Posts Tagged: writing

When you’re writing a story, which comes first: the plot or the characters? This is a classic chicken-and-egg conundrum many new writers (and veterans) face as they’re crafting a story. Should the character’s personality, background and decision-making drive the plot? Or does the action of the story make the character who she is? The short  […]

I love Labor Day weekend. For many people, it’s a good time to relax, or sneak in a last summer getaway. Considering that it’s my anniversary weekend (9 years ago today: you brave, brave man), you would think we’d be packing our bags for a romantic inn. But there’s just too much happening to go  […]

I shared this list with my self-publishing workshop attendees in November, and thought I would re-post here for anyone interested. If you’re in Atlanta and would like to attend my next self-pub workshop, you can find the information here: https://2-in-1-writers.eventbrite.com The Top 10 Reasons Newbie Self-Publishers Stumble Rushing to Publish. The ease of publishing on  […]

Because I think this issue is so important, I am taking time away from NaNoWriMo to re-post here what I wrote on my Facebook page yesterday. My friends and fellow authors, J.K. Barber, brought to my attention their post about a conversation with publicist Louise Carter; and I wanted to share it far and wide  […]

So, you know that person who is always 2000% confident in themselves and their own knowledge? You know how, for some people, that confidence never seems to waver, regardless of the correctness or reliability of their beliefs? While it’s true, many of these folks are drawn to politics and therefore spend most of their time  […]

There are the five old guys who meet faithfully on Monday mornings, laughing, reading aloud to one another, maybe praying (I try not to eavesdrop for that part) — heads bent together over empty plates and steaming mugs of coffee and then thrown back in joviality. Young people starting and running businesses. Women gossiping, talking  […]

Well, we did it. We managed to conquer the various kingdoms of Disneyworld in Orlando last week, hauling around a couple of tired and over-stimulated kids who, in my opinion, seriously don’t appreciate how much more fun life is for them than it was when we were kids. Exactly like our parents did before us.  […]

“Mommy, you’ve been gone too much. You’ve been gone Every. Single. Night.” Ugh. Rip my heart out and stomp on it, why don’t you? Yes, those were the words over Cheerios this morning of my Pre-K Little Man, who wishes his name were Anakin even though he has never seen the Star Wars movies, and  […]

Is anyone else struggling with an October… weirdness this year? Yes, that’s right. I’m a therapist and the best I can do is ‘weirdness.’  I guess another way to express it would be ‘October NaNoWriMo Anticipatory Time Distortion Funk.’ For the first time ever, I’m going into NaNoWriMo this year knowing more or less what  […]