If you’ve been writing as long as I have, you already know that every novel we write contains scenes that seem to come effortlessly as well as scenes that have to fight to survive. In The Professor of Eventide, there was one scene (or really a series of scenes) that I came very close to … Continue reading One Scene I Almost Cut From The Professor of Eventide (and Why I Kept It)
creative process
The Books That Shaped The Writer I Became
When I think about the writer I’ve evolved into, after more than 20 years of learning and honing my craft, I can trace part of that journey through four books in particular: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, and Leaves of Grass by … Continue reading The Books That Shaped The Writer I Became
How Summer Affects My Thinking and Creativity
I know I always say that autumn is my favorite time of year, and in many ways it is. I’m not a huge fan of the 100+ degree summer heat we get here in Southern Nevada, especially not the 100+ degree days that are also humid. However, I do get time off in the summer, … Continue reading How Summer Affects My Thinking and Creativity
How I Protect My Creative Energy on Days That Aren’t Writing Days
I'm not a fan of that old writer's adage that insists that we should write every day. Maybe that works for some writers, but it doesn't work for me. When I'm working on a project, I tend to treat it like a job. I write Mondays - Fridays and take the weekends off. Not every … Continue reading How I Protect My Creative Energy on Days That Aren’t Writing Days