I’m immersing myself in some serious work on the novel this weekend, but I had to stop for a moment and share this story with you. Yesterday I went to go pick up a package at Penguin, the publisher of Imaginary Girls and my upcoming novel 17 & Gone. I live within walking distance to the … Continue reading »
When I have a ton of work to do—like, for example, right now with freelance copyediting deadlines, teaching responsibilities for my writing class (which I think is going really well! I love my students), and novel revisions and a nice, solid book deadline I have noted in beautiful panic red in my calendar, among other … Continue reading »
Not so many years ago, I had a turning point in my writing career. An “Aha!” moment. Something made me remember it yesterday and I wanted to share it here—to show how you might think you’re going one way down a certain path you’ve carved for yourself, but in fact there’s another path carved for … Continue reading »
Guess what? I think my book is really going to be a book. After all the hard work, harder than I’ve ever worked on a piece of writing in my entire life, so much of me poured into those pages (and I have to tell you I’m feeling happier about the novel than ever), I … Continue reading »
I read this article about James Frey’s fiction factory with great interest, since he was recruiting writers from a room I could have been in, had this happened some years ago. For those who haven’t been following this story, James Frey is writing YA novels now. Well, he’s not exactly writing them. But he’s getting … Continue reading »
I’ve just emerged from a self-imposed push to finish a new project on top of my novel revision on top of a big freelance deadline and I was here pushing myself so hard that, last night, I went to bed complaining my “bones hurt.” But I did it. I reached the freelance deadline, I finished … Continue reading »
…sometimes you turn your entire blog turquoise. Sorry about that! I’m sort of into it right now, so I’ll leave it be. But I lost the gorgeous header E made for me and I’m mourning it. I’ve had to put aside the blog post all about writers colonies until Monday—I’m just focusing on a freelance … Continue reading »
I’m working up some plot changes and new developments to the novel before I turn it in Feb. 1—nothing too drastic, just stuff I wholeheartedly think will make the thing better. I just called it the “thing”—I worked too long and hard to call what I’ve done a thing. But what is it? In no … Continue reading »
I’m going to tell you a little story. Once upon a time, I had a job. It came with a window: But I lost the window. And—far worse—the door. And I was being a big baby about it. Because I knew I should just be grateful to still have a job. Everyone says that. So … Continue reading »
Thinking about black-and-white lately. Thinking in black-and-white. You know, there was a time when I almost didn’t become a writer… I was maybe going to try to be a photographer instead. Back then, I did not do digital photographs. Horrors. I loved it old-school, with the stink on your hands and the possibility at every … Continue reading »
