Today marks the anniversary of my first blog entry back in 2007. It was a short entry on LiveJournal that simply said, “I’m not sure how often I’ll use this LiveJournal platform, but it’s an interesting form of media I might explore. I’m basically just posting this to see what my journal will look like.” … Read more
It’s been a while since I did a Seven Pillars of Success entry, but recently I was moved to do one for a writer friend of mine who has shown incredible generosity (as you’ll read below) throughout her recent success as a self-published author. I needed to share her story, and she was so kind … Read more
Recently I was flattered to be invited to join a group of stellar writers who were each contributing one short story to a winter-themed anthology called WINTER WONDERS. All profits from the anthology go to a charity called Literacy, Inc.–you can read more about the charity and pre-order the book at the publisher’s website here. … Read more
The goal of this blog, noted right at the top of the About page, is to generate conversation. Thus my excitement recently when I noticed that I was rapidly approaching the milestone of 10,000 comments on my blog over the last 4 years. It’s just a number, but aren’t all milestones? I was in a meeting … Read more
My novel, which is currently in the second round of beta reading, is titled WRINKLE. That’s right–when you refer to your own novel, it’s standard to use all caps. It’s like I’m shouting the title at you every time. A conundrum I always face when writing fiction is what to name my protagonist. I don’t … Read more
Perhaps you, like me, have once had someone–perhaps an overbearing aunt or a coworker who bikes to work–insist that you read The Artist’s Way. Multiple people (including someone on Facebook recently, hence this post) have suggested that I read this book, saying things like “It’ll free your creativity” and “You’re creative–you’ll like this book.” I … Read more
Back in March, I set out on a mission: For the first time in my life, I wanted to write a novel from beginning to end. I had started two novels before that, approaching them as daunting, monstrous works that could only be completed if I took lengthy sabbaticals in a log cabin in the mountains where … Read more
I’ve really been enjoying the HBO show Game of Thrones lately. It’s all swords and sorcery, political posturing and trickery, and an abundance of nudity. That pretty much covers everything I love. However, there’s one key component of the show that I don’t quite understand: Almost every character is trying to be king of the … Read more
With my publishing company’s latest book coming out next week, I’m supposed to be excited about books. And I am excited about that book. It’s beautifully written, endlessly entertaining, and it will move you in a way that few books can. If you’re in St. Louis and want to attend the debut book signing next … Read more
Hunger Games fever (not an actual ailment) continues to sweep the nation. If you’re a reader of fiction, you probably know that the demand for not just The Hunger Games, but also all young adult dystopian fiction, has been quite high the past few years (see Matched and Divergent, among many, many others). In fact, I … Read more