Finished, Maybe

I might have finished my novel, The Book of Astrophilia. I say might...it is hard for me to know when something is finished. I'll rewrite forever. And I haven't had a beta reader or anyone give me feedback, and that is part of the process. So is it finished-FINISHED? Well, I've done what I can …

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When characters insist

Pictured: Not my character, FWIW, but still a fairly demanding lady. Some authors say their characters take over. Some authors say that's rubbish. The writer is the boss! Well, yes? While I wouldn't say my characters take over, at times, when I'm contemplating the plot, I write the plot a certain way and it just …

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Imaginary Planets

When people ask me, "What's your story about?" I have a slight panic attack. Why? I can speculate, but I don't really know. I can't afford therapy. BUT I am excited about the story I'm currently working on. (I'm excited about every story. At this moment, however, I'm also in an optimistic mood. Why optimism …

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Finishing Things. Sort of.

I've been jumping from project to project. The term monkey mind comes to, uh, mind. My ideal self would sit down and concentrate. But at this point in my life, I'll just work with the mind I have. Jumping to a different project might be procrastination. It might be a way to never finish even …

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Magical Stories

In 2008, a tiny piece I wrote about my love for The Wizard of Oz was published on NPR's In Character series. I still love children's stories, though in a different way and for different reasons. Some adults aren't interested in anything for children. You can find a number of essays lamenting adults reading YA, …

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A Story Takes Shape

Sharing scenes from my current novel-in-progress (maaaaybeeee novellaaaaa...) has been quite the experience. So in no particular order... ...it forces me to write something. I promised to send people scenes every Sunday, and I haven't missed a Sunday yet (17 Sundays so far!) ...it pushes me through my fear of judgment. The fear is still …

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In the Asylum

When I was a toddler, my mom spent time in a hospital in Tampa. It would have been in the summer of 1971 or 72, right around the time of The Baker Act. I don't know if that had anything to do with her time in the hospital. I know that she tried to harm …

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Tiny Letters

I guess I'm finding the new routine. I'm sending out a somewhat simpler version of my newsletter. What's the difference between my newsletter and my blog? I usually write about books I'm reading and other things I want to share. I'll put fiction there I don't put here. This time I actually put the same …

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