What do you need to learn as a child to be a writer as an adult? What was it that set you down this writing path? Do you think people with a difficult childhood are more likely to pursue creative lives? Why is that? Some people have crazy childhoods and become serial killers. Or they …
Trying to Be Awesome
Dennis Cass is awesome. So, what do you think of his thoughts on giving your book away for free? Read those thoughts here. I posted this before, but that was a long time ago and I wanted to see it again. Tell me how this makes you feel about the future of your book.
Peering through Windows
My dad and lived in the boondocks. A road cut through the front yard and on the other side of the road was a lake filled with catfish, alligators, and snakes. To the right of the house was a cow pasture that rolled out for miles. In back of the house were more cows and …
Calling All Answers
Reading about the publishing industry is disheartening. You're shocked. I can't decide how to categorize my work. Who is my audience? How do you separate your insecurity, neurosis, and blind spots from what your novel actually is? When do you stop rewriting? When do you admit that your novel is unpublishable (or is that unmarketable)? …
The Red Cross in the Orange Grove
The end of Overlook Drive was dark. First there were houses, 1970s split-level houses. But they stopped before the wide curve where an orange grove took over. At night, sitting beside my father in the car, it looked like the road ended in darkness. Then around the curve and a 7 Eleven lit the next …
What your love says about you.
I've asked you what your favorite stories are, but now what do you think your love says about you? Call me crazy, I love Torchwood and my hero is Captain Jack Harkness. What does that say about me?
Riding a Bike with the Virgin Mary at 3 a.m.
I remember the Virgin Mary best. She stood at an attic window and glowed in the dark. That summer work either began or ended at 3 a.m. I watched the front desks at different campus dormitories--answering phones, signing in guests, keeping an eye out for smuggled alcohol. I had no car. To get through the …
Continue reading Riding a Bike with the Virgin Mary at 3 a.m.
Being a Girl
My mom would be there any minute. I decided to hide at the neighbor's house. It was easy to lie to them. "My mom is coming over," I said. "I don't know why, but I'm not allowed to see her. Dad said so." I was 12. They believed me because they never liked my mother. …
Bad Shoes and Bad Guys
I picked out the wrong shoes. The shoes were wrong because I thought they were neat. Yep. Neat. S., a girl who wore pink Oxfords and skinny ribbons in her hair, made it clear to everyone that my tennis shoes were uncool. The shoes weren't the ordinary canvas. S. probably said it best when she …
Editing Music
If you're a writer and need a laugh... Thanks, Ami!
Marta Bacon 