As my first novel is about to hit bookstores, people are asking why I invested my time, slumped over a keyboard, pursuing this or any project for nine years of my life. In response, all the usual reasons roll off my tongue—”Writers have to write,” “I had a compelling story to tell,” “I need to […]
Ruthless Editing…Your Path to Nirvana
Okay, so you had a great idea for a book, wrote a thousand words a day for three months, and are now clutching a manuscript proudly to your breast. Of course what you really want to be holding is a book, complete with a beautiful cover, a scanning label pegged to 16.95, and a sassy […]
Being Shaped By the Books We Read
I find it worthwhile to periodically reflect on those things that have most influenced my life. Books are no exception. I typically credit three with having the greatest impact on my writing: Story by Robert McKee, The Writers Journey by Christopher Vogler, and On Writing by Stephen King. But long before I read those books, […]
Electricity
When the young ballet dancer in Billy Elliot is asked what it feels like when he’s dancing, he replies: “Once I get going, I forget everything . . . sorta disappear . . . feel a change in my whole body like this fire in my body . . . just there, flying like a […]
It’s All about Craft
I’ve written two novels and designed two homes, one home being featured in Better Homes and Gardens. It has always seemed to me that the creative process for each is virtually the same. Both start with a blank slate, proceed with envisioning hundreds of possibilities for every space, room, and wall (plot, action, and character), […]