July 2017

dragonflies, spider silk green ripples on black water below the mirror–goldfish the undersides of branches shimmer. a bird calls desperately –across the pond, a woman plays a mating call off her phone. dragonfly plays copyeditor over the shadows dancing on my page …It was a good day.  I also saw a bonsai tree shaped like […]

The last time I went to Trader Joe’s, I found myself standing in front of a display of cookie butter cookies.  These are like recursive cookies. I wonder if they’re any good. A woman reached past my shoulder to grab a box, as you do at Trader Joe’s, because Trader Joe’s is all about catering to

You know how for some people, it’s easier to do something if it’s for someone else’s sake, not your own?  I’m that way about writer stuff.  If I weren’t doing it in order to accomplish the writing dream, I wouldn’t do it because: I don’t deserve it (I may have mentioned I have self-confidence issues),

So “plotting” is the current writer term for “I write a plot outline before I write a book.”  “Pantsing” is the current writer term for “I write a book without writing a plot outline beforehand (in other words, by the seat of my pants.)” Plotters seem to feel that pantsers are cheating somehow.  “Just admit

Here’s the thing about editorial changes: If you could have done it right the first time, you would have. This is hard for editors to understand; I know, because I’ve taken the same attitude toward my editorial clients that my ghostwriting clients have taken toward me: But it’s not that big of a change…just try