…that have been dried on high for five hours with a little too much starch. I haven’t written anything (aside from blog posts and the random lengthy tweet) since this time last year, and it’s been harder to get back in the swing of things than I expected. I’m using NaNo as a way to …
writing / editing
120-ish Hours to Go!
Do you hear that? It’s the slow moan of thousands of writers as they prepare for the most ridiculous writing competition of the year! NANOWRIMO! Yes, I’m doing it again. I’d originally planned on writing a sci-fi young adult idea that’s been bouncing around in my head, but I’ve decided to write the sequel to …
The Great Pumpkin Analogy
While perusing the pumpkin “patch” (shelves) at my grocery store last weekend, this one struck me as the roundest, cleanest, most pumpkiny pumpkin of the bunch. In fact, I was so pleased with nature’s work that I considered leaving it alone and letting its bright orange hue be all the decoration I needed. So pretty. …
When Do You Say When?
I sent my first queries for Flicker almost seven months ago. In that time I’ve had a couple full requests, a few more partial requests, and several handfuls of rejections. I’ve avoided talking about the process here because I choose to keep that out of the public eye, but I’m reaching the point where I …
Repost: Being Authentic
I first posted this on March 10, 2010, and thought it was worth repeating. I wrote this while working on my second novel, so while that part is a bit outdated, the rest still applies. Do you ever have random words just pop into your head? Words that you rarely use but make you giggle, …
Leading by Example
In early spring of 2009, my friend Stacey Graham mentioned an idea she had for a new humor blog. Our group of friends continuously amused each other, so why not spread that joy throughout the internet via essays written in the spirit of Erma Bombeck? Thus was born An Army of Ermas. Our ranks have …
Nitpicking
I love to pick at things. I won’t disgust you with the details, but if my fingernail can pry it loose, you can bet I’m going to try. I also apply this obsessiveness to theories, plots, and pretty much any story that a person can invent. I often have to warn people that I play …
Odds & Ends
Hi there. I thought I’d use today’s post to catch you all up on what’s been going on with me. Ready? Okay! ********** I LOVE my apartment. Love. The paint, the layout, the trees outside my balcony… it’s all wonderful. Owen’s adapted well and I’ve made several friends through him and the dog park. The …
Summer ‘ku
Thoughts from a late night perusing friends’ friends lists and other posts on Facebook… Freakfest on Facebook. Spray tans + protein, oh why did I give you up? … My long-ago crush has a toddler named Owen. The universe speaks! … Oh vague status posts… If only you intrigued me as your poster planned. … …
It’s a Start
Thanks for your encouragement last week. I’m proud to say I finally sat down and wrote TWO WHOLE PAGES. For me, that’s the hardest part because the first couple pages set the tone for the entire novel and that’s the only time I truly struggle to write. Once I get into the flow of writing …