If I can't be a dragon-whisperer, can I at least befriend a talking dog?
I love fountain pens but they haven't loved me. As I writer, pens are one of my primary tools. While I refuse to freeze in a garret, writing with a fountain pen has always appealed to me. The flow of fountain pen ink is deeply satisfying. Over the years, I've collected at least seven. Whenever... Continue Reading →
Like any complex creative process, writing a novel requires the creator to make make a million decisions one at a time. It takes time and energy and, oddly enough, faith. Faith that, by showing up, we can make progress. Faith that we will have more ideas. Faith that we will have the skill to put... Continue Reading →
I like to set goals every week for my writing. I use a special planning notebook to track my effort and assess my progress on my many projects. Lately, I have not been meeting my goals. My 14-year-old miniature poodle Dory has been through two dental surgeries this month and a lot of my time... Continue Reading →
Ray Bradbury once wrote about our hesitation to begin anything because of uncertainty and fear. If we listened to our intellect we'd never have a love affair. We'd never have a friendship. We'd never go in business because we'd be cynical: "It's gonna go wrong." Or "She's going to hurt me." Or, "I've had a... Continue Reading →
There's a belief that all the great artists are inspired, that what makes their work wonderful is a brilliant idea or new insight. But this is just a myth. A single moment of brilliance can be blinding to the rest of us, but there's more to it than that. You can't make use of inspiration... Continue Reading →