My kids’ school work. As a writer who has a full-time day job and a full-time job as a mom and a wife, I do my best to fit my writing in and around my other responsibilities. … Continue reading →

I’d like you to meet Evie, or Evangeline as only her father calls her. For that matter, meet her father, too. His name is Lucifer. They’re angels. They don’t live in heaven–a misconception from millennia ago. While it’s true there … Continue reading →

The whine of a child… the whine of a writer. Forget the damn “enjoy the journey, not the destination” advice. Whoever espouses it has obviously not been on a long-haul flight to the other side of the world (in economy, of … Continue reading →

Lesson Learned: Keep It Simple, Stupid. An apt and often-forgotten expression among writers. Ok, at least me. In the name of “action”, I was complicating my story. Toward the end, when the tension is ratcheting up and we’re nearing the … Continue reading →

Dancers have instructors Athletes have coaches Musicians have conductors To help them keep focused. Dancers learns steps Athletes learn plays Musicians learn rhythm From those in their glory days. Dancers have studios Athletes have fields Musicians have concert halls For the … Continue reading →

…but the big question is when? When do I reveal what Lyra is hiding? What David is hiding? What Annie is hiding? Most characters have secrets; it drives the conflict, increases tension and builds suspense. But what makes the conflicts … Continue reading →

Nearing the climax: Only one thought nags at her, but Lyra smiles wryly when she realizes that this one disturbing, all-consuming thought encompasses all of her divergent concerns. Is she playing God? Is she, the girl who does not believe … Continue reading →