Something that I’m working on in novel #3 is keeping various lines in the plot going at the same time while also creating meaningful connections between these lines. In music, this is called counterpoint. (Disclaimer, y’all: I’m no musician. In fact, … Read more
I have a problem: one of the main characters of my new novel-in-progress is shy, quiet, tongue-tied. She’s also passionate, secretly sensual, and fiercely dedicated to what she cares about. But how do I get her to speak? What does … Read more
To ring in 2012, I offer you this scene: a Paris Metro car full of people on their way home, their facial expressions ranging from impatient to bored. In the middle of us all, a woman with her amplifier strapped … Read more
There is an explosion in my new (third) novel. How do I write it?
It’s strange the things we manage to draw on when we’re writing. I reckon that the shock I felt when I had a small-scale kitchen explosion… Read more
I know you’ve had a hard time containing your curiosity… so here’s the big reveal… I asked you which of the following was a lie:
1. I once dressed up as a naughty nurse.
2. I once dressed up as … Read more
Moving to Paris for the year might not seem like the most logical way to connect with the characters in my new novel, which (like the first 2) is set in Texas–although this time in 1930s East Texas. But I’ve … Read more
You know how sometimes you fantasize about this perfect tool that will make a really hard job magically more manageable? And how most of the time that fantasy remains, well, just a fantasy?
Well, here’s good news for writer types … Read more
I like a short cut as well as anyone else, but sometimes–especially when it comes to research for writing–the Internet can’t deliver the details you can get from an expert.
The Internet is great for a quick fact check, but … Read more
Are the Naomis of the world especially sensual? I ask because I just noticed that the name “Naomi” is “I moan” backwards.
If I were to have a character named Naomi, I don’t think I could resist making something out … Read more
The zero draft is how I trick myself into writing when it seems too scary to start THE novel. It’s all the exploratory writing that I do just to feel my way into the project. While I don’t make elaborate … Read more
