June 6, 2020
The London Library has discovered fascinating evidence of the research books Bram Stoker drew inspiration from during his seven-year writing of Dracula. I confess to being a little surprised by his scholarly approach and to […]
May 18, 2010
This morning I started thinking about which book to write next, which means I’m closing in on the end of my current one, at last. Will I approach the next one differently? You bet. Writing […]
May 16, 2010
There’s nothing more stressful than taking a cold, hard look at the first five pages of your manuscript only to realize they’re unlikely to compete favorably against the other submissions out there. You’ve learned so […]
May 7, 2010
Mary Buckham is the woman who single-handedly ended my inability to write a one-page synopsis. During a 2-week intensive online class she showed me how to reduce my rambling epic fantasy to five essential turning […]
May 5, 2010
[Photo: from left to right—Debby Garfinkle, agent Laura Rennert, Jay Asher] Today’s post is a short update on the Writer Beware Blogs! mention of me by Alyx Dellamonica, one of my teachers at the UCLA Writers […]
April 30, 2010
There’s a guest post by Alyx Dellamonica at the Writer Beware blog today mentioning me as an example of a writer responding to the current market pressure to build a social media presence online in […]
April 17, 2010
Still in the dark about how to submit to agents? Looking for enlightenment? One of the best ways to stay informed about the state of the industry, improve your craft, clear any confusion about how […]
April 12, 2010
In a genre that is as much about wish-fulfillment as it is a reaction to the Scientific Revolution that denied us mystique and magic in favor of equations and mechanics, it is hardly surprising that […]
April 6, 2010
I’m always shocked by how few writers actually read these days. I meet writers all the time who are eager to talk about what they’re writing, and keen to spend hard-earned dollars on writing classes, […]
March 20, 2010
Gosh, where did the week go? I was going to post an update on the goings on at the Big Sur Writers Workshop as soon as I got back, I promise, but, as usual, other […]
February 28, 2010
If I could design my own reading room what would it look like? I’ve often thought about this. Would it be a long gallery with mullioned windows like the library in Winston Churchill’s home? I’d […]
February 18, 2010
Multi-talented author Pat Lowery Collins talks about the source of her creativity and answers questions on craft. “Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it! For boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” […]