This last July, four of my dear writer friends and I took time away from work and family to gather in Seattle to write and live together for five days. When I was younger, this sort of thing was fairly easy for me to do (though I had less ability to earn and spend money than I do now), but now, in my present lifestage, time…
I never used to think of myself as a gardener. There’s a patience and a faithfulness that it calls for. And I didn’t possess a lot of patience for most of my life. Until my firstborn came along and then…I just had to learn it. Gardening requires a good deal of foresight and hopefulness. You weed and prune and look forward to that gorgeous season where…
I can't state enough how much I love in-person conferences and the huge dose of energy infusions that I get from attending them. My most recent adventure was the Nebulas Conference in Anaheim, CA. Now that I'm easing into the process of volunteering for conference programming, it's a good feeling to get to take part in discussions that both help me and the other people on…
I’ve wanted/dreamed/struggled for years to find a literary agent. I remember sitting in a quiet corner of the Northgate branch of the Seattle Public Library, hunched over a table with The Sell Your Novel Tool Kit (Elizabeth Lyon) lying open beside me as I tried to painstakingly write out a query letter. Every sentence was agony. It was like learning a new language in which I…
It began as a compulsion. I needed more regular infusions of writing nerds in my life and I was really wising up to that fact. Also, I'd discovered that one major preventative for depression symptoms (more about my mental health journey can be found here) is to keep planning good things in my future so that I can look forward to them. At the tail end…
It's a calm contentment, this feeling inside. (That isn't exactly the vibe my picture is giving you. I was striking a confident pose at the time) The calm contentment comes later, now that the emotional confetti has settled from the air. The third novel waits alongside its brothers in my home's Harry Potter closet (we have a fantastic cupboard under the stairs!) nestled in its box,…
Grief is a deep pit. My whole family fell into it this year. Most recently last month. None of my friends can pull me up out of that dark place. And yet, a brave soul can climb down into the sadness with me and stand there, holding my hand and even supporting my frame so that I don't fall over. If you are someone who isn't…
I'm not one of those folks who believes that a painter on a desert island will go on painting canvases (or rather, banana leaves, as this may be the only available resource) if s/he is alone with no one else to see the art. I honestly don't think this sort of perpetual creative art would happen, and that's not just my personal ego and need for…
Today I introduce you to my good friend Will. We originally met through a shared love of swing dancing. Later, after I graduated college and he went on to grad school in journalism, we collided at a mutual friend's writing group. Will’s sense of humor and devotion to uplifting, encouraging, and supporting his friends makes him a magnetic leader. He constantly strives to make everyone laugh…
Are certain places more "lucky" or "fruitful" to write in than others? Are there spots that have proven so inspirational and productive to ghosts of authors past, that writer-pilgrims can visit them and be filled with fresh ideas? While James and I were vacationing last month in Rome, I discovered in my Italy tour book that there was a certain little cafe near the Spanish Steps…