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
A while back agent-turned-author Nathan Bransford did a “Five Openings to Avoid” post that takes a jab at some of the obvious and overused openings that circulate, especially among novice writers.
You know, the story that starts with a character … Read more
Yesterday, the third official National Day on Writing, was a huge success! You definitely don’t want to miss out on hearing from five writers via the National Writing Project’s blogtalk radio show. Listen to the show online here. I’m … Read more
Save the date for this awesome web radio event hosted by NWP on October 20. I’ll be a guest on the show! Details:
One way we’re celebrating the National Day on Writing is by talking with writers about writing. Join … Read more
What does a movie about a sleazy lawyer have to do with plotting a novel?
Last night the husband and I watched The Lincoln Lawyer with Matthew McConaughey (from Longview, Texas, where I went to high school). I tend to … Read more
My brother sent me this photo of a fortune he got at a local restaurant. I think it’s the most useful fortune I’ve ever seen–our Chinese buffet doesn’t offer us anything near as handy in its fortunes– usually I get … Read more
People talk a lot about voice in writing. Voice is that hard-to-describe quality in a piece of writing that is at once internally consistent and capable of generating surprises. It’s not the same as character or personality; it’s a kind … Read more
The National Writing Project (which revolutionized my teaching and writing life) invited me to participate in their events for the national day on writing, October 20. Yay!
So cruise over here and read my responses to the six questions … Read more
Recently I blogged about my favorite high-tech writing tool, Scrivener. Today, though, a bit about the benefits of going low-tech–at least some of the time.
It’s not just me, either. Award-winning author Neal Stephenson describes how writing with an … Read more
Last week I told you to go see an expert instead of cruising the Internet for information. Now I get down off my high horse and tell you about my own research while writing The Knife and the Butterfly … Read more
