I've been distracted. This month I've written very little. The first distraction has been home improvement projects. It feels tedious to go into the details. At least the house improved. The second distraction has been insecurity and indecisiveness. That's tedious too. The important point now is I've made a decision! Again! I usually have to …
I just had a birthday, so I'm in a reflective mood. Certain calendar days will do that, right? You know what I don't really need? More unfinished stories. Finish the thing! Doesn't Neil Gaiman talk about that? You can't get far with a bunch of unfinished pieces, no matter how shiny they are. Therefore, it …
Last night I worked on a story for Story-a-Day. When the story began, I was sure a particular character was dead. As I came to the ending though, I brought her back to life. It wasn't because I loved her so much I couldn't let her go. Instead, I couldn't put her best friend through …
I finished my third story for Story-a-Day. I'm feeling that familiar mix of joy--I did it!--and dread--It's probably terrible. Being terrible isn't the end of the world though, is it? Why do we feel compelled to do something that we don't even have confidence in? It really makes no sense. It's actually a privilege to …
Dear Llama, If you told stories, what stories would you tell? Would llamas write of teen angst, mid-life crises, or trips to other planets? Llamas in space? Llamas in love? The Llama, the Witch, and the Wardrobe? Probably not the wardrobe. More like a barn door or a pasture gate. Actually, no. Why a manmade …
I went through files and files and files this last weekend in a crazed effort to organize my writing as if this will fix all my problems. Well, the problems remain, but I do now know that I have 124 short stories. Thank you, Story-a-Day! Or curse you as the case may be. The stories …
Sometimes terrible news distracts me from my writing. I don't mean terrible news affecting me directly, but nightmares visited upon friends, acquaintances, or strangers. You might think that working so much with words meant you had just the right words for any situation. I don't find this to be the case. We have many stories …
It's Tuesday again, so here we are. I'm going to be writing a query letter this weekend. If you don't know how, plenty of websites, articles, and podcasts will explain it. Somehow it still feels impossible. I have to summarize my novel's plot and make it sound irresistible. I've read that if you can write …
If you had time, I'd ask you to read all my manuscripts and tell me which one is the best. It feels like an insanely important decision, except it isn't, is it? I have too many choices. It was easy when only one novel had been written. As a kid I had elaborate systems to …
A while back, a friend and fellow writer, Tammy Breitweiser, brought llamas into my life, specially on Tuesdays. Did you know llamas are having a moment? Well, apparently they are, and while my heart will always belong to the unicorns, llamas are cool too. They must be. Just look at them! So, thanks to some …
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 