Vegetarian here, but I couldn't think of a better metaphor for where I am in the writing process than steak. I watch those cooking shows, and I ate meat until 4 years ago. (I'm also not a militant vegetarian. If you want to eat dead animals, have at it. ;-) You can even eat them in my presence. I worry about me, not you. Plus, this is not a blog about food.) Anyhoo -- here's the deal -- you … [Read more...] about When Writing a Novel is like Grilling a Steak
Writing Rituals
Writing Is An Uphill Battle (Thank Goodness)
Originally posted on Writers In The Storm I blame it on a lunch date. Or maybe I should say I owe it to a lunch date. Yes, my entire writing career is predicated on the fact that I met someone for lunch whom I’d never met before. I don’t remember his name, or what he looked like. I never saw him again. Good thing you don’t pay royalties on inspiration. During our pleasant midday conversation … [Read more...] about Writing Is An Uphill Battle (Thank Goodness)
This Is My Brain On Index Cards
I could not remember the dead friend's last name. I realize this is a problem likely reserved for novelists, because if I had a dead friend, I'd probably recall her last name. At that point I hadn't written many pages of my third novel yet, but I had an outline and a short synopsis for my agent, and ideas jotted down on paper just for me. I rifled through all of it. Cooper. The last name was … [Read more...] about This Is My Brain On Index Cards
How to Write When You Don’t Have Time (or have had too much egg nog—or Hanukkah gelt)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? It’s cold, wet, gets dark at 4:30, and most of us have no time or energy to write. Let me explain. We're entranced during this season. I don't even celebrate Christmas, and Hanukkah/Chanukah/Hanukah is technically classified as a festival, and while important, it does not, in any way, have the heft of, let's say, Passover or Yom Kippur, yet it gets … [Read more...] about How to Write When You Don’t Have Time (or have had too much egg nog—or Hanukkah gelt)