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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
I've been thinking about alternative timelines. What if the election of 2000 had gone differently? What if I hadn't asked to live with my mom? What if I had reacted differently in a bad situation? What if Archduke Ferdinand hadn't been assassinated? What if I had ignored that near panic attack and gone dancing that …
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 …
I'm exhausted and it isn't even 9 p.m. But I'm here! And here is scene three of The Fairy Tale Asylum. I have to think of a way to organize these scenes for anyone who comes in and wants to know they missed, but today isn't that day. Thanks to our plague year, I'm having …
Now with the first week of online teaching behind me and our new normal routine settling in, I hope to regain my focus and energy. At least some of it. I'll continue post scenes from on my manuscripts as I go through rewrites (taking a page from Charles Dickens and other such authors who serialized …
These are strange days indeed. I'm teaching from home, which is weird, though I'm getting used to it. I might be coming out of the creative fog I've been in. Don't want to jinx it, but nevertheless, here I am, testing fate and hoping for the best. Years ago one NaNoWriMo, I started this story …
I've been thinking about magic. I love magic in novels and in movies. Recently, I read The Starless Sea. Holy moly, if magic were light, this book would be seen in the dark from miles away. The magic Morgenstern has spun into being is amazing. If you only like magic that is explained, this is …
Marta Pelrine-Bacon 