Questions of power

This past week I got some disappointing feedback on my latest manuscript from an industry professional. (The feedback was, basically: do better). I ran through the usual gamut of emotions… [...]

Avoidance

I am a world-class avoider of things. Seriously, I could teach a class. Like… a graduate-level class. I am singularly talented at not doing what I tell myself I want to be doing. Be it [...]

A note on revenge queries

What are revenge queries? I am in the process of querying for my second agent. It feels a little like walking across the gym to ask someone to dance, plus a job interview, plus being covered in [...]

Another novel finished

Last night, at around 11:00 pm, I finished writing a first draft of a novel. It is the third I’ve finished since the one I published. The tale of why none of the three have made it out in [...]

Craft books for writers

If you’ve ever done a job you really, really love, at a certain point you begin to ask yourself how it works, why it’s important, and how those who have come before you have done it. [...]

Too old is no excuse

Somewhere in my life, I went from feeling too young to do things to too old. The truth is that making the “age” argument is a cop out on both ends of the life spectrum. You can always [...]

Meditation for writers

I have been meditating since I was eighteen years old, and I’d venture to say I’ve only scratched the surface of its benefits. My mind is too active, needing engagement at all times [...]

Alert: writer humor

We writers are a pretty nerdy bunch.  (We wear it as a badge of honor).  So if you’re not a writer, you may want to look away now. If you’re still here, let me tell you that this [...]

A double identity

You might say I was fated to be a writer – either that, or a con-artist or a spy or some other kind of criminal – because I was endowed at birth with a double identity. – [...]

Find your playlist

I’ve often said that writing is about remembering. Even when you’re making something up (which is what writing fiction essentially is), you still have to access memories of your own [...]