Category Archives: Uncategorized

I have read a number of articles that say the multi-tasking that most of us do nowadays, whether we are writers or not, is really counterproductive. We may think we are balancing a number of task at once, but we really aren’t. What we are really doing is hopping quickly from one task to another,Continue reading “One Task at a Time vs. Multi-Tasking”

I have had a sinus headache since about 3 a.m. It’s one of those headaches that hangs around in my forehead and nose and never quite goes away until it is good and ready. I am guessing it will be sometime this afternoon. But I don’t want to waste a morning when I want toContinue reading “Writing Through a Headache”

I write book reviews for a magazine, and of the twenty-five or so novels I have reviewed in the past year, most have been well-crafted, with appealing characters and story lines that kept me turning the pages until the end. Even if the book was not one I would have picked up by my ownContinue reading “Writing Negative Book Reviews”

Try these techniques to bring life to your characters, and find out who they really are. 1. Make a list of adjectives that describe your character. Use a thesaurus for words you may not think of off the top of your head. 2. Spend two hours “being” your character. Do whatever you are doing normally,Continue reading “Tips to Make Characters Come Alive”

Few of us have the luxury of being able to write for long, productive, uninterrupted stretches each day. And when life gets busy, it can be difficult to hold on to the belief that “yes, I am a writer.”I try to do some small thing each day, whether it is rereading and revising a chapter,Continue reading “Do a Small Thing Each Day”

I am planning a trip this summer to the small town in southern Illinois where I grew up. I didn’t even live in the town; I lived on a farm seven miles outside of the county seat, a town of 3,000 people, not close to anything. Most of my friends from childhood still live inContinue reading “Can You Go Home Again?”

Just two weeks ago the publisher of my novel, The Gate House, closed its doors. It was a difficult decision for the group who have worked so hard over the last few years to keep a small company afloat, but consequently, I am looking for a new home for my novel. I have completed aContinue reading “My Novel is an Orphan”

For all of us who still have a “day job,” it is often difficult to take oneself seriously as a writer. As much as we might say, “I am a writer,” it is easy to shunt the writing tasks off to the end of the day, after work, household tasks, family, shopping and even exercise.Continue reading “Taking Myself Seriously as a Writer”

I am a writer. I get up in the morning and think about which of my projects I will work on today, since I always have several projects I am balancing in various stages of development. Currently, I am working on revising my latest novel, which is tentatively titled Lydia’s Story. And I will beContinue reading “Different Kinds of Creativity”

I am always wary of giving my books away for free because, of course, I wantpeople to buy them.But recently I received a handwritten note in the mail from an elderly cousin ofmy father, who had heard about my book from someone in the family, and wantedto know where she could buy one. She isContinue reading