• Dec. 13th, 2010 The Best Story Ever

    My son is two and he loves to help me around the house. But the reality is that when James helps—whether it’s with the dishes or the laundry or the vacuuming—it takes me at least twice as long and often creates more of a mess than we started with. So, why do I do it? [ read more ]

  • Dec. 8th, 2010 Writing Will Mess with your Dreams

    I’ve had some of the most vivid and disturbing dreams of my life in the past few months. And I know what the problem is. I take a shower before I go to bed. Did I lose you? Maybe I should explain. I get some of my best ideas in the shower. I’m trying to [ read more ]

  • Dec. 5th, 2010 Book Review: The Master’s Wall

    I love historical fiction. I particularly love historicals set during and shortly after the time of Christ, when the church was young and the oppression of the Roman empire intense. The Master’s Wall by Sandi Rog takes a unique approach to the genre. The main characters are children as the book opens, and we experience the tragedies that [ read more ]

  • Dec. 2nd, 2010 An Interview with My Internal Editor

    As you may know, my internal editor and I got quite chummy a few months ago as I edited every single word of my first manuscript. However, during NaNo . . . well, I had to tell her to hush. Quite a bit. I was feeling guilty, so I tried to have a little chat [ read more ]

  • Nov. 28th, 2010 NaNoWriMo 2010 – We have a Winner!

    A few of you have asked what it means to be a “winner” – well, for NaNoWriMo , all it means is you finished 50,000 words in 30 days. There’s no judging. No prizes. No limit on the number of winners. But it’s still nice to win! I finished my 50K on Sunday the 28th with two [ read more ]

  • Nov. 11th, 2010 Paper, Diets and Other NaNoWriMo Hazards

    I have a paper cut. It’s on the tip of my right index finger. Every time I type, pain shoots through my fingertip and hand. I press on because I’m tough. But it made me think of things we should avoid during NaNoWriMo . I’m not talking about the usual stuff writers give up—sleep, TV, video [ read more ]

  • Nov. 4th, 2010 Have I Lost My Mind?

    Have you lost your mind? These were the exact words my sister uttered when I announced my plans to participate in this year’s NaNoWriMo . She pointed out that I was busy. She pointed out that I don’t have time to do this. She pointed out that my decision making skills might be questionable. And then [ read more ]

  • Nov. 1st, 2010 She Can Be Taught . . . Maybe

    If you follow this blog regularly, then you know that September was a roller coaster for me. Lots of writing and editing, interspersed with ridiculous amounts of drama. But, I’m learning. Maybe. November is National Novel Writing Month. And the goal of NaNoWriMo is to encourage authors to finally write that novel. The goal? 50,000 words [ read more ]

  • Oct. 26th, 2010 I Want More

    There are a couple of things I really want. I’m not talking about the way I really want a mocha, or a slice of pizza, or to weigh less. Although, let’s face it, the mocha and pizza aren’t helping the weight issue at all. Neither is my Oreo addiction. But I digress. I’m talking about [ read more ]

  • Oct. 12th, 2010 Directionally Challenged

    I like detailed directions. Extremely detailed. If you ever need directions to my house, I don’t just say turn left on this street and right on that one. Oh no. I include important information such as “Approximately 8/10 of a mile after you turn left you’ll come to a curve that makes you feel like [ read more ]